The Ironton Tribune • Profile 2020 by Tri-State Living

Profile 2020

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Increased access to resources and services necessary for typical life.

Increased access to medical providers primary, specialists, and mental health.

Increased training to meet the requirements of employment in the area.

Increased support for school-aged children to receive mentoring and after-school programing .

Change doesn’t happen alone. That mantra has been at the heart of the work

that we have been doing over the past year. In 2019, we turned to YOU and others in our five-county service area to help us identify our communities’ most pressing issues in the areas of – education, health, and financial stability. A dozen listening sessions, nearly 200 surveys, several in-depth interviews, and the work of dozens of volunteers later, we emerged with our Community Goals and Strategies for Change that will shape our work for the next few years. EDUCATION

FINANCIAL STABILITY

HEALTH

To create a thriving community, we must support families and students throughout the entire educational process. • Improve family ability to support social and language development in children • Provide character development and empowerment opportunities for youth (ages 4-24)

To create a thriving community, we must help families overcome barriers to opportunity, develop economic mobility and build generational resilience. • Increase support of collaborative, workforce training programs • Reduce barriers to financial stability including financial literacy education and access to services

To create a thriving community, we must increase the opportunities for healthy lifestyle choices and promote overall health and wellbeing. • Increase access to primary, behavioral, vision & dental health care services • Increase opportunities for wellness and access to prevention

www.unitedwayrivercities.org

LIVE • WORK • PLAY • CREATE • TASTE • BUILD We volunteer, start businesses, lead, vote, spend time outdoors and contribute to our community. We take you on journeys through culture and history while embracing new perspectives and energy. We have a diverse economy, entrepreneurs of all stripes and value creativity and innovation without forsaking grand traditions. From the young transplants to fourth generation old hands who call this city home, together...

We Are Ironton.

Honor Roll.3 BUSINESS

Recognizing local businesses and their years of service Ironton, Ohio 740-533-1396 FAX: 740-533-0053

51 Years

Lous‘

822 S. Seventh St., Ironton

740-532-8712 www.hurleyins.com

81 Years

STYLE SHOP

2526 S. Fifth St. • Ironton 47 Years 533-2977

413 S. Third St. • Ironton

533-0677

57 Years

740-377-0111

44 Years

740-377-2677

17 Years

Richard Patrick Auto • Home • Business • Life 301 S. Third Street Ironton, Ohio 45638-1631 740-532-4793 • Fax 740-532-4790 ritchpat6@yahoo.com

18 Years

Saving you money since 1918 • Home • Auto • Commercial • Farm

305 3rd St. West • South Point, Ohio Residential and Commercial

708 4TH ST. E SOUTH POINT, OH

Patrick Insurance Agency, Inc.

Village Floor Covering We Got You Covered

Insurance and Medicaid Accepted

3992 St. Rt. 7 • Chesapeake, Ohio

(740) 867-8369

Ronald L. Eastham, RPS - President

50 Years

4260 St. Rt. 141 • Ironton 740-532-4200 www.dickessinsurance.com Owner - Ron Dickess

102 Years

Ray’s Roofing DVR, Inc. Storage 1818 S. THIRD ST., IRONTON CALL FOR APPOINTMENT

740-479-2584

LLC 29 Years

FREE ESTIMATES Roofing, Windows, Siding

606-615-0212

Inside and Outside Storage

28 Years

300 Twp. Rd. 1086 South Point, Ohio 740-894-4045

22 Years

Gift and Floral

123 S. Third St. • Ironton

(740) 533-3380

25 Years

L&J DAIRY BAR 118 MARION PIKE COAL GROVE

532-8878

12 Years

Stephens & Sons Insurance

Chesapeake 740-867-3155 Proctorville 740-886-6144 South Point 740-377-3327

57 Years

Jim Taylor Construction For all your Construction/Management Needs • New Construction • Remodeling • Painting • Roofing and SIding 44 2208 Smith St. • Ashland, Ky.

740-237-6693

Years

PROFILE 2020

Table of Contents 8

24 14

Business Honor Roll...................... 4

Iron City Hardware..................... 38

Civil War Veteran/Mayor.............. 6

Church Directory........................ 40

Unger’s Shoes: 7 Decades............. 8

The Selb Family........................... 46

Helping Hands: The Elks Club... 10

100 Years of Aaron’s Creek........ 48

Woodland Cemetery.....................14

Memory Lane............................... 50

Central Hardware....................... 24

Stories of the Skies..................... 52

Jean Fuller Butler: A Child’s

A View From Windwillows........ 54

Perspective................................... 30

The Paths They Took.................. 58

We asked Elementary Students

The Lion’s Club............................ 60

‘What is This?’............................. 36

Index of Advertisers.................... 62

6 PROFILE 2020

John M. Corns was mayor of Ironton for 12 consecutive terms from 1870-1897. (Submitted photos)

Civil War veteran served as mayor J STORY, HEATH HARRISON

ohn Corns was mayor of Ironton for 12 terms, totaling 27 years from 18701897, his great-grandson George M. Corns, said. “He was an important person in the history of Ironton, because he was a Civil War veteran,” he said. “He helped make Ironton what it is.” Corns was a second lieutenant in Company E and a sergeant in Company B of the Union Army. In one of his portraits, he can be seen wearing a Maltese cross badge, similar to that worn by Gen. George Armstrong Custer, best known for the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Corns fought with him at the Battle of Sailor’s Creek as part of the Appomattox Campaign of the Civil War’s final days. He shared the details of many of his narrow escapes in an interview with the Ironton Register in 1886.

He was the son of William and Emma Corns, of Monmouthshire, Wales. The couple died in Caldwell County, Kentucky. Corn was born Nov. 29, 1827 in Pittsburgh. He was first married to Marenia Starlin on April 1, 1859 in Lawrence County and they had one son, Abram, who was born in 1860. His first wife died sometime after the son’s birth and he married Mary Cooper, with whom he had another son, Harry C. Corns. Mary died in childbirth. Corns then married Lytta Elizabeth McMahon on June 22, 1871. They had a daughter, Florence Lytta Corns, who was born in 1872; and sons, Geo rge Morse Corns, born in 1873, John B. Corns, born in 1875 and Dr. Walter C. Corns, born in 1877. Corns died May 9, 1907 in Ironton and is buried, along with many of his family members, in Section 8 at Woodland Cemetery. 

PROFILE 2020

8 PROFILE 2020

Seven Decades Unger's Shoes has been an Ironton fixture since 1937 STORY, PHOTOS MARK SHAFFER

or decades, Unger’s Shoes has been a fixture of downtown Ironton. In 1937, Gene Unger got tired of working at the Shelby Shoe factory and decided to go into business for himself. He convinced Gabler’s Department Store in downtown Ironton to give him some retail space. He kept at it until the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. In February 1942, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and was trained in the use of anti-aircraft artillery. He got out in 1945 and Gabler’s offered him his old space back. Instead, Unger decided to open up his own shop. In February 1946, Gene Unger got a storefront at

the corner of Third and Vernon streets, becoming the first tenant of the first building to be built in Ironton after World War II. Seventy-four years later, his son, Joe, and grandson, Joseph, still run the store in the same place. Both got their starts when they were young, doing simple things like sweeping floors, emptying trash cans or running errands. Joseph Unger recently rejoined the family business after working in Texas for a couple of years. He started working on the store payroll when he was in junior high and just 14 years old. He remembers that he and the other kids would sit in the backroom and watch TV, eating food

from Manzetti’s or CR Thomas, while their dad was working. “We grew up here. This was our second home,” Unger said. “This is as much my baby as anyone else’s.” He said that one of the reasons the business has been around for 84 years as a non-franchise, family business is that they have always stuck to their core value. “Our core values are treating the customer right and providing them the best possible service,” he said. “If you have the customer service and the quality product, those two combined is what separates you from the competitor.”

PROFILE 2020

He said his dad, Joe, always told him that when the business started, the competition was the other stores in downtown Ironton. “Our competition today is the world. It is the internet. So, to find new ways to be successful as a small, independent shoe store can be challenging,” Unger said. “But if we stick to providing our customer with the best service possible, that when they leave, they say ‘Wow, we want to come back,’ and ‘My feet and my body feels better, I feel like a new person’ — that is what we strive for every single day and that is how we can compete.” Joseph Unger went to college and got an engineering degree and worked in the oil fields of Texas. But he felt drawn back to Ironton and the shoe store. “But the last five years I was doing that, this place was always on my mind,” he said. “I always wanted to come back because the satisfaction I felt here is not like what I was doing in the oil fields.” He said that job was to drill a hole and then move on to the next project. “There was no satisfaction, I knew exactly what I was going to do every single day,” he said. “And yeah, there were challenges. But it wasn’t like it is here, where you are able to help other human beings and make people smile. That is why this store is worth every single hardship, because it is so satisfying to help your friends, your neighbors, your family.” He and his wife moved back last August. They had a little girl and named her Bonnie, after Joseph’s grandmother. “It made sense to come back,” he said. “We have our families here.” He said he has noticed since he has come back that there is a new sense of pride in Ironton. “It seems to be on the upswing. My dad has said that he has seen more things happening in Ironton in the last 10 years than he did in the previous 40. And that is exciting, to be a part of something that can continue to build the city’s revitalization. I am excited to see the growth and seeing new businesses come into downtown.” 

