Ironton, Ohio

Founded in 1849, Ironton was once the world's leader in the pig iron industry. Located along the Ohio River and major railroad routes, the city prospered and became the county seat in 1851. Throughout the years, the city has lost most of its industry but has retained its charm and history.

Burlington, Ohio

Lawrence County, Ohio became a county by the passage of a legislative act on December 20, 1816, and was named in honor of Captain James Lawrence, who fought as a naval officer in the War of 1812.(3) His residence was at Burlington, New Jersey, and as quite a number of boatmen and traders were from Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the community at the southernmost bend of the Ohio River was given the name of Burlington.

On February 16, 1817, the General Assembly passed a resolution appointing Judge John W. campbell and Moses Baird of Adams County and John Barr of Pickaway County was commissioners to choose a county seat for the new county.(3) As Burlington was then the only settlement, the commissioned named the community the county seat of Lawrence County on March 14.

On November 20, money was approperiated to construct a courthouse in Burlington along Court Street. The contract for construction was let on February 7, 1818. Completed by June, the new courthouse consisted of a 35-foot square stone foundation, twenty-four windows, two interior chimneys, and a cupola with a spire and ball topped with a weather cock.(3)

The county seat was relocated to Ironton in 1852, and the first courthouse in the county became a school. It was demolished between 1892 and 1895.(3)

Ironton's History

On March 17, 1849, a charter was granted to the Ohio Iron and Coal Company,(1) where it was agreed that the first purpose of the company was to construct a railroad, and a town and trading post second. Twenty-four men organized the company, including John Campbell, with an initial capital stock of $500,000. The charter stated that the purpose was to build a railroad from a point in Upper Township along the Ohio River to a southern line in Jackson County. On April 23, 1849, the new company was organized, with James O. Willard as president of the railroad and John Campbell overseeing the coal and iron interests.

The streets in the new town of Ironton, named for the vast iron materials north of the city, favored the Lawrence County furnaces, from Storms Creek east: Vesuvius, Hecla, Etna, Buckhorn, Lawrence, Center, Olive and Vernon. Railroad Street was named for the railroad that connected to Jackson County, which was followed by the names of American presidents, such as Washington, Adams and Jefferson. Later, tree species were used, starting with Chestnut.(1)

The first townhouse was the Ironton Railroad Office.(1) The town was unique in that unlike other mining towns throughout southeastern Ohio, Ironton did not have any company stores. The workers in the town were paid with cash, not script. The men who started Ironton were noted as the "Iron Masters" and railroad builders, so the railroad office also became the town's first bank. James Rogers, then-president of the Railroad, John Peters, John Campbell and James O. Willard were the men who applied for a charter for the Iron Bank of Ironton, which later became known as the First National Bank; it was founded in 1849.

On January 14, 1850, the first post office was established with Dr. Caleb Briggs as postmaster. The federal census was 574 at the time of the opening, increasing to 1,751 two years later and 13,147 by 1910.(1) One year later, on March 21, the town was chartered and recognized by an act of the state legislature. James Campbell, James M. Merrill, Caleb Briggs, Eben Corwin and Hiram Campbell were named trustees to manage the first election, which was held on Saturday, April 19, 1851 with the first major being James M. Merrill.(1)

Courthouses

In mid-1851, John Campbell, George N. Kemp and William Lambert began a petition to move the county seat from Burlington to Ironton. Cash pledges to construct a courthouse and jail were a part of the petition, with $1,200 pledged. An election was held and the county seat was relocated on October 23, 1852.(1)(3)

The new courthouse, a two-story brick structure, 70-feet long, 45-feet wide and 36-feet high with 25 windows and double doors in the front, with a belfry and bell, was completed in 1852.(3) It was located on land set aside as a public square by the Ohio Iron and Coal Company at the lower corner of 5th and Center streets. The first court was held on November 8. The courthouse burned in 1857, however, the walls were salvageable and the courthouse was repaired.

On March 22, 1875, another courthouse fire severely damamged most of the building. Repairs were completed later in August, although the building was declared a blight by the 1880s.(3) By the 1890s, discussions began for a new courthouse facility.

