In 1864, during the American Civil War (in which Wheeling became briefly capital of the new state of West Virginia), William Leighton Jr. of the Hobbs & Hobbs firm designed a new method of producing lime glass that made the previously inferior product suitable for producing tableware and revolutionized the industry.
By 1880, six years after Sweeney's retirement and five years after his younger brother's death, the city had three major firms operating seven furnaces which included 72 pots, employed 818 men using a combined capital of $500,522, paid $296,450 in wages and used $192,564 worth of raw material to produce $714,000 worth of wares, or about 7.82% of all glassware sold in the country.
However, Sweeney served only one short term; Wheeling Suspension Bridge advocate Lewis Steenrod succeeded him in 1853.
Four years later, Ohio County voters elected Sweeney to serve alongside Andrew F. Woods as their representatives in the Virginia House; they had replaced former mayor James Paul, John Brady and G. L. Crammer in the area's turbulent political climate, and two years later were themselves replaced by Nathaniel Richardson, John Knote and Daniel M.
[7] Before the Civil War, the Sweeney firm made three enormous four-foot-wide and nearly five-foot-tall cut leaded glass bowls, in order to showcase their wares.
[8] The third adorned Michael Sweeney's tomb in Wheeling's cemetery from 1875 until 1948, when it was moved to the Oglebay glass museum for safekeeping.
Since Thomas was chairman of the board, he took the lead in the hosting the affair and naturally received the accolades from the guests for promoting industry in the new city instead of Michael.
[14] Nonetheless, during the American Civil War, Andrew J. Sweeney served as Wheeling's mayor (1861–1863, 1865–1868) as well as a militia colonel.
[15] After his father's retirement, his uncle's death and closure of the family glassworks in 1875, Andrew Sweeney became a prominent manufacturer in his own right with the Wheeling Electric Company.
Thomas's son, Andrew J. Sweeney served as mayor of Wheeling, West Virginia for many years, was a business partner in his father's foundry eventually taking over the leadership role of the company, and was appointed Colonel of the militia during the Civil War.
Another son, Thomas Campbell Sweeney, was a prominent riverboat captain during the Civil War and traveled up and down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers during his career.
Grandson Walter Campbell Sweeney enjoyed an illustrious military career, rising to the rank of brigadier general.