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10 PROFILE 2020

Helping Hands

Lodge began in 1891, has long been a supporter of charities STORY, MARK SHAFFER | PHOTOS, SARAH SIMMONS

he Elks Club is one of Ironton’s oldest organizations, celebrating its 119 years as an organization. The club, properly known as the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, was founded in Ironton in 1891. The first Elks Lodge has its roots in New York. It was established in 1867 by a group of actors and entertainers known as “The Jolly Corks,” as a private club in an effort to get around New York City’s laws about taverns being closed on Sundays. The Jolly Corks switched their group’s name a year later, and its mission, after the death of one of its members left his wife and family without an income. The lodge began to focus on charitable efforts, like helping veterans, scholarships and other local charities. The newly-named Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks was founded “To promote and practice the four cardinal virtues of Charity, Justice, Brotherly Love and Fidelity; to promote the welfare and enhance the happiness of its members; to quicken the spirit of American Patriotism and cultivate good fellowship.”

PROFILE 2020

The Elks has 900,000 members and more than 2,000 lodges nationwide. Ironton Elks Lodge 177 was founded in 1891. One of the oldest members still active in the lodge is Tom Allyn, owner of Allyn’s Jewelers, who has been with the Elks for over six decades. The 86-year-old joined after he turned 21 in 1955. “My dad (Ted Allyn) was a member, so I joined too,” Allyn said. “And it was right next to our house.” Another big part of his reason for joining was to socialize. “Every New Year’s Eve, they had a huge dance,” he recalled. “It was quite the event. Everyone was all dressed up. It was really something.” He said it was a different era for the club then. It was an all-male organization at the time and casual attire was frowned on. “Members were required to wear ties and a lot of them wore hats as well,” he said. He also remembers that there were less fancy items too. “They had spittoons everywhere,” he said. Allyn said he still goes to the Elks Lodge, usually on Wednesdays, to play pool or to catch one of the big games on the television. The Elks was almost always exclusively a menonly club well into the 1990s. In 1907, the Elks passed a rule that the lodge would not have an auxiliary like some other clubs have, so that meant

Do you ever feel like you are just a number when you go shopping? At Allyn’s, we love our customers. You are family to us! Without you, we would not still be in business. For 88 years we have made Fair Price, Large Selection and Customer Appreciation our creed! To all our friends and family, we say, “Thank You!”

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there were no nationally-recognized women’s auxiliaries, except at some local lodges. In 1995, at the Elks National Convention, a measure passed to remove the word “male” from national membership requirement. “We’ve had women as officers and a lot of women have joined the Elks,” Allyn said. A book published by the Ironton Elks Lodge 177 for their 50th year, their “Golden Jubilee” describes their history. The idea for the lodge was floated in “early fall, 1890” by Ironton businessmen and leading citizens that Ironton had a need for a fraternal organization like the Elks and started plans for a charter. They held a meeting on Oct. 8, 1890 at the Knights of Pythias hall “in the Morris block of Center Street” and created the lodge, which got its charter, dated May 19, 1891, which was issued after the lodge was organized. The initiation fee was $25. The members voted to rent the second floor of the Selb building on Second Street for their lodge at a cost of $200 a year. In 1892, the lodge was moved to the Brumberg Building’s second floor. By 1884, the lodge’s finances were in such a bad shape that the lodge held a show to raise funds. While the show was a success and helped pay bills, a vote was taken to give up their charter. The vote failed and the lodge got a $91 loan to pay bills.

LAWRENCE COUNTY MUSEUM 506 S. Sixth St. • Ironton, Ohio

532-1222 www.lawrencecountymuseum.org

12 PROFILE 2020

The Golden Jubilee book continued through the years as the Lodge struggled to pay bills, despite the enthusiasm of its members. It wasn’t until 1899 that the lodge had money in its treasury to cover all its bills. 1900 marked a new location for the lodge on the third floor of the Syndicate Building on Second and Park avenues. Having some cash flow, the now much bigger lodge purchased a piano and some pool tables and had a new dance floor installed. The Elks held their first dance around Thanksgiving. “From this time on, the struggles of the Ironton Elks were over, and the younger men took charge of social affairs,” it said in the book. In 1906, the Elks were excited that for the first time in lodge history, the treasurer’s report showed the balance over $1,000. In 1909, members of the Elks started to visit lodges in Ashland and Catlettsburg to carry home a “shoe box,” after Ironton and the whole of Lawrence County voted to become dry and no longer sell alcohol. In 1916, the lodge held fund raisers like a street carnival to raise money to purchase land on Park Avenue, across from the Lawrence County courthouse, to build a new home. The lodge used $850 from its treasury, $1,000 the lodge had on interest and a $5,000 bank loan to secure the mortgage on the land. An architect was hired to come up with designs for the new building. Even as World War I broke out, the plans went ahead with the project. The service flag at the lodge had 89 stars for Elks members who enlisted. Among them was Col. William C. Lambert, who joined the Canadian Royal Air Force in 1919. He was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross by King George. In 1917, the cornerstone of the new lodge was laid on July 20. The building was completed at a cost of $85,000. The first meeting wasn’t held in the new home until November because of a flu epidemic. The mortgage was paid off in 1926. Lodge finances took a hit again as an economic depression hit

America. The lodge kept doing its charity work even as it lost members and funds. In 1935, it was $6,000 in debt. Within the next couple of years, the finances were stabilized. Elks have a long tradition of charity work. From the beginning, the Ironton Elks Lodge voted to give $25 to widows of members at Christmas time. The Golden Jubilee book mentions the Elks sending $25 to help victims of the San Francisco earthquake in 1906. In 1913, the Elks donated $200 to members who had lost their homes in that year’s flood, which caused over $1 million in damages to Ironton. The lodge bought stock in the Ironton-Russell Bridge. Members donated every year to help fund a Christmas tree in downtown Ironton. In the 1920s, members gave out baskets of food as well as shoes, gloves and socks to children. In 1926, the Elks took the lead in building a stadium for the Ironton Tanks team to be built next to the high school which would seat over 3,000 people under one roof. During the 1937 flood, the upper levels of the lodge were used as a relief station. For the past three decades, they have had an annual Christmas party at Rock Hill Elementary School for the multi-category disability students. Members get a list of the student’s Christmas wishes and then hold a party where Santa Claus distributes gifts and then they all have pizza. The event is paid for by grants and donations. The Elks have made donations to local organizations such as the Ironton Police Department and the Lawrence County Sheriff ’s Office, the Little League so it could get the batting cage nets, to the Domestic Violence Shelter and to the Ironton City Mission, among others. “We have always tried to help out where we could,” Allyn said. “The Elks is a great organization. And we are always looking for members.” To learn more, contact elks177@ gmail.com, call 740-532-1262 after 3 p.m. or visit www.elks.org. 

We have a history and a future in Catlettsburg Since 1925, the people of Marathon Petroleum’s refinery in Catlettsburg have been proud to be a part of this community, manufacturing the fuels that make our modern lives possible. But we do much more than that. We support local veterans through Honor Flight Kentucky, host students from across the Tri-state for a jobs fair, and we maintain the Savage Branch Wildlife Reserve. And in 2019 the refinery was honored as a VPP Star site for exemplary safety and health performance.

and we’re proud of both.

We’ve been a good neighbor in this community for 95 years, and we’re just getting started. CATLETTSBURG REFINING, LLC

‘Beautiful City of the Dead’

Woodland Cemetery serves as resting places and wealth of history

STORY, PHOTOS HEATH HARRISON

ith more than 29,000 interments and more than a century of operation, Woodland Cemetery serves as a final resting place for many of the county’s residents, as well as several historic names. The cemetery’s origins date back to 1870, when its land was purchased from Dr. Orrin E. Newton. “This was a great big farm at the time,” Lauren Cooke, office assistant for the cemetery, said. Christi Waybright, the office manger for Woodland, said it was a decision by the municipal government to create the cemetery. “The Ironton City Council passed an ordinance authorizing 59 acres for the purpose of burial from Newton,” she said. Plotted by Engineer Grove, the cemetery was dedicated in 1871. On that dedication day, 15,000 people were present, along with the Union Cornet Brass

PROFILE 2020

Band. The crowd went by boat from Railroad Street in Ironton to the docks in Coal Grove, then marched to the cemetery’s back entrance. It was on this day that the cemetery’s first lots, a half dozen, were sold. The first two burials at the cemetery were Dorsette Nolte, who was exhumed from Kelly Cemetery and reburied at Woodland, and Sperrell Dennon, who was buried on May 1, 1871. The cemetery’s first expansion took place in 1911. By that point, about 5,000 people had been buried there. It now covers 100 acres, with its entrance and gate at now at Loraine Street in Ironton. Waybright said the cemetery still has vacancies and averages 20 burials a month. “We had 17 burials here in December,” she said. It is governed by three members on a board of trustees. “One is voted on by the Ironton City Council,” Waybright said. “One is an Upper Township trustee and one is at large, who someone from the community voted on.” Waybright said there is a staff of seven at the cemetery, including a foreman, four on the grounds crew and two in the office.

16 PROFILE 2020

A map shows the layout of Woodland Cemetery as of 1911.

PROFILE 2020

HECLA WATER ASSOCIATION

3190 SR 141 • Ironton, Ohio 45638 • (740) 533-0528

Parts per billion (ppb) or Micrograms per liter - one part per billion corresponds to a single penny in $10,000,000.

