CHAPTER V IRONTON AND THE VILLAGES DEVELOPMENT OF RAILROAD COMMUNICATION-GENERAL FAVORABLE CONDITIONS-TRACTS PURCHASED FOR TOWN SITE-HOW THE NAME CAME TO BE-COMPANY TELLS WHY LOTS SHOULD SELL-STATUS OF THE IRON RAILROAD-FOUNDING OF THE IRON BANK-" YOUNG AMERICA" AGAINST FOREIGN LABOR-AN EPOCHAL YEAR, 1881—RAILROAD -ADDITIONS TO ORIGINAL SITE-CITY AS A WHOLE IN 1881—EXTENT OF IRON INDUSTRIES-THE CLAY INDUSTRIES-THE GOLDCAMP MILL COMPANY-CRYSTAL ICE COMPANY-IRONTON PORTLAND. CEMENT COMPANY -THE W. G. WARD LUMBER COMPANY-CHAMBER OF COMMERCE-FIRST NATIONAL BANK-SECOND NATIONAL BANK-CITIZENS NATIONAL BANK-IRON CITY SAVINGS BANK-FIRST VILLAGE CODE-DIVIDED INTO SEVEN DISTRICTS-FIRE PREVENTION RATHER THAN CURE -POSTOFFICE MOVED TO UNION HALL-EARLY FIRE COMPANIES-BUILDING OF THE WATER WORKS- PRESENT WORKS-THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS-SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR PIONEER SCHOOLS- BOARD OF EDUCATION IN 1854-SCHOOL RULES-KINGSBURY BECOMES SUPERINTENDENT -FIRST BRICK SCHOOLHOUSE-ENROLLMENT IN 1856 AND 1860—SUCCESSORS OF PROFESSOR KINGSBURY-PRESENT ENROLLMENT AND SCHOOLHOUSES-PROPOSED EDUCATIONAL REFORMS-BRIGGS LIBRARY AND MEMORIAL HALL-DETAILS OF THE FOUNDATION-THE PRESS—THE IRONTON REGISTER-THE IRONTONIAN-IRONTON NEWS-TRANSPORTATION AND ELECTRICITY-NATURAL GAS CONSUMPTION-HISTORIC FLOODS-VILLAGE OF COAL GROVE-OLD HANGING ROCK-THE OLD COUNTY SEAT-PROCTORVILLE, CHESAPEAKE AND ATHALIA. Ironton was incorporated as a city in 1865, at a time when the "war boom" was still active. This was followed by a shrinkage of values and a readjustment, which gradually merged into a stagnation of the iron indus tries, as well as all branches of manufactures and trade, with the final culmination of the depression and panics which marked the decade from 1870 to 1880. In the first decade of its life the population of the town reached more than 3,500 ; was 5,800 in 1870, and 8,800 in 1880. DEVELOPMENT OF RAILROAD COMMUNICATION Up to that year the town and city had depended on the Iron Railroad and the Ohio River for the transportation of its products and its people. - 300 - HANGING ROCK IRON REGION - 301 As stated by the Register in one of, its valuable industrial editions : For thirty years after Ironton was founded, she had no railroads leading to the outside world. Her little Iron Railroad, running thirteen miles into the country, was not to be despised, for it was the source of an immense local business; but it went nowhere. There were no other railroad's and all transportation was donee by the Ohio river, a stream not altogether reliable, but yet a very valuable avenue. Every sack of coffee, every box of drygoods, every barrel of rice, were brought to Ironton on steamboats for three decades, and yet under this imperfect communication Ironton grew to be a city of great industries and good population. " It was not until 1881 that a railroad reached Ironton, and then the Scioto Valley came. Next was built a narrow-gauge extension of the Iron Railroad-to-Wellston to connect with the railroads there ; and in 1888 came the Chesapeake and Ohio across the river, and in 1892 the Norfolk and Western,, which had purchased the Scioto Valley, was extended into Virginia, with a bridge at South Point, ten miles above." At that time the , population of the city had reached about 11,000 ; it .was 11,868 in 1900, and 13,147 in 1910. The old Iron Railroad has became the Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Line, which places the Hanging Rock Iron Region .in direct connection with that of the Great Lakes. The Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton uses the tracks of the Detroit, Toledo and Ironton, but as it is a part of the Baltimore and Ohio Southwestern System, it will, ere long, cross the Ohio from the 'Kentucky side on its. own bridge and tracks. Ferry connection is already enjoyed with the Kentucky side through the Chesapeake and Ohio, and the Norfolk and Western comes in from Portsmouth and the Northwest. The city has also interurban connection with Hanging Rock *and Coal Grove and will soon be placed in communication with Portsmouth through that medium. So that the city is now thoroughly supplied with every modern means of communication with the outer world, including two complete telephone systems—Home and Bell—which net the county. GENERAL FAVORABLE CONDITIONS Ironton has every available guarantee of sanitary conditions. It occupies a gently rolling tract of land, on the northeastern bank of the Ohio, extending nearly a mile from the river to the hills. The site is over 500 feet above sea level, and is ten miles from the most southern point of Ohio, and opposite the mouth of the Big Sandy River which Separates West Virginia from Kentucky. The hills shut out heavy and destructive winds, also detrimental to the health.' The city's general location is high, dry and healthful ; and it has good water, plenty of light, and is, moreover, a -- city noted for the number and stability of its churches. Its industries are varied and substantial; its banks well managed and in keeping with its substantial prosperity, and, to a large extent it maintains its old reputation as the gateway of the Hanging Rock Iron Region. With the extension of the railroad systems toward it from both the northeast and 302 - HANGING ROCK IRON REGION southwest it promises to become a leading shipping point for the rich coal and timber lands of West Virginia and Kentucky. TRACTS PURCHASED FOR TOWN SITE On May 12, 1849, less than three weeks after the organization of the Ohio Iron and Coal Company, John Campbell, as president of that corporation, made a report as to the purchase of lands for the new town. We copy from the original document : "John Campbell, as agent for part of the stockholders of the Ohio Iron and Coal Company, authorized William D. Kelly to buy the following lands on the following terms for the use of said company, the title of which lands are in said Kelly : "The farm of Isaac Davidson, 491/2 acres, on which he paid 13th December, 1848, $819 ; and executed his note, payable in nine months from the 13th December, with interest, $800. "Elizabeth Copenhaver's farm, 23 acres—cash, November 25, 1848, $550 ; gave his note payable on demand, and interest, $550. "Daniel Fort's farm, 100 acres—cash, February 4th, $400 ; note at one year, $400. "P. Linenbarger, 21/2 acres—cash, $248. "E. E. Adams' lot, one acre—cash, $100 ; same, in April, $200 ; his note at three years, with interest, $100. "George Kneff, 236 acres—cash when called for, $2,500. "J. L. Collins' farm, 66 acres—due 1st of June, $1,500; note due, February; 1849, with interest, $1,500. "His own farm, known as Davidson and Lyenburger farms, 325 acres, at $33 per acre, $10,725 ; which he is to convey to the company and retain 100 acres off the upper end of the whole tract, $3,300 ; Kelly's stone coal, $600. " Total, $17,692. "All of which the said Kelly is bound to convey to the said Campbell, and for which the said Campbell is bound to pay to the said Kelly and to make him a title to those lots in the town. "I wish the Ohio Iron and Coal Company to assume all liabilities for the above and take all the contracts for their own as if they had made them by a lawful agent in their own name. "Hanging Rock, May 12, 1849. " JOHN CAMPBELL. " HOW THE NAME CAME TO BE Soon afterward Messrs. Campbell and Kelly had the lands surveyed and the company adopted a name for the town. In that important transaction, as has always been the case since history began, various parties have claimed the initiative. Charles Campbell says that John Campbell, his father, "several times stated that in naming Ironton he had wished to include the word Iron ; and the addition of Ton seemed best—a ton of iron, an Iron-ton." Mr. Campbell, however, adds that "no doubt George HANGING ROCK IRON REGION - 303 T. Walton has given the correct details of the final conclusion in his letter to the Ironton Register." The letter to which Mr. Campbell made reference was written from Burden, Kansas, in February, 1901, and is as follows : "It may be interesting