On November 1905, a bond levy was passed to construct a new courthouse. $130,000 was borrowed on January 1, 1906 for the new building, and work was completed on the new, tri-level Greek Revival facility in 1908.(3)

The copper dome was repaired, cleaned and painted green in 1969.(3) Office walls were paneled and the crumbling stone wall surrounding the courthouse lawn was rebuilt in 1971. A replica of the Iron Ore blast Furnace was constructed on thhe lawn near the corner of 4th and Park Avenue.

In 1972, construction began on a four-level courthouse annex, and was completed in 1974 at a cost of $2,590,400.(3)

Growth

Ironton became a second class city on March 15, 1865.(1) One year later, in 1866, Dr. B.F. Cory began work on a tunnel immediately north of Ironton. Dr. Cory, who lived upon the hill at the end of Center Street, began the project to shorten the distance from the Ohio River to Hecla. The route later became known as Ohio Route 75, now Ohio Route 93, and was later deeded to the Lawrence County Commissioners.(1)

The city water works was first established in 1873.(1)

On November 1, 1896, the first "electric street" began operations, replacing the hoss streetcars from Second and Etna to Coal Grove. The "electric street" was later completed to Hanging Rock, following Etna to Fifth, north to Elm, and crossing the Elm Street Norfolk and Western Railway crossing.(1) The Ohio Valley Electric Railway took over the operations, which had then become known as the Camden Interstate.

In 1907, Dr. Lester Keller established the Keller Hospital, later known as the Marting Hospital.(1) The following year saw the demolition of the courthouse dating to 1852, by a three-story stone-masonry structure.(1)

In 1914, plans were unveiled for a new hotel along Park Avenue from Second to Third streets, to be built by the Ironton Hotel Company. Excavation on the basement began almost immediately after but stood unfinished for three years and was soon dubbed "Ironton's Hotel Hole in the Ground" by Portsmouth, Ohio newspapers.(1) Construction of the foundation and steel superstructure began again in 1917, however, it was halted due to a metal shortage because of World War I. The plans were modified to allow for a concrete superstructure, and to shorten the footprint by half, with a hotel to be completed at the corner of Second Street and Park Avenue with six-stories and 128 rooms. The hotel was finally completed in 1919, formally dedicated with a dinner on September 18, 1921.(1)

On September 7, 1922, the new Ironton High School, located at the junction of Oak and Seventh streets, was dedicated at a cost of $800,000. Over three-thousand attended the opening ceremonies.(1) The school contained an auditorium for 1,500, a modern stage, cafeteria, kitchen, home economic rooms, work shops, gymnasium and swimming pool. An adjoining athletic field contained a club house and ball fields.

In early 1923, a six-story First National Bank structure was erected at the corner of Third Street and Park Avenue.(1)

On April 16, 1926, city football boosters called a meeting at the Elks Lodge to push for a football stadium for the Ironton Tanks, a semi-professional pigskin team.(1) The campaign began on April 26 and by May 6, $33,500 had been subscribed. On September 19, the new stadium was completed, seating 3,112 people and included 40 box seats -- all under one roof. It was turned over to the adjacent high school in 1933 when the Ironton Tanks was dissolved.

On April 17, 1934, a campaign for a larger hospital began when George R. Spears, chairman of a forum dinner for the Chamber of Commerce, spoke of a need for upgraded facilities.(1) On July 28, 1934, the city council purchased Nixon Hill and offered it to the campaign at no cost. On April 13, 1935, voters approved of a bond issue to build the new hospital, although the location was relocated on December 15 to along Ninth Street. The cornerstone was laid on August 14, 1936 and it was dedicated the following September as the Lawrence County General Hospital.

