Tenth Street Station
The pagoda-style train station at the northwest corner of Tenth and Waller Streets is shown as it appeared in the 1890's. The N&W (Norfolk & Western) and B&O (Baltimore and Ohio) tracks continued west on Tenth St. in front of the station, while the CP&V (Cincinnati, Portsmouth and Virginia, which the N&W acquired in 1901) turned northward behind the station. The wood-burning engine on the N&W tracks is thought to have belonged to the Scioto Valley RR, which the N&W acquired in 1890. The station was abandoned in 1931 and razed in 1968. The jitney, pulled by horses, delivered passengers to their destinations upon arrival by train.
Market Square
Market Street, along with neighboring streets, was the hub of retail business in Portsmouth from 1803 until the turn of the twentieth century. During the summer months, farmers brought their produce to town where the residents could purchase fresh fruits and vegetables. Many riverboat captains and passengers traveling the Ohio River often stopped over in Portsmouth and stayed at the Washington Hotel (seen in the background). In recent years the hotel was remodeled and converted to a senior citizen residence.
Portsmouth, 1903
This mural depicts a view of Portsmouth in 1903 as seen from Kentucky. The mural was painted from a composite of four photographs taken from the Carl Ackerman historical collection. The floodwall was not present at that time and many landmark buildings are easily recognized. The Scioto River converges with the Ohio River at Portsmouth. One hundred years after Henry Massie drew the first plat, Portsmouth had grown to a city of 17,870 citizens. The farmlands west and north of the city were some of the richest in Ohio because the yearly flooding created a fertile delta. The smokestacks in the background were from the Burgess Steel and Iron Company, which employed more than 500 men. The businesses on Front Street flourished because of their proximity to the Ohio River. Market Street had become the central street during the 1800's. Boats docked at the foot of the street delivering goods to the city. The [illegible] completed in 1872 and was used by many social clubs. The newest hotel was the Washington, which opened in 1900 as the most modern hotel in Ohio. Each room had a telephone, electric lighting and refrigerator all for [illegible]. This mural measures 20 x 160 ft. and is the longest in the Floodwall Mural Project.
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