to you to know how your town got its singular name. "After my father, Thomas Walton, made a topographic survey of the lands above Storms creek, under the direction of John Campbell, William D. Kelly and others, I made a rough plat of grounds and there was a meeting of the directors of the town company called to meet at the office, I think, of Campbell, Ellison and Company, at flanging Rock. There were present John Campbell, W. D. Kelly, Dr. Briggs and the other members, and I had a plat that I had drawn. The general plat was accepted, subject to modifications, by Messrs. Campbell, Kelly and the surveyors upon actual measurement of the grounds. " The naming of the town was then discussed, pro and con, and a number of names were suggested. I sat listening and conjuring up names. We wanted a name—one that would suggest' the business of the new city to be. I thought, as the 'original of my family name was Wall-Town, why not write the new city Iron Town, abbreviated as my name, to Ironton. I wrote the name on a piece of paper and handed it to John Campbell. He jumped up as quick as thought and said in his emphatic. manner, That's it, George ; that is the name—Ironton. Yes, Ironton is its name.. Write it on the map, George.' "No vote was taken, or question put. I suppose right there; at the office of Campbell, Ellison and Company, the first time that word' was ever written, I wrote it. It must have pleased Mr. Kelly, for in a few days he named his new boy Ironton Austin Kelly. "The briars were so had in many places that Mr. Campbell carried a scythe much of the time to cut a way to pull the measure through, and Mr. Kelly was' a good second with an axe. It was John, Bill and George Davidson and Smith who carried the chain most of the time. "I often wonder what your city engineer thinks when he puts down his nicely graduated .steel tape and sights through his nicely adjusted transit, of our survey, as to courses and distances. We did not plant many stones, and the stakes may have been moved, so we were perhaps not far wrong in intention at least (and, in. fact, considering the briars. "I had known John Campbell ever since I was a boy, and he a young man. I< now think he was one of the wisest, if not the wisest' man, I ever knew. He was the only man of the dozen or so of the company who fully comprehended the mighty structure that they were laying the foundation for. Will Kelly, like me, believed in John's ability and profited by it. "Ironton will probably never realize the true greatness of its founder, John Campbell." COMPANY TELLS WHY LOTS SHOULD SELL Altogether, there were 350 lots platted in the original site and the announcement put forward by the Ohio Iron and Coal Company was as 304 - HANGING ROCK IRON REGION follows: "There will be offered for sale on 20th and 21st of June several hundred lots in the new town called Ironton, situated at the terminus of the Iron Railroad on the Ohio River, three miles above the Hanging Rock. Lawrence County, Ohio. The situation is above the floods of 1832 and 1847 in a beautiful bottom that is about three-quarters of a mile wide and three miles long, dry and healthy. The landing is good the whole length of the town for the largest boats, at all times. There are upwards of thirty iron furnaces in twenty-five miles of it, yielding upwards of 50,000 tons per year of as good iron as the world affords, nine of which will bring their iron to that point as soon as the Iron Railroad is completed six miles,, which will be in less than tine year. STATUS OF THE IRON RAILROAD "In two or three years the Iron Railroad will be completed to near the line of Jackson County, when the iron from 12 to 15 furnaces will come to Ironton ; and it is confidently hoped that the road will be extended through Jackson and Ross counties in less than five years, opening up the vast resources of the Jackson county iron region, as well as the agricultural portions of Jackson and Ross counties, and carrying them direct to market at Ironton. To encourage which, the Ohio Iron and Coal Company propose to give good situations convenient to the water for rolling mills, foundries and other large manufacturing establishments, and to invest the proceeds of the sale of the lots in the stock of the Iron Railroad Company to any amount not exceeding $100,000, provided the County of Jackson, or the citizens thereof, invest an equal amount. "In this way the stock obtained in Lawrence County will be swelled to $250,000 ; Jackson subscription, $100,000 ; making $350,000. " Through the river hills, we find the first thirteen miles from surveyor's estimates will not exceed $7,000 per mile, with a good grade ; flat bar, two and a half by one inch on it ; and curves better than the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. It is confidently believed that the balance of the road will not cost as much per mile on an average. " If it should, we would have capital enough to extend the road fifty miles, taking it near to the line of the Belpre and Cincinnati railroad, at which point we hope the county of Ross would take .an interest in getting our iron and coal to them, and opening a market for their produce to the Iron Region. Should they decline it, we must seek foreign capital, or the road must stop a few years only until the present stockholders are -able to take more stock. They are determined to have the road completed by the time the road from Richmond, Virginia, is completed to the Ohio river, which probably will be but a few years. Then our road will be a carrier between the Richmond road and the road from the mouth of the Big Sandy to Lexington and Louisville ; in a word, from those. of the southeast, south and southwest to those of the east, north and northwest, making it one of the most prosperous roads to the stockholders in the country." The sale of lots came off, as advertised, but neither the purchasers HANGING ROCK IRON REGION - 305 nor the stockholders of the railroad realized Mr. Campbell's vision, although his main contention as to the commanding position held by Ironton between the railroad systems immediately north and south of the Ohio River seems to be working out into something tangible in the days of the present. But though events moved more slowly than the founder of the city prophesied, he was confident of the eventual prosperity of Ironton almost from its platting—almost, for he was wont to say that he first felt sure of the success of Ironton when he laid the cornerstone of the old Ironton Foundry, known as Campbell, Ellison and Company. FOUNDING OF THE IRON BANK After the platting of the town, the sale of lots, the inauguration of the Iron Railroad and the building of the rolling mill, the next important event in the pioneer period of the town's history was the founding of the Iron Bank on the 10th of May, 1851. The original stockholders, with the amounts of their subscriptions, were as follows : James 0. Willard, $26,300 ; James Rodgers, $11,000 ; John Campbell, $1,200 ; Hiram Campbell, $800; D. T. Woodrow, $1,000. Total, $40,300. Within the following three years a number of stockholders were added to the original five, bringing the capital stock up to $64,850. James Rodgers was elected first president of the bank and James Q. Willard, cashier. The Iron Bank was the predecessor of the First National of Ironton, which was chartered in 1863. "YOUNG AMERICA" AGAINST FOREIGN LABOR It would appear that there was some feeling against the employment of "foreigners" in the iron industries of the Hanging Rock Region. The following letter received by Mr. Campbell may be called circumstantial evidence of that fact : "Hanging Rock Mar 30, 1855. "Dear Sir you will wonder whare this letter came from but that is none of my business all that I wish to doe is to S how Some of your Errors you Call to the government for protection from foreign Compition and your hole works that is your mills are monopolized by foreigners and them the worst kind Wealch I am a native of theas United States and have lived in this visinity for Some Six teen years and have learned to Boil Iron But if I was