Description: This image shows the front and side facades of the Lawrence County Courthouse. This Neoclassical building sits at the top of the hill near downtown Ironton and has a Ionic pilasters, pedimented doors and a dome. During the 19th century, Lawrence County was the center of the Hanging Rock Iron Region, which produced some of the world's best iron. In honor of this, a stone replica of an iron furnace sits on the courthouse grounds. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV101_B01F04_262
Subjects: Courthouses--Ohio; pilasters; pediments; Neoclassical
Places: Ironton (Ohio); Lawrence County (Ohio); 1 Veterans Square
 

Description: A woman sitting in the backseat of a touring car playing a steam calliope. A calliope, also known as a steam organ, was a musical instrument commonly used on riverboats or in circuses. The woman pictured is likely a daughter of E. E. Eisenbarth, either Ignace, Denalla or Julia. Ellsworth Eugene Eisenbarth was born October 22, 1864, in Ironton, Ohio. The family later moved to Wetzel County, West Virginia. By 1889, Eisenbarth was traveling the mid-Atlantic states in "The Oregon Indian Medicine Show," which featured such entertainment as real cowboys and "Indians." He next bought a floating store, which he refitted as a showboat and christened "The Eisenbarth Wild West & Floating Opera." The endeavor lasted from 1891 to 1895. By the late 1890s, Eisenbarth and his wife Julia had founded "The Eisenbarth & Henderson Mammoth and Combined Uncle Tom's Cabin Company," complete with calliope, band and orchestra, which also traveled throughout the middle states by rail. In February of 1900, E.E. and Julia converted a glass barge named the E.V. Poke No. 2 into "The Eisenbarth-Henderson Floating Theatre, Temple of Amusement." This showboat and its successor ("The Eisenbarth-Henderson Floating Theatre-The New Great Modern Temple of Amusement") were devoted to bringing Shakespearean plays and other dramas, such as "Human Hearts" to the waterways. Eisenbarth also worked with a traveling company of players, perhaps to remain off the rivers during the winter months. The Temple cleared more money than almost any other boat on the Ohio River, even though it only played four nights a week and never on Sunday. Julia Eisenbarth died sometime after, and E.E. remarried in 1908 to Jennie Salina Brown. In 1909, he presented his last show on a riverboat, "The Castle." He sold The Temple showboat to the Needham-Steiner Amusement Company that year, and although he made bids on other boats, these proved unsuccessful and The Temple ended up being his last showboat. Ellsworth Eugene Eisenbarth was born October 22, 1864, in Ironton, Ohio. The family later moved to Wetzel County, West Virginia. By 1889, Eisenbarth was traveling the mid-Atlantic states in "The Oregon Indian Medicine Show," which featured such entertainment as real cowboys and “Indians.” He next bought a floating store, which he refitted as a showboat and christened "The Eisenbarth Wild West & Floating Opera." The endeavor lasted from 1891 to 1895. By the late 1890s, Eisenbarth and his wife Julia had founded "The Eisenbarth & Henderson Mammoth and Combined Uncle Tom’s Cabin Company," complete with calliope, band and orchestra, which also traveled throughout the middle states by rail. In February of 1900, E.E. and Julia converted a glass barge named the E.V. Poke No. 2 into "The Eisenbarth-Henderson Floating Theatre, Temple of Amusement." This showboat and its successor ("The Eisenbarth-Henderson Floating Theatre-The New Great Modern Temple of Amusement")were devoted to bringing Shakespearean plays and other dramas, such as “Human Hearts” to the waterways. Eisenbarth also worked with a traveling company of players, perhaps to remain off the rivers during the winter months. The Temple cleared more money than almost any other boat on the Ohio River, even though it only played four nights a week and never on Sunday. Julia Eisenbarth died sometime after, and E.E. remarried in 1908 to Jennie Salina Brown. In 1909, he presented his last show on a riverboat, “The Castle.” He sold The Temple showboat to the Needham-Steiner Amusement Company that year, and although he made bids on other boats, these proved unsuccessful and The Temple ended up being his last showboat. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL07546
Subjects: Cultural Ohio--Popular Culture; Traveling shows; Theater--Ohio; Musical instruments; Automobiles
Places: Ohio River; Marietta (Ohio); Washington County (Ohio)
 

