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46-642: In 1903, the brothers Thomas and John Raine of Ironton, Ohio and later Empire, Pennsylvania joined a lumber firm operating near Evenwood in Randolph County , West Virginia . Later, in 1906, they began purchasing 100,000 acres (400 km) of land, containing one of the last large stands of virgin hardwood in the United States , mostly on the Meadow River drainage, in western Greenbrier County, West Virginia . Being 20 miles (32 km) to

92-539: A crosstown rival, winning 26–0. In 1922, they played and defeated the Huntington Boosters 12–0 on Thanksgiving Day, Nov 30. The Tanks continued playing on this national holiday each year thru 1930, which was the Tanks final season. Several Tank players (including Glenn Presnell) continued their football careers by joining the nearby Portsmouth Spartans, who continued the annual tradition until their demise after

138-470: A later historian, "the line was transformed from a streak of rust into an extremely efficient and profitable operation, the likes of which has or will seldom be seen in this country." Ford double-tracked the Detroit area main lines, and made a deal with the workers that they would take better care of the equipment in exchange for unusually high wages. Moreover, Ford funded the purchase of new equipment. For

184-511: A male householder with no wife present, and 40.2% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23, and the average family size was 2.87. The median age in the city was 42.1 years. 21.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.8% were from 25 to 44; 27.1% were from 45 to 64; and 19.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of

230-588: A new railroad station downtown in 1906, and it continued in operation into the mid-20th century. Two major floods (1917, 1937) caused extensive damage to the city and its industries. The second flood came during the Great Depression; together with the shift in the iron industry, it devastated the city. The iron industry declined, affecting other industries as well. As the iron industries closed, Ironton had little with which to replace them. An industrial city, Ironton worked to attract other heavy industry to

276-580: A period in the 1980s three different companies operated the Ann Arbor tracks. Michigan Interstate operated from Toledo to Osmer. Tuscola and Saginaw Bay from Osmer north to Alma, and the Michigan Northern operated north of Alma. The collapse of the Michigan Northern resulted in the Tuscola and Saginaw Bay taking all operations north of Osmer. The Tuscola and Saginaw Bay later re-branded itself as

322-524: A rail-trail, but they were unable to acquire enough conjoined sections to build a trail. GTW continued to operate the northern and central portions of the former DT&I as part of their network for many years. The DT&I trackage from Springfield to Lurray (near Washington Court House) was sold by GTW to the West Central Ohio Port Authority (formerly Clark County - Fayette County Port Authority) January 18, 1991. This section

368-769: A street railway, the Ironton Petersburg Street Railway , four daily newspapers, and a few foreign-language publications. Ironton was also known for its accommodating attitude toward sin and vice associated with the mine and ironworkers. With its location on the Ohio River, Ironton became a destination on the Underground Railroad for refugee slaves seeking freedom in the North. John Campbell and some other city leaders sheltered slaves in their homes during their journeys. During

414-490: A total area of 4.46 square miles (11.55 km ), of which 4.16 square miles (10.77 km ) is land and 0.30 square miles (0.78 km ) is water. Ironton is located within the northern limits of a humid subtropical climate (Koppen C fa ) which is typical of southern Ohio and northern Kentucky . The region experiences four distinct seasons. Winters are cool to cold with mild periods and summers are generally hot and humid, with significant precipitation year-round. Ironton

460-418: A yard and a garden space surrounding it. The original mill building was destroyed by fire in 1924. The employees were set to work building a new one, which was operational by March of the following year. Meadow River lumber began the process called clearcutting in 1939. Major products included flooring, hardwood shoe heels, furniture, and later moldings and trim. By the time the mill ceased operation, it

506-426: A year. Six large kilns dried lumber for use in the planing mill. 3 miles (4.8 km) of lumber piles, some 40 feet (12 m) high, were stacked on the ten, 1,300 feet (400 m) long lumber docks. In 1913,the firm created the nearby town of Rainelle . Company-owned houses there were plastered and papered inside, painted white outside, and designed for sanitation, with modern plumbing and electricity. Each had