to go to the Devil I could not get a Dys woork in Ironton or Hanging Rock if you wish to doe well paternize Home Industry and if I am not verry much mistake you are one of the S N I am in a verry Delapidated Condition but I am to proud to tody after any man for a job "Yous Misteariously "Young America." AN EPOCHAL YEAR-1881 As we have noted, the year 1881 marked one of the great turning points in the advance of Ironton as a city, when the Scioto Valley line Vol. I-20 306 - HANGING ROCK IRON REGION was added to the old Iron Railroad, which, despite all individual and community exertions, had not: gained more than a local scope. But with the coming of the western line, via Portsmouth; the city acquired general transportation advantages which were expanded from that time on. At this very point marking such an epoch in the history of Ironton and Lawrence County, a committee of citizens prepared a very interesting pamphlet setting forth the industries, resources and facilities of the region, from which the author has gathered much Information applicable to this chapter. "Until the completion of the Scioto Valley railway in January last," says the report, "the only means of transportation were the Ohio river and the Iron Railroad. The river is navigable for the larger class of steamers and barges, from the mouth of the Big Sandy, ten miles above Ironton, to New Orleans, when the same class of water craft cannot ascend the Ohio above the Twelve Pole shoals near Burlington. For the transportation of heavy or bulky materials, the Ohio river affords a cheap and ample 'facility to and through the navigable waters of the Mississippi and its principal tributaries. " The Iron Railway, built in the year 1850 with local capital and still owned by its builders, extends from the Ironton wharf northward thirteen miles, through the iron, coal and limestone formation into the south part of Decatur township. The city of Ironton has grown to its present strength and population from the minerals brought here by this short line of railway, with the advantages of river commerce. RAILROADS "The extension of the Scioto Valley Railway from Portsmouth, the mouth of the great Scioto river up the Ohio, thirty miles to this point, has placed Ironton in direct communication with the railway system north of the Ohio river. It has- also brought the iron, clays and fuel of Lawrence county into direct relation to the most prolific food producing section of the United States. This line of railway follows the Scioto 'Valley ninety-six miles from Columbus via Circleville, Chillicothe, Waverly to Portsmouth—thence to Ironton.." The pamphlet then goes on to note the connection of the Scioto Valley line with the Chesapeake and Ohio and the other southern systems, noting that "the Hanging Rock railroad built by Robert Hamilton in 1845 from a point on the river three miles below Ironton was built to supply coal at that station. It is now owned by Means, Kyle and Company, who are extending it several miles so as to reach the coals north of Pine Grove furnace. "The Springfield Southern Standard Gauge, completed from Springfield to the great Miami Valley, 108 miles to Jackson, Ohio, is seeking a connection through the Hanging Rock iron and coal region with a great continental line. The Toledo, Delphos and Burlington Narrow Gauge, which is part of a railway system designed to provide lines of communication between the city of Mexico via St. Louis to the Atlantic seaboard, HANGING ROCK IRON REGION - 307 having already purchased a controlling interest in the Iron Railroad, have adopted measures to give it an early connection with the Dayton and Southeastern at Wellston." Before proceeding to other details descriptive of conditions within the city of Ironton, attention is called to the map published by the Citizen's Committee of 1881, showing the location of the furnaces and lines of railroad then in Lawrence County, as well as the geological boundaries of the ore belt from which the iron supplies were drawn. ADDITIONS TO ORIGINAL SITE As to the town and city proper : "The original purchase of land for the town embraced 324 acres. These lay in three rolls, or benches, of the ancient basin of the Ohio and, stretching from the river to the cliffs beyond, formed at once a location picturesque, delightful, healthful, of superior drainage and beyond the reach of the highest floods. Since the first survey the corporation boundary of the town has swollen to seven times the original limits, with large and flourishing suburbs clustering on every side. " The original plat of the town embraced thirty-six squares, or 350 lots. Since then there have been thirty-one additions, making the whole number 2,334 lots. These lots are usually 44 by 132 feet for residences and for business houses about half that. CITY AS A WHOLE IN 1881 "Accompanying the progress of Ironton is every indication of substantial growth. The streets are largely graded and paved. The sidewalks are laid with brick and stone. A court house and handsome public square occupy the center of the town. There are in the place 67 grocery establishments, 10 drygoods houses, 4 hardware stores, 7 drug stores, 6 clothing stores, 7 boot and shoe houses, 5 printing offices that publish weekly newspapers, a book bindery, a tannery, 2 potteries, 3 saw and planing mills, 4 banks (two national and two private) with a combined capital of $550,000, 2 flour mills, 6 hotels, 4 jewelry stores, 2 breweries, 2 furniture houses and the usual complement of professional gentlemen. "The schools of Ironton, for which the people entertain a just pride, are of high character. There are five commodious school houses, whose total enrolment is 1,640. There are sixteen churches, some of them elegant structures, whose seating capacity is over 5,000. "Among the important institutions are gas works, a telephone exchange and Holley Water Works. The latter affords a complete domestic supply and furnishes the best system of fire protection attainable. "A Children's Home honors the town, where the unfortunate little ones get shelter and care. Altogether, Ironton's development has brought forth most of those appliances of civilization intended to make happier the home and business life of the people, and though half of its existence has been spent as a city of the second class, it will favorably compare 308 - HANGING ROCK IRON REGION with any town of its size in the moral character, industrial habits and general good citizenship of its inhabitants." The iron manufactures are treated thus: "The iron industry is the basis of Ironton's growth. Here is the geographical and commercial center of the Hanging Rock Iron Region. Sixteen furnaces, two rolling mills, one nail works, a hoe works, two machine shops and two foundries transact their business and sell their products at this point. EXTENT OF IRON INDUSTRIES " The capacity of these institutions reaches a business of over four millions annually at present prices. The product is distributed as follows: 35,000 tons of charcoal metal ; 62,000 tons of coke and stone coal pig iron ; 20,000 tons of bar and sheet ; 240,000 kegs of nails and 10,000 tons of castings and. stoves. This product thrown into car loads would make a train 67 miles long, or would furnish two trains Of 20 cars each every day in the year. This statement includes nothing but the iron product, which is sent forth to market. In turning out this product it requires the handling or moving of 225,000 tons of iron ore, 80,000 tons of limestone, 90,000 tons of coke and 4,000,000 bushels of charcoal. All this work is done at or near Ironton. A population of nearly 20,000 people live upon the labor directly connected with the handling of this material. A community at a charcoal furnace, which usually occupies five to ten thousand acres of land, is composed of from 75 to 100 families generally. " A large portion of these industrial operations is indicated by the traffic on the Iron Railroad. This is a matter not of capacity, but of actual work, for we take the figures from the books of the company. There were transported to