Ironton Sililoquy

A Good Name

March 2, 1966

Written by Charles Collett

Submitted by: Robert Kingrey

The name "Ironton" first appeared on a manufactured product 115 years ago today. Since that date in 1851 the name has been spread from coast to coast on manufactured products in this city, including coal and gas stoves, steam engines, and "Ironton" cement and brick.

The first manufactured product was the Ironton Plow. Rogers, Amlin & Company built the plow factory at Seventh and Buckhorn streets. It was the third industry built in the new town and the headline in the newspaper March 3, 1951, "New Factory Starts Production of Useful Articles."

The population of the town for 1850 had just been announced as 903 and the paper said it would double that figure before 1851 was over. The Ironton Rolling Mill was the first industry and the Ironton Foundry and the Machine Shop, which later became Lambert Brothers at Second and Etna was the second. One of the original buildings of that industry still remains and is used for storage by Meehan Steel Products Co. Before the end of 1851 a flourmill, a sawmill and a nail mill made Ironton a busy place with jobs for all who wanted to work. In 1851, the town, which had been founded in 1849, had a newspaper, a bank, and a river packet named "Ironton" and now the new name was on a plow.

The newspaper said that Rogers and Hamlin were smart in locating their new industry at Seventh and Lawrence to be near the railroad so plows could be shipped to the country where they were needed most. A section of the Crystal Ice Co. plant now covers the location of the old plow factory. One of the big things that happened in 1851 was when Ben Butterfield came to town and builds a wharf boat. The wharf was the same as a railroad freight depot to protect shipments overnight and from rain and snow. The wharf played an important part in the growth of the town. Every city on the river had such a boat, but few remain today.