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552-567: Is largely transitional in its plant life, sharing traditionally northern trees in landscaping like the blue spruce along with Magnolia and the occasional Needle Palm from the Upland South . As of the census of 2010, there were 11,129 people, 4,817 households, and 2,882 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,675.2 inhabitants per square mile (1,032.9/km ). There were 5,382 housing units at an average density of 1,293.8 per square mile (499.5/km ). The racial makeup of

598-730: Is listed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Lawrence County, Ohio . The district includes Early Commercial architecture and Modern architecture representing periods from 1850 through 1974. The buildings include businesses, City Hall, financial institutions, meeting halls, United States Post Office buildings, professional service buildings and railroad industry-related structures. Memorial Day events include Charity Fair, offering carnival games, crafts, inflatable rides, food, and musical acts. The Ironton-Lawrence County Memorial Day Parade, founded in 1868,

644-524: Is the United States' oldest continuously running Memorial Day parade. The city is managed by a seven-member city council, the current members of which include Chairman Craig Harvey, Chris Perry, Nate Kline, Bob Cleary, Chris Haney, Robbie Brown, and Jacob Hock. Former mayor Katrina Keith was defeated in the November 2019 election by a total of 2,082 votes to 827 votes, but filed suit claiming that

690-506: The American Civil War , local military regiments were mustered, quartered, and trained at Camp Ironton , a military post located at the county fairgrounds. The downfall of Ironton came as the market for iron changed. Also, the nation was making the transition from a demand for iron to steel. After a nationwide economic recession in the late 19th century, Ironton was no longer growing. The Norfolk and Western Railway built

736-819: The Ironton Tanks . The team was organized in 1919 and played through 1930. The football field previously used by the Tanks is now home to the Ironton High School Football team, the Ironton Fighting Tigers. The Tanks began what is now the National Football League 's Thanksgiving Day Game tradition of the Detroit Lions. The Tanks played a game in 1920 the day after Thanksgiving with the Lombards,

782-533: The 1933 season. The Spartans' assets were acquired by businessman G.A. Richards and moved to Detroit, where they were renamed the Lions. Asked by Richards about ways to improve ticket sales, the players replied that they always got a good turnout on Thanksgiving Day. He promptly scheduled the first Thanksgiving Day game in Detroit. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has

828-505: The AA. The Ann Arbor lines became part of Conrail in April 1976, and were facing abandonment. In October 1977, they were purchased by the state of Michigan, which intended to preserve rail service over its tracks. In 1977 Michigan Interstate was designated operator of the entire line from Toledo to Frankfurt. A series of disputes arose during the early 1980s and multiple railroads were designated by

874-525: The DT&;I main west out of Jackson is still in place serving as a connection from industries to the only remaining line into Jackson. A short section of the DT&I north from the junction with the B&;O Southwestern near Greenfield is still in place to serve local industry. Portions of the line between Greenfield and Washington Court House were purchased by Washington Court House with the intention of creating

920-749: The DT&I's parent company, the Pennsylvania Railroad, merged with its longtime rival, the New York Central Railroad , to become the Penn Central , which declared bankruptcy two years later and sold off the DT&I to private investors. In 1980, the DT&I was acquired by the Grand Trunk Western Railroad (GTW). Under the GTW, the DT&I locomotives were painted in the red and blue livery of

966-565: The Detroit, Toledo & Ironton Railway took control of the Ann Arbor Railroad (AA), which they purchased from Rudolph Kleybolte & Co. The acquisition connected Toledo with Frankfort, Michigan, and essentially doubled the DT&I system. But the 1908 bankruptcy forced the DT&I to divest its acquisition. In 1963, the DT&I, by then a subsidiary of the Pennsylvania Railroad , once again gained control of

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1012-470: The GTW, but retained the DT&I logo. In December 1983, the DT&I was completely assimilated into the GTW. In April 1982, a collapse in Royersville Tunnel (the only tunnel on the old DT&I) prompted GTW to shut down the line between Jackson and Ironton. The tunnel had suffered collapses many times in the past but limited remaining business south of Jackson and the operational problems of