Ironton on this railroad in 1880, 60,536 tons of coal, 70,263 tons of iron ore, 15,125 tons of pig metal and 17,885 tons of limestone. " This comprehensive statement is sufficient to reveal the activity and progress of this community. Most of this vast product is the result of labor, for the cost of the raw material is slight in comparison with the labor expended upon it, being only about one-sixth. So that when the iron market is somewhat brisk and everything is running full, there are paid out in Ironton, and at the furnaces tributary to it, upward of $3,000,000 annually for labor directly employed upon the iron product. The material and labor (except the coke for four furnaces) are procured and expended within the limits of Lawrence county. " Of the furnaces, four coke or coal, and one charcoal, are situated in Ironton or suburbs. The remaining ten are located from three to twenty miles from Ironton. With most of these the Iron Railroad connects, which establishes close business relations between the town and furnace communities. Here the metal is brought for sale or shipment. From here the furnaces procure their supplies. It is the trading point, and of such magnitude and importance as the varied wants and necessities of such a community as 4,000 operatives at furnace, mill and mine, would create." HANGING ROCK IRON REGION - 309 THE CLAY INDUSTRIES Besides the iron industries Ironton has developed the natural products of the county along various other lines. The clay deposits in the western and southern parts of the county are plentiful and of fine quality. One of the first plants to be established was that of the Ironton Fire Brick Works in the upper part of The city, which occurred about 1880. R. P. Thomas, the pioneer fire brick maker of Southern Ohio, was associated with that enterprise, which developed into such a prosperous concern. H. G. Thomas, the son, was also identified with the upbuilding of the business, and became president of the company, with F. E. Hayward as secretary. Mr. Hayward has continued his interest and investments in this line of manufactures both in Lawrence and Scioto counties and is a well known figure in its development. THE GOLDCAMP MILL COMPANY But the oldest industry still active in Ironton is represented by the Goldcamp Mill Company, which operates not only the old Ironton Roller Mills but a large produce house dealing in grain, feed, etc. In 1852 H. C. and R. E. Rodgers built the original mill on Front Street between Lawrence and Buckhorn. Its first thirty-five years of industrial life were of uncertain stability, Messrs. Sample, Dempsey, Mauck and Fesler and others, maintaining it, successively, until it came under the care of John S. Goldcamp. Mr. Goldcamp was a native of Pine Grove Furnace, and was a teamster and proprietor of a teaming business in connection with the furnaces of the vicinity until 1873, when he started a feed store. In 1887 he bought the old mill, as stated, and laid the foundation of the business, which, under modern conditions, and up-to-date mechanisms, has been operated since 1905 by his sons, F. F. J. and John F. Goldcamp. The capacity of the present mill is 150 barrels of flour and 100 of meal every twenty-four hours, and the Goldcamp brands are known all through the region. CRYSTAL ICE COMPANY Artificial ice has been manufactured in Ironton since October, 1889, when the plant was opened on the corner of Railroad and Seventh streets. The Crystal Ice Company is representative of one of Ironton 's most useful industries. IRONTON PORTLAND CEMENT COMPANY The Ironton Portland Cement Company started its large plant southeast of the city limits just south of the lands of the Hecla Iron and Mining Company in December, 1902. Its property covers over five hundred acres and the Maxville cement beds underlying its lands are believed by experts to be unusually rich and deep. The works have a capacity of from four 310 - HANGING ROCK IRON REGION hundred to six hundred barrels daily, and the company has an authorized capital of $200,000. Among those most actively identified with the industry have been S. B. Steece, H. A. Marting, Albert C. Steece, F. C. Tomlinson, S. G. Gilfillan, John H. Lucas, J. W. Slater and F. L. McCauley. THE W. G. WARD LUMBER COMPANY Among the other large industries which have originated within recent years are those controlled by the W. G. Ward Lumber Company. The business was incorporated in July, 1906, with a capital of $50,000 which was subsequently doubled. The original mill .and most of the lumber and other stock in the distributing yard were burned in June, 1911, but within six months after the fire a large and more modern plant had been completed and put in operation. The buildings, mainly of steel and concrete, are at Sixth and Ashtabula streets ; all machinery is driven by electricity and over half a million feet of lumber go through the finishing processes every month and are turned out as yellow poplar siding and moldings. The ends and strips are "chewed" and blown to the shavings pile, where they are baled and, to the amount of half a carload daily, are shipped to various paper mills for use as pulp. From the first the company has sent out large quantities of yellow poplar lumber, in addition to its more finished products. The present officers, who have virtually constituted the management since the incorporation of the company, are as follows : W. G. Ward, president and general manager ; F. C. Tomlinson, vice president ; E. F. Myers, secretary and treasurer ; other directors, D. C. Davies and Oscar Richey. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Closely connected with the present prosperity of the industrial and commercial status of Ironton is its Chamber of Commerce, which includes all of its leaders in the practical affairs of the community. At the close of 1913 four small commercial organizations were in existence—the Board of Trade, the Business Men's Association, Merchants' Association and the South Side Commercial Club. These were all merged into the Chamber of Commerce, which now has a membership of over five hundred members, with W. G. Ward as president and E. E. Stewart as secretary. The chamber is a promoter of everything good for the city, but has two special projects perhaps "dearer than all others"—a combination bridge over the Ohio River joining Ironton andt suburbs with its sister city Ashland, Kentucky, and a first-class fireproof hotel. Progress has been made in both. FIRST NATIONAL BANK The banks of Ironton have always been conducted conservatively and therefore successfully, the two national institutions now in existence originating in 1863. HANGING ROCK IRON REGION - 311 The First National succeeded the old Iron Bank in that year, and its first board of directors were Charles Kingsbury, John G. Peebles, George Willard, John Ellison and Hiram Campbell. Mr. Kingsbury was soon succeeded by Mr. Peebles as president, who, in 1866, was followed by Mr. Willard, that gentleman having been cashier up to the year named. E1. C. Burr was cashier from 1866 to 1872 and H. B. Wilson acted in that capacity from the latter year until 1888. Mr. Burr succeeded George Willard as president in 1893 and continued to head its affairs until 1912, when E. W. Bixby was chosen president. Mr. Bixby had served as cashier of the First National from 1888 to 1912, and when he was elevated to the presidency Charles Horn assumed the cashiership. The vice presidents of the First National. Bank have been : S. C. Johnson, 1866-69 ; John Ellison, 1869-72 ; H. C. Burr, 1872-79 ; F. D. Norton, 1879-80 ; J. H. Campbell, 1880-85 ; E. B. Willard, 1885-90 ; H. B. Wilson, 1890-92 ; D. H. Clark, 1892-96 ; F. E. Hayward, 1896—. The capital stock of the bank was at first $100,000, but that was increased at various times until it has reached $300,000. The deposits average $396,000; surplus and undivided profits, $24,500. SECOND NATIONAL BANK The Second National Bank was organized October 30, 1863, with the following directors : T. W. Means, W. W. Johnson, Cyrus Ellison, Ralph Leete, Seth Sutherland, J. T. Davis, N. K. Mosley; James