Benjamin Franklin said, “When the well is dry, we will know the worth of water.” This is a short, but powerful quote. With a new year and a new decade upon us we will all strive to become better at how we live and what we do. Hecla Water has the same attitude when it comes to a prosperous future. Our company has been developing new strategies and taking steps to reinforce our reliability as a drinking water supplier. As we take these steps, we would like to inform you and our community on how your money is being well spent on asset and infrastructure improvements. The largest improvement project in Hecla history is beginning this year. It is a 9 million dollar upgrade to our water treatment plant. This upgrade will include improvements to the internal plant processes, electronics and flood protection. This work will keep our facility running efficiently and reliably far into the future. Another very beneficial project that has already been initiated is water loss management. Hecla has formed a team to hunt, track and repair water leaks, as well as identifying potential problems such as aging and under registering water meters. Their efforts have already been proven successful by a reduction of plant operating time. The team has already set new goals for 2020 that they plan to achieve. In the next few months Hecla will complete the replacement of the Homeless Road booster station. This asset was put into service during the mid 1970s and has run reliably ever since, but with the development of new technology and the benefit of better access this asset was the perfect candidate for replacement. During this same time Hecla installed a new Master Pressure Reducing Valve on Lick Creek Road. This valve has the capabilities to send data from the site location to Hecla computers giving us early knowledge of a problem beginning. Hecla targets areas in the system, which contain main lines that need replacement. One area that is planned for replacement is Leatherwood Road. It contains a 10-inch ductile iron water line that has produced several leaks over the past years. Engineering and easement acquisition will begin on this project during the summer. Water loss and leak detection are of the highest priorities for Hecla Water. Multiple new leak detection meters will be added in 2020. These meters will monitor usage and flows in remote areas and give us data to determine if there is a leak that needs to be repaired. These are some of the many projects we have planned for this year. These infrastructure improvements are vital to complete in order to stay ahead of break downs due to aging assets. Hecla Water employs 39 hard working dedicated men and women that are ready to work at any hour of the day or night under all conditions imaginable. Our mission is to provide our customers with the very best customer service and we pledge our commitment to provide quality water today and for generations to come. As a new year resolution, may we strive to become better so that we will not experience a time HECLA WATER as Benjamin Franklin said, “When the well is dry!” ASSOCIATION, INC. We here at Hecla wantRoute to say “thank you” for your support. Please visit us at 3190Water State 141, Ironton, OHongoing 45638 heclawater.com.

Less Than = < ] [More Than = >] [ N/A or NA = not applicable ] [ nonreg = non regulated by EPA] [TT = treatment technique] [NTU = nephelometric turbidity units]

Variances & Exemptions (V & E) - State of EPA permission not to meet an MCL or a treatment technique under certain conditions. NOT GIVEN IN OHIO

Action Level (AL)– the concentration of a contaminant which , if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.

you approach Section 7. “That’s the most historic — it’s where Nannie Kelly Wright is buried,” Cooke said of the only known female ironmaster and one of the wealthiest women in the world during her life. “And John Campbell, the founder of Ironton, is buried there.” It is in this section that the most elaborate statues and monuments can be found. One large monument, the towering Means cross, has a tragic story behind it. “One of the workers was killed when they were installing it,” Cooke said. Toward the back is the mausoleum of William C. Lambert and his wife. Lambert, a fighter pilot in World War I is believed to be the second ranking American ace of that conflict. A museum dedicated to his life and the military history of the county is being planned for Ironton.

Maximum contaminant Level (MCL) - the ―Maximum Allowed‖ (MCL) is the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCL’s are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.

In the office, located in a former home at the cemetery’s entrance, they have a thorough accounting of the records to its founding. “The records of burials go back to the beginning,” Waybright said. “We have all the old burial nooks and maps.” Near the office, as you approach the cemetery, you pass the site of the former vault. “It’s where they stored bodies before they were buried,” Waybright said. Upon entering the cemetery, one of the first sights is a canon, which marks the Grand Army of the Republic section, where those who served on the Union side of the American Civil War are buried. In addition, some veterans of the Spanish-American war are interred here as well. Many of the bodies were reinterred here after the Carlyle Tile Plant was being built and a cemetery was moved. Going deeper into the cemetery,

Gorey

Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) - The ―Goal MCLG‖ is the level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLG allow for a margin of safety.

Wright

Peters

All drinking water contains a small amount of some contaminants.

Lambert

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PROFILE 2020

The cemetery is home to the Lawrence County Museum’s annual historic cemetery walk each fall, as members of the community portray those notables buried within Woodland. The event usually draws hundreds of visitors. Cooke said the cemetery has been the subject of many legends and ghost stories. For instance, it is said that the spirit of Antoinette Sherpetosky Peters, a dancer with the Imperial Russian Ballet, can be seen outside her mausoleum at night. “They say she comes out to dance,” Cooke said. Peters, who married an Ironton native living in Chicago, was buried at Woodland after her death in an automobile accident. Another is the grave of Osa Wilson, near the cemetery’s entrance.

Wilson, who is said to have died from a fall down a flight of stairs after being struck by her husband, has a statue of a woman on her grave. The story goes that a discolored area on the statue’s face always reappears, in the manner she was struck. Wilson was also said to have been pregnant at the time of her death and people say the belly of the statue never collects snow in winter. “They say it stays warm,” Cooke said. Last year, it was discovered that the cemetery had another notable resident, perhaps its most famous. Acclaimed illustrator and author Edward Gorey, whose macabre works are known worldwide, died in 2000 in Massachusetts. Though he never lived in Ironton, it was

revealed that his ashes were interred at Woodland and buried in the grave of his mother in the family’s ancestral plot. Near the back of the cemetery is Soldiers Field, home to rows of veterans’ graves. Each year, for the past few years, the local chapter of Wreaths Across America places wreaths on these graves. In 2019, in memory of the chapter’s co-founder, Juanita Southers, who died earlier in the year, the group finally met its goal of getting a wreath for every known veteran in the cemetery. Woodland has drawn visitors for generations, always leaving a lasting impression. It’s been called the “Beautiful City of the Dead” and the “Silent City Growing,” Waybright said. 

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SYMMES VALLEY Home of the Vikings

7th graders gathered around the campfire to read â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Legend of Sleepy Hollowâ&#x20AC;? as well as their own stories.

ut bus safety.

ing abo Students learn

Homecoming Field Day - Senio rs Vying for the Rubber Chicken Award

6th & 8th Grade students learning to code during STEAM Lab.

5th Grad e s workin g on th museum eir wax projects . student

1st grade students visiting with the crew of during fire safety.

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A Continuing Legacy Central Hardware’s owners are latest in long line of locals STORY, PHOTOS HEATH HARRISON

iguring just how long Central Hardware has been a part of Ironton’s downtown history is a little complicated. But, no matter which measure you use, it has been there for more than a century. “I argue since 1871,” owner Rich Donohue said, choosing the date of the building’s construction at Second and Center streets, when it housed a hardware and business company, the Hutsinpillar-Sheridan Co., which had multiple locations in Ohio. However, the name Central Hardware dates to 1909, when it was launched at another location. Following a fire, Central Hardware moved into the Hutsinpillar-Sheridan location. “It’s been a hardware company ever since,” Donohue said. The building’s long history is evident when Donohue takes you to its top floors by freight elevator. There, in the backroom, names of workers and visitors can be found on the ceiling, signed with dates to the early 1900s, while, on one wall

PROFILE 2020

in another room, the names “Guthrie & Gates” are dated to 1896, which Donohue says he believes is the oldest in the store. Altogether, the names span more than 70 years. Another sign of the decades of workers who have passed through the building can be found on an employee stairwell in the back, as Donohue points to the stains from tobacco spit that accumulated long ago. Donohue said the business thrived, in part, because of its convenient location near the river, with employees bringing goods straight up from the docks to the store. Donohue purchased Central Hardware in 2016, taking over from a man who had run it for almost six decades. Roy Ratliff’s father purchased Central in the 1950s and Roy, a World War II veteran, had a store in Portsmouth. In 1959, he bought Central from his father and closed the Portsmouth shop, and he’s been there ever since. Even after selling to Donohue, he still can be found in the store daily. When Ratliff is asked how the business has changed over the years, he says it has moved away from its agricultural focus. “We sold horse drawn plows and horseshoes,” Ratliff said. “And a lot of bulk seeds for farmers.”

Ratliff explains the longevity of the store. “It’s because we provided goods and services for the public and they bought on credit,” he said. “And we always tried to help everyone.” In addition to hardware, the store

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showroom as well. Donohue points to the seams in the walls, where you can see how that building was expanded over the years. “We’ve taken it back close to what it looked like when it was built,” he

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sells three floors of furniture. Since purchasing, Donohue remodeled some of the upstairs showrooms, and also expanded the store to the adjacent building next door. The site of a clothing store in the 1980s, it now serves as a furniture

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said of its remodel, stating they used old photos to get it accurate. He said they have also added to the store’s inventory, in addition to expanding space. When asked what it’s been like having another similar business directly across the street at Iron City Hardware for nearly as long, Donohue says it has never been seen as an issue. “It’s not really compa competition,” he said. “We work well together.”

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Also working at the store is Donohue’s son, Chris. When asked his job title, Rich replies “the future.” Both Ratliff and Donohue have been heavily involved in the Ironton-Lawrence County Memorial Day Parade and Donohue is a contributor to many civic groups. He said it is part of the store’s appeal. “We’re locally owned and we’re invested in this community,” he said. 

