My favorite thing about Ohio towns/neighborhoods is the walk ability. That you could walk from downtown into the neighborhoods was so cool. Living where you can walk anywhere you need to go would be a dream come true for me. Growing up in ❤Ohio, we walked everywhere, to school, to the theaters, to parks, to church, to the libraries, to Doctor and Dental appointments……..everywhere.
Thank you for showing Portsmouth and being positive. The new wave of our downtown renovation is really underway. We recently received a 1.5 million dollar grant for revitalizing our riverfront. Very exciting!!
It’s so sad we allowed our industry to be outsourced. It killed our towns, took our jobs, and left many feeling hopeless and helpless. I have told some of my friends about you guys, and the many towns you have taken us through with these videos. Gone are the days when we were the biggest manufacturing country and now we are no longer self sufficient. In my opinion big business exchanged this self sufficiency for money.
The manufacturing will be back in decade or sooner, as war is raging, it makes big demand on munitions and weapons. The big money is injected into manufacturing, and manufacturing is resumed at significant extent.
"We" didn't do it, but I understand what you mean. If I recall correctly, back in the 90's, Bill Clinton and his administration shared so many of our military secrets with China (I wonder how much money went into his and Killary's pockets) and once upon a time when you called any service number, you didn't have to navigate your way through a labyrinth of recordings, and could clearly understand whoever was on the other end of the line. Also, American made products were high quality and built to last, but those gave way to overseas items manufactured by dedicated employees, while some American workers were too busy striking and demanding $30+ an hour to build something inferior.
You didn't 'allow' it, global developments made the high-paid US population's produce unaffordable compared to cheaper mass-produced goods from what your former president loved to refer to as "s***hole countries". Like all citizens of empires in steep decline Americans can't understand what's happening to them. Meanwhile the rest of us see the situation more clearly and less emotionally and I'm afraid to tell you that the news isn't good. Let's hope you can find a political system with some kind of sanity attached.
I was born and raised in Portsmouth, Ohio. I’ve not lived there in more years than I did. It used to be a beautiful town. I’m happy to see they’re trying to revitalize the downtown area. Sadly, poverty and drugs has taken over a majority of the town. Heartbreaking.
@@josephhoover4542you obviously haven't spent much time in the rest of the rust belt. There are thousands of towns just like Portsmouth Ohio many are considerably worse. Once the jobs leave, and in the rust belt that all depended on manufacturing. Then there's nothing left to sustain the economy of the town and it collapses in on itself. With poverty comes drugs and crime, it's like that everywhere.
My wife was born in Portsmouth Ohio in 1955. Her father was the electrical nuclear engineer who was the engineer in charge of designing and building the Portsmouth gaseous diffusion plant in Piketon and the sister plant in Paducah Kentucky. He managed the Piketon plant until he was transferred to Beaumont Texas to build and manage the Goodyear tire plant there. He ended up dying from the contamination he had come in contact with at the Piketon plant, as did many others who worked in that industry.
Yep, my poppy did too... in 1977.....he wS a free Mason a day ppl came from all over for his funeral.... I was 11.. granny worked at the shoe factory as a few others I knew. I'm still here.....where you at, now? Lol
Reflections of bygone era, old charms, dying towns, efforts to bring back atleast a part, beautifully captured throughout Jos's professional look.Just beautiful to watch. Wonderful effort. Thank you.
Joe, were you a history teacher? You would be a great one the way you share facts and history with us while bringing each town to life. Just found this great channel.
Hi guys what a remarkable feat of painting the mural on the flood wall at Portsmouth, and a nice touch of nostalgia for all the Anglofiles in Ironton - the Union Flag in the window!
Those murals on the breakwall are absolutely amazing! And that Grinchmobile is brilliant! This is one hard working town! and its people have every right to be proud of it!
Very nice program, thanks. One of the reasons Portsmouth prospered from its early 19th century days was that it was the southern terminus of the Ohio - Erie Canal connecting Lake Erie at Cleveland with the Ohio river. This was before railroads so the canal and the river were major transportation arteries for both passengers and cargo.
