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The current Scioto County Courthouse is the 3rd such courthouse in county history. The first county courthouse was completed in 1817 and was located in what is now the park area between the Washington House and the Biggs House in the Bonneyfiddle area. It was a two-story brick structure 40 feet square with a symbol of the angel Gabriel blowing a trumpet on top of the building’s cupola. The second county courthouse was completed in 1837 and was located in what is now the west parking lot of the current courthouse. It was a two-story structure that had a large entrance hall and a private staircase in which judges ascended to their chair. The third and current courthouse was completed in 1927 and is widely acclaimed as one of the finest county courthouses in the state. (Pictured above is a drawing of the 1st Scioto County Courthouse, the 2nd Scioto County Courthouse and also the 3rd (current) Scioto County Courthouse under construction and the finished Courthouse.) (Thanks to www.thehistoryofsciotocounty.com for the use of the photos.) and (Thanks to Jason Burk of the Scioto County Sanitary Engineer's Dept. for the drawing of the 1st Courthouse.)
More of our country's presidents came from Ohio than from any
other state. Eight American presidents were elected from the
Buckeye State, earning Ohio the nickname "the Mother of Presidents."
 United States Flag  U S Presidential Flag  U S Presidential Seal  State of Ohio Flag  State of Ohio Seal  Scioto County Ohio Flag  |
 9th President (1841-Died in office) Whig Party Birthplace: Berkeley Plantation, Virginia Lived in North Bend, Ohio when elected president. Facts about Presidency: Harrison arrived at his inauguration by train, the first President to do so.. In 1841, the U.S Supreme Court handed down the decision to free the Africans taken from the slave ship Amistad.  18th President (1869-1877) Republican Party Birthplace: Point Pleasant, Ohio Facts about Presidency: The first transmission of human voice on telephone was successfully carried out by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876. Also that year, U.S. Forces led by General A. Custer were destroyed at Little Big Horn by Native American forces commanded by Sitting Bull.  19th President (1877-1881) Republican Party Birthplace: Delaware, Ohio Facts about Presidency: Saw the end of the Reconstruction Era in the South. The first telephone was installed in the White House in 1879.  20th President (1881-died in office) Republican Party Birthplace: Orange, Ohio Facts about Presidency: In 1881, the American Red Cross was founded by Clara Barton. Garfield was assassinated July 2, 1881 only six weeks after he took office. |
 23rd President (1889-1893) Republican Party Birthplace: North Bend, Ohio Facts about Presidency: Oklahoma was opened to settlement. The International Copyright Act passed. The first Pan-American conference was held in 1889.  25th President (1897-1901-died in office, second term) Republican Party Birthplace: Niles, Ohio Facts about Presidency: The United States declared war on Spain. Under William McKinley the United States gained Its first overseas possessions - Puerto Rico and Guam.  27th President (1909-1913) Republican Party Birthplace: Cincinnati, Ohio Facts about Presidency: Served as Chief Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court from 1921-1930 (Only President to serve on the U. S. Supreme Court) Admiral Robert Peary and Matthew Hensen reached the North Pole in 1909. On July 2, 1909, the Sixteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was enacted giving Congress the power to levy and collect income taxes.  29th President (1921-1923-died in office) Republican Party Birthplace: Corsica, Ohio (now Blooming Grove) Facts about Presidency: Harding was the first president to ride in an automobile to his inauguration. He was the first American President to take office after World War I. |
Above is a picture of Henry A. Lorberg. Mr. Lorberg was a publisher and historian near the turn of the previous century. Many of the historic pictures that we enjoy today are due to the efforts of Mr. Lorberg. Mr. Lorberg also played a major role in Andrew Carnegie’s $50,000 gift to Portsmouth for a new library in 1901. Shown below of his picture is the letter indicating Carnegie’s approval of the new Portsmouth Library. (Text of letter reads, “July 8 / 01, H. A. Lorberg, Portsmouth, Ohio, Dear Sir, In response to yours of June 24th, Mr. Carnegie will be very glad to provide $50,000 for a free Library Building if the city of Portsmouth pledges itself to maintain the Library at a cost of not less than $5,000 a year. Very respectfully yours, Jas. Bertram”)(Thanks to the Portsmouth Public Library for the photos and story.)
Even before the recent presidential visits by Presidents Bush and Clinton, Portsmouth had its own unique history concerning the U.S. presidency. In 1836, on his way to Washington, President Andrew Jackson arrived at Portsmouth. The picture of the tombstone above is that of Joseph Tanner who passed away as a result of this visit. His tombstone reads “his death was caused by the bursting of a cannon fired in honor of President Jackson’s landing at Portsmouth.”
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(Left) Government Square looking East from Chillicothe St.(Now Roy Rogers Esplanade)
(Right) Old Post Office on Chillicothe St. (Now the site of 5/3 Bank)
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Two former Hotels in Portsmouth, Ohio
(Left) Biggs House still standing at 2nd & Market Sts.
(Right) Hotel Portsmouth was originally located at 177-179-181 West Front St.
In 1912 it moved to 413-417 Front St. (Thanks to Arlene Burton of the
Portsmouth Public Library for the information.)
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Two former Grade Schools in Portsmouth, Ohio
(Left) Original Highland School, replacement school still standing at Grant & Hutchins Sts.
(Right) The Campbell Ave. School renamed Wilson School, now torn down.