With internments dating back to the early 19th century, the Kinney-Briggs Cemetery serves as the final resting place for many of the earliest settlers in Portsmouth. Among those interned here are officers and soldiers from the nation's earliest wars, the first settlers in the Ohio River Valley, and members of the Kinney family whose homestead now serves as a local history museum. Due to the poor maintenance and record-keeping, this important landmark was nearly lost to history as it was completely overgrown and forgotten. However, the cemetery was rediscovered in the 1990s by a group of local children playing out in the woods. Starting with those children, efforts were taken to clear the cemetery and local historians and preservationists have worked to study the history of those interred here and preserve the integrity of the tombstones.
Aaron Kinney and Mary Clingman settled into this home in 1804 after moving here from Pennsylvania. The 1810 House is currently owned and operated by the Scioto County Historical Society after the death of Kinney's granddaughter in 1946. She was the last resident of the 1810 house before the house turned into a museum. The Kinneys were a very well-known family in Portsmouth, Ohio, and volunteers at the house strive to keep their legacy lasting forever. The museum contains many artifacts that are over 200 years old, one artifact specifically dating back to the 17th century. The 1810 House is open to tours on a regular basis.
A member of the Ohio Community Theatre Organization (OCTA), this local volunteer-run theater company has produced and directed hundreds of plays and events over the past seven decades. The organization dates back to the post-World War II era when area residents formed a theater company and performed plays and musicals at the local high school before acquiring this former movie house. Portsmouth Little Theatre offers shows throughout the year that are produced by volunteer directors and actors, and the organization is sustained by donations and ticket sales.
Excelsior Shoe Factory was established in 1889 and soon became one of the most prominent employers in Portsmouth. This factory on Murray Street opened in 1914. Founded as the Excelsior Shoe Company, the business produced shoes throughout the early 20th century. The nephews of founder John E. Williams reorganized the family business and created a shoelace factory under the name Williams Manufacturing. Several other shoe factories operated in and around Portsmouth at this time and only one was eliminated by the Great Flood of 1937. In 1950, two large shoe companies-Excelsior and Shelby- accounted for about one-eighth of Portsmouth’s total workforce. A flood of foreign competition left a more lasting mark on the industry than the river floods that temporarily stymied production. Foreign competition led to the closure of the shoe factories although this building was still in use thanks to Mitchell Manufacturing which survived by focusing on the production of shoelaces in multi-packs under the name Mitchellace. Although the region was once home to many shoe factories, this former Excelsior Shoe Factory building is home to the only surviving company. Sole Choice is one of the last remaining American companies to manufacture shoe-related products. Perhaps a fitting metaphor for an industry that once employed thousands in the area, Sole Choice operates out of a small portion of the former Excelsior factory.
In 1935, Portsmouth opened its first baseball park, Riverside Park. Two minor league teams used the field from 1935 to 1940, first the Portsmouth Pirates, then the Portsmouth Redbirds. After the team left Portsmouth, the field was then used for local games. In 1966, it was renamed for former Redbirds and Brooklynn Dodgers’ manager Branch Rickey, who signed Jackie Robinson in the 1940s. Local college Shawnee State University took control of the field in 1992 and still uses it today.
By 1934, professional sports had become something only large cities could financially support. Portsmouth, Ohio, the last small city in the National Football League (outside of Green Bay, Wisconsin) had struggled to remain viable. Beginning as a semi-pro team in 1929, the Spartans were very successful on the field. Enjoying great fan support, the team was provided a new home in 1929, Spartan Stadium. An invitation to the NFL came in 1930. On March 24, 1934, the sale of the Portsmouth Spartans to an ownership group from Detroit, Michigan was announced. With that announcement, Portsmouth’s short but proud professional football tradition ended.
From the original theater's grand opening in 1910, this building has a been an important institution in Portsmouth. In the early years, the theater presented vaudeville productions, musical performances, and over time, the latest Hollywood movies. The building survived two major floods that devastated the city and surrounding communities as well as a fire. Thanks to local residents and preservationists, the building was saved and is now home to more musical entertainment with live bands and concerts being performed throughout the year.
The Southern Ohio Museum, located in an old bank and opened in 1979, showcases Portsmouth’s culture and history. Permanent exhibits include the Wertz Collection’s Art of the Ancients, with over 10,000 objects that date back as far as the Paleo Indian era when the area was first settled by humans; the Carl Ackerman Collection of photos of Portsmouth from the 1860s through the 1980s; and the paintings of Portsmouth’s most famous painter, Clarence Holbrook Carter. The museum also features a 100-seat theater, reading room, student art studio, and exhibitions from local artists.
Created in 1939 as a memorial for veterans of the Great War (known today as World War I), this Portsmouth memorial bears the names of soldiers from Scioto County who perished in both World Wars and conflicts ranging from Korea and Vietnam to modern wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Names of families' loved ones that served are written on bricks that encircle the memorial.
The Portsmouth Floodwall was constructed after the city of Portsmouth, Ohio faced its most devastating flood in 1937. The Army Corps of Engineers decided better flood prevention measures were needed, and the construction of a new floodwall began in 1940. The wall was completed ten years later in May 1950. In the year 1992 lifetime resident of Portsmouth Dr. Louis R. Chaboudy got the idea that the city should paint murals on the floodwall while on a AAA motor coach tour with his wife Ava. Later a committee was formed, and the decision was made to transform the floodwall into an art gallery depicting the history of Portsmouth and the surrounding area. These murals were completed in October 2002, and now the Portsmouth Floodwall stands as one of the crown jewels of the city. As a result, the wall now serves not only as a protective barrier between the city and the Ohio River but also as an artistic display of the city of Portsmouth’s history.
For most of Portsmouth's history, Market Street was the center of commerce for families and businesses. From outdoor markets in the 19th century to modern supermarkets and department stores, people came from all around the county to Market Street to shop. Thanks to local entrepreneurs, city officials, preservationists, and concerned local citizens, Market Street remains an important part of the city’s economy.
In 1931, a local historian found a rock that dated back to the early 19th century from a lost village called Alexandria. During a civic celebration 1938, the people of Portsmouth dedicated this rock in a small park where the village of Alexandria was located-- the confluence of the Ohio and Scioto River. During the celebration, the Portsmouth Recreation Department named the park Alexandria Point Park, and this rock was named the Alexandria Stone.
This Tour is a Driving or Biking Tour.
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This driving tour includes a variety of historic buildings, landmarks, markers, and museums throughout Portsmouth and neighboring communities in Scioto County. Be sure to explore some of the entries beyond the center of Portsmouth.