On May 13, 1938, the city's floodwall network began construction and was completed five years later on June 17, 1943. Completed at a cost of $4,000,000, with the Federal Government paying $3,500,000, it required 19,500 sq. yds. of concrete, 1,200,000 sq. yds. of dirt and contains 19 gates and 10 pump stations.(1)

The Ro-Na Theatre and restaurant was completed on August 9, 1949 along Third Street.(1)

Industry

The city was historically a nucleus of industrial activity. Early industries included factories that produced wagons, hubs, spokes and rims, leather upholstering, steam engines, boilers and stoves, along with iron ore blast furnaces that lined the Ohio River in a near succession.(1) The first industry was a workshop for the building of the Iron Railroad at Second and Railroad streets. A foundry was soon constructed at Second and Etna by John Campbell and Cyrus Ellison, and the company was referred to as the Iron Foundry in 1850.(1) The foundry burned in July 1876 and was never rebuilt.

Savage and Merrill constructed a saw mill on the banks of the Ohio River at Adams Street. To the east, a dry apple house for feed was established near Seventh and Buckhorn streets.(1) In 1849, it was announced that a pig iron loading port would be constructed along the river. The town almost immediately "mushroomed" overnight, with businesses being established in a progressive manner and the city's first hotels being constructed -- the Ironton House and the Buckeye House.(1) The first steamboat, "The Ironton," was completed in 1849 and was launched at Washington Street. It was 82-feet long and 23-feet wide.(1)

Soon after, a plow factory at Seventh and Railroad streets was constructed, along with several small brick factories that employed one or two men each. The Ironton Rolling Mills was built in late-1851 to make finished products of the pig iron, and was the city's first major industry, located at Storms Creek and the Ohio River. The first heat was March 1, 1852.(1) Later, the Ironton Roller Mill, a flour mill, was established on Front and Buckhorn streets by H.C. and R.E. Rogers, which was purchased by John Goldcamp and the Goldcamp Milling Company in 1886.

The sixth industry to locate in the city was the Ironton Machine Shops at Second and Etna, owned by the J.M. Merrill and Company, which was later taken over by the Lambert Bros. and the Olive Foundry and Machine Shops. The shops first went into operation on July 24, 1852 and built engines for steam boats and for the nail factories. The company still exists today as the Meehan Steel Products Company.(1)

Two years later, the Star Nail Mills was founded by Peter James and Company. It soon attracted the attention of the Norton Bros. and resulted in the Belfont and Kelly mills. The Lawrence Rolling Mills, later known as the Eagle, was completed during the same year.(1) Elsewhere, T.S. Kirker constructed a factory to build cistern pumps.(1)

In 1867, the first large blast furnace, Belmont, was constructed on the river at Jefferson Street.(1) Two years later, a smaller furnace, Grant, was built at Monroe Street, followed by the Big Etna in 1875 at Vine. For more than 30 years, the Big Etna was the largest blast furnace in the United States, bringing "iron masters" and furnace owners from all over the nation to inspect it.(1) 250 Cincinnati-area manufacturers visited the furnace by boat.(1) The furnace had twin stacks named Alice and Blanche, each with a 60-ton capacity. The first cast was made on September 12, 1874.(1)

In 1875, the Union Iron and Steel Furnace at Front and Hecla streets was completed, followed up by the Sara Furnace just above the Big Etna along the Ohio River two years later. The last pig iron furnace constructed was built by the Ironton Iron Company, built along the river opposite Lorain Street in 1909.(1)

In 1880, the Whitman Brothers erected the first plant dedicated just for stoves on 3rd Street near Kemp Avenue, although stoves had long been manufactured by the Ironton Foundry.(1) The factory was consumed in a fire only a few years later.

In 1885, J.D. Foster, who was an experienced "ironmaster," established the Foster Stove Company which lasted until World War II. It carried the name of "Ironton" on the stoves. Later, the Ironton Stove Company, owned by the Davis brothers, entered the gas heating and range business, which later became the Continential Company.