M. Drury and C. Bowen. The Second National has a record for staid officials. It has had but four presidents—T. W. Means, John Means, C. C. Clarke and Oscar Richey—and but two cashiers, Richard Mather and F. C. Tomlinson. When organized the capital stock was $60,000, but that has been increased to $125,000, with deposits of $470,000, surplus of $75,000, and undivided profits of $65,500. CITIZENS NATIONAL BANK The Citizens National Bank was organized May 22, 1890, with a capital stock of $100,000, by William M. Kerr and associates. Mr.. Kerr was chosen president ; James D. Foster, vice president, and Charles Lintner, cashier, Mr. Lintner has continued to hold that position. Mr. Kerr was for many years the guiding force in the institution, and at his death was succeeded by Vice President Foster, one of the leading manufacturers of the city. George N. Gray followed Mr. Foster in the vice presidency, and Col. H. A. Marting was Mr. Foster's successor as president. The vice president is D. C. Davies. The bank is still capitalized at $100,000 ; has deposits of $485,000; surplus. of $38,000, and undivided profits of $4,000. IRON CITY SAVINGS BANK The Iron City Savings Bank was organized in July, 1905, and commenced business in February of the following year. Its first officers were 312 - HANGING ROCK IRON REGION D. C. Davies, president ; T. J. Gilbert, vice president ; C. B. Edgerton, cashier. There has been no change in the management except that Leon Isaacsen has succeeded Mr. Davies as president. The original capital, $30,000, has been increased to $50,000 ; the deposits are $430;000, and surplus and undivided profits, $34,000. FIRST VILLAGE CODE Having shown Ironton in its relations to the business, industrial and financial world, both without and within, this chapter must now be bound together as a corporation or municipality. The ground work of the local government was laid in March, 1857, when the village board passed a series of ordinances; E. F. Gillen was then mayor and G. W. Willard, recorder. That body of laws was promulgated under authority of a legislative act passed May 3, 1852, "to provide for the organization of cities and incorporated villages." DIVIDED INTO SEVEN DISTRICTS Under the provisions of the village code, Ironton was divided" into seven districts for school purposes and fire protection : No. 1—All the town site on the west side of Storms Creek. No. 2—Between Storms Creek and Railroad Street, the Ohio River and Fifth Street. No. 3—North and west of Railroad and Fifth streets. No. 4—Between Railroad and Jefferson, the Ohio River and Fifth Street. No. 5—Between Railroad and Jefferson streets, back of Fifth. No. 6—Between Jefferson Street and East Ironton. No. 7—East Ironton. FIRE PREVENTION RATHER THAN CURE Fire, hook and ladder and hose companies were authorized to be formed, and fire wardens were to be appointed by the council. The latter were to possess police powers, and there were very profuse regulations as to the prevention of fire; in fact, the office of a warden was based on the advantages of prevention rather than on the virtues of cure. The annual election was fixed for the first Monday in April, when a marshal and a street commissioner were to be chosen. The mayor, with the approval of the common council, was to appoint a market master, three members of a board of health, seven fire wardens and seven assistants. The public market was announced to be the square bounded by Railroad, Lawrence, Fourth and Market streets. This body of town laws also regulated shows and exhibitions ; defined offenders and fixed their punishment ; provided rules for the conduct of the ferries and the safe keeping of gun powder ; placed the mayor under HANGING ROCK IRON REGION - 313 bonds of $1,000 ; fixed the fees of justices of the peace ; announced a tax on dogs, and specifically defined the duties of such officials as the marshal, street commissioner, recorder and corporation weigher and measurer. POSTOFFICE MOVED TO UNION HALL In December, 1859, old Union Hall was completed on Lawrence Street between Front and Second, and in the following April the postoffice was installed on its ground floor. The public hall, seating about seven hundred people, was in the second story and the Masons occupied the third floor with their lodge rooms. Poor Uncle Sam, as far as that branch of his service in Ironton was concerned, had been knocked around from pillar to post. When occupying its first quarters in a little frame building just above the Vernon House, in January, 1850, the postoffice had been burned ; then, within the next three years it occupied a room furnished by John Lucas, another in old Union Block and a third corner of Third and Center. In the fall of 1858 the postoffice was in the Rodgers Block, corner of Second and Railroad streets, and there remained until it moved to the new Union Hall. D. C. Briggs was the first postmaster. EARLY FIRE COMPANIES In January, 1858, two lire companies were organized under the village charter : Good Will Company, twenty-one members, with John J. Vinton, president, and George J. Shore, captain, and Good Intent Company, twelve members, with John P. Merrill, president, and E. F. Gillen, first director. The fire companies did not appear to have made, great progress, for in August, 1865, the city obtained its first fire engine, which was considered a wonder when it threw a stream to the roof of the old Ironton House. BUILDING OF THE WATERWORKS Since then the greatest assurance of protection against fire has been realized in the establishment and extension of the waterworks of the city. As a sanitary measure, in connection with the construction of a sewerage system, the distribution of healthful water was of prime importance. The waterworks of Ironton have been in course of building and improvement since November, 1870. On the 10th of that month W. C. Weir, construction engineer of the Covington (Kentucky) Waterworks, in company with a special committee of the city council, examined a site for the new waterworks on the river bank, near the foot of Vernon Street, and at a citizens' meeting, held. at the courthouse, at that time, it was decided to construct them on the Holley system. The estimated cost of the works was $80,000, and the revenue $119,000. At this decisive public HANGING ROCK IRON REGION - 315 meeting B. Garvey presided and E'. S. Wilson, then editor of the Register, was secretary. In February, 1871, the finance committee of the common council contracted with J. Harsman and I. W. Iddings for the sale of. $100,000 waterworks bonds and arrangements were made with the Holley Company to commence work at once. As the site for the power plant the Ohio Iron and Coal Company sold the city 100 feet between Front Street and the river and above Vernon. The specific contract with R. T. Coverdale called for the erection Of a neat brick building at that locality, 17,946 feet of pipe, the sinking of a well and the running of the supply pipe under the river at a depth of forty-seven feet, and twenty-five double and twenty-five single fire plugs. It would be immaterial to trace every step of the construction and extension of the system. Although progress has been made from year to year and the water furnished has been excellent, as a whole, temporary defects have been encountered, mainly due to the fact that the water was filtered through a natural sandbar which, in seasons of flood or other river disturbances,' affected the purity: of the supply. As a protection against fire, the works have always. been considered an invaluable safeguard. PRESENT WATERWORKS The present waterworks comprise a substantial power house, the machinery of which is operated by steam and three pumps, installed in 1882, 1891 and 1898, respectively, having a combined daily capacity of 6,250,000 gallons. The distribution system is ample for all demands. Within the past eight years some $125,000 has been expended on the improvement of the system, and, in response to the recommendations of the public and the state board of health, a modern 'filtration system is under way, at