Ripley in Brown County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Ripley and the Ohio River

Photographed by J. J. Prats, June 11, 2019

1. Ripley and the Ohio River Marker

Inscription. A part of the Virginia Military District, Ripley was founded in 1812 by Colonel James Poage, a veteran of the Revolutionary War. Originally named Staunton, after Poage’s home town in Virginia, the village comprised 1,000 acres along the Ohio river. With its riverside location and deep water landing area, Ripley became a thriving community. Large quantities of flour, pork, and other goods were shipped from Ripley via flatboats down the Ohio. This continued as steamboats took over the river trade and cargoes came to include tobacco and other goods. Some of the goods leaving the area were shipped on vessels built in Rilpley’s two boatyards. During the early and middle decades of the nineteenth century, the yards produced several steamboats. The boatyards were located on Ripley’s riverbank and lumber for boats came from surrounding forests. Red Oak Creek, running into the Ohio, was an especially favorable location for area mills and slaughterhouses.

Erected 2003 by the Ohio Bicentennial Commission, Tall Stacks, Inc., Ripley Heritage, Inc., and The Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 8-8.)

Topics and series. This

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historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1812.

Location. Marker has been reported missing. It was located near 38° 44.748′ N, 83° 50.827′ W. Marker was in Ripley, Ohio, in Brown County. It was on North Front Street north of Main Street, on the left when traveling north. The marker stands on the riverfront. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 18 N Front St, Ripley OH 45167, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker was in Greater Cincinnati

and in Southern Ohio Hill Country.

It was also in the American Midwest,

in the Ohio River Valley,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it was in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it found itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Photographed by J. J. Prats, June 11, 2019

2. Ripley and the Ohio River Marker

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location: PFC Thomas G. Defosse (within shouting distance of this marker); Eli Collins House (about 400 feet away); James Poage House (about 400 feet away); Site of the Home of Senator Alexander Campbell (about 500 feet away); Battery F Ripley / Ripley Cannon (about 500 feet away); The Squirrel Hunters (about 500 feet away); In Honor of Fallen Soldier (about 600 feet away); Doctor Beasley (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ripley.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Liberty Monument (was about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line but has been confirmed missing).

Ripley and the Ohio River Marker Site image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Doda, May 10, 2025

3. Ripley and the Ohio River Marker Site

Credits. This page was last revised on May 18, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 18, 2019, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 897 times since then and 48 times this year. Last updated on May 17, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 18, 2019, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. 3. submitted on May 17, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.