Description: Caption reads: "Bridge over Ohio River between Ironton, Ohio and Russell, Ky. Dedicated and thrown open for traffic April 21, 1922. Built complete in 274 days at cost of $700,000." Erected by the Ironton-Russell Bridge Company, the cantilever Ironton-Russell Bridge was the first highway bridge to cross the Ohio River in the area between the cities of Parkersburg, West Virginia and Cincinnati, Ohio. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B01F18_023_001
Subjects: Bridges--Ohio; Ohio River--History; Roads--Ohio; Bridges--Pictorial works; Transportation--Ohio; Roads--Ohio; Ohio--History--Pictorial works; Federal Writers' Project
Places: Ironton (Ohio); Lawrence County (Ohio); Russell (Kentucky)
 

Description: This photograph of the Lawrence County courthouse in Ironton, Ohio was taken in the 1960s. The courthouse was built in 1907 after the previous courthouse burned. Architects Richards, McCarty & Bulford designed the building in the Neoclassical style with a domed roof. An annex was added to the rear of the building in 1978. The slide measures 2.75" x 2.75" (6.99 x 6.99 cm). View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Om3030_3645089_001
Subjects: Ohio Government; Architecture; Courthouses
Places: Ironton (Ohio); Lawrence County (Ohio)
 

Description: Typed on the reverse reads: "Code - F 36; Class - Industry; Ident - Old Iron Furnace; Location - Hanging Rock Region along Ohio River, Lawrence Co." Handwritten on the reverse: "Hecla Furnace" Photograph depicting the Hecla Furnace, including the cast house, stack bridge loft, stock shed, charcoal shed, roads and shops. This photograph appears to be similar to those taken between 1865 and 1877. Hecla Furnace, located just east of what would eventually become Ironton, was erected in 1833 by Hamilton and McCoy. The cold blast furnace was for many years, one of the most famous in the country. The pig iron produced here was used was considered high quality and during the Civil War, every ton of Hecla iron was used for casting heavy ordnance and field guns, such as the famous “Swamp Angel”. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B08F05_001_001
Subjects: Industries--Ohio; Blast furnaces--United States; Pig-iron; Hecla Mining
Places: Ironton (Ohio); Lawrence County (Ohio)
 

Description: Lawrence County courthouse in Ironton, Ohio, was taken between 1936-1943 by the Works Progress Administration. The courthouse was built in 1907 after the previous courthouse burned down. Architects Richards, McCarty & Bulford designed the building in the Neoclassical style with a domed roof. An annex was added to the rear of the building in 1978. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B15F04_003_002_006
Subjects: Ohio Government; Architecture--Ohio--Pictorial works.; Courthouse
Places: Ironton (Ohio); Lawrence County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph shows survivors of the 1937 Ohio River flood, also referred to as the Great Flood, searching for higher ground around the Lawrence County courthouse in Ironton, Ohio. In January and February of 1937, weeks of heavy rainfall caused the Ohio River to flood parts of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky, causing $500 million in property damages, and displacing and killing hundreds. By the end of January, the Ohio River measured 80 feet deep in Cincinnati, one of the areas most affected. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dispatched thousands of relief workers from the Works Progress Administration to rescue flood victims and restore affected cities. This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, one of the primary goals of which was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B15F04_003_012_005
Subjects: Floods; Natural disasters; Ohio River; Courthouses; Works Progress Administration
Places: Ironton (Ohio); Lawrence County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph shows the Lawrence County Courthouse in Ironton, Ohio, during the 1937 Ohio River flood, also referred to as the Great Flood. In January and February of 1937, weeks of heavy rainfall caused the Ohio River to flood parts of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky, causing $500 million in property damages, and displacing and killing hundreds. By the end of January, the Ohio River measured 80 feet deep in Cincinnati, one of the areas most affected. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dispatched thousands of relief workers from the Works Progress Administration to rescue flood victims and restore affected cities. This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, one of the primary goals of which was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B15F04_003_012_009
Subjects: Floods; Natural disasters; Ohio River; Courthouses; Works Progress Administration
Places: Ironton (Ohio); Lawrence County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph shows the Greyhound Bus Depot and a lunch counter in Ironton, Ohio, probably on 3rd Street, during the 1937 Ohio River flood, also referred to as the Great Flood. A sign is visible for the lunch counter advertising five cent hamburgers, lunch, and beer. In January and February of 1937, weeks of heavy rainfall caused the Ohio River to flood parts of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky, causing $500 million in property damages, and displacing and killing hundreds. By the end of January, the Ohio River measured 80 feet deep in Cincinnati, one of the areas most affected. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dispatched thousands of relief workers from the Works Progress Administration to rescue flood victims and restore affected cities. This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemploye View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B15F04_003_012_013
Subjects: Floods; Natural disasters; Ohio River; Transportation--Ohio; Works Progress Administration
Places: Ironton (Ohio); Lawrence County (Ohio); Ohio River
 