an estimated cost of $300,000. Aside from the protection against fire afforded by the waterworks, Ironton has an organized department, with accommodations for engine, hook and ladder and hose. At the time the original works were discussed the city council was about to dig cisterns all over town and .buy two steam engines, but this crude solution of the problem gave way to the proposition to erect the waterworks, both for protection against fire and epidemics largely traceable to impure water supply. So the works were erected with a pressure of 120 pounds to the square inch ; pipes were laid through all the streets and fire plugs placed at all the corners ; and this feature of the system, has been especially developed year by year. THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS Ironton's public schools are sixty-five years old, during which period the enrollment of pupils has increased from twenty-five to twenty-five hundred, and the buildings from a 'little frame shack, corner of Fourth 316 - HANGING ROCK IRON REGION and Centre streets, to seven structures, some of them of a substantial and handsome appearance and modern arrangement. SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR PIONEER HOUSE The author has looked in vain for a published account of the founding of the pioneer school of Ironton ; and there is none in that community whose clear recollection runs back to that early period—at least, in the matter of public education. Fortunately, the Campbell scrapbook, whose value we have several times acknowledged, comes to the rescue and presents a copy of the original subscription list of those who contributed to the building of the schoolhouse mentioned. It is dated "Ironton, March 5, 1850," and its text is to this effect : "We, the undersigned, will give the sums annexed to our respective names for the purpose of erecting a building to be used at present as a schoolhouse, in the town of Ironton ; said house and lot, if one should be purchased, shall be placed in the hands of John Campbell, Shepherd Luke and William D. Kelly as trustees, and whenever sold the proceeds of the same shall be paid over to the undersigned in proportion to the sums annexed to their respective names. It is understood that no sale shall take place unless those representing or owning more than one-half of the stock shall so order." Those who signed for amounts above $5 were as follows : John Campbell, $100; William D. Kelly, Stephen Daniels, James M. Merrill, Irwin J. Kelly and James W. Means, $25 each ; Morris Jones, $20 ; H. Crawford, W: E. Kemp, Caleb Briggs and John K. Smith, $10. The total amount subscribed was $444. The schoolhouse was enlarged in 1852, for which expense another paper, was circulated and signed to the necessary amount, some of the debts of the subscribers being met in stone work, carpentering, plastering and lumber supplies. BOARD OF EDUCATION IN 1854 In 1854 the board of education of the incorporated village was as follows : N. K. Moxlet, president ; Thomas Proctor, secretary ; Joshua Hambleton, treasurer ; John Campbell, Fletcher Golden (Esq.) and Thomas Murdock, other members. School examiners : Charles Kingsbury, R. M. Stimson and J. P. Bing, M. D. Visitors : Rev. J. M. Kelley, Rev. J. H. Creighton, Rev. Joseph Chester, Rev. Thomas Pugh and Dr. C. Briggs. Superintendent : John B. Beach, A. M. SCHOOL RULES The rules put in force would be considered rather illiberal by those of the present. They allowed only three weeks' vacation during the entire year, and "school kept" until 5 o'clock in the afternoon, except HANGING ROCK IRON REGION - 317 from the 15th of November until the 15th of January, when it closed at 4:30. The schools were graded as primary, secondary, grammar and high ; the age of admission fixed at five years. Scholars not residing in the district were required to advance the following rates of tuition per quarter : In lower grades, $3 ; high school, English course, $4 ; high school, classical course, $5. KINGSBURY BECOMES SUPERINTENDENT Charles Kingsbury, as school examiner, had shown great interest in public education from the first, but evidently Professor Beach, for some reason, did not show the requisite qualities for a good superintendent. The Rev. Joseph Chester, one of the most influential of the visitors, heartily recommended Mr. Kingsbury and wrote thus frankly to Mr. Campbell in the spring of 1854: "I would say to you frankly I do not believe the present incumbent possesses all the requisites for success with us. I am sorry to think or say so, but justice to ourselves and the best interests of our schools, I think, requires that this much shall be said. The other teachers I will say nothing of, except that I think in relation to Mr. Metcalf he has not succeeded for some cause in obtaining the respect of those under his care, and Miss Wakefield needs some instruction to fit her for success with small children. I believe the other teachers are all doing well." To those at all familiar with the history of the Ironton schools it is known that Mr. Kingsbury was appointed superintendent and served until 1865. FIRST BRICK SCHOOLHOUSE The first brick schoolhouse erected was the old Central, on Sixth Street between Vernon and Washington. EARLY HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES Although from the early '50s there was a high school department, it was not considered fairly organized until 1864 under the administration of Superintendent Kingsbury, and among the graduates from the early classes may be mentioned Julius Anderson, Mrs. Harriet Kingsbury Burr, Mrs. Clara Crawford Davidson, S. B. Steece, James Bull, Mrs. Dr. 0. Ellison and E. S. Wilson. ENROLLMENT IN 1856 AND 1860 By the summer of 1856 the records show that 725 pupils were enrolled in the three Ironton schools (one had been built in West Ironton), and by 1860 that number had been increased to 1,114-549 males and 565 females. 318 - HANGING ROCK IRON REGION SUCCESSORS OF PROFESSOR KINGSBURY The successors of Professor Kingsbury in the superintendency have been as follows : A. C. Hirst, 1865-69 ; J. B. Battelle, 1860-70 ; A. M. Van Dyke, 1870-74 ; Henry S. Farewell, 1874-76 ; J. S. Wilson, 1876-79 ; C. F. Dean, 1879-81; A. J. Surface, 1881-83 ; R. S. Page, 1883-91; W. R. Cummings, 1891-94 ; Mallory, 1894-95 ; N. C. Smith, 1895-97 ; S. P. Humphrey, 1897-1910 ; James T. Begg, 1910-13,; N. J. Riter, 1913. PRESENT ENROLLMENT AND SCHOOLHOUSES Within the corporate limits of Ironton are now 3,893 youths of school age-1,964 males and 1,929 females ; 211 are colored and 373 attend the parochial schools. The seven school buildings, with their grade accommodations, are as follows : Kingsbury, South Sixth ; high school and all grades. Campbell, South Sixth, between Mulberry and Walnut ; from first to seventh grades. Whitwell, South Fourth ; all grades. Lawrence Street, between Seventh and Eighth ; all grades. West Ironton, North Third Street ; from first to sixth grades. Central, between Fifth and Sixth, Oak and Ellison ; from first to fourth grades. Central, corner of Sixth and Ellison ; from first to fourth grades. Lombard, South Fifth, corner of Clinton ; from first to third grades. PROPOSED EDUCATIONAL REFORMS Superintendent Riter is energetic and efficient, and the trend of his administration is well illustrated in the following recommendations which he made in his report of January, 1915; " (1) That we erect an up-to-date High School building. " (2) That our teachers be hired on the merit system. " (3) That all tuition money be expended for supplies. " (4) That $300 be expended for manual training machinery. " (5) That the building principalships be abolished, and instead have two grade supervisors—a primary supervisor and a grammar grade supervisor. " (6) To get better janitor service, that the chief janitor be empowered to change janitors whenever he deems it necessary. " (7) That the Board of Education furnish all art supplies." BRIGGS LIBRARY AND MEMORIAL HALL The Briggs Library Building, or Memorial Hall, houses not only the fine collection of books made possible through the