Who is John McIntire?
John McIntire, the founder of the City of Zanesville, was born October 15, 1759, in Alexandria, Virginia, to John and Charlotte Hedge McIntire. Mr. McIntire later married Sarah Zane, the daughter of Col. Ebenezer Zane, in December 1789.
It was along with his father-in-law and Col. Zane's brother Jonathan that they blazed the trail westward known as Zane's Trace. The frontier road began in Wheeling, West Virginia, and ran about 230 miles to Maysville, Kentucky. Col. Zane, who had served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, had petitioned Congress for funding to construct the road to encourage settlement in the Northwest Territory.
Col. Zane deeded a tract of land to Mr. McIntire, and he founded the town of Westbourne on the Muskingum River site in 1797. The town's postmaster changed the name to Zanesville in 1801 – two years before Ohio attained statehood. Mr. McIntire was also elected as a delegate to the first Constitutional Convention of Ohio, which met November 1-29, 1802.
Mr. McIntire died July 29, 1815, leaving a significant portion of his wealth to be used by his community. To this day, that wish continues to fund college scholarships for graduating students who live within the city limits.
His remains, and those of family members, are interred at a gravesite that sits on what is now the campus of Zanesville High School and Zanesville Middle School.
Between 1825 and 1830, the portion of the Zane's Trace between Wheeling and Zanesville was reconstructed as part of the new National Road.