Who else answers at home when Joe asks a question?? If Joe says…. Am I Right? Me: yes you are Joe! Thank you for all your great videos Joe. Love to you & Nicole ❤
👍Thanks, Joe. Fascinating. 👍Also, as a quirk, it is interesting to know about the Portsmouths in the US, from here in Portsmouth, England (nicknamed, Pompey [ pronounced: POMpee] )
My late mom use to sell medical equiptment in southern Ohio & rural Kentucky when I was a kid during early 80s and I would go along during Summer break. Always enjoyed the scenery during the drive along US 52 to Portsmouth and Route 32 to Jackson & Athens.
It's really cool when a town gets into the spirit of the season with all the decorations. I really like the flood wall murals-- they remind me of the ones in Paducah. Looks like the Dari-Creme is thriving--good to see! (and a great sign as well). Love the shots looking up to the church spires with the blue skies and wispy clouds. Ah, a black cat crossed your path...cue the song "Run Run Run" by The Who 🙂
Portsmouth has lots of pretty features and an interesting past. The murals on the flood wall are priceless. Aha a black kitty cat! A yellow one too! It's a shame the war memorial is in such a bad way. All the churches were attractive. Thanks for the tour.
Back in the late 1980s when we were living in Russell KY I used to cross the bridge regularly into Ironton and shop around (being as that Russell had absolutely NOTHING going on :)). But Ironton was pretty down on its luck then; the mills had closed and many of the former workers were trying to survive. I knew a guy who had worked at the mill when it closed, he was selling his old comics and Western memorabilia at a corner store near the bridge; used to go there often to buy, trade and talk. He eventually closed up shop because of increased competition from the comic store down the street, and finally moved to Tennessee when he found a job at another steel mill there.
We live about 60 miles Northeast of Portsmouth. We just went there yesterday for lunch at The Scioto Ribber and antique shopping downtown. They have been making tremendous gains in rebuilding the downtown. It was pretty bad for a while.
That down town is still kinda bad although it has improved a little the nice murals and hood steak still being one of only a couple of things of great quality in the down town the rest of Portsmouth besides that one decent neighborhood shown is a complete disaster
I drove to Portsmouth in 1975 to get my car license due to it had my initials on it. Still have that plate. That was about the time the shoe factories were going out. Some of the steel plants still around. Last there maybe 1998. Happy it's looking so good.
Another very good video. The courthouses were impressive. Some of your shots were picture postcard perfect. And finding cats is always a top priority. I too was impressed with the housing. Some nice towns in the heartland
Even that Portsmouth has struggled through the years it’s a town that has pride . I like here because it’s small and doesn’t have the troubles like larger cities like gangs and crime. Oh we have crime but not like it’s over welling a& there’s drugs but what state doesn’t. Iv live in 7 different states and in large cities through the years but I came back to Scioto county. Most of the people here try to make it better here and each year we have a day to clean up the areas that need it . There are much more beautiful homes here too it’s a shame you didn’t get to explore more of them & the people here are nice and friendly 😊
My town!! Born and raised, and have never left! Portsmouth is slowly making a comeback, thanks to the revitalized and growing Boneyfiddle District. Come see what beautiful Appalachian Scioto County has to offer! :D.
The murals are truly awesome. Amazing artwork. Especially on the river walls I looked up Memorial Hall. In 2014, bids went out to restore it. However, it was decided not to be practical considering the amount of money involved. 29:05
WOW! IN MY NECK of the woods. Y'all should have tried the Ribber in portsmouth. The week before Thanksgiving my friend's wife's car was stolen right out of her driveway. Turned out it was in a ring of thefts coming from. ...... HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS! They found a suspect but still no car. Today is the 9 th. We're up the rd a ways....oak hill. Glad to see especially portsmouth in good views. That town is terrifying and especially at night! ❤
@@HazDee28it’s like all small towns you can leave your doors unlocked in one neighborhood but go over a few streets and anything not bolted down disappears
Terrifying? That's a stretch. Things are definitely screwed up there for sure. But I can't think of anywhere i would be afraid to go regardless of the time. But unfortunately like most small Appalachian or rust belt towns property crimes are out of control. The tweakers will steal anything that isn't bolted down and some things that are. I have seen some of the homeless camps that are furnished very nicely, and I definitely have my doubts as to whether or not people throughout brand new patio sets, fire pits and grills.