1058-719: The Great Lakes Central, the current operator of all remaining lines north of Osmer. The Michigan Interstate trackage was sold in 1988 to the Ann Arbor Acquisition Corporation, who later sold the line to WATCO, the current operator the segment from Toledo to Osmer. The line operated as an independent subsidiary of the Pennsylvania Railroad from 1929 until 1970. In 1955, the line replaced its steam locomotives with diesel locomotives. The DT&I relied exclusively on diesel locomotives built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division . In 1968,

1104-403: The average family size was 2.85. In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.8% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 21.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.0 males. The median income for a household in the city

1150-579: The city was 47.1% male and 52.9% female. As of the census of 2000, there were 11,211 people, 4,906 households, and 3,022 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,711.3 inhabitants per square mile (1,046.8/km ). There were 5,507 housing units at an average density of 1,331.8 per square mile (514.2/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 93.33% White , 5.24% African American , 0.09% Native American , 0.25% Asian , 0.02% Pacific Islander , 0.09% from other races , and 0.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.51% of

1196-420: The city was 92.6% White , 4.7% African American , 0.2% Native American , 0.3% Asian , 0.1% from other races , and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.5% of the population. There were 4,817 households, of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.0% were married couples living together, 15.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had

1242-554: The daily Detroit- Bainbridge, Ohio train, the DT&I purchased a pair of "doodlebugs" ; for the intensive Detroit-area freight service, the line electrified as far as Flat Rock yard. Ford hoped to electrify the entire line, and thence to an interchange with the Virginian , but electrified at 22 kV 25 Hz AC, the wrong voltage for interoperable equipment (the Virginian electrified at 11 kV AC). The concrete catenary masts of

1288-509: The electric years survived for decades after de-electrification, as it was deemed too expensive to demolish them; some remain today. In 1929, Ford sold the line to a subsidiary of the Pennsylvania Railroad after becoming disgusted with what he considered interference and over-regulation from the Interstate Commerce Commission . In 1930, the railroad de-electrified in favor of standard equipment. In June 1905,

1334-609: The end of 1970, it operated 478 miles of road on 762 miles of track; that year it carried 1,244 million ton-miles of revenue freight. In 1901, the merger of the Detroit and Lima Northern Railway and the Ohio Southern Railway formed the Detroit Southern Railroad. This company was purchased at foreclosure on May 1, 1905, by Harry B. Hollins & Company of New York, which reincorporated it in

1380-610: The largest branch of Ohio University , is based in Ironton. In 2012, St. Mary's Medical Center in Huntington, West Virginia opened a campus in Ironton which includes an emergency department, imaging service, lab service, ambulance service, and helipad. Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railroad The Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railroad ( reporting mark DTI ) operated from 1905 to 1983 between its namesake cities of Detroit , Michigan , and Ironton, Ohio , via Toledo . At

1426-500: The mill contained three 9-foot (2.7 m) bandsaws under one roof, making it the largest hardwood sawmill. The plant and railroad operated several Shay locomotives, one of which was acquired by the Cass Scenic Railroad in 1964, and has since fallen into disrepair. The plant included a planing mill with the capacity of turning out a million feet (2,360,000 cubic meters) of flooring, ceiling, siding and trim pieces

Meadow River Lumber Company - Misplaced Pages Continue

1472-615: The nearest railroad mainline, they first formed the Sewell Valley Railroad Company to construct a spur line, which eventually evolved into the Meadow River Railroad . This spur was initially used to haul building materials into the wilderness area, and eventually to haul their products out to market. Mill construction began in 1909, and the first board was sawed in September, 1910. Ultimately

1518-410: The population. There were 4,906 households, out of which 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.6% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.4% were non-families. 35.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22, and

1564-584: The quality. Iron produced here was used for the USS Monitor , the United States' first ironclad ship. More than ninety furnaces were operating at the peak of production in the late 19th century. The iron industry generated revenues that were invested in new industries, such as soap and nail production. The Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railroad was constructed through two states, carrying iron to Henry Ford 's automaking plants in Michigan . The city had

1610-403: The region. Companies such as Allied Signal and Alpha Portland Cement did build in town. The region has had difficulty creating an alternate economy. By 2004, both Alpha Portland Cement and Allied Signal were gone, and Ironton had shrunk by nearly 30% from its peak population in 1950. (See US Census table below.) Ironton had one of the first professional football teams in the United States, called

