IRONTON

ironton, a city and the county-seat of lawrence county, ohio, u.s.a., on the ohio river, about 142 m. e.s.e. of cincinnati. pop. (1890) 10,939; (1900) 11,868, of whom 924 were negroes and 714 foreign-born; (1910 census) 13,147. it is served by the chesapeake and ohio, the cincinnati, hamilton and dayton, the norfolk and western, and the detroit, toledo and ironton railways, and by river steamboats. the city is built on a plain at the base of hills rising from the river bottom and abounding in iron ore and bituminous coal; fire and pottery clay also occur in the vicinity. besides mining, ironton has important lumber interests, considerable river traffic, and numerous manufactures, among which are iron, wire, nails, machinery, stoves, fire-brick, pressed brick, terra-cotta, cement, carriages and wagons, and furniture. the total value of its factory product in 1905 was $4,755,304; in 1900, $5,410,528. the municipality owns and operates its water-works. ironton was first settled in 1848, and in 1851 was incorporated.