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30 PROFILE 2020

Visiting lronton in the 1940s —

A child’s perspective STORY, JEAN FULLER BUTLER | PHOTO, JESSICA ST. JAMES

hen I was a child, our family lived on a farm in Rome

Township. Papa was a farmer for many years. However, in 1941, he went to work in lronton as the relief director. In his absence, he hired someone to work on the farm. When he came home in the evenings, he’d check to see that the work had been done. Occasionally, my younger sister, Marcella and I would get to go to lronton with Papa for the day. We had two younger sisters, but they were too little for such a big trip.

Our father’s office was in the courthouse and we loved to go in there. We would climb the stairs and peep in offices. Papa would give us each a little money, usually a dime, and let us go down to Kresge’s store. There was a side door at that time and we would go in that way. We looked at every thing but realized it all cost more money than we had. At that time, there were two parts to Kresge’s, the 10-cent side and the dollar side. There was also a place where you could have your picture taken. We never had enough money for the picture, but we enjoyed looking at everything.

Ad for Kresge’s from The Ironton Tribune in 1949.

PROFILE 2020

Kresge’s workers watch the Ironton-Lawrence County Memorial Day parade. (The Ironton Tribune | File photo)

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PROFILE 2020

The Tires You Need. Serving your tire needs for almost 55 years. The tire specialist with the total package. Providing you with high quality, excellent service, unsurpassed warranty and best of all — affordable pricing. Ad for Kresge’s from The Ironton Tribune in 1949.

In addition, there was a restaurant with small booths and a counter where one could get a nice meal. We didn’t get to eat there, either, but we saw others enjoy a meal there. One time, we got to go to lronton in the late fall. Each of us had a dime to spend and we wanted to get a nice Christmas present for Mama. We looked at everything and found a pretty tea towel for 10 cents. We wanted it to be wrapped nicely for Mama, and wrapping cost another 10 cents. That was all right, because, between Marcella and me, there was enough for both the gift and

the wrapping. We were so excited about getting home and showing Mama the beautifully-wrapped gift and we could hardly wait for her to open it on Christmas morning. That evening, after we went to bed, Marcella and I talked and talked about our visit to the big city of lronton. Marcella has been gone for many years, but I still remember the fun the two of us had visiting lronton with Papa. Jean Fuller Butler is a retired teacher from Hanging Rock, Rock Hill and South Point elementary schools, an author and historic re-enactor.

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hen most people hear the name Vesuvius, they think of our wonderful lake just north of Ironton. But did you know that Vesuvius is also the name of a global company with 11,000 employees worldwide, with a manufacturing facility right here in the Tri-State? As a leading supplier to the steel and foundry industries, Vesuvius specializes in providing metal flow solutions to customers around the world. Their highly automated plant in Wurtland, Kentucky, employs 40 people and produces nearly 100,000 metric tons of basic monolithic refractory to customers such as Arcelor Mittal, Nucor, AK Steel, and US Steel. Located at the Wurtland River port, alongside companies such Great Lakes Minerals and Portable Solutions, Vesuvius uses a raw material called Magnesium Oxide (MgO) to make products that are used in the steel making process. Josh Blanton, Plant Manager, says that Vesuvius Wurtland not only provides well paying jobs, but also utilizes several forms of logistics on a daily basis. “Every day, hundreds of tons of products flow in and out of our facility, supporting supply chains all over North America,” Blanton explains. Jobs at Vesuvius include production operators, maintenance operators, supervisors, Quality Managers, and other administrative positions. With the recent purchase of competitor, CCPI, Vesuvius has established itself as a market leader. “Our team members care about their work and take pride in being one of the most efficient and safe

facilities that Vesuvius operates. It is truly a pleasure to work alongside them,” Blanton says. Since the unfortunate closing of AK Steel in Ashland, the company has hired seven former AK employees, which is nearly 20% of the total number of employees. Due to its diversified customer base and need for the product produced, the company expects to continue to operate the Wurtland facility for decades to come. In 2017, Vesuvius Wurtland was awarded the company’s “Living the Values” award, which is given to an employee or team that displays exceptional performance in one of its CORE values (Courage, Ownership, Respect, and Energy). Blanton traveled to Vienna, Austria to accept the award from company CEO, Patrick Andre. The award was given for Vesuvius Wurtland’s commitment to community involvement, which included a fundraising campaign for the Northeastern Kentucky United Way, as well as construction of a new building for AARF (Ashland Animal Rescue Fund). Other local organizations supported by Vesuvius include Hopes Place, River Cities Harvest, Build Ashland, Ashland Foundation for Children with Disabilities, Young Men’s Conference, and others. “Giving back to the community we live in is incredibly important to us. Not just financially, but through volunteerism and support for those in need,” Blanton says. If you are interested in a career with Vesuvius, please call 606833-9936 or stop by the Wurtland facility and submit a resume.

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36 PROFILE 2020

What is this?

The Ironton Tribune paid a visit to Dawson-Bryant Elementary, where we showed the children a photo of an iron furnace at Lake Vesuvius, to see if they could identify a major piece of the region’s industrial history. Here are their reactions:

“It looks like something old.” Addison Wilson, 3rd grade

“Some kind of house.” Kylah Boyd, kindergarten

“A tunnel”

“I have no idea”

Dylan Short, 5th grade

Cory Johnson, 4th grade

“It looks like the Great Wall of China, or maybe what Trump’s wall would be.”

“A tunnel” Connor Plew, 1st grade

Joshua Harmon, 4th grade

“I’ve seen it at Lake Vesuvius. It looks like a crypt.” Kaden Kingrey, 5th grade

“It’s Vesuvius furnace.” Wyatt Ford, 5th grade

“I don’t know.” Mylee Moore, 5th grade

“It looks like the pyramids.” Ainsley Watson, 2nd grade

PROFILE 2020

Jim Hacker is the third generation owner of Iron City Hardware, which has been in business since 1926. (The Ironton Tribune | Heath Harrison)

In the

Three generations of Hackers have been in the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;people businessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; at Iron City Hardware

FAMILY

PROFILE 2020

STORY, PHOTOS HEATH HARRISON

oming up on its 100th anniversary in business, Iron City Hardware, is one of the city’s oldest continuously-run businesses and likely one of the county’s as well. Currently run by Jim Hacker, the business was launched by his grandfather, Herman Hacker and his granduncle, Henry Hacker, in 1926. It has remained in the family for two more generations. It first went to Jim’s father, Don Hacker, and uncle John. Then Jim and his brother, Dan, took over in the 1990s. The store sells a wide variety of items, from tools, plumbing supplies, appliances, electrical supplies and seasonal items, like sleds in the winter. The store’s inventory is so wide and varied, their thinking is, “If we don’t have it, you probably don’t need it.” In addition to the first floor of hardware, Iron City has a second floor, of furniture displays, for which they also provide delivery. And in the last 20 years, the store expanded to carry lumber. The store has lasted through three generations, the Great Depression, a world war and the 1937 flood of the Ohio River, the high water mark of which is marked with a sign on one of the store’s walls.

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Calvary Baptist Church 824 S. Fifth St. •Ironton, Ohio • 740-442-7098 Sunday School...................................................9:30 a.m. Sunday Morning Worship ...............................10:30 a.m. Sunday Evening Service ....................................6:00 p.m. Wednesday Bible Study ....................................7:00 p.m. Matt O’Bryant - Pastor www.cbcironton.org

Church of the King 801 S. Fifth St. • Ironton, Ohio 740-418-1318 Sunday School...............................................10:30 a.m. Sunday Worship Service ...............................11:30 a.m. Wednesday Bible Study ..................................7:00 p.m.

“Teaching the Jewish roots of Christianity” People with a passion for Jesus and a love for you!

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1300 Co. Rd. 60 • South Point, Ohio 377-4739 Sunday School........................................9:30 a.m. Sunday Morning Service ......................10:30 a.m. Sunday Evening Service ........................6:00 p.m.. Patch the Pirate - Wed ...........................6:45 p.m. Youth Group - Wed.................................6:45 p.m. Wednesday Evening Service..................7:00 p.m. Pastor - Tim Jenkins

Your local guide to houses of worship

SUGAR CREEK

Ironton First Nazarene

Missionary Baptist Church “Fellowshipping in the Truth since 1889”

2318 S. Fourth St., Ironton, Ohio • 532-3413

Pastor: Mike Long • Home of... SUGAR CREEK CHRISTIAN ACADEMY

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Ice Creek Missionary Baptist Church 5121 St. Rt. 243 • Ironton, Ohio Sunday School............................................... 9:30 a.m. Morning Worship ........................................ 10:45 a.m. Sunday Evening Service ................................ 6:00 p.m. Wednesday Bible Study ................................ 7:00 p.m. Wednesday AWANA & Teen Meeting ......... 6:30 p.m. Minister - Todd Warner

Zoar Baptist Church 1009 Marion Pike • Coal Grove, Ohio • 532-4028 Sunday School.................................................9:30 a.m. Sunday Morning Worship .............................10:45 a.m. Sunday Evening Worship ................................6:00 p.m. Wednesday Night Service .............................7:00 p.m. Awanas (Wednesday) .....................................6:30 p.m. Teen Bible Study (Wednesday) .......................7:00 p.m.