The Ironton Cement Company, with S.B. Steece as president and H.A. Marting as vice president, constructed a plant along Adams Lane where limestone veins extended for 578-feet below the surface. In 1910, the company discovered a 100-foot thick vein of limestone while drilling for gas, reserves that could have lasted "more than 100 years."(1)

Two years later, in 1912, the Ironton Coke Plant was constructed to supply coke for the Ironton furances, financed entirely by local capital, located along the north side of 3rd Street west of Ice Creek.(1) The timing was quite well, as the furnaces were being worked at full capacity just two years later at the start of the war in Europe. In January 1917, the plant was purchased over by the Semet Solvay Company of Rochester, New York, later known as Allied Chemicals, and underwent expansion on January 30. It was the only industry that stayed in operation throughout the Great Depression. The company had underwent six expansions and had spread from the Ohio River to 9th Street by 1949.(1)

The Ironton Fire Brick Company constructed a new facility on Lorain Street in 1917,(1) followed by the Shelby Shoe Company on August 21, 1922, which had constructed a branch factory along Second and Ellison streets. Four years later, on June 29, 1926, a more modern structure was completed at the junction of Third and Ellison streets.

By the mid-20th century, the city produced iron for industrial and railroad purposes, brick, lumber and nails for structures and thoroughfares, coal tar for use in the production of coke and other bi-products such as plastics and ammonia for explosives and fertilizer. Ironton was also home to a Wilson Sporting Goods factory, which produced various balls and gloves, factories that produced weather striping and insulation, automobile parts, motor brushes for cars, refrigeration and elevators, and malleable iron castings.

It was reported that the city was nearly self-sufficient, requiring only minimal raw materials to be imported.(1)

The city's vast industrial base served four wars as a manufacturing defense area in the United States. Iron for cannons were produced in the city during the Civil War, for battle ships during the Spanish-American War, for hundreds of miles of barbed wire and millions of nails for World War I, and thousands of pipe couplings for the North American invasion that were used during the early part of World War II.(1)

In early 1942, construction began of the Atmospheric Nitrogen Corp., later known as the Buckeye Ordinance Works, near South Point, and was operated by Allied Chemicals. Ironton was placed within the Industrial Defense Zone. One year later, on October 29, 1943, the County Board of Trade announced that the Wilson Athletic Goods Manufacturing Company had purchased the four-story Shelby Shoe Company building on Third Street to produce various balls and gloves.(1)

Three years later, in 1946. Allied Chemical and Dye Company constructed the Barrett Division of the Semet Solvay facility immediately south of the coke plant along Third Avenue.(1) This was followed by a methanol unit one year later.

Decline

The decline in industry during the latter-half of the 20th century caused the city of Ironton to lose its status as an industrial powerhouse in southern Ohio, mirroring much of the fortune of other rust-belt cities. The population declined during this time from a high of 16,621 in 1950 to 14,290 in 1980.(2)

One of the first major declines was Allied Chemical's plant in South Point at the home of the former Buckeye Ordinance Works. The workforce declined from 1,300 to 950 in the mid-1960s, and then to less than 200 by 1968.(2) In nearby Coal Grove, the Carlyle Labold Tile and Brick Company closed in 1968, unemploying over 100. Just two years later, Alpha Portland, formerly known as the Ironton Cement Company, which once employed over 250, closed on August 20 due to environmental and financial regulations.

During the 1970s, the Dayton Malleable Inc. casting plant and Allied Chemical's Semet Solvay plant became cliffhangers for the city. A sharp rise in metal imports and a decline in domestic steel production led to a steep drop in business for both facilities. In the late 1970s, the Dayton Malleable foundry was purchased by Amcast which closed the unprofitable facility. It was purchased by idled employees and other investors and reopened as Ironton Iron, operating as a division of Intermet.(2)

In the late 1970s, several city blocks were demolished during an urban renewal project that extended along Second, Third and Fourth Streets from Center to Buckhorn.(2) The result was the loss of numerous historical houses and commericial properties and the addition of numerous parking lots, low-rise structures, and low-income housing.

Sources

1. "Story of the Glorious Past: One Hundred Years." Ironton Centennial Commission 8-15 Oct. 1949. 26 Dec. 2007.
2. History of Lawrence County, Ohio, 1990. 1990. N.p.: Walsworth, 2002.
3. Dutey, Ray T. "Lawrence County Courthouses and Their Histories." The History of the Lawrence County Courthouse. Comp. Juanita Markel. Ed. Charles Markel and Juanita Markel. N.p.: n.p., 2000.