Ashtabula Harbor Commercial District

Ashtabula Harbor Commercial District (HM2A94)

Location: Ashtabula, OH 44004 Ashtabula County
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Country: United States of America
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N 41° 54.016', W 80° 47.882'

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Inscription
Side A
When the Pittsburgh, Youngstown and Ashtabula Railroad was finished in 1873, Ashtabula's harbor became a direct route to ship iron ore to the booming steel mills of Youngstown and Pittsburgh. On the west side of the Ashtabula River, a brush-filled gulley became Bridge Street. New buildings and bridges attest to the harbor's importance as a commercial and shipping hub from the late 19th through mid 20th centuries. Fires destroyed wood-frame buildings on the block closest to the river. A fire in 1886 nearly cleared the north side of Bridge Street. Another fire swept over the south side in 1900. Fire resistant brick buildings replaced frame structures and over the course of rebuilding, the level of the street rose approximately eight feet. In 1889, a swing-span bridge replaced the original pontoon bridge over the river. A bascule lift (draw) bridge replaced the swing bridge in 1925.

Demand for labor in Ashtabula brought Swedish, Finnish, Irish, Italian and other immigrants to the city. Bridge Street served these and other residents, and the marine and railroad trade. Businesses on Bridge Street included department stores, barbers, grocers, attorneys, undertakers, and restaurants, as well as pool halls, saloons, and brothels. Ashtabula's harbor was one of the busiest ports on the Great Lakes, even surpassing



Cleveland as an ore receiving port. It was also reputed to be one of the toughest ports in the world, sharing that distinction with Shanghai and Calcutta. Machines gradually replaced stevedores and this process was accelerated with the installation of Hulett ore unloaders on the docks in 1910. By the late 20th century, mechanization progressed to the point that, under a crew's guidance, ships unloaded themselves. The City of Ashtabula placed the harbor commercial district on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
Details
HM NumberHM2A94
Series This marker is part of the Ohio: Ohio Historical Society series
Tags
Year Placed2010
Placed ByAshtabula City Port Authority and The Ohio Historical Society
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Saturday, August 11th, 2018 at 4:02pm PDT -07:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)17T E 516752 N 4638722
Decimal Degrees41.90026667, -80.79803333
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 41° 54.016', W 80° 47.882'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds41° 54' 0.95999999999989" N, 80° 47' 52.92" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)440
Which side of the road?Marker is on the right when traveling West
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 901 Bridge St, Ashtabula OH 44004, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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