Named for an Italian Volcano, Vesuvius Furnace is probably one of the better known furnaces in the area. Built in 1833, Vesuvius was directed by William Firmstone. During its operation, the furnace employed a hundred workers, produced eight to twelve tons per day and three thousand tons per year. It is a recognized as a historical site located in Vesuvius State Park.
Located in Washington Township, Lawrence County, Ohio, Pioneer Furnace was built in 1856 by W. Colvin, U. Tracy & Others. Pioneer could produce 12 tons and had a stack of 45 feet. This furnace was one of the first that used stone coal as a fuel for the furnace.
The Ironton Engine Company erected a building in 1903 on Sixth and Ashtabula Street. W. A. Murdock, Frank C. Tomlinson, H. A. Marting, A. H. Mittendorf, Thomas L. Collett, C.V. Pollock, W. P. Lewis, and A. R. Johnson were some of the men responsible for organizing the plant. For forty years, the plant was the finest machine shops in the Tri-State area.
The Ironton Fire Brick Company was incorporated in June 1917. The company was headed by F. Myers of Ironton. The company produced refractory mortars and cements.
On February 12, 1961, the Ironton Fire Brick Company was sold to the North American Refractories Company. Myers had retired from the business the same year.
Located at the corner of Front Street and Railroad, the Ironton House was one of the first hotels in Ironton. E. Hurd was the owner and manager.
In 1876, the Ironton House became noted for a flag pole placed in front of the hotel. The flag pole was described as the tallest flag pole in the world at the time. It was installed for the Tilden-Hayes presidential election.
In August 1961, the Ironton Machine Shop building was claimed to be the oldest building in Ironton. Erected in 1852, the machine shop was built shortly after the city was founded. It went into operation on July 24, 1852 under the management of J. M. Merrill & Co.
The Ironton Malleable was a division of the Dayton Malleable Iron Company. Dayton Malleable was founded in 1866. In 1916, Dayton Malleable purchased the malleable iron foundry in Ironton. The foundry was located at 2618 South 3rd Street. The same year the foundry changed owners, it produced 3,000 tons.
Not to be confused with the Ironton Rolling Mill, the Ironton Roller Mill was established in 1852. This mill was the fifth industry in Ironton. Unlike the Ironton Rolling Mill which produced iron products, the Ironton Roller Mill was a flour mill.
The flour mill was located on the corner of Front Street and Buckhorn Street. The original owners were H. C. and R. E. Rodgers.
In 1886, John Goldcamp and the Goldcamp Milling Company purchased the property. By then, the mill was known as the Goldcamp Milling Company.
The Ohio Iron and Coal Company started the Ironton Rolling Mills in the later part of 1851. They wanted to create a company to process the pig iron the produced and turn it into something. By creating the Ironton Rolling Mills, they created one of the first major industry in Ironton.
The mill was located on Storm’s Creek near the mouth of the Ohio River. The mill’s first heating occurred on March 1, 1852.
The former Ironton Post Office was constructed in 1913 and located at the corner of 5th and Center Streets. Major Jeremy Davidson was the first post master. He moved into this new office just before the flood of 1913.
The federal government officially abandoned the property on March 24, 1966. Before it was abandoned, the post office served 35,000 people, had fifty-three employees and three contract carriers. In the previous year (1965), the office had handled 4.5 million pieces of mail.
