Ironton in Lawrence County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
City of Ironton
Founded 1849
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 3, 2012
1. City of Ironton Marker
In 1849, the city of Ironton was founded by local ironmasters, railroaders, and financiers associated with the Ohio Iron and Coal Company. They saw the city as a manufacturing and shipping point for their products. As a young industrial city, Ironton prospered when river transportation facilitated the development and export of Lawrence County's natural resources and manufactured items. The Iron Railroad Company was also established to transport pig iron and manufactured goods from nearby towns to Ironton, to awaiting steamboats on the Ohio River. Steamboats, in the form of towboats, packet boats, and showboats, traveled the river providing the city with goods, services, and entertainment. The Ironton wharf and boat landing once served the community as a gathering place to greet incoming passengers, receive mail, and hear the latest news.
Erected 2003 by Ohio Bicentennial Commission, Tall Stacks, Inc., and The Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 6-44.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Railroads & Streetcars • 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 1849.
Location.
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Ohio’s Kyova Tri-State Region. 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 Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Col William C. Lambert (within shouting distance of this marker); The flood of 1937 (within shouting distance of this marker); Veterans Memorial (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Official State Ohio Memorial Day Parade (about 400 feet away); High Water Mark (about 400 feet away); Lawrence County Viet-Nam Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.2 miles away); Lawrence County Veterans Square (approx. 0.2 miles away); Replica of the Statue of Liberty (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ironton.
Also see . . . City of Ironton History. City website entry (Submitted on October 4, 2012, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 3, 2012
2. City of Ironton Marker
Photographed by Craig Doda, August 16, 2025
3. City of Ironton Marker
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 3, 2012
4. View of Ohio River and Ironton-Russell Bridge
Credits. This page was last revised on August 20, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 4, 2012, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,420 times since then and 76 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 4, 2012, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. 3. submitted on August 19, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. 4. submitted on October 4, 2012, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
