Lawrence County, Ohio
Townships
Editor’s Note: This historical sketch of Lawrence County, was written by the late Attorney H.M. Edwards, one of the county’s leading history students, and was presented to the Tribune by him shortly before his death on Feb 19, 1939.After the establishment of Ironton in 1851, the county seat was removed from Burlington to Ironton where it has remained. Geographically Lawrence County is divided into fourteen townships, one city and six incorporated villages.
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At the close of the Mexican War, this county had a population of 15,246 and ten years later, when the Civil War began the population was 23,176, of which 4,000 lived in the city of Ironton.
In the great war between the states, this county stood loyally to the Union as it had when Andrew Jackson was President and sent 3,357 soldiers to fight for the Union cause of whom over 500were from Ironton.
Another subject which has always been a part of the history of the county situated as it is on the plain of the Ohio River is floods. A flood in the Ohio Valley is a calamity when the river rises to 55 feet and is a major calamity when it rises to 60 feet. The great floods of 60 feet or more are as follows:
1832—63 feet |
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1847—62 feet |
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1883—63 feet |
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1884—66 feet |
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1913—67 feet |
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1937—70.6 feet |
While all the things enumerated were being enacted in the lower end of Lawrence County, fruit culture in the upper end of the county was making great strides and the original Rome Beauty apple tree was grafted in Rome Township and spraying was tried and tested for the first time in America by Ohio State University on the Nelson Cox farm in Windsor Township on Greasy Ridge.
During Ironton’s life history of 86 years, many great institutions have come and gone, playing a large part in the history of the age which it served. Most of those that began when the city was founded are now passed away, but at least three still remain:
The Goldcamp Mill Co. |
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The First National Bank |
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The Tribune Publishing Co. |