Pastor - Jim Beals Youth Pastor - Jeremy Dillon

Sunday Morning Worship ....................... 10:40 a.m. Sunday Bible Classes ................................ 9:30 a.m. Sunday Evening Service ............................ 6:00 p.m. Wednesday Bible Study ............................ 7:00 p.m. Wednesday Youth and Children’s Programs ............................. 7:00 p.m. Special Needs Services ................. Thurs. 6:30 p.m. Open AA Meeting 12 Step Program ...Tues. 6:00 p.m. Lead Pastor ............................................... Rob Hale Assistant Pastor ................................Brian Taylor Youth Ministries Pastor .............. Paul Ferguson Special Needs Pastor ...................Jordan Kileen Children’s Ministries Director........ Kelli Ferguson

901 Solida Rd. • South Point, Ohio 740-523-0231 www.tswc.org

Jeffersonville Missionary Baptist Church Washington St. • Coal Grove, OH • 740-532-0434 Sunday School............................................ 9:30 a.m. Morning Worship ..................................... 10:45 a.m. Sunday Evening .......................................... 6:00 p.m. Wednesday Bible Study ............................. 7:00 p.m. Wednesday Youth Group ........................... 6:30 p.m.

www.jeffersonvillembc.com Pastor - Kenney Ruggles

South Point United Methodist Church 202 Third St. E. • South Point • 377-4690 Sunday Morning Worship ....................10:45 a.m. Children’s Church .................................11:00 a.m. Wed. Night Bible Study (Aug.-May) ......6:00 p.m. Pastor - Jamie Mosley 740-547-9899

Sunday School...................................................9:30 a.m. Morning Worship ............................................10:30 a.m. Sunday Evening Service ....................................6:00 p.m. Journey Youth ......................................... Wed. 7:00 p.m. Wednesday Service ..........................................7:00 p.m. Royal Rangers K-12th grade (boys) ........Thurs. 6:00 p.m. American Heritage (girls) 5-18 yrs. old ..Thurs. 6:00 p.m. Encourage The SAINT...Help The HURTING... Embrace ALL People! We also have Addiction Recovery Program, Grief Counseling and many other ministries

Your local guide to houses of worship

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Fifth and Railroad streets Ironton, Ohio • 532-0601

firstpresbyterianchurchironton@gmail.com Sunday School............................. 9:30 a.m. Sunday Worship ........................ 10:30 a.m. Bible Study - Wednesday............ 5:30 p.m. Pastor - Carson J. Hunt, CRE Sharon Bradshaw - Musician Church Office 532-0601

Mamre Baptist Church “A place to call home!”

Located 8 miles north on SR 141 in beautiful Kitts Hill, Ohio Sunday Services Wednesday:

Sun. School AM Worship Evening Worship AWANA/TEENS Bible Study

10:00 a.m. 11:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m.

We have dynamic youth ministries and expository preaching and teaching...Hope to see you at church!

Senior Pastor - Ryan McKee Assoc. Pastor - John Patterson

Resurrection Hope UMC 617 Wyanoke St. • Ironton, Ohio • 533-9222 Sunday Morning Service .................................10:30 a.m. Sunday School...................................................6:00 p.m. Sunday Evening Service ....................................7:00 p.m. Midweek Video Study .......................6:00 p.m. Thursday Like us on Facebook - Resurrection Hope UMC website: resurrectionhopeumc.wix.com See who we are and what we are about

St. Joseph Church 501 Chestnut St., Ironton

St. Lawrence O’Toole Church 611 Center St., Ironton

St. Mary Church Pine Grove, Ohio

MASSES: Saturday 5:15 p.m. (even months: Feb., April, etc. at St. Joseph Church) Saturday 5:15 p.m. (odd months: Jan., March, etc. at St. Lawrence) SUNDAY: 9 a.m. (St. Joseph Church 12 noon (St. Lawrence Church) 7 p.m. (St. Mary, Pine Grove)

Fr. David Huffman - Pastor 740-532-0712

Central Christian Church

1541 S. Seventh St. • Ironton, Ohio 532-2930 Sunday School...........................................................9:30 a.m. Sunday Morning Worship .......................................10:30 a.m. Sunday Evening Worship and Youth Program ..........6:00 p.m. Wednesday Bible Study ..........................................10:00 a.m. Willie Purdee - Senior Minister Jim Williams - Minister

First Baptist Church

304 S. Fifth St. • Ironton, Ohio 532-1240 Sunday Morning Worship ......................9:45 a.m. Sunday School......................................11:00 a.m. Small Group............................................7:00 p.m. Family Night .......................Wednesday 7:00 p.m. Eric Barnes - Pastor David Lambert - Asst. Pastor

City Mission Church

710 N. Fifth St. • Ironton, Ohio • 532-5041

Sunday School.................................................2:00 p.m. Sunday Evening Service ..................................7:00 p.m. Tuesday Evening Service.................................7:00 p.m. Wednesday Youth Service ..............................7:00 p.m. Radio - WEMM Gospel 107.9 FM ......Sunday 5:00 p.m. TV - WQCW ........................................Sunday 9:00 a.m.

Pastor - Rev. Jeff Cremeans Transportation Available

Woodland Chapel Freewill Baptist Church

116 Twp. Rd. 108 • Ironton, Ohio • 533-2602

Sunday School ................................10:00 a.m. Sunday Morning Worship ...............11:00 a.m. Sunday Evening Service....................6:00 p.m. Wednesday Night Service ................7:00 p.m. Wednesday Youth Meeting ..............7:00 p.m.

South Point Church of Christ

Third and Virginia Streets • South Point, Ohio 740-377-4846 Sunday Bible Study........................................ 9:30 a.m. Sunday Morning Service............................... 10:30 a.m. Sunday Evening Service.................................. 6:00 p.m. Wednesday Bible Study.................................. 7:00 p.m.

Pastor - Dave Schug

Mark Aites - Minister

Coal Grove Nazarene

Leatherwood Missionary Baptist Church

135 Center St. • Coal Grove, Ohio 740-532-0685 Sunday School............................................... 9:45 a.m. Morning Worship ........................................ 10:45 a.m. Children’s Church ........................................ 11:00 a.m. Sunday Evening Service ................................ 6:00 p.m. Wednesday Bible Study ................................ 7:00 p.m. Like us on Facebook at Coal Grove Church of the Nazarene Pastor - Jeff Canfield

9 1/2 miles east of Coal Grove on St. Rt. 243 Sunday School............................................. 10:00 a.m. Morning Worship ........................................ 11:00 a.m. Sunday Evening Service ................................ 7:00 p.m. Wednesday Bible Study and Youth Class ..... 7:00 p.m. Broadcast Saturday - WEMM 107.9 .....9:00-9:30 p.m. Pastor - Mike Huff www.leatherwoodmbc.org

42 PROFILE 2020

PROFILE 2020

In addition, Iron City has also thrived with competition across the street in the similarly-long-lived Central Hardware. Hacker points out that there were four hardware stores in the city at one point. He said they draw customers from around the TriState and from multiple generations who come to find the personal service not available in a big box store. Hacker says, for many of the customers, he thinks it is a “Cheers”-like atmosphere coming back. “It’s ‘where everybody knows your name,” he said. Jim has worked in the hardware store since he was a teen, helping to unload deliveries from nearby rail cars when he was 14.

A sign marks the level of high water in Iron City Hardware from the 1937 flood. (The Ironton Tribune | Heath Harrison)

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PROFILE 2020

After graduating high school, he began to work at Iron City full time, working alongside his father for 35 years, before taking over with his brother. He has worked in the store long enough that he received a Golden Hammer award from the Ohio Hardware Association for 50 years in the business. It was an honor also received by his father and his brother, who retired in 2010. Hacker said the store currently has five employees and between them, they have 100 years of experience in hardware. Experienced service is something customers have been able to expect from Iron City over the years. For instance, last year Kenny Delawder retired after 23 years from the store. Hacker presented him with a Golden Hammer, joking that it was because they worked him twice as hard. Hacker said innovation is key to a changing economy and customer needs. “We’re diversifying,” he said. “We’re doing things like storage units and rental housing.” The mini “Iron City Storage” units can be rented by the month from the store. Iron City has remained a favorite with locals, winning the Best Hardware Store category in The Ironton Tribune’s “Best of” section multiple times. “I always try to tell the employees that we’re not in the hardware business,” Hacker said. “We’re in the people business. They will come back if you treat them right.” 

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Family ties run deep Selb family has long history in Ironton business STORY, PHOTOS SUBMITTED

ne of the longest-residing families in Lawrence County is the Selb family, who have been in the area for about a century and a half and have a long history of operating businesses in the area. Joseph Selb, who lived from 1802-1878, was born in Loffingen Baden, Germany and came to America in approximately 1850. He had three children with his first wife, who died before they immigrated — John (1833-1914), Kathrine (1834-1913) and Anthony (1836-1924), and one son, Joseph Jr. (1865-1948) with his second wife. Anthony operated a barber shop and piece goods store, while the old Selb home is now occupied by Melini Cucina Italian Restaurant at 124 S. Second St. in Ironton. Anthony Selb was Carl Selb’s father and the grandfather of Tim Selb, who submitted this family history to The Ironton Tribune. Anthony was the owner of a barber shop, piece goods store and Champion Bottling Co. Joseph Jr. was also highly involved with Champion Bottling Works. “Champion Bottling Works vintage bottles can still be found in Ironton,” Tim Selb said.