Memorial Hall was sad to see, hopefully they will restore it to its former beauty. It is great to see that they are thriving and trying to overcome the loss of the industries. Thanks for sharing and you have a safe trip. Happy Holidays to you and yours
Joe and Nic ...Thanks for stopping in Ohio !!( I'm a new sub ) Portsmouth is about 30 miles from where I live . You really should have gone to Chillicothe, Ohio! Lots of history here ! (Maybe some other time , Okay ? ) The downtown area is really coming back (it looked old and tired back in the 1990's ) And the Holiday Lights are up in the Park which are so beautiful . Oh...And, we have Cats ...EVERYWHERE ! LOL ( I have 11 of them ! ) God Bless you both ...safe journey.
I know some peeps in Chillicothe. Maybe Joe and Nic will make their way towards the town on a future trip. There’s a lot of good history in Chillicothe, which I think was Ohio’s first capital if I’m not mistaken?
Thanks for not focusing on the negative about Portsmouth. We sure have had enough of that. I have been away from Portsmouth for a total of 20 years, but I still feel very much at home there. Ironton is so much like Portsmouth. They have had better luck in high school football championships though.
I went to college at Shawnee State in Portsmouth. When you were going down 5th street right before the black cat crossed in front, that big house you stopped and zoomed in on is the house I had lived in during college! So cool! They are really trying to fix this town up, but the drugs are such a bad problem. At one point Portsmouth was the OD capital of the state, and had one of the biggest pill mills in the country
It’s crazy how like in port smith they had several streets with no trees in the Blvd and other towns have tons of trees wonder why they don’t plant replacement trees unless it would be a problem with sewer and water pipes.., what a shame streets look so much prettier with trees Another great video joe safe travels God Bless
There was a an excellent book about the opiates epidemic published a few years ago called Dreamland, that had as a central theme the city of Portsmouth Ohio as a place most affected.. The book was named after a place in town that brought townspeople together for fun and recreation in the "good old days." The book shows the sad recent chapter in the city's history.
Dreamland pool. I grew up spending my days at Dreamland pool. I’m still here. Lot of my friends have either been murdered, suicide or fentanyl OD. I’m taking care of 2 of my grandchildren becos their parents are junkies. I’m 64, single and had to quit work to care for them. I only get 480$ a month cash to care for them. Luckily I do get food stamps and WIC. I own my home. Worked my whole life and now at this age I’m raising a 9 yr old and 19 month old. It’s funny to hear Joe talk about how poor people are living off of 400$ a week. I pay my few bills with 480$ a month. It’s crazy. But the kids are safe and doing well.
A guy I know who is a retired new car salesman grew up near Portsmouth. I happened to tell him that I went through this town a couple years ago on my way back from Parkersburg WV and told him how bleak it appeared and I mentioned how they lost their steel industry. He said they lost that back in the 1970s but haven't ever fully recovered but that there are a large number of towns up the Ohio river into Pennsylvania who had the same problem but through industriousness found ways to still do well. His attitude was that it was partly their own fault because other cities along the Ohio were able to so why not them.
I am an 67 years old American man. Husband, father and grandfather. I think old America is alive in me and others, so it is not dead. As for the economy it was necessary to adapt. It is ability to adapt on a dime, I don’t know if young people have those skills, I think it is the case though. Life will teach those skills, if you want to eat regularly.
The murals was the BEST part of the video Joey being that i'am an artist MYSELF i ❤ that . 👍2🐈 The 2 towns were quite cozy and relaxing for some reason @Joe &Nic's Road Trip
You should definitely come and visit Lynden Washington, four miles from the Canadian border I really think it would blow your mind. There’s so much Chuck that you would learn driving into town seeing the windmills and above all the cost of housing and the cost of living in this small little town you would be very very very impressed. ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
My parents and myself and my brothers were born in Portsmouth. My parents met while working at Williams Manufacturing. We lived on Vinton Ave before moving to West Virginia and then to Florida
Very cool video on these towns. The memorial hall building in Ironton looks to have suffered a fire since you can see all of the charring on the foundation on the side alley that you went down. The building must have been really nice at some point due to that stone construction. I also really like the architectural detail that you go into regarding the city hall buildings when you come across them.
