Notable people · Pioneer · Road Builder
Ebenezer Zane
Virginian who in 1796-97 blazed Zane's Trace, the first major road across Ohio, from Wheeling to Maysville, Kentucky. Founded the settlement that became Wheeling.
At a glance
- Born
- 1747-10-07
- Died
- 1811-11-19
- Known as
- Pioneer, Road Builder
Life story
Ebenezer Zane was born in 1747 in Moorefield, Virginia, one of six children. In 1769 he set up a settlement near Fort Henry, later Wheeling, on the Ohio River.
He served in Dunmore's War in 1774 and survived the sieges of Fort Henry in 1777 and 1782. His sister Betty became famous for running a gunpowder supply to the fort during the 1782 siege.
He voted to ratify the Constitution at the Virginia convention in 1788. In 1796, Congress gave him permission to cut Zane's Trace through the Northwest Territory, from Wheeling to Maysville, Kentucky, and he received land grants along it.
His son-in-law John McIntire helped found Zanesville. Zane died in Wheeling on November 19, 1811 and was buried in Martins Ferry, Ohio. He is an ancestor of the writer Zane Grey.
Timeline
- 1747-10-07: Born (Moorefield, VA) source
- 1769: Settles near Fort Henry (Wheeling, WV) source
- 1774: Serves in Dunmore's War (Ohio Valley) source
- 1782-09: Second siege of Fort Henry (Wheeling, WV) source
- 1788: Votes to ratify the Constitution (Richmond, VA) source
- 1796: Gets permission to build Zane's Trace (Ohio) source
- 1811-11-19: Dies (Wheeling, WV) source
What Ebenezer is known for
- Zane's Trace (authorized May 1796)
- Zane's Trace (1796-97)
Honors and things named for them
- Zanesville, OH
- Zane's Trace
- Zanesfield, OH named for brother Isaac
Family
- wife: Elizabeth McColloch Zane
- sister: Elizabeth (Betty) Zane
- daughter: Sarah Zane McIntire
- brother: Isaac Zane
Places in Ohio to see
- Zane's Trace route (Zanesville) (marker)
Zanesville, Muskingum County ZIP 43701 (approximate) · Zanesville · Muskingum County
Ohio places
Where Ebenezer Zane was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.
- Worked: Zanesville, Muskingum County ZIP 43701 · Zanesville · Muskingum County
Further reading
Sources
Confidence. Medium: the main facts were confirmed, but some details (often an address or ZIP code) were not.
- Wikipedia: Ebenezer Zane dates, Zane's Trace, residence in Wheeling