Anthony Selb’s home place, located at Second Street and Park Avenue. The building is currently Melini Cucina Italian Restaurant. (Submitted photo)

PROFILE 2020

Exterior of Selb Piece Goods Shop, located at Second Street and Park Avenue, 1920. (Submitted photo)

“We have several different types in our collection.” He said he recently found many bottles at the construction site for the new Marriott hotel in Ironton. Carl A. Selb was a well-known gunsmith in Ironton. He also did repairs. He also was a fine woodmaker and numerous antique pieces remain in the Selb family. He worked for the City of Ironton and was the custodian of the jail and city hall. He was a collector of Indian artifacts and old guns. Shamrock Carryout was the last Selb business. The corporation was named similar and, after Champion Bottling Works, the Corps name was Champion Beverage Center Inc. PBA Shamrock Carryout. It was a minority-owned business by Suellen Selb. “There is an actual ‘Selb’ Germany located in the Blackforest North East of Nurienburg, Germany,” Tim Selb said. “There’s also a fine ‘Selb’ china made in Germany and Austria and Bavaria. We currently collect and have numerous vintage pieces.” Tim Selb said he takes after his grandfather Carl. “I make wingbone turkey calls, turtle shell turkey calls, knives and powder horns,” he said. “I also have built several muzzle loading rifles.”  Submitted by Timothy M. and Suellen M. Selb, Carla Jo Selb Geswein and Cristi Lyn Selb Bush

A piece of Selb china, made in Bavaria, from the collection of Tim Selb. (The Ironton Tribune | Heath Harrison)

The interior of Anthony Selb’s barbershop, photo taken in the 1890s. (Submitted photo)

48 PROFILE 2020

STORY, PHOTOS NORA SWANGO STANGER

n the 1920s, my grandfather, George Dempse Mitchell, purchased 120 acres of land on Aaron’s Creek in Lawrence County. Though I wasn’t in existence then, I guess you could say that decision laid the course for generations of my family. I find myself wondering what life must have been 100 years ago when he moved his family to the only place I know as “home.” I imagine moving to Lawrence County was the culmination of a life dream. They longed for a simple life. Now they had their own land and merely wanted to take care of their family in peace. I remember stories my granny, Nora Maude Turner Mitchell, told of the early days on Aaron’s Creek. She and Grandpa were yeoman farmers. They worked their modest land with family labor, taking care of most all their living needs. They were honest, virtuous, hardworking and independent people. Grandpa always had a workhorse and, with woodworking and blacksmithing skills learned from time in the coal mines of West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky, created their livelihood with Granny always beside him. In those days, Granny said they only went to town (Ironton) twice a year — in the spring and in the fall. Grandpa would harness the horse to the wagon he built with his own hands and travel 18 miles along the dirt and gravel roads up Aaron’s Creek, down Cannon’s Creek and along Route 93 until he reached his destination. Granny said she was grateful for the winding roads because it gave Old Jack, the horse, a chance to rest as he pulled the load up and down the steep hills. Years later, a peddler man started sharing his wares throughout the Lawrence County dirt roads. He had converted an old school bus into a small store. The bus was painted turquoise blue and equipped with shelves of non-perishables and odds and ends. The peddler continued his routes until the 1960s. I know the approximate date, because I remember Granny letting me trade my tooth-fairy nickel on the peddler’s bus for candy.

Nora and Dempse Mitchell, grandparents of Nora Swango Stanger, in a photo taken in the 1920s. (Submitted photo)

PROFILE 2020

They were God-fearing people. There were preacher men on both sides of their families. But Grandpa was claustrophobic and didn’t like being in church buildings, at least that was his excuse. Granny’s parents, Steve and Rena Turner, lived on nearby land just down the creek from Granny and Grandpa. Her daddy was a “hardshell, old regular” Baptist preacher. A few times a year, Granny’s parents hosted church meetings at their Aaron’s Creek home. Steve Turner or a visiting preacher would stand on the porch of their modest home and preach for hours. People from all over Aaron’s Creek, John’s Creek and beyond would come in horse drawn wagons or buggies. The yard and bottom land in front of the house would be filled with blankets on the ground and picnic dinners as the preaching could go all day. Granny said Grandpa never missed one of these events. I can remember when the road of Aaron’s Creek was first paved. Prior to that time, the grader would come down the road, pushing its gigantic blade along the rough and rutted road to even out the pot holes. My siblings and I had a big time watching the men lay the hot tar pavement on the old road. Even Granny, Grandpa and Mom sat under the boxelder tree, watching the newest machinery change our dirt and gravel track to an official road. In those days, we had party line phones. Each household had a different ring pattern, and you knew if a call was for you based on the ring pattern. Granny was a good woman, but she loved to listen in on others’ conversations. She’d keep one hand over the speaker part of the phone, with the receiver part to her ear. If we kids made too much noise, she’d shush us and continue listening.

Nora and Dempse Mitchell, grandparents of Nora Swango Stanger, and Mag Mitchell, in a photo taken in the early 1970s. (Submitted photo)

I don’t want the reader to think badly of Granny. Everyone on the creek fell to this same temptation. That’s why every now and then, when the call was for our house, the speaker would say, “Okay. I heard you pick up. Get off the line now.” One of the highlights of material progress I treasure is the day Granny’s house got indoor plumbing.

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Before that, we thought our Aunt Lucy and Uncle John down the creek were rich, because they had a hand pump right in their kitchen. They let the water and food scraps from dishes drain from the sink into a five-gallon bucket. Then they’d empty the bucket into the hog trough, where the pigs ate every morsel — nothing was wasted. We came up in the world when

worker men put in an electric pump and pipes that pulled water from the well Grandpa had dug decades earlier into Granny’s tiny kitchen. The men converted a small area by the kitchen into an actual indoor bathroom! No longer would we be solely dependent on the two-seater outhouse Grandpa built for his family. You would have thought we were the richest people in the world the way we celebrated that moment! Times surely have changed — some for the better. Aaron’s Creek has lane lines painted on it now. We no longer have a coal stove for heat. We have clean public water piped into homes along the creek. I not only have running water in my house: I have two bathrooms! I don’t want to sound too nostalgic. I really don’t want to go back to the harshness the primitive forms of living caused 100 years ago. But I long for the closeness it demanded of us. The family depended on every member for existence. Neighbors depended on neighbors. Maybe, just for a day, we could put down all the fancy technology and work beside each other. If we did, maybe we would talk more about what makes us worry, or what makes us excited. Maybe we would talk about things that really matter and remember what we mean to each other. Aaron’s Creek continues to be a very special place, with the steep hills and the way the bottom land snugs the winding creek. I don’t know the reasons Grandpa moved his family to Lawrence County nearly 100 years ago, but I am so grateful he did.  Nora Swango Stanger, a Lawrence County native and Appalachian outreach coordinator for Sinclair Community College, can be reached at norastanger@gmail.com.

50 PROFILE 2020

Memory Lane yce 1960 were Jo da employees in y an rr W be a, ew ek N in Ironton Wilma W , ds el ie Fi ck Ja hy s, Perkin Kelley, Dorot eeney, Nettie Sw ed itt na m Ed ub ay (S M Jackson. Jenkins, erts and Butch Nelson, Mr. Rob ford) ns photo | Sue Lu

ABOVE: Trolley cars are in the villa ge of Coal Grove in this photo, estimated to be the early 1900s. BELOW: Construction at the far end of Park Avenue in Ironton, taken near Ninth Street, bypassing the State Route 93 tunnel, is seen in this photo by Stan J. Morris. (Submitted photo | Sue Lunsford)

Vera da Bridges, Freda Wilds, s in 1972. From left, Lin b Day Bar n , hio hop Fas Bis en Old Eile of n lar, dol A celebratio , Floress Richen ton Sta l sca Me ds, ell. Wil How nita ny Jua Corman, Kathy Fetters, ley Howell, Carol Ruth, Ken ie Bishop, Mr. Rollings, Hal Murnahan, Sally Cline, Virg sford) (Submitted photo | Sue Lun

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Stories of the Skies Lawrence County Airport has more than 90 years of history STORY, DON LEE | PHOTOS, THE IRONTON TRIBUNE, SUBMITTED

he Lawrence County Airport passed Its 90th birthday on Labor Day 2019 and, according the Federal Aviation Administration, it has been in continuous operation all this time. There was about a year when there was controversy about the ownership with very little activity, but that seems to be resolved now. The airport has been known by various names, including, Huntington Downtown Airport (when it was Huntingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s municipal airport), Huntington-Ironton-Chesapeake Airport, Mayes Field, Lawrence County Air Park and Lawrence County Airport. It was a pickup airport in the early days of air mail. The mail plane would fly low over the airport and pick up the mailbag with a rope and hook while dropping out the airmail bag for the area. American Airways, which evolved into American Airlines, were the first commercial flights, flying DC-2s and DC-3s. They stopped flying here when they determined that they needed a paved runway

to continue service. This was accomplished in the 1930s when the Works Progress Administration paved it, starting with a foundation of rock from the hill north of the airport. The paving project made the front page of section 4 of the Huntington Herald Advertiser on Sunday, April 4, 1937. There have been several notable people that have passed through our airport. At the time it opened, the manager was Capt. John Paul Riddle, who, along with T. Higbee Embry, had founded a flying school at the Lunken airport in Cincinnati, Ohio on Dec. 17, 1925. Lawrence County Airport was a satellite operation from Lunken. This Emby-Riddle flying school eventually evolved into the EmbyRiddle Aeronautical University. This is the most renowned flying school in the world, which has over 130,000 alumni. The primary founder was the first manager and instructor at our airport. Another notable person was Howard Mayes, Sr. He was the manager from 1929-1949. Previously, he was the manager at Wertz Field in Institute, West

