From HISTORY OF THE PAN-HANDLE, West Virginia, 1879, by J. H. Newton, 
G. G. Nichols, and A. G. Sprankle. Page 270.  

Contributed by Linda Cunningham Fluharty.


ISAAC IRWIN was born in Wheeling, May 21, 1805. His parents came from 
Pennsylvania to Wheeling in 1796. His father was a blacksmith, and one of the 
first in this section. He was a member of the legislature from this district for 
some ten or twelve years, and mayor of the city of Wheeling as early as 1816. 
Isaac, 
the subject of our sketch, was first initiated into the dry goods business in 
the store of Thomas Johnson, of Main street, but in 1827 he went into business 
for himself, on what is yet known as the old Irwin estate, on upper Main street, 
but only remained there a short time. He married A. S. Wylie, daughter of the 
late Rev. Wm. Wylie, Presbyterian minister, in November, 1826, by whom he has 
had seven children, though only three of them are living. Mr. Irwin has engaged 
himself in various pursuits, and was one of Wheeling's earliest merchants, which 
he remained for some time. He was sole controller of Wheeling's flour market for 
several years, during which our flour was viewed as superior to any other 
produced in the Ohio Valley. He was also connected with the first iron rail 
manufactory established in this city by Drakely, Sweeney & Co., and known as the 
Washington Rail Mills. This establishment had only run three years when it was 
suspended, an erroneous idea having been entertained that iron rails would wear 
forever, which had induced capitalists to invest in railroad bonds ana stocks, 
freely. But upon the discovery that iron rails would only last seven years, then 
came what is known as the railroad crisis. Mr. Irwin was secretary of the 
company at the time of its failure, their liabilities being some 885,000, which 
was considered a very large sum in those days. For several years after this Mr. 
Irwin was not engaged in any particular business until 1864, when he opened up 
as a real estate agent at 24 Twelfth street, where his office is still located 
and he continues a reliable business.