From "HISTORY OF THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY,"  Vol. I, pages 237-238.
Brant & Fuller, 1890.


WILLIAM T. BURT

William T. Burt, a prominent business man of Wheeling, is a native of 
Jeffersn county, Ohio, born in 1835, but has since infancy resided in 
West Virginia.  His father, David Burt, was one of the well-known 
steamboat men of the second quarter of the present century, running 
from Pittsburgh to New Orleans, and three of the brothers of his 
father were also among the first engaged in that business.  David 
Burt died when the subject of this sketch was about eight years old, 
and the latter when he had reached the age of fourteen sought an 
opportunity to maintain himself, and entered the office of the 
WELLSBURGH HERALD, then owned by J. G. Jacob and J. A. Smith.  He 
remained in that office from 1850 to 1857, and then came to Wheeling, 
and abandoning the trade he had learned, found employment in the 
business to which he has successfully devoted his attention.  He 
became a clerk in the store of P. C. Hildreth & Co., iron dealers, 
and remained in the establishment under J. A. Metcalf, who became 
proprietor two years later, until 1863, when he was admitted as a 
partner, the firm being styled Metcalf & Burt.  In the following year 
Mr. Burt went to Indianapolis, and with others established a house in 
the iron business, under the firm name of Burt, Metcalf & Over, which 
they operated for two years.  Then returning to Wheeling in 1866, he 
continued in business under the old firm name until the death of Mr. 
Metcalf in 1874, when Mr. Burt succeeded to the business and has 
since conducted it under the style of W. T. Burt & Co.  He has other 
important interests, and is a stockholder and director of the 
Woodward Iron company of Alabama, is a director of the LaBelle Iron 
works, a shareholder in the Bellaire Nail works, the Commercial bank, 
and is one of the original shareholders of the Peabody Insurance 
company.  Politically Mr. Burt is a republican, and was one of the 
first members of that party in Brooke county, in ante-war times, but 
he has never sought official preferment.  In 1864 he was married to 
Martha E. Burt, of St. Louis, and they have two daughters.  


(Linda Fluharty)