An interesting story about a Lawrence Countian comes to us from his nephew, Brady Willis, of Forest Dale, the old schoolmaster…..It concerns Purl Willis, 87 of 130 Lathrop Lane, El Cajon, California, who left Lawrence County in 1910, lured by the Golden West…He was a Spanish-American War veteran and was captain of Company I in Ironton…A story in the San Diego newspaper adds another chapter to Capt. Willis’ story.
Soliloquy
News of Long Ago
NEWS ITEMS OF LONG AGO Many important events are recorded in the newspapers of long ago occurring the third week of May…Wm. D. Kelly opened the Exchange Bank on Second Street near the railway track...
Big Stone House
BIG STONE HOUSE – Norman Walton has a birthday today…The retired banker whom I have known since he was a boy living on Washington St., now occupies the beautiful stone home at Fifth and Adams Sts....
I Remember
I REMEMBER – There are many events in a life that every person can recall, but unless they happened in Ironton where the public read about it at the time it happened, readers aren’t much interested...
The Princess Skating Rink in Ironton, Ohio
THE PRINCESS SKATING RINK was located on Third Street, now known as the Sportsman, put a lot of new life in that section of the city in 1903…The big building was erected by T. H. B. Jones, owner of...
Ironton, Ohio in 1905
IRONTON, OHIO IN NINETEEN HUNDRED FIVE – Civic pride was soaring high in 1905…That was the year of the campaign to build a new courthouse in Ironton, Ohio…Voters are a special bond issue election...
Constitution Week
FLAGS OUT – This is United States Constitution Week…The ladies of the Daughters of the American Revolution, James Lawrence Chapter, urge the display of Old Glory, all week…Showing your colors means...
Ironton, Ohio in 1901
NINETEEN HUNDRED ONE – 1901 was the year that Carry Nation, the anti-saloon agitator, was smashing bar mirrors, bottles, and glasses with her hatchet…President McKinley was shot at the Pan-American...
An Exciting Day
AN EXCITING DAY – One hundred and three years ago this date, July 12, 1863, was an exciting day in this town, according to the story in the weekly newspaper…The town was alarmed over the spreading...
It Happened Here
IT HAPPENED HERE – A headline in the Herald-Dispatch Monday morning turned the memory calendar back to 1933 for this columnist, a memory that many senior citizens will recall…Franklin D. Roosevelt...
How About Jimmy Durante?
HOW ABOUT JIMMY DURANTE? – One question asked was could we tell them a good story about the courthouse?… There are so many to tell we offered a choice – the big vote steal of 1936, the election...
The City’s Finest
THE CITY’S FINEST – The biggest Open House Party in the city's history is anticipated on October 5, when members of the families of the Ironton Division of the Dayton Malleable Iron Company are...
He Loves Ironton Ohio
HE LOVES IRONTON, OHIO – The man with snow-white hair like Santa Claus, whom we met standing with a cane on the sidewalk at the old Marlow Theatre corner, is a gentleman who truly loves Ironton, now...
New Parking Lot
NEW PARKING LOT – The big new parking lot of the Dayton Malleable at Third and Vine streets will be ready for the Open House celebration in which the entire city is invited to take part on October...
Taps for Howard Lewis
TAPS FOR HOWARD - Another of our long ago friends answered the final roll call Sunday…Howard C. Lewis, the West Ironton boy who sang with the old Spanish-American War brass band died in Detroit...