liberality and forethought of Dr. Caleb Briggs, but the headquarters of the G. A. R., the city council chamber and several municipal offices. The history of the HANGING ROCK IRON REGION - 319 early attempts to form libraries in Ironton goes back to the founding of the town, and in all such attempts Doctor Briggs was as prominent as he was in the founding of the schools, the establishment of industries and the promotion of every other good, substantial and practical institution. Doctor Briggs, Judge W. W. Johnson, C. K. Kingsbury and Rev. J. II. Creighton were especially prominent in all such organizations as the Ironton Library Association and the Ironton Scientific Association, all of which movements were solidified into Briggs Library Institute, an organization perfected to conserve the $25,000 fund donated by Doctor. Briggs, in 1881, for the establishment of a public library on a broad and enduring scale. Finally, in the spring of 1890, the city council and Dick Lambert Post No. 165, G. A. R., got together. The common council passed an ordinance voting a property tax to meet the issuance of $20,000 bonds to further the erection of Memorial Hall, and in February, 1891, the Post accepted its tender of Market Square as a site for the municipal building. Four trustees were appointed by the city and five by the Post to take charge of its construction. Ground was broken for it in May, 1891; the corner stone was laid in July and it was formally dedicated in October, 1892, Hon. J. K. Richards being master of ceremonies. Unfortunately the first Memorial Hall was partially destroyed by fire in December, 1905, and nearly all the books which had then been collected went with the building. But the structure was rebuilt on an improved plan and in February, 1910, the Briggs Free Public Library was thrown open to the gratified people of Ironton. The foundation fund then amounted to $67,000. Miss Winifred Morton was librarian in are of the 4,000 volumes which constituted the collection. Both fund and collection have since been materially increased under the management of the trustees of the library board, P. C. Booth, J. L. Anderson, Dr, W. E. Pricer and F. A. Ross ; the last named, as clerk, has been' especially solicitous and has given freely of his time and efforts in the furtherance of the worthy institution. DETAILS OF THE FOUNDATION With the conclusion of this running sketch of the' Briggs Library we return to a consideration of the steps taken by Doctor Briggs and his, good friend, Judge Johnson, which directly led to the founding of the library. Doctor Briggs had left the city permanently in 1867, but retained many property interests at Ironton about which he was in frequent correspondence with Mr. Campbell. In one of his letters, written in June, 1881, he says : "I am of your opinion that now seems to be a favorable time to lay the foundation of a library in Ironton. You may remember that this important matter I have had in contemplation for at least twenty-five years, and I have as great' an interest in the object as ever. About this I will soon write you more fully. But please write to me what you propose to give, and the amount you think can be obtained from others." 320 - HANGING ROCK IRON REGION Under date of September 9, 1881, from his home in North Rochester, Massachusetts, Doctor Briggs writes to Mr. Campbell as follows : "Yours received, and would have answered before, but I have felt hardly able to write.  "I agree fully with you that it is very desirable to organize a library now, if sufficient funds can be obtained for that purpose. I trust that this can be done. My writing so fully in regard to what I proposed to do had this object in view—I thought it might induce others to take an active interest in the matter. But a considerable amount of money is MEMORIAL HALL AND BRIGGS LIBRARY necessary to make a respectable beginning ; one that will end in assured success. This beginning can be made by the purchase of 1,200 to 1,500 volumes of the very best books, having funds at interest to insure an income sufficient to pay for the services of a librarian, room rent and for adding 100 or 200 volumes to the library every year. A room 25 by 35 would be fully large enough at first ; and it would not be necessary to employ a librarian more than two half days in the week for the exchange of books. Many large and valuable libraries have been built up in this way from small beginnings ; and perhaps it may be the best way. But if liberal subscriptions shall be made for the library now, more books can be purchased at first, a librarian can be paid for a larger part of the time, and more money put at interest to pay for his services, the HANGING ROCK IRON REGION - 321 purchase of books, etc. However small or large the beginning may be, the foundation of the organization should be sure and self-supporting; for 'hard times' are coming when men who would give for public uses, if they were, able, will have enough to do to take care of themselves. These suggestions for your consideration are doubtless unnecessary, as you and Judge Johnson are sagacious arid practical business men and will mature some plan that will result in assured success. I shall be glad to hear from you soon. I am expecting a letter from Judge Johnson." From the time of writing that letter to the donation of the $25,000 to the city for the founding of a free public library, the movement was rapid, and by the 20th of September Judge Johnson had received the deed of trust from his old friend in Massachusetts. Soon afterward Judge Johnson wrote to E. S. Wilson, first secretary of the Briggs Library Institute : "Dr. Briggs was one of the original proprietors of Ironton and made the place his residence until after the year 1867, since which time he has made his residence near North Rochester, Plymouth County, Massachusetts. As one of the founders of the place he always had faith in its future, and notwithstanding his removal from among us, he has retained a deep interest in the welfare and happiness of the people. "Prior to 1852, when I first became acquainted with the Doctor, he had helped organize a Library Society, which was then in operation with a small, but well selected lot of books, for circulation among its members. "In 1853-4 a new association was formed, modeled after the Young Men's Mercantile Library of Cincinnati, into which the existing library was merged and to which its books were transferred. The membership embraced nearly all the heads of families in Ironton. Among the most active, whose names I recall, were Dr. Briggs, John Campbell, Rev. Joseph Chester, J. 0. Willard, Edward Jordan, H. S. Neal, C. G. Hawley, Ralph Leete and Dr. Sloan. "The plan was to keep in funds by an annual membership fee of $3 per year. This association opened a public reading room and library in the third story of Rodgers Block, and besides supplying the room with all the best papers, reviews and magazines, there were added to the library some 300 new volumes. Owing to the financial depression which began in 1857 and continued for six years, and to the War of the Rebellion, the membership all expired and the library suspended operations. The books were safely boxed to await more favorable times, but unfortunately these books were destroyed in the great fire of 1865. "I first became aware of Dr. Briggs' deep interest in a public library while we were organizing and carrying on this association. He frequently urged upon me the importance of laying a foundation for such an institute as would be permanent and such as would invite liberal donations from those who were able to aid it and who were interested in the welfare of the town. He also expressed the belief that we might expect much substantial aid if the existence of our organization should not prove ephemeral. "In some of these conversations, or subsequently, before he perma- Vol. I-21 322 - HANGING ROCK IRON REGION nently removed to Massachusetts in 1867, I was confidently informed of his intention, which he has just consummated by the deed of trust * * * After his return to Massachusetts to