Ironton, Ohio - The Rise and Fall of 'Little Chicago'

Some folks look at the small river town of Ironton, Ohio and wonder what in the world can be so special about it. Some look at it and just see this small town sitting along the Ohio River with worn down buildings and an above average poverty level, but despite its current disposition it is packed full with incredible history. From the Underground Railroad to being the leading producer of Pig Iron many years ago, it is one of those towns that can still give you a peek at 1800's America.

In the 1930's it was called 'Little Chicago' because this small town that rests along a three mile stretch of the Ohio River had approximately 30,000 residents and had industry down to an art. The founder John Campbell chose an area that was not an ideal location for a town, but he certainly found a way to make it work. It was 1849 and he was interested in the Pig Iron located in the hills making the area a prime place to build iron furnaces.

With the production of furnaces to mine the hills, people began flocking to the area to get in on the action. More furnaces meant more jobs and more jobs meant more people moving to this small town. The desire to make money jump started a business-oriented town that everyone wanted a piece of when they heard of this place called, Ironton. The poor were few and the financially secure were many, which is something one would not fathom when looking at the town today.

Today, this once industrial haven has had two major plants close, has lost its hospital, and has a well above average poverty level. You can look at the old worn down buildings sitting downtown and imagine what they may have looked like when the industry was the envy of many other American cities. If you try hard enough you can imagine people being everywhere and shops being open on every street throughout the town. Now, when you travel through the town you see empty shop space, busted windows in century old buildings, and shopkeepers who have managed to keep their stores open sitting outside waiting for the business to come in.