Portsmouth in Scioto County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Scioto County, Experience Our Heritage
Chillicothe Street, 1940's
This mural reveals a view of Chillicothe Street looking northward from the U.S. Grant Bridge during the 1940's. The mural is a copy of a postcard of that time and shows many of the landmark hotels and businesses, some of which are still in existence. The three-dimensional effect of downtown Portsmouth gives you the feeling of being able to walk down Chillicothe Street during the 1940's. Looking northward from the U.S. Grant Bridge, you could purchase your ticket for the railroad, complete all your banking needs, and shop in many of the local businesses. Mural postcards, mugs, framed prints and additional souvieners [sic] can be purchased at several of the local businesses.
Steel Industry, 1870-1980
In 1889 Portsmouth's two main steel mills consolidated into one plant, The Burgess Steel and Iron Works, at the west end of Third St. This plant was destroyed by fire in 1898, and the owner Levi York built a new mill in New Boston. Steel-making and processing capacity grew under a succession of owners. With a major renovation by Detroit Steel Corporation in the 1950's, the mill became an important unit of the U.S. steel industry. All iron and steel operations were idled by 1980, and the shutdown was completed in 2002 with the closing of the coke plant. The left panel of the mural pictures the blast furnace; the center shows molten iron being poured into an open hearth furnace; and the right panel shows the final rolling process in the hot strip mill.
Clarence Holbrook Carter
Clarence Carter was an internationally acclaimed artist and native son of Portsmouth. He began his painting in this area. During the WPA era, he painted murals in the post office, which are still there. A replica of those murals can be seen in this mural. In the mid-1960's, his visual vocabulary underwent a major shift, exploring the relationship between life and death, matter and spirit. This is signified by the floating egg. Also floating in this mural is an image of the Southern Ohio Museum which exhibits an extensive selection of Clarence Carter's paintings. An ongoing exhibition of Carter's work can be seen at the Southern Ohio Museum. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and is located at 825 Gallia Street.
Erected by Portsmouth Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Industry & Commerce • Man-Made Features. In addition, it is included in the Ohio, Scioto County, Experience Our Heritage series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1889.
Location. This marker has been replaced by another marker nearby. It was located near 38° 43.852′ N, 83° 0.301′ W. Marker was in Portsmouth, Ohio, in Scioto County. Marker was at the intersection of Front Street and Jefferson Street, on the right when traveling west on Front Street. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 407 Front St, Portsmouth OH 45662, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location. Chillicothe Street, 1940's / Steel Industry, 1870-1980 / Clarence Holbrook Carter / Carl Ackerman (here, next to this marker); Progress in Education / Shawnee State Expansion / Vern Riffe (within shouting distance of this marker); Roy Rogers / 1937 Flood / Branch Rickey / Kentucky Friends (within shouting distance of this marker); Portsmouth Railroads, 1950's / Modern Industry / Medical History / Twentieth Century Wars (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); A Struggle To Be Free (about 400 feet away); Millbrook Park / The Shoe Industry, 1869-1977 / Early 1900's Streetcar / Government Square, 1919 (about 400 feet away); Julia Marlowe / Portsmouth Shoe-Steels / The Portsmouth Spartans / The Greyhound Bus Station, 1941 (about 400 feet away); 1937 Ohio River Flood Mark on Bigg's House (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Portsmouth.
Also see . . . Portsmouth, Ohio, Floodwall Murals. (Submitted on February 25, 2013, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 5, 2021. It was originally submitted on February 25, 2013, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 623 times since then and 34 times this year. Last updated on January 27, 2021, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. submitted on February 25, 2013, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.