permanently reside he provided by will this trust, in which substantially the same provisions are found as are now embodied in the deed of trust. During the past year he determined that this donation should take effect during his life. He had assurance that now is the favorable opportunity to inaugurate the movement and that others will give it substantial aid. He therefore decided to make this munificent gift fixed and irrevocable, without awaiting the taking effect of his will. "For this purpose I was summoned to his home in Massachusetts, where the deed was prepared and executed September 20, 1881. * * * The earnest desire of Dr. Briggs is that his donation, with such additions as others may make to it, will be the means of founding and maintaining an institution that will be open to the public for all time to come and which, from year to year, will grow in value as it grows in years. I have reason to believe that if the people of Ironton take proper interest in aiding this enterprise, this is not the only aid it will receive from Dr. Briggs." The founder of the library died about three years after Judge Johnson made the announcement of the Briggs Foundation. THE PRESS The press of Ironton is represented by the veteran, the Register, which has been republican as long as there has been a party by that name ; the Irontonian, democratic since it was founded thirty-seven years ago, and the News, an independent newspaper which is in its seventeenth year. THE IRONTON REGISTER The first number of the Ironton Register was issued August 1, 1850, from a frame building on the corner of Third and Lawrence streets, by Stimson & Parker. H. M. Stimson, a young graduate from Marietta College, where he had met Doctor Briggs, came to Hanging Rock in November, 1849, expecting to commence the practice of law there. The outlook was not encouraging and after teaching school a few months he wandered into the new town of Ironton, in the spring of 1850, and Messrs. Campbell and Briggs induced him to start the Ironton Register in partnership with Hiram W. Parker, a practical printer from Chillicothe. With the added help of Logan Steece, the night of July 31st was passed in preparation for its first number, and about sunrise of August 1, 1850, the forms were locked up and went to press. The partnership of Stimson & Parker lasted for eight years, and in June, 1862, Mr. Stimson sold the paper to John X. Davidson, a university man who had taught in the high school prior to his ownership of the Register. In the meantime the office had been moved to better quarters in the. Commercial Block, and while there, in April, HANGING ROCK IRON REGION - 323 1865, the week that President Lincoln was assassinated, the entire block from Lawrence to Railroad and from Second to Third, was destroyed by fire. Mr. Davidson resumed publication after two weeks in quarters across the street, and in August of that year sold the paper to E. S. Wilson. Mr. Wilson had been home from his army service about a month when he thus became editor and proprietor of the Register, beginning business in that capacity, as he says, on a $3,500 debt. " The office," he continues, "was on the third floor of the building now occupied by Collet's insurance business. It was a miserable outfit—an old Washington handpress, a broken nonpareil jobber, and a scant supply of type, rules, leads, etc. The office had burned down in the April previous, and had not yet recovered from its desolation. - I don't remember to have seen a worse equipped printing office. But since business was good and prices were high, I put the meagre facilities to the utmost test. There were only two employes in the office, the foreman and a boy, and I made a third, devoting myself to the mechanical as well as the editorial duties. I was devil, pressman, bookkeeper, reporter, editor, and proprietor all in one, and put in fifteen hours a day on the combination. "In 1867, I moved the office to the third floor over the Exchange Bank, and in 1870, to Center Block, where it has been ever since. In 1870 I added a power press ; in 1874, a steam engine ; in 1885, a gas engine. January 1, 1887, the paper was changed from a folio to a quarto, which size and form it has since maintained." Mr. Wilson continued as editor and proprietor of the Register until his appointment as United States marshal for the district of Porto Rico, and made it one of the leading newspapers in the Ohio Valley. He is now identified with the Ohio State Journal at Columbus. The Register commenced the publication of an evening edition in 1900, which, with the weekly, are issued by the Register Publishing Company, of which C. H. Moore is president. THE IRONTONIAN The Irontonian, semi-weekly, was first issued in 1878, the morning edition being established in 1888. It is issued by the Irontonian Publishing Company, of which James I. Gorman is president. The editor of the paper is Harry M. Paul, formerly associated in the same capacity with the Register. IRONTON NEWS The Ironton News is a semi-weekly newspaper founded by Charles L. Collett and Harry L. Collett, under the firm name of Collett Brothers, November 25, 1899. There has been no change in proprietorship. TRANSPORTATION AND ELECTRICITY Transportation and lighting are matters which are of vital importance to any city, the Ohio Valley Railway and Electric Company furnish- 324 - HANGING ROCK IRON REGION ing both transportation and electric lighting and power. The interurban railway system through Ironton and to Hanging Rock and Coal Grove originated in the Ironton and Petersburg Street Railway, which obtained a right-of-way through the city in January, 1888. By the 4th of July of that year the first car was run between West Ironton and Petersburg and by July 4, 1891, from Hanging Rock to Petersburg, opposite the City of Ashland, Kentucky.. In August, 1889, the city made a contract with the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Electric Company to light the stores and residences of the place. These two enterprises were eventually taken over by the Ohio Valley Railway and Electric Company. NATURAL GAS CONSUMPTION The natural gas used by the people of Ironton is piped mainly from West Virginia from an approximate distance of 160 miles. The supply for the city, Hanging Rock, Coal Grove and most of Southern Ohio is controlled by the United States Fuel Gas Company, with headquarters at Pittsburgh. The rate for domestic service is 271/2 cents per thousand cubic feet, less a discount of 21 cents per thousand if paid on or before the 10th of the month following that in which the gas has been consumed. The rate for commercial service, less a discount of 1 per cent for payment on or before the 20th, is as follows: First 150,000 cubic feet, or part thereof, in each calendar month, 26 cents per thousand ; second 150,000 feet, 16 cents; all over 300,000 feet, 9 cents. HISTORIC FLOODS Lawrence County, in common with all of Southern Ohio adjacent to the Ohio River and its large tributaries, has suffered from numerous floods, but none were more severe than those of 1884 and 1913 ; and Ironton, especially, has cause to remember those uprisings of the Beautiful River. From the testimony of various old settlers it would appear that the flood, of 1847 was considerably higher than that of 1883, and that even in 1832 the Ohio rose nearly to the height it attained in that year, but all three were overtopped by the great rise of 1884. The first marked rise was noted February 6th of that year; for two days it gained at the 'rate of two inches an hour, when it was within a foot of the high-water mark of 1883; by daylight of Saturday it was three inches higher, and by Monday morning foil' feet above. At that time, on February 11th, half of Ironton was under water—all of West Ironton and the business section were covered with yellow, muddy water from one to eight feet deep. From Fourth Street to the river was a continuous sheet sweeping on to the hills. Skiffs were plying about loaded with goods or passengers, and it was hard to realize that solid ground was underneath the seething waters.