Virginia, which was converted to a chemical plant that supplied butadiene to make rubber during World War II. He was a WWI fighter pilot who was shot down and crashed while on an observation flight in a Salmson 2 plane, along with his gunner who was killed. He crashed behind enemy lines and was cared for at a German hospital with serious wounds in his neck and leg from machine gun bullets. After seven weeks in the hospital, he was interned in a prison camp until the armistice on Nov. 11, 1918. Howard Mayes, Jr. learned to fly in his teens, instructed by his father, Howard Sr. Howard Jr. had many adventures at Lawrence County Airport. which was known locally as Mayes Field. He was hired by United Airlines and stayed with them during his entire commercial career rising to vice president. Notable assignments included being attached to the Army Air Corps to fly cargo and personnel around the country during WWII. Howard Jr. also holds the altitude record for young flyers in a light plane. It weighed only 436

PROFILE 2020

pounds with a two cylinder engine and flew to 19,997 feet on Labor Day in 1936, where he passed out when his oxygen ran out. He regained consciousness at about 10,000 feet and landed safely. This same plane, an Aeronca C-2 N Scout, known as the flying bathtub, can be seen in the Experimental Aircraft Association Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. An altitude record for women in light planes was achieved at 19,423 feet altitude by Irene Crum who learned to fly at Mayes Field with Howard Mayes Sr. as her instructor. She flew the same plane, the Aeronca C2, as Howard Jr. flew later for his record. She achieved the record flying out of the air field at Gallipolis on a hot summer day on Aug. 27, 1935. She went on to be a WASP (Women AirForce Service Pilots) during WWII. These brave women flew new planes including bombers, fighters and cargo planes, sometimes directly off the assembly lines to the various fields around the country. She later instructed in Brazil, South America and Florida under the auspices of the United States Air Corps. The airport is a valuable asset for Lawrence County. It has hangars for 31 airplanes and has been a self-sufficient property for several years. The local pilots maintain the equipment, which was purchased at no expense to the taxpayers of Lawrence County. This includes three tractors and a riding lawnmower, which are owned by the Tri-State Pilots Association. The grass has been cut by the local pilots for several years. 

Irene Crum

John Paul Riddle

Don Lee, a pilot flying out of Lawrence County Airport since 1970, has been in charge of equipment and grounds maintenance for the last several years. He can be reached at eelnod22@gmail.com. N AT I O N A L H O S P I C E & PA L L I AT I V E C A R E M O N T H

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54 PROFILE 2020

 A view from 

Windwillows Wheel of Fortune announcer Jim Thornton is preserving Jacob Proctor's home STORY, MARK SHAFFER | PHOTOS, SUBMITTED

he house that Jacob Proctor built is owned by one of America’s most familiar voices. Jim Thornton, who is the announcer for Wheel of Fortune, bought Windwillows in 1997. Not only is he fan of local history, the house was once owned by his family. “It’s such a precious thing and I never take it for granted,” Thornton said. “Even though Proctorville isn’t a big city with the house having tours all the time, I like holding onto it and bringing it back to its former glory. We’ve done a lot of work on it and always kept it true to when it was built.” Proctor built the house in 1834 and he lived there until the 1860s. The house was a general store and a post office. Besides being a postmaster, Proctor also had a flat boat

Jacob Proctor and would take goods down the Ohio River and even onto the Mississippi River to New Orleans. “He has a ferry landing on the property and it was known as Proctor’s Landing,” Thornton said.

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Proctorville, which had been known as Quaker Bottom, was renamed in Proctor’s honor in 1878. Thornton was born in Huntington, West Virginia and graduated from Marshall University. He now lives in California, where he does the voiceover work for Wheel of Fortune and also works as the afternoon anchor on the news radio station KNX in Los Angeles. He has also done announcer work on MTV’s Celebrity Death Match and narration for the movie Monsters, Inc. Thornton’s connection to the house is that his grandparents, Grayson and Adele Thornton, bought the house in 1947 and lived there until 1954. They planted many of the trees that are still on the grounds of Windwillows. The Shaw family owned it from 1954 until 1996. “It was a great place,” Thornton

recalls. “I grew up hearing about it and that it had a lot of great memories for my dad.” Thornton himself was never in the house until he and his wife, Sue, bought the house in 1997. “The Shaws kept it in great shape,” he said. “It was a family house and my wife and I love old houses. They’re a never-ending amount of work, but we want to get it cared for.” The house is built in the Federal or Adam style and contains decorative elements that date back to Georgian architecture. The bricks were made by hand, not at a factory. In fact, some bricks still contain imprints from the workers’ fingers. Thornton said despite its age, the house stays surprisingly warm in the winter because of the thick plaster used in the construction of Windwillows.

Home.2 No place like

PROFILE 2020

The house was set on fire in 2001 by “a young vandal,” as Thornton called him. The only upside was that the Thorntons could use insurance money to do things like put in wood lathe and plaster. “Most of it was protected, thank God, from the fire by the dry wall,” he said. “So, we had the original riven lathe in place, it looks like zebra stripes.” The lathe was cut by hand into thin strips to hold the plaster. Although they had to replace some windows, they managed to find some that were original to the era of the house. “We were fortunate enough to purchase some old windows from the then-owners of The Buffington Home in Proctorville, it looks just like ours,” Thornton said. “The amazing part is that they were made by the same people who made our old originals, so they’re better than duplicates.” And as with any old house, there are rumors about it. One is that there is a tunnel in the basement. “The house was widely rumored to be have been a station on the Underground Railroad,” Thornton said. One version of the story is that the tunnel ran down to the Ohio River. Thornton said that since it was only a couple hundred yards from the house to the Ohio River, it wouldn’t make much sense to go to the effort of building a tunnel. Another rumor has it the tunnel was connected to the nearby Wilgus House, which was torn down years ago and the Briggs Library branch was built on the property. Thornton said they have looked

closely and have found no evidence of a tunnel of any type. And if it was a stop on the Underground Railroad, he hasn’t found any documentation of it, although stations didn’t usually advertise their existence. “I believe strongly that it was on the Underground Railroad,” Thornton said. “The Proctors were staunch abolitionists. I wish we had actual documentation of it, but we don’t. None of it exists but we have a lot of circumstantial evidence.” While digging around in the basement, they did find something, a deep, deep well that was probably used as cold storage. “My son and I have dug down 12 feet and we still haven’t gotten to the bottom,” Thornton said. “It may not be original to the house, but it is very, very old. It may date back to the 1860s, I just don’t know for sure.” And as with every house, there is a ghost story. “Everybody says the house is haunted,” Thornton said. “Everyone in the neighborhood has a story about it.” Thornton said that when his son was young, he told him he had seen the ghost of Jacob Proctor. “And I think to this day, he believes he did,” Thornton said. “But I haven’t seen or heard anything. I’m not superstitious, but I like to think there are some ghosts in there, but they are all benevolent.” While he lives on the West Coast, Thornton comes back to the area frequently. “My wife and I get there as often as we can. It’s a neat, neat place,” Thornton said. “And we have people carefully watching it when we aren’t here.” 

ABOVE: Announcer Jim Thornton on the set of Wheel of Fortune. BELOW: Jim Thornton, the announcer for TV’s “Wheel of Fortune” and the owner of the Jacob Proctor home in Proctorville, discusses local history with Kim Carrico’s third grade class at Fairland West Elementary in May 2017. (The Ironton Tribune | Heath Harrison)

58 PROFILE 2020

The Paths They Took W

hether it is a bin of old photos in an antique store or looking at a portrait on a museum wall, the question often enters the mind of who

these faces from the past were and what became of them. Below is a photograph of the 1924 sophomore graduating class at Monitor School in Coal Grove. When

Leonard Carey Gerald Holliday

Iva Poole

Edith Broce

it was taken, nearly a century ago, all of the students were roughly 15 years old at the time and had their whole lives ahead of them. With assistance from

Odell Willis

Ina Hill

genealogist and family researcher Heather Harrison, we found who some of them grew up to be and what the future held in the following decades.

Earl Holtzapfel

Beatrice Hensley

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IVA POOLE Remaining in Coal Grove and going on to work in the DawsonBryant school system was Iva Poole. She graduated from Ironton High School in 1926 and went to Rio Grande College. She worked as a special education teacher and retired from the board of education in 1972. She was married to Walter Myers and was a member of Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary and the Lawrence County Retired Teachers. She died in 1996 at age 87 and is buried at Woodland Cemetery. EDITH BROCE Edith Broce married Clarence Murnahan two years later and the couple lived together in Kitts Hill for four decades. They had five sons, two daughters and 19 grandchildren and were members of Bald Knob United Brethren Church. She died in 1986 at age 79. INA HILL Ina Hill, who was also on the school’s girls basketball team, married Charlton Pierce, the school’s assistant football coach. He became a lawyer in Florida, where

she worked as a schoolteacher. After 45 years living in Tallahassee, she died there in 1999 at age 90 and is buried at Woodland Cemetery in Ironton. GERALD HOLLIDAY Gerald Holliday died in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1995 at age 87. DELBERT ODELL WILLIS Delbert Odell Willis went on to Ashland Electrical School and worked as an electrician for Ashland Semet-Solvay until retiring in 1971. He lived in Ironton, taught Sunday school at Lorain Street Baptist Church and was married to Eva Hart. He died in 1973 at age 67. EARL HOLTZAPFEL Earl Holtzapfel married Marian Montague. Worked at a hardware store and at a funeral home in Lima. He was also employed as a tool grinder for Ford Motor Co., retiring in 1973, and was a member of the Elks. He died in 1997 at age 88. HENSLEY & CAREY No information was available for Beatrice Hensley or Leonard Carey.

