Ironton is a city in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

of Lawrence County,

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

, United States. Located in southernmost Ohio along the

Ohio River The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of ...

northwest of

Huntington, West Virginia Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is the county seat of Cabell County, and the largest city in the Huntington–Ashland metropolitan area, sometimes referred to as the Tri-State Area. A ...

, the city includes the Downtown Ironton Historic District. The population was 11,129 at the 2010 census. Ironton is part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH, Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). As of the 2010 census, the MSA had a population of 287,702. New definitions from February 28, 2013, placed the population at 363,000. Ironton is a contraction of "iron town." The city has a long history with the

iron industry Ferrous metallurgy is the metallurgy of iron and its alloys. The earliest surviving prehistoric iron artifacts, from the 4th millennium BC in Egypt, were made from meteoritic iron-nickel. It is not known when or where the smelting of iron from ...

. It also had one of the first professional football teams.

History

Ironton was founded in 1849 by John Campbell, a prominent

pig iron Pig iron, also known as crude iron, is an intermediate product of the iron industry in the production of steel which is obtained by smelting iron ore in a blast furnace. Pig iron has a high carbon content, typically 3.8–4.7%, along with ...

manufacturer in the area. He chose the location of Ironton because of its site along the

, which would allow for water transport of iron ore to markets downriver. Between 1850 and 1890, Ironton was one of the foremost producers of

iron Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in ...

in the world.

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, and

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

all purchased iron for warships from here due to the quality. Iron produced here was used for the ''

USS Monitor USS ''Monitor'' was an ironclad warship built for the Union Navy during the American Civil War and completed in early 1862, the first such ship commissioned by the Navy. ''Monitor'' played a central role in the Battle of Hampton Roads on 9 Ma ...

,'' the United States' first ironclad ship. More than ninety furnaces were operating at the peak of production in the late 19th century. The iron industry generated revenues that were invested in new industries, such as soap and nail production. The Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railroad was constructed through two states, carrying iron to

Henry Ford Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) was an American industrialist, business magnate, founder of the Ford Motor Company, and chief developer of the assembly line technique of mass production. By creating the first automobile that ...

's automaking plants in

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...

. The city had a street railway, the Ironton Petersburg Street Railway, four daily newspapers, and a few foreign-language publications. Ironton was also known for its accommodating attitude toward sin and

vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, or habit generally considered immoral, sinful, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, degrading, deviant or perverted in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character t ...

associated with the mine and ironworkers.

Underground Railroad and Civil War

With its location on the Ohio River, Ironton became a destination on the

Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. ...

for refugee slaves seeking freedom in the North. John Campbell and some other city leaders sheltered slaves in their homes during their journeys. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

, local military

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...

s were mustered, quartered, and trained at Camp Ironton, a military post located at the county fairgrounds.

Changing economics of the iron industry

The downfall of Ironton came as the market for iron changed. Also, the nation was making the transition from a demand for iron to steel. After a nationwide economic recession in the late 19th century, Ironton was no longer growing. The

Norfolk and Western Railway The Norfolk and Western Railway , commonly called the N&W, was a US class I railroad, formed by more than 200 railroad mergers between 1838 and 1982. It was headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia, for most of its existence. Its motto was "Precis ...

built a new railroad station downtown in 1906, and it continued in operation into the mid-20th century. Two major floods (1917, 1937) caused extensive damage to the city and its industries. The second flood came during the Great Depression; together with the shift in the iron industry, it devastated the city. The iron industry declined, affecting other industries as well. As the iron industries closed, Ironton had little with which to replace them. An industrial city, Ironton worked to attract other heavy industry to the region. Companies such as Allied Signal and Alpha Portland Cement did build in town. The region has had difficulty creating an alternate economy. By 2004, both Alpha Portland Cement and Allied Signal were gone, and Ironton had shrunk by nearly 30% from its peak population in 1950. (See US Census table below.)

Professional football & Thanksgiving Day football tradition

Ironton had one of the first professional football teams in the United States, called the Ironton Tanks. The team was organized in 1919 and played through 1930. The football field previously used by the Tanks is now home to the Ironton High School Football team, the Ironton Fighting Tigers. The Tanks began what is now the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...

's Thanksgiving Day Game tradition of the Detroit Lions. The Tanks played a game in 1920 the day after Thanksgiving with the Lombards, a crosstown rival, winning 26–0. In 1922, they played and defeated the Huntington Boosters 12–0 on Thanksgiving Day, Nov 30. The Tanks continued playing on this national holiday each year thru 1930, which was the Tanks final season. Several Tank players (including Glenn Presnell) continued their football careers by joining the nearby Portsmouth Spartans, who continued the annual tradition until their demise after the 1933 season. The Spartans' assets were acquired by businessman G.A. Richards and moved to Detroit, where they were renamed the Lions. Asked by Richards about ways to improve ticket sales, the players replied that they always got a good turnout on Thanksgiving Day. He promptly scheduled the first Thanksgiving Day game in Detroit.