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Thank you again for the video I really enjoy them and get to learn and know how things are really are all over the world God bless you and your wife
As soon as someone asked, "Why does he keep saying Rare-Road instead of RaiL-Road", the room would go nuts every time you said rareroad LoL. Thanks for another great video. That wall looked amazing with the murals. I would still be nervous during a flood. Real estate prices seem reasonable too. Thanks for posting another cool adventure.
I live in ironton. This was so cool to watch. The old memorial building used to be the old jail. If you look back the low windows had bars on them. I remember being a kid and the prisoners would always try to yell to get someone’s attention. Ironton really is the best place to live!
Ohio has a few oddly pronounced town and city names. Lancaster is often pronounced lank-aster instead of lan-caster, Rio Grande is rye-oh grand, Nevada is ne-vay-duh. Ironton sounds like arntown, most likely due to the regional accent.
Your channel needs to be seen by the people in power. You show just how much cities are dying and declining. I don't think the public knows just how much small towns can decay and how much society has changed. It is really an educational marvel what Joe and Nic are revealing to the world. It really shows how corporate america, shifts in jobs, and other changes have left so many small towns behind.
Interesting info about manufacturing. I believe the only domestically produced shoes in the USA today is by the Weinbrenner company with plants in both Merrill and Marshfield Wisconsin. I was told the turning point was when Walmart exceeded General Motors as the largest US employer back in the ˋ90ˋs when we were consuming more than what we produced.
Both of my parents were born here in the 20s. My grandmother was a master embroider for Selbys's Shoes. I visited a couple of years ago and was happy to see the downtown building back up again. The friendliest people live here.
Hey Joe, you’ve shown several of Robert Dafford’s murals in many of your videos. I’ve commented on a few of your other videos telling you about the muralist. He’s painted the Portsmouth Murals, here in Portsmouth. He’s painted the murals in Paducah Ky, and the murals that you showed in Lafayette La. He paints them all over the world. Robert is from Lafayette La. Did you miss the cat that Robert painted in one of these Portsmouth murals? Close to the opening of the Floodwall to the Ohio River. I used to help paint on these murals back in the 90’s. What fun we had. Also my best friends son was one of the recent murders you mentioned in this video. He was only 20 and shot in the back. And then in next county north of Scioto County, Pike County where they had the Piketon Murders, family massacred in 2016. It made national news. Between the Wagners and the Rhoden families. They are still waiting on a trial for one of the family members. Anyways, thx for the video of my hometown. 😊
my husband took a picture of me sitting with the cat. So realistic. I am sure it is a popular photo spot. Everyone should go see those murals. They really are priceless.
My grandfather owned a used mail truck and delivered shoes and dentures of all things to local stores etc. From Portsmouth to greater Cincinnati. Starting in the 1940s.
My great grandmother grew up nearby in South Webster, my great grandfather in Ashland, KY. Portsmouth comes up often in my ancestry records. Thanks for sharing!
I enjoy your videos tremendously, but they bring back my regrets that I should have followed my heart when I was younger and found a good way to live in a small town or rural area. I was raised in NYC, but attended an excellent university in the beautiful small SE Ohio town of Athens, not far from Portsmouth. I fell in love with the local people, the towns, the countryside, and the culture and also the simplicity of life. Unfortunately as a young man thinking I'd have forever to figure it all out, I didn't - followed a conventional path....more education and became an attorney. That career took me to the ridiculous region of southern California where I was essentially trapped to run in the rat race. I have no complaints about my life other than aspects that I was entirely responsible for, but I missed out on what my heart was calling me to do. Now retired, I will travel best I can through disabilities, but too late to scratch that itch for starting over in a new environment, and much of the rural heartland is down on it's luck - which is why it's so affordable. About 25 years ago I needed to go to Chicago for my work. When work was done I rented a car and did the kind of explorations that you are doing on TH-cam. Drove down along the Mississippi exploring those states, and eventually made my way to the Ohio River on my way to revisit my old college town. I remember well exploring Portsmouth just as you did. It was probably at its low point then. Yes, erie quiet that didn't feel like tranquility. Downtown was dilapidated and empty. I was surprised to see how much better and brighter it looks now. Before I left the town I bought a local newspaper (remember them?). I checked the employment classifieds out of curiosity, and low and behold I saw listings for what were probably the highest paying and interesting jobs one could find in such a place, including media jobs which I had some experience and interest in. Jobs one would only find listed in "Help Wanted" in a dying town. Still, as I continued driving along the river on my way to other towns and ultimately Athens, I had a fantasy of grabbing one of those jobs and finding an old house on in the beautiful surrounding forested hills, and getting a taste of simple living and Americana in my middle age years. I didn't do it - eventually had to return to the grind of my career and responsibilities in SoCal and get trapped back on that treadmill. So seeing this video impacted me in a very personal way. Btw, almost all of your videos have an impact on me since I have had the opportunity to slow drive across America, Canada, and parts of Mexico a number of times - so I've been to most of the places you feature, and I wasn't flying by on the Interstate either! 😃 Sorry for all the verbiage, but this one really hit me in the heart. I hope to cross the continent again very damn slowly starting in late summer on my way to visiting old friends, lovers, and family along the way. I'll be watching your great content with great regularity before I go and during the few months I will dedicate to the journey.
