Portsmouth in Scioto County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Tenth Street Station ⎯⎯⎯ Market Square ⎯⎯⎯ Portsmouth 1903
Floodwall Murals, 2000 Feet of History/2000 Feet of Art
Photographed by Craig Doda, January 7, 2021
1. Tenth Street Station / Market Square / Portsmouth 1903 Marker
Inscription.
Tenth Street Station
The pagoda-style train station at the northwest comer of Tenth and Waler Streets is shown as it appeared in the 1890's. The N&W (Norfolk and Western and B40
(Baltimore and Ohio) tracks continued west on Tenth Street in front of the station, while the CP&V (Cincinnati, Portsmouth and Virginia which the N&W acquired in 1901) turned northward behind the station. The wood burning engine on the N&W tracks s thought to have belonged to the Scioto Valley RR. which the N&W acquired in 1890. The station was abandoned in 1931 and razed in 1968 The jitney, pulled by horses, delivered passengers to their destination upon arrival by train.
Market Square
Market Street along with neighboring streets, was the hub of retail business in
Portsmouth from 1803 until the turn of the 20th Century. During the summer moths
brought their produce to town where the residents could purchase fresh fruits
and vegetables.
Many riverboat captains and passengers traveling the Ohio River often stopped over
in Portsmouth and stayed at the Washington Hotel (seen in the background. in recent years the hotel was remodeled and
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converted into a senior citizen residence.
Portsmouth 1903
This mural depicts a view of Portsmouth in 1903 as seen from Kentucky. The mural was painted from a composite of four photographs taken from the Carl Ackerman Historical Collection. The floodwall was not present at the time and many landmark buildings are easily recognized. The Scioto River converges with the Ohio River at Portsmouth. One hundred years after Henry Massie drew the first plat, Portsmouth had grown to a city of 17,870 citizens. The farmlands west and north of the city were some of the richest in Ohio because the yearly flooding created a fertile delta. The smokestacks in the background were from the Burgess Steel and Iron Company which employed more than 500 men. The businesses on Front Street flourished because of their proximity to the Ohio River Market Street had become the central street during the 1800's. Boats docked at the foot of the street are delivering goods to the city The Bigg's House on Market Street was completed in 1872 and was used by many social clubs. The newest hotel was the Washington, which opened in 1900 as the most modern hotel in Ohio.
Photographed by Craig Doda, January 7, 2021
2. Tenth Street Station / Market Square / Portsmouth 1903 Marker
Each room had a telephone, electric lights, and refrigerator all for $3 per night. This mural measures 20 by 150 feet and is the longest in the floodwall mural project. (Marker Number 6.)
Location. 38° 43.848′ N, 83° 0.173′ W. Marker is in Portsmouth, Ohio, in Scioto County. It is at the intersection of Front Street and Market Street, on the right when traveling west on Front Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 515 Front St, Portsmouth OH 45662, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southern Ohio Hill Country. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Ohio River Valley, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the
Photographed by Craig Doda, January 7, 2021
3. Tenth Street Station mural
Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
no longer nearby. Scioto County, Experience Our Heritage (was here, next to this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); a different marker also named Scioto County, Experience Our Heritage (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); a different marker also named Scioto County, Experience Our Heritage (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); a different marker also named Scioto County, Experience Our Heritage (was about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line but has been replaced with another marker now near it); a different marker also named Scioto County, Experience Our Heritage (was about 300 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); a different marker also named Scioto County, Experience Our Heritage (was about 500 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); a different marker also named Scioto County, Experience Our Heritage (was about 500 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Photographed by Craig Doda, January 7, 2021
5. Portsmouth 1903 murals
Photographed by Craig Doda, January 7, 2021
6. Portsmouth 1903 murals
Credits. This page was last revised on August 25, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 4, 2021, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 607 times since then and 31 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on February 4, 2021, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