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60 PROFILE 2020

Mission to Serve

Ironton Lions Club has been serving community for nearly a century STORY, BRENT PYLES | PHOTOS, HEATH HARRISON, SUBMITTED

he Ironton Lions Club was organized by Fred T. Davis, receiving its charter on Dec. 19, 1923. The Ironton Lions Club was the 18th club chartered in the State of Ohio, and its first president was Howard E. Unrue. The Ironton club now consists of 30 members and the club motto is “WE SERVE.” Over the years, the Ironton Lions Club has raised funds through various activities such as a minstrel show, war bond drives, a beauty pageant, haunted houses, haunted tunnel, golf tournaments and the sale of light bulbs and other items. The funds raised by these efforts were used to support the Lions contributions to the local community, as well as the Lions activities at the district, state and international levels. The Ironton Lions Club annually distributes approxi-

mately $10,000 in aid and charity. Locally, the Ironton Lions have provided monetary support to the Ironton City Mission, the Briggs Lawrence County Library Vision Impaired Center, Open Door School, scholarships, Project LifeSaver, local food banks, Pilot Dogs of Ohio, Ironton Little League, annual Halloween, Christmas and Memorial Day parades, Community Hospice, eye tests and funding for children’s eyeglasses and other worthwhile projects. The Ironton Lions Club is active in a wide range of blindness and diabetes prevention endeavors at the local, state and international levels. The Ironton Lions Club also supports “The Lions Quest Program,” in partnership with the Symmes Valley Multi-Level School, to teach age appropriate positive youth civic development programs. 

In 1896, before the “big” furniture stores were even thought about...McCauley’s had been proudly serving Lawrence County for 8 years!

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The Ironton Overlook Park is maintained by the Lions Club. (Submitted photo)

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PROFILE 2020

ABOVE: The reopening of the State Route 75 Tunnel, maintained by the Lions Club as a tourist attraction, in 1998. RIGHT: A copy of the Ironton Lions Club founding document from 1923. (Submitted photo)

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62 PROFILE 2020

A&L Home Care and Training Center LLC........................39 A New You Salon and Spa...............................................49 A Touch of Grace................................................................4 Allyn's Jewelers...............................................................11 Area Agency on Aging District 7.....................................55 Armstrong..........................................................................1 Bartram's..........................................................................18 Briggs Lawrence County Public Library...........................22 Buckeye REC....................................................................45 Cabell County Public Library............................................25 Calvary Baptist Church.....................................................40 Central Christian Church..................................................41 Charlie's Tire Sales Inc..................................................4,33 Church of the King...........................................................40 City of Ironton....................................................................3 City Mission Church.........................................................41 City National Bank...........................................................25 Coal Grove Nazarene.......................................................41 Community Action Partnership/HEAP..............................53 Community Hospice.........................................................53 Concrete Poured Walls....................................................18 Coriells Bulldog Containers.............................................59 Dale's Tax Service LLC.......................................................4 Dickess Insurance..............................................................4 DVR Storage Inc.................................................................4 Eastham and Associates....................................................4 Family Medical Centers...................................................51 First Baptist Church of Ironton.........................................41 First Presbyterian Church.................................................41 Giovanni's of Coal Grove..................................................59 Giovanni's Wholesale......................................................29 Guy's Floor Covering........................................................22 Harbor Healthcare of Ironton...........................................18 Hecla Water Association.................................................17

Highland Memorial Gardens and Chapel Mausoleum....55 Holzer...............................................................................63 Hospice of Huntington Inc. in Ohio..................................29 Jim Howard and Son Body Shop and Towing...............4,43 Hurley Insurance................................................................4 Ice Creek Missionary Baptist Church...............................40 Impact Prevention............................................................32 Ironton Council for the Arts.............................................31 Ironton First Nazarene.....................................................40 Jeffersonville Missionary Baptist Church.......................40 Katimali's.........................................................................43 Kingsbrook Lifecare Center..............................................59 Knipp Tours LLC................................................................25 KOA Campground.............................................................49 L&J Dairy Bar.....................................................................4 Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce.......................19 Lawrence County Early Childhood Academy...................61 Lawrence County Museum..............................................11 Leatherwood Missionary Baptist Church........................41 Lindsey Wilson College...................................................32 Lou's Style Shop.................................................................4 Mamre Baptist Church.....................................................41 Marathon.........................................................................13 McCauley Furniture and Carpet.......................................60 McMeans Pharmacy..........................................................4 Morning Pointe Senior Living and Memory Care............61 Ohio Means Jobs.............................................................66 O'Keefe-Baker Funeral Home...........................................59 Park Avenue Apartments.................................................64 Patrick Insurance Agency Inc.............................................4 Robert G. Payne, CPA.........................................................9 Perry Distributors Inc.......................................................57 Phillips Funeral Home......................................................22 Pickett Concrete...............................................................18

Profile 2020

Quality Care Nursing Services/Ultimate Health Care.....67 Ray's Roofing......................................................................4 Resurrection Hope UMC..................................................41 Riverside Recovery Services LLC.....................................55 E.L. Robinson Engineering...............................................32 Rock Hill Local School District.........................................65 St. Joseph Church............................................................41 St. Lawrence O'Toole Church...........................................41 St. Mary Church...............................................................41 Sanctuary of the Ohio Valley...........................................60 Slack and Wallace Funeral Home....................................45 South Point Church of Christ............................................41 South Point United Methodist Church.............................40 Southern Ohio Medical Center........................................68 Stephens and Sons Insurance...........................................4 Sugar Creek Missionary Baptist Church..........................40 Superwash.......................................................................59 Symmes Valley Local School District...............................23 Tackett's Body Shop.........................................................25 Jim Taylor Construction.....................................................4 Tri-State Baptist Temple..................................................40 Tri-State Worship Center at The Point.............................40 United Way of the River Cities..........................................2 Vesuvius......................................................................34,35 Village Floor Covering........................................................4 Weber West Eye Care......................................................31 Woodland Chapel Freewill Baptist Church......................41 Zoar Baptist Church.........................................................40

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Lawrence County

120 N. Third St. • Ironton, Ohio

740-532-3140 A proud partner of the American Job Center network Our One-Stop is a service to our community. The free services are here for anyone.

Lawrence Services Available • Resume writing County• Academic and computer • Interviewing • Application preparation • Labor Market information • Work Keys • GED test preparations/testing site • On-the-job training • Individual assessment • Career exploration • Suboxone program

workshops • Employability skill training • Workforce database for employers • Ohio Benefits Bank • Marketplace Healthcare • Workshops and seminars geared toward Healthcare/Medicaid • Mental health, alcohol and drug programs

• Behavioral Health Program • Collins Career Center • Healthcare for the Homeless Program • Home Energy Assistance Program • Homeless Assistance Programs • Housing Assistance Program • Ironton-Lawrence County Area Community Action Organization • Ironton Metropolitan Housing Program

• Lawrence County Department of Job and Family Services • ODJFS Veteran Services • Ohio University Southern Campus • Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities • Southeastern Ohio Legal Serices • VANTAGE Aging • Women, Infant and Children Program (WIC)

Lawrence Agencies located within the One-Stop County • ASPIRE

Quality Care NURSING SERICES

ULTIMATE HEALTH CARE

Offering services for any situation a caregiver could be of benefit EXAMPLES OF TIMES WHEN A CAREGIVER IS NEEDED: • • • • •

Alzheimer’s Parkinson’s Stroke Respite care Emphysema

• Wheelchair bound • Bedridden • Hospice • Companionship

EXAMPLES OF CAREGIVERS CAN ASSIST WITH: • • • • • • • •

Getting out of bed Getting dressed Food preparation and shopping Walking Physical therapy Personal hygiene Assist with catheter Diapers, bed bath

• • • •

Assist with oxygen Assist at night Administer medication Assist with bathroom requiremets • Attend to bedridden patients • Assist with colostomy bag

501 WASHINGTON ST., SUITE 13, SOUTH POINT

740-377-9095

When youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re fighting cancer, When youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re fighting cancer, there is strength in numbers. there is strength in numbers.

Eachday dayatatSOMC SOMC Cancer Cancer Services Each Serviceswe wecome come togetherasasone onecoordinated coordinated team in in together teamwith withone onegoal goal mind. To help you beat cancer, right here at home. mind. To help you beat cancer, right here at home. With state-of-the-art technologies and proven With state-of-the-art proven treatment plans andtechnologies therapies, it isand the care treatment plans therapies, it is the care we show and theand hope we give. Together.

we show and the hope we give. Together.

SOMC Cancer Center

1121 Kinneys Cancer Lane | Portsmouth, OH 45662 SOMC Center (740) 356-7490 | www.somc.org/cancer

1121 Kinneys Lane | Portsmouth, OH 45662 (740) 356-7490 | www.somc.org/cancer