Geography and climate

Ironton is located at (38.530720, -82.678309). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Ironton is located within the northern limits of a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

(Koppen C''fa'') which is typical of southern

and northern

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

. The region experiences four distinct seasons. Winters are cool to cold with mild periods and summers are generally hot and humid, with significant precipitation year-round. Ironton is largely transitional in its plant life, sharing traditionally northern trees in landscaping like the blue spruce along with

Magnolia ''Magnolia'' is a large genus of about 210 to 340The number of species in the genus ''Magnolia'' depends on the taxonomic view that one takes up. Recent molecular and morphological research shows that former genera ''Talauma'', ''Dugandiodendr ...

and the occasional

Needle Palm ''Rhapidophyllum hystrix'', the needle palm, is a palm, the sole member of the genus ''Rhapidophyllum''. It is native to coastal margins of the subtropical eastern Gulf and south Atlantic states of the United States. Endemic populations can be f ...

from the

Upland South The Upland South and Upper South are two overlapping cultural and geographic subregions in the inland part of the Southern and lower Midwestern United States. They differ from the Deep South and Atlantic coastal plain by terrain, history, econom ...

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2010, there were 11,129 people, 4,817 households, and 2,882 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 5,382 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.6%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 4.7%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.2% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 0.5% of the population. There were 4,817 households, of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 15.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.2% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23, and the average family size was 2.87. The median age in the city was 42.1 years. 21.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.8% were from 25 to 44; 27.1% were from 45 to 64; and 19.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.1% male and 52.9% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 11,211 people, 4,906 households, and 3,022 families residing in the city. The

was 2,711.3 people per square mile (1,048.1/km²). There were 5,507 housing units at an average density of 1,331.8 per square mile (514.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.33%

, 5.24%

, 0.09% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.09% from other races, and 0.99% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.51% of the population. There were 4,906 households, out of which 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.6% were

living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.4% were non-families. 35.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22, and the average family size was 2.85. In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.8% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 21.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $23,585, and the median income for a family was $35,014. Males had a median income of $31,702 versus $24,190 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $15,391. About 17.2% of families and 23.1% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 32.4% of those under age 18 and 17.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

The city is managed by a seven-member city council, the current members of which include Chairman Chris Haney, Jacob Hock, Mike Pierce, Craig Harvey, Chris Perry, Nate Kline, and Bob Cleary. Former mayor Katrina Keith was defeated in the November 2019 election by a total of 2,082 votes to 827 votes, but filed suit claiming that the winner of the election, Sam Cramblit, was not qualified to hold office in the city under state law. However, the suit was dismissed by the Ohio Supreme Court in late November 2019. Cramblit was sworn in as mayor on December 1, 2019.

Downtown Historic District

The Downtown Ironton Historic District was added to the

National Register of Historic Places listings in Lawrence County, Ohio This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Lawrence County, Ohio. This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Lawrence County, Ohio, United ...

on January 8, 2009. It includes portions of 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, Center Streets, Park Avenue, Vernon Street, and Bobby Bare Boulevard. The district includes

Early Commercial architecture In the United States, the National Register of Historic Places classifies its listings by various types of architecture. Listed properties often are given one or more of 40 standard architectural style classifications that appear in the National ...

and

Modern architecture Modern architecture, or modernist architecture, was an architectural movement or architectural style based upon new and innovative technologies of construction, particularly the use of glass, steel, and reinforced concrete; the idea that for ...

representing periods from 1850 through 1974. The buildings serve commercial trade, government, social, and transportation industries, and include businesses, City Hall, financial institutions, meeting halls, United States Post Office buildings, professional service buildings and railroad industry-related structures.

Education

There are three public and one private elementary schools, one public and one private high schools, and a regional university campus in Ironton. One non-traditional school also serves the city. The public city schools recently completed the building of new facilities. Ironton has a public library, a branch of Briggs Lawrence County Public Library.

Healthcare

River Valley Health System (formerly known as Lawrence County General Hospital) operated a hospital in Ironton from 1937 to 2001. The community holds the Lawrence County Health Department that functions as a clinic. In 2012, St. Mary's Medical Center in

, in cooperation with the Ironton-Lawrence County Area Community Action Organization, opened its Ironton campus which includes a free-standing

emergency department An emergency department (ED), also known as an accident and emergency department (A&E), emergency room (ER), emergency ward (EW) or casualty department, is a medical treatment facility specializing in emergency medicine, the acute care of pati ...

, imaging services and lab services. There are also both ground

ambulance An ambulance is a medically equipped vehicle which transports patients to treatment facilities, such as hospitals. Typically, out-of-hospital medical care is provided to the patient during the transport. Ambulances are used to respond to med ...

s and a

helipad A helipad is a landing area or platform for helicopters and powered lift aircraft. While helicopters and powered lift aircraft are able to operate on a variety of relatively flat surfaces, a fabricated helipad provides a clearly marked hard ...

on-site so patients can receive emergency treatment at this facility and then can be transferred, if needed, to King's Daughters Medical Center, St. Mary's Medical Center, Cabell Huntington Hospital, or Southern Ohio Medical Center.

Culture

Annual cultural events and fairs

Notable people

Coy Bacon Lander McCoy Bacon (August 30, 1942 – December 22, 2008) was a professional American football defensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Rams, San Diego Chargers, Cincinnati Bengals, and Was ...

, pro football player *

Bobby Bare Robert Joseph Bare Sr. (born April 7, 1935) is an American country music singer and songwriter, best known for the songs " Marie Laveau", " Detroit City" and " 500 Miles Away from Home". He is the father of Bobby Bare Jr., also a musician. Earl ...

, country music singer *

Ritter Collett Charles Ritter Collett (June 14, 1921 – September 26, 2001), known as Ritter Collett, was a sports editor and columnist for the ''Dayton Journal-Herald'' and ''Dayton Daily News'' for over 50 years. Collett, a native of Ironton, Ohio, was the son ...

, Dayton sportswriter, winner of

Spink Award The BBWAA Career Excellence Award, formerly the J. G. Taylor Spink Award, is the highest award given by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA). It is given "for meritorious contributions to baseball writing" and voted on annually by ...

from baseball's Hall of Fame *

Terry Enyart Terry Gene Enyart (October 10, 1950 – February 15, 2007) was a professional baseball pitcher who appeared in two games for the Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball ...

, baseball player *

Ken Fritz Ken Fritz (born November 21, 1957) is a former American football guard who played for the Ohio State Buckeyes football team, and was recognized as a consensus All-American in 1979. Early life Fritz was born on November 21, 1957, in Ironton, Oh ...

, football player *

Harlan Hatcher Harlan Henthorne Hatcher (September 9, 1898 – February 25, 1998) served as the eighth President of the University of Michigan from 1951 to 1967. Biography Harlan Henthorne Hatcher was born on September 9, 1898, in Ironton, Ohio. He received ...

, eighth president of the University of Michigan * Elza Jeffords, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Mississippi, born in Ironton in 1826 * Joseph Kimball (1836-1909), Civil War recipient of the Medal of Honor * William C. Lambert, achieved the second highest air victory totals for an American

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...

in the war with 21. * Bob Lutz, former football head coach, all-time winningest coach in Ohio high school football with 381 wins and two state championships in 1979 and 1989 * W. Terry McBrayer, Kentucky state legislature and politician * Clint McElroy, podcaster, comic book writer, radio personality *

Butch Miles Butch Miles (born Charles J. Thorton, Jr. on July 4, 1944) is an American jazz drummer. He has played with the Count Basie Orchestra, Dave Brubeck, Ella Fitzgerald, Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, Lena Horne and Tony Bennett Career Miles, who ci ...

, legendary jazz drummer * Betty Neumar, dubbed the "Black Widow" by the media for the murder of 5 of her husbands *

William Henry Powell William Henry Powell (February 14, 1823 – October 6, 1879), was an American artist who was born and died in New York City. Powell is known for a painting of the Battle of Lake Erie, of which one copy hangs in the Ohio state capitol building ...

(1825-1904), Civil War recipient of the Medal of Honor; born in Wales and entered service in Ironton Powell managed the Iron works at Lawrence, Ohio. * Gardner Rea, cartoonist *

James Ancil Shipton Brigadier General James Ancil Shipton (March 10, 1867 – February 15, 1926) was a senior United States Army officer. He served in the Philippine–American War and World War I, where he held various commands on the Western Front. Early life Jam ...

, senior US Army officer *

Kelli Sobonya Kelli Sobonya (born July 13, 1963) is a former Republican member of the West Virginia House of Delegates The West Virginia House of Delegates is the lower house of the West Virginia Legislature. Only three states—Maryland, Virginia and We ...

, politician * Marion Tinsley (1927-1995), mathematician and checkers player; widely considered the greatest player of all time. *

Terry Waldo Terry Waldo (born November 26, 1944) is an American pianist, composer, and historian of early jazz, blues, and stride music, and is best known for his contribution to ragtime and his role in reviving interest in this form, starting in the 1970s ...

, pianist, bandleader and

ragtime Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that flourished from the 1890s to 1910s. Its cardinal trait is its syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. Ragtime was popularized during the early 20th century by composers such as Scott J ...

musician

References

External links

* {{authority control Cities in Ohio Cities in Lawrence County, Ohio County seats in Ohio Populated places on the Underground Railroad 1849 establishments in Ohio Populated places established in 1849 Ohio populated places on the Ohio River