1981 Map of Ironton

About this map

The Ohio River valley serves as the central artery for this tri-state region, where the industrial and natural landscapes of Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky converge. In the early 1980s, the area's economic foundations are visible through the extensive rail networks of the B & O RR and N & W RR that parallel the riverbanks. The map documents the persistent legacy of the region's iron industry with locations like Harrison Furnace and Scioto Furnace, while simultaneously highlighting the massive federal footprint of the U.S. Reservation Atomic Energy Commission. This industrial presence is balanced by the vast wooded tracts of the Wayne National Forest and the Cooper Hollow Wildlife Area, illustrating a landscape of heavy industry surrounded by managed wilderness and recreational spaces like Greenbo Lake State Resort Park.