One morning walking to work, I dodged scaffolding, skirted orange temporary fencing, performed in a brief ballet with burly construction workers, and almost fatally shared space with a home furnishings truck. At first, I was overcome by all of it. Then I realized that it spoke more than what I was seeing on the surface. Construction means things are happening here. People are moving in, people are settling in, people are buying in to this city and its magic. Who wouldn't?
In the short time I was there, I ate edamame at a trendy Japanese sushi bar, sipped coffee at a Belgian waffle house, had a cocktail in the business district and a beer in the arts district. If you live in downtown Cincinnati, this is your everyday life, and trust me, it is beautiful.
Then it was time to leave. As I traveled on 471, getting further and further from the buildings that stretch to the sky, I wanted to make a U-turn; I wanted to turn right back around. I wanted cry.
It makes my heart hurt to drive back to Ironton, to poverty, to ugly.
I can't bear to hear one more story about how bustling Ironton used to be. I feel cheated and angry that I didn't get to experience it. In the hallway of the library, I find myself staring into the black and white photos of old Ironton; my children tapping impatiently on me, "Let's go mom". But I can't move. I'm trying to imagine where the building in this picture once stood, or what it must have been like to see that building without plywood on its windows. I want to whisper to the smiling people in the old photos-enjoy this special little town as you know it. Enjoy it while you can.
I have possessed this level of passion for our city for as long as I can remember. When I was much younger, I couldn't understand why someone didn't just build expensive restaurants and malls in Ironton. That would make the people come. When that never happened, I thought about writing to Oprah. I would tell her about our little town and what it once was. She would pity us and hand us money. That never happened.
So, I've secretly told my children, "When you grow up big, get out of here and don't you look back".
But then I realized: I look back every day. I drive past Etna Street park each morning while taking the kids to school. I swung high on that Tin Man swing set. I spun wildly on that same metal saucer to the point of sickness.
I bought a home across the street from my childhood home. I used to skate down this very driveway when I was nine. I used to cut through this very backyard to get to my best friend's house. My kids make buckeye necklaces from the same tree that I used to.
When I shop at Unger's Shoe Store, my children play with the same wooden trains that I played with as a child. When my children sled down Moulten's hill, they hit the same terrifying "hump" that I used to.
So, keep your fancy bricks and mortar, I'm going to create my space. And I'm going to start by spinning my daughter on that old metal saucer until she pukes. Hopefully, someone will catch it on camera and display it in the library halls one day.
I couldn't agree with you more, but there are groups here like Beautification Group or Friends of Ironton. We don't need Oprah to help, we need more people who are as passionate as we are about changing our city. Let's work together and make our city the place it once was! http://www.irontontribune.com/2014/04/29/ironton-needs-volunteers/
ReplyDeleteYou make me want to come there. :)
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed reading this. I too find myself mesmerized by what Ironton once was.
ReplyDeleteI moved out of Ironton two weeks ago after spending most of my 62 years in the same neighborhood, and you know what? So far I don't miss it, I've put it behind me. I live in a smaller but more thriving town where new homes are going up and I don't have to drive across the river to get to Walmart, Lowe's or Kroger, for instance, they're HERE, in town. Some good people are trying to revive Ironton, but unless the idea of crossing the river to spend money isn't changed then most likely nothing in Ironton will change.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same I lived in the area for 38 years....Coal Grove-Ironton....I can remember growing up there..Ironton was a ghost town around 6-7 years ago if not before that.And why they don't want to do anything about it is beyond me...Right you have to go across the river to get anything just about..I feel sorry for the kids growing up there now..not having the things that was there before......Miracles happen every day....Ironton needs one....
DeleteTo mr sazz james hannon. Thanks so very much for the badgering of the town i hope you stay where you are and never step foot back in Ironton Ohio no matter how bad it is or gets it's still home!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteAs a Lawrence county native, I too feel the sadness and disbelief about what Ironton once was, and is now. Our generation watched our fathers work the dying days of the last few jobs in town at the Allied Chemical Solvay and Dayton Malleable. We all knew that upon graduation, we were destined to either move away or pull a trailer on our parent's property and try to make it working some minimum wage/20 hour a week "job". The "powers that be" have ran everything out of town and don't seem to want anything to come back. It's hard to imagine that we once had our own movie theatre and dozens of other great "mom & pop" businesses. By the time we were teenagers, the only activity we had left was "cruising" on the weekends. It wasn't long before that started being driven out of Ironton too, (in a gestapo-like fashion by the local police) It saddens me to come home now and see another business shut down..another hillside out on state route 93 clearcut for timber..another nail in the coffin of a once thriving community. It will always be home for us, but it's a bittersweet reunion every time coming back. Sadly, until the "old money" that runs the town dies off, or some enterprising person decides to buy these fogies out and make Ironton great again, we'll be stuck looking at old pictures and reminiscing about how great "Little Chicago" used to be.
ReplyDeleteIronton...where to begin. As a teen I used to cross the bridge to go cruising and hang out like most teens. The police would badger and harass everyone with out of state plates. I understand its a pain knowing all these teens are out and about driving up and down the road hanging out and all in all staying out of trouble!!! Well the Ironton Cops would issue tickets left and right for Loitering in empty parking lots at 10:00 10:30 at night? Why making money for the broke city of Ironton. Thus people eventually stopped going. I saw 2 boys get into a fight and the cops broke it up and told 1 teen to take his @$$ back across the river and nothing was said to the local. Which all In all is a good thing. Though I understand crowded streets are a pain for people trying to get through. What I don't understand is why would you deter that. Wendys Peddlers Gas Stations wer all in business because teens would come over and spend money left and right on just gasoline alone. Teens used to drive down to the boat docks and hang out. The city of Ironton ran off people who whether mildly annoying or not, were bringing in money to the business. May not be alot of money but still generating income. People now only cross the bridge to buy Alcohol. Its easier than having to deal with Ashland...I know of tons of Veterans from Ohio who come across the bridge to drink in KY because they don't have to deal with the corrupt Ironton police. The powers that be in Ironton are doing nothing but running the city into the ground and they don't care as long as their pockets are full. Ironton needs to clean up 9th Street! Nobody wants to live in Ironton or around it because of that. Im not saying Ashland is great but its still nicer than Ironton. I know tons of people from there that moved over here because of how bad Ironton has got.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ms. Boggs that Ironton doesn't need Oprah, but Mr. Hannon's point is sadly true. Challenge yourself to spend a week, or even 3-4 days without running across the river for anything. Look for it in town. If you can't find it, consider whether you really need it. If you do, start asking the local businesses if they can get it. If you already shop, eat, play in town, then share what you know with others and encourage them to patronize those businesses, too. Will it be more expensive and maybe not quite what you want? Probably, but change has to start somewhere. Save gas, shop locally!
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