Martins Ferry, Ohio, established by Absalom Martin in 1785, is the oldest organized settlement in Ohio and the largest city in Belmont County.

Martins Ferry was named for the Ohio River ferry that was owned and operated by Ebenezer Martin. Early development was promoted due to the close proximity of industry in Wheeling (West) Virginia. The city's growth was based on the development of the coal, glass, and steel industries throughout the region. Martins Ferry's ethnic heritage is a composite of the various groups that settled here in the late 1800s and early 1900s to work in these industries. These various ethnic backgrounds remain a unique part of Martins Ferry's culture today.

Martins Ferry was the home of Revolutionary War heroine Betty Zane until her death at the age of sixty-three. It is also the birthplace of Pulitzer Prize winning author, James Wright and Pro Football Hall Of Fame member Lou "The Toe" Groza. - - (By Barbara Shrodes.)