1656-605: The state of Michigan under the name of the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton Railway. The president of the Detroit Southern, Samuel Hunt, was to remain as president of the reorganized road but died suddenly on May 15, 1905. George Miller Cumming, a New York City lawyer who was formerly first vice-president of the Erie Railroad and the former chairman of the board of the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railway ,

1702-550: The tracks owners, the State of Michigan, to operate the line. The line from Toledo to just south of Osmer (a passing siding north of Ann Arbor) was sold to the trustee for the estate purchased the remaining portion of the Michigan Interstate from Toledo, Ohio to Ann Arbor, Michigan in September 1985. The line north of Osmer remains under the ownership of the State of Michigan, except where the tracks have been removed. For

1748-491: The tunnel led to GTW's decision. At the same time, GTW bypassed the steep and treacherous Summithill section between Bainbridge and Waverly by rerouting trains onto Chessie System trackage from Washington Court House, Ohio to Waverly, then back onto the former DT&I to Jackson. In 1984 all operations south of Washington Court House were suspended, the Jackson Shops closed, and the track dismantled. A short section of

1794-687: The winner of the election, Sam Cramblit, was not qualified to hold office in the city under state law; the suit was dismissed by the Ohio Supreme Court in late November 2019. Public education in Ironton is provided by the Ironton City School District. This includes Ironton High School (grades 9-12), Ironton Middle School (grades 6-8), and Ironton Elementary School (grades K-5). Private education includes Saint Joseph Central High School and Saint Lawrence Central Elementary School. Ohio University Southern Campus ,

1840-457: Was $ 23,585, and the median income for a family was $ 35,014. Males had a median income of $ 31,702 versus $ 24,190 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 15,391. About 17.2% of families and 23.1% of the population were below the poverty line , including 32.4% of those under age 18 and 17.0% of those age 65 or over. Ironton has a public library, a branch of Briggs Lawrence County Public Library. The Downtown Ironton Historic District

1886-519: Was 10,571 at the 2020 census . Located in southernmost Ohio along the Ohio River , it is 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Huntington, West Virginia , within the Huntington–Ashland metropolitan area . The city's name is a contraction of "iron town", stemming from its long ties to the iron industry . It also had one of the first professional football teams, the Ironton Tanks . Ironton

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1932-505: Was elected president in June and served for one month. F. A. Durban was elected president in July but resigned in November, and was replaced by Eugene Zimmerman . Cumming and Durban continued to serve as officers under Zimmerman's presidency. The name was changed to Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railroad on March 1, 1914. Though the company went bankrupt in 1908, it remained solvent until it

1978-410: Was founded in 1849 by John Campbell, a prominent pig iron manufacturer in the area. He chose the location of Ironton because of its site along the Ohio River , which would allow for water transport of iron ore to markets downriver. Between 1850 and 1890, Ironton was one of the foremost producers of iron in the world. England , France , and Russia all purchased iron for warships from here due to

2024-518: Was purchased by Henry Ford in 1920. Ford recognized the strategic importance of the line to his automobile business; the line connected Dearborn, Michigan , to all of the major east–west rail lines in the Midwest . This gave Ford direct control over shipments of raw materials and finished goods to and from his factories in Dearborn. Under Ford's management, the line thrived. In the words of

2070-484: Was the world's largest producer of women's hardwood shoe heels and flooring. It was also the last of the Eastern United States' large independent wood producers. The business was sold to Georgia-Pacific Corporation in 1970, and the mill was subsequently torn down in 1975. Ironton, Ohio Ironton is a city in and the county seat of Lawrence County, Ohio , United States. The population

2116-514: Was then operated in conjunction with the former section of the B&O Toledo Division from Lurray to Washington Court House by the Indiana and Ohio Railway , a division of Railtex. In 1997, GTW sold the former DT&I from Dundee (Diann) Michigan to Springfield, Ohio to the Indiana and Ohio Railway. Included in the sale was trackage rights from Dundee to Flat Rock, MI over the old DT&I. Railtex

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