Belmont County Ohio

Formed on September 1, 1801, Belmont County was one of Ohio's earliest counties. It originally was a county in the Northwest Territory. Residents named the county Belmont after the French term for "beautiful mountain." Thousands of settlers migrated westward through Belmont County along Zane's Trace. The National Road also passed through the county. Quakers were among the county's first residents and many of these people became outspoken critics of slavery. Among them was the famous abolitionist Benjamin Lundy.
Belmont County is located in the east central part of Ohio and borders the Ohio River. The county's 537 square miles are part of Ohio's Appalachian region. The county is heavily rural. St. Clairsville, the county seat, was named for Arthur St. Clair.