In the red brick house at 17:20, My grandfather lived , then passed away there and thats the last place I saw him when I was 12 or so,around 1970. . Its being turned into a Historical museum, for other reasons. I grew up in this area, left for 20 years in the Navy, Then spent 24 years in Jackson county, Moved back,and was shocked at the changes here. They have some fantastic restaurants here too.
On the one hand I like your videos as I get a virtual tour of many places I will otherwise most likely never see first hand. On the other hand, some strike me as very sad. Towns that once bustled with activity now nearly abandoned and dying. Abandoned homes now rotting away. Imagine the personal tragedies that led to a home being abandoned...be it loss of wages or loss of life, the homes cry out. Maybe like us, many towns have a life that begins, prospers, matures, declines, and ends...while others go on for much longer. Oh I understand...if you're born in a town where there are no longer any jobs, you have to move to find work and often the elderly with SS and/or pensions are left behind until the clock runs out. Still, just sad. 😞
I'm from Portsmouth too! My father was and my grandfather were also from Portsmouth. Like many others the lack of career jobs caused me to relocate. But there is a lot of history in Portsmouth. Some of it very interesting for sure!
I enjoyed learning about these two Ohio towns. Both have gorgeous homes and some beautiful churches. Interesting history on both. The mural in Portsmouth is very impressive. Looking forward to W. Virginia.
And it has put us in a position of manufacturing very little. If we had a huge problem where we needed to quickly manufacture things like during WWII, we would be in deep trouble.
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My favorite thing about Ohio towns/neighborhoods is the walk ability. That you could walk from downtown into the neighborhoods was so cool. Living where you can walk anywhere you need to go would be a dream come true for me. Growing up in ❤Ohio, we walked everywhere, to school, to the theaters, to parks, to church, to the libraries, to Doctor and Dental appointments……..everywhere.
Thank you for showing Portsmouth and being positive. The new wave of our downtown renovation is really underway. We recently received a 1.5 million dollar grant for revitalizing our riverfront. Very exciting!!
It’s so sad we allowed our industry to be outsourced. It killed our towns, took our jobs, and left many feeling hopeless and helpless. I have told some of my friends about you guys, and the many towns you have taken us through with these videos. Gone are the days when we were the biggest manufacturing country and now we are no longer self sufficient. In my opinion big business exchanged this self sufficiency for money.
The manufacturing will be back in decade or sooner, as war is raging, it makes big demand on munitions and weapons. The big money is injected into manufacturing, and manufacturing is resumed at significant extent.
"We" didn't do it, but I understand what you mean. If I recall correctly, back in the 90's, Bill Clinton and his administration shared so many of our military secrets with China (I wonder how much money went into his and Killary's pockets) and once upon a time when you called any service number, you didn't have to navigate your way through a labyrinth of recordings, and could clearly understand whoever was on the other end of the line. Also, American made products were high quality and built to last, but those gave way to overseas items manufactured by dedicated employees, while some American workers were too busy striking and demanding $30+ an hour to build something inferior.
You didn't 'allow' it, global developments made the high-paid US population's produce unaffordable compared to cheaper mass-produced goods from what your former president loved to refer to as "s***hole countries".
Like all citizens of empires in steep decline Americans can't understand what's happening to them. Meanwhile the rest of us see the situation more clearly and less emotionally and I'm afraid to tell you that the news isn't good. Let's hope you can find a political system with some kind of sanity attached.
Bain Capitol made a mint with their way of shutting down factories.
Thank Bill Clinton. He signed the bill in the 90’s that allowed big businesses to go overseas!
I was born and raised in Portsmouth, Ohio. I’ve not lived there in more years than I did. It used to be a beautiful town. I’m happy to see they’re trying to revitalize the downtown area. Sadly, poverty and drugs has taken over a majority of the town. Heartbreaking.
Yeah it’s one of the biggest dumps in the nation and the dude who made this vid actually made it look like an average city I’m impressed 💀
@@josephhoover4542you obviously haven't spent much time in the rest of the rust belt. There are thousands of towns just like Portsmouth Ohio many are considerably worse. Once the jobs leave, and in the rust belt that all depended on manufacturing. Then there's nothing left to sustain the economy of the town and it collapses in on itself. With poverty comes drugs and crime, it's like that everywhere.
My wife was born in Portsmouth Ohio in 1955. Her father was the electrical nuclear engineer who was the engineer in charge of designing and building the Portsmouth gaseous diffusion plant in Piketon and the sister plant in Paducah Kentucky. He managed the Piketon plant until he was transferred to Beaumont Texas to build and manage the Goodyear tire plant there. He ended up dying from the contamination he had come in contact with at the Piketon plant, as did many others who worked in that industry.
😢 That's sad, I'm very sorry!
That's so sad to hear 😔
Yep, my poppy did too... in 1977.....he wS a free Mason a day ppl came from all over for his funeral.... I was 11.. granny worked at the shoe factory as a few others I knew. I'm still here.....where you at, now? Lol
My husband just retired from the plant 6 years ago. They’re still cleaning it up but I’m sure some day it will come to an end.
How much compensation was paid out?
It's so pretty by the Ohio River. Those murals in Portsmouth are really beautiful. I have a black kitten. She's brought good luck and lots of laughs.
Reflections of bygone era, old charms, dying towns, efforts to bring back atleast a part, beautifully captured throughout Jos's professional look.Just beautiful to watch. Wonderful effort. Thank you.
It has been almost 50 years since I have seen this part of Ohio, nice to see.
Every day I see a cat it's a good day! I'm glad you like cats too Joe!
Thanks for your tours of small towns. It's really interesting.
relaxing content after a tough day
Good stuff.I am a Buckeye,i know my State. Try Holmes County,and the Lake Erie Islands.And not to mention Wine Country in NE Ohio along the lake.
And Hocking Hills, Old Man's Cave area. And Serpentine Mound.
....and Youngstown established 1796. Mill Creek Park (largest of the Metro Parks), established 1891.
Joe, were you a history teacher? You would be a great one the way you share facts and history with us while bringing each town to life. Just found this great channel.
This old towns still celebrate 🌲 it shows they still have humility unlike cities where Christmas is swallowed by greed , great show Joe
Portsmouth is filled with drug overdoses, corruption, and crime what are you talking about?
Hi guys what a remarkable feat of painting the mural on the flood wall at Portsmouth, and a nice touch of nostalgia for all the Anglofiles in Ironton - the Union Flag in the window!
Those murals on the breakwall are absolutely amazing! And that Grinchmobile is brilliant! This is one hard working town! and its people have every right to be proud of it!
That's a beautiful city...I would live there if I could...
No you wouldn’t drugs prostitution,dirty lawyers and judges!
Very nice program, thanks. One of the reasons Portsmouth prospered from its early 19th century days was that it was the southern terminus of the Ohio - Erie Canal connecting Lake Erie at Cleveland with the Ohio river. This was before railroads so the canal and the river were major transportation arteries for both passengers and cargo.
Never knew of the Spartans until now
Videos like this make me so proud to be an Ohioan. I’m in New Orleans now but I will always love my home state and never talk bad about it.
Who else answers at home when Joe asks a question??
If Joe says…. Am I Right?
Me: yes you are Joe!
Thank you for all your great videos Joe. Love to you & Nicole ❤
Thank you, Barbara!
Comprehensive coverage of Two, picturesque Ohio towns. Thanks!....
👍Thanks, Joe. Fascinating. 👍Also, as a quