Ironton, Ohio
Ironton, Ohio | ||
---|---|---|
FIPS code 39-37464[3] | | |
GNIS feature ID | 2395438[2] | |
Website | ironton-ohio.com |
Ironton is a city in and the
History
Ironton was founded in 1849 by John Campbell,[6] a prominent pig iron manufacturer in the area. He chose the location of Ironton because of its site along the Ohio River, 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 in the world. England, France, and Russia all purchased iron for warships from here due to the quality. Iron produced here was used for the USS Monitor, the United States' first ironclad ship.[6] More than ninety furnaces were operating at the peak of production in the late 19th century.[6]
The iron industry generated revenues that were invested in new industries, such as soap and nail production. The
Underground Railroad and Civil War
With its location on the Ohio River, Ironton became a destination on the Underground Railroad for refugee slaves seeking freedom in the North. John Campbell and some other city leaders sheltered slaves in their homes during their journeys.[8]
During the
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
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.[11] 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 and 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'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.[12]
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.46 square miles (11.55 km2), of which 4.16 square miles (10.77 km2) is land and 0.30 square miles (0.78 km2) is water.[13]
Climate
Ironton is located within the northern limits of a
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1860 | 3,691 | — | |
1870 | 5,686 | 54.1% | |
1880 | 8,857 | 55.8% | |
1890 | 10,939 | 23.5% | |
1900 | 11,868 | 8.5% | |
1910 | 13,147 | 10.8% | |
1920 | 14,007 | 6.5% | |
1930 | 16,021 | 14.4% | |
1940 | 15,851 | −1.1% | |
1950 | 16,333 | 3.0% | |
1960 | 15,745 | −3.6% | |
1970 | 15,030 | −4.5% | |
1980 | 14,178 | −5.7% | |
1990 | 12,751 | −10.1% | |
2000 | 11,211 | −12.1% | |
2010 | 11,129 | −0.7% | |
2020 | 10,571 | −5.0% | |
2021 (est.) | 10,434 | −1.3% | |
Sources:[3][14][15][16] |
2010 census
As of the
There were 4,817 households, of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.0% were married couples 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
There were 4,906 households, out of which 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.6% were married couples 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
Arts and culture
Library
Ironton has a public library, a branch of Briggs Lawrence County Public Library.[18]
Downtown Historic District
The
Memorial Day
Memorial Day events include Charity Fair, offering carnival games, crafts, inflatable rides, food, and musical acts. The Ironton-Lawrence County Memorial Day Parade, founded in 1868, is the United States' oldest continuously running Memorial Day parade.[6]
Government
The city is managed by a seven-member city council, the current members of which include Chairman Craig Harvey, Chris Perry, Nate Kline, Bob Cleary, Chris Haney, Robbie Brown, and Jacob Hock.[20] 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;[21][22] the suit was dismissed by the Ohio Supreme Court in late November 2019.[23]
Education
Public education in Ironton is provided by the Ironton City School District. This includes Ironton High School (grades 9-12), Ironton Middle School (grades 6-8), and Ironton Elementary School (grades K-5).
Private education includes Saint Joseph Central High School and Saint Lawrence Central Elementary School.
Ohio University Southern Campus, the largest branch of Ohio University, is based in Ironton.[6]
Healthcare
In 2012, St. Mary's Medical Center in Huntington, West Virginia opened a campus in Ironton which includes an emergency department, imaging service, lab service, ambulance service, and helipad.[24]
Notable people
- Coy Bacon, 3x Pro Bowler and member of the Black College Football Hall of Fame
- Bobby Bare, country music singer
- Spink Awardfrom baseball's Hall of Fame
- Terry Enyart, baseball player
- Emily Jordan Folger, co-founder of the Folger Shakespeare Library
- Ken Fritz, football player
- Harlan Hatcher, eighth president of the University of Michigan
- Elza Jeffords, member of the US House of Representatives from Mississippi
- Mary Augusta Jordan, longtime English professor at Smith College
- Joseph Kimball (1836-1909), Civil War recipient of the Medal of Honor[25]
- William C. Lambert, achieved the second-highest air victory totals for an American flying ace in World War I
- David Lively, concert pianist
- Bob Lutz, former football head coach
- George McAfee, member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
- W. Terry McBrayer, Kentucky state legislature and politician
- Clint McElroy, podcaster, comic book writer, radio personality
- Butch Miles, legendary jazz drummer
- Betty Neumar, dubbed the "Black Widow" by the media for the murder of five of her husbands
- William Henry Powell (1825-1904), Civil War recipient of the Medal of Honor; born in Wales and entered service in Ironton[26]
- Gardner Rea, cartoonist
- James Ancil Shipton, senior US Army officer
- Kelli Sobonya, politician
- Marion Tinsley (1927-1995), mathematician and checkers player; widely considered the greatest player of all-time
- Terry Waldo, pianist, bandleader and ragtime musician
- Nannie Kelly Wright, only known female ironmaster
References
- ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
- ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Ironton, Ohio
- ^ a b c "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 166.
- ^ a b c d e Malloy, David E. (September 27, 2006). "Ironton". Herald-Dispatch. Huntington, WV.[dead link]
- ^ "Lawrence County: A proud past". The Tribune. July 25, 2010. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
- ^ "Lawrence County, Ohio: Community known for its rich history in iron and for its role in helping slaves escape via the Underground Railroad". The Herald-Dispatch. July 7, 2013. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
- ^ Owen, Lorrie K., ed. (1999). Dictionary of Ohio Historic Places. Vol. 2. St. Clair Shores, Michigan: Somerset. p. 857.
- ^ Heath, Benita (January 29, 2012). "The 1937 Flood". The Tribune. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
- ^ Payne, Phillip Gene (1994). "Modernity Lost: Ironton, Ohio in Industrial and Post-Industrial America". Retrieved September 7, 2016.
- ISBN 9780821412374.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 25, 2012. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
- ^ "Number of Inhabitants: Ohio" (PDF). 18th Census of the United States. U.S. Census Bureau. 1960. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
- ^ "Ohio: Population and Housing Unit Counts" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
- ^ "Ironton city, Ohio". census.gov. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
- ^ "Branch hours" (PDF). Briggs Lawrence County Public Library. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 22, 2018. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
- ^ "Ohio (OH), Lawrence County". National Register of Historical Places. Nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
- ^ "City Council". ironton-ohio. Archived from the original on May 18, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
- ^ "Cramblit wins Ironton mayor race". The Tribune. November 6, 2019.
- ^ Malloy, David. "Cramblit unseats Ironton mayor". The Herald-Dispatch.
- ^ Malloy, David. "Ohio Supreme Court dismisses Ironton mayor's election challenge". The Herald-Dispatch.
- ^ "St. Mary's Expands into Ohio With New Campus in Ironton". Archived from the original on March 16, 2016.
- ^ "Joseph Kimball". MilitarTimes.com. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
- ^ "Joseph Kimball". MilitaryTimes.com. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 4, 2014.