On October 1, 1897, the skyline of Ironton was lit by flames. The Newman and Spanner Saw Mill had caught fire. At the time, the mill had eight million feet of lumber stored on the property.
The fire quickly spread from Newman and Spanner Saw Mill to the Penn Lumber Company on Jefferson.
A call went out to neighboring towns for help. Portsmouth, Ohio and Ashland and Catlettsburg, Kentucky sent assistance.
At one point the flames threatened the water pumps at the City Water Works located on Vernon.
By the time the flames were extinguished, the town had $200,000 worth of damages. All the homes located on Front Street were destroyed. Marting, Keiser and Company; Flehr’s Shoe Store; Peter’s Shoe Store; and C. H. Ketter suffered damages from the fire. Ashes covered the town from Washington Street to Jefferson Street and from Second Street to Front Street.