Description: This photograph shows the Grand movie theater during the 1937 Ohio River flood, also referred to as the Great Flood, likely on 3rd Street in Ironton, Ohio, in Lawrence County. In January and February of 1937, weeks of heavy rainfall caused the Ohio River to flood parts of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky, causing $500 million in property damages, and displacing and killing hundreds. By the end of January, the Ohio River measured 80 feet deep in Cincinnati, one of the areas most affected. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dispatched thousands of relief workers from the Works Progress Administration to rescue flood victims and restore affected cities. This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, one of the primary goals of which was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B15F04_003_012_014
Subjects: Floods; Natural disasters; Ohio River; Theaters; Works Progress Administration
Places: Ironton (Ohio); Lawrence County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph shows survivors of the 1937 Ohio River flood, also referred to as the Great Flood, searching for higher ground around the Lawrence County courthouse in Ironton, Ohio. In January and February of 1937, weeks of heavy rainfall caused the Ohio River to flood parts of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky, causing $500 million in property damages, and displacing and killing hundreds. By the end of January, the Ohio River measured 80 feet deep in Cincinnati, one of the areas most affected. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dispatched thousands of relief workers from the Works Progress Administration to rescue flood victims and restore affected cities. This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, one of the primary goals of which was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B15F04_003_012_019
Subjects: Floods; Natural disasters; Ohio River; Courthouses; Works Progress Administration
Places: Ironton (Ohio); Lawrence County (Ohio); Ohio River
 

Description: Map showing the boundaries of Ripley, Ohio, along the Ohio River, from "Atlas of Brown County, Ohio / from actual surveys by D. J. Lake and B. N. Griffing. To which is added a map of the State of Ohio, also an outline and rail road map of the United States and the hemispheres" (1876). Ripley is the site of the Rankin House, an important stop on the Underground Railroad in the decades preceding the Civil War. Home to Presbyterian minister and abolitionist John Rankin, the Rankin House stood on a 300-foot-high hill known as "Liberty Hill," which overlooked the Ohio River. Rankin would signal fugitive slaves in Kentucky with a lantern or candle, letting them know when it was safe to cross the river. To access Rankin's home on the hill, those seeking their freedom had to climb 100 wooden steps. Rankin would provide the former slaves with sanctuary, keeping them hidden until it was safe for them to travel further north. He likely moved from his home to Ironton in the late 1860s, several years before this map was made. The home is now a museum, part of the Ohio History Connection's statewide network of historic sites, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: A912_771_B812L_Ripley
Subjects: Rankin, John, 1793-1886; Ripley (Ohio); Underground Railroad--Ohio; Anti-slavery; Maps; Abolition
Places: Ripley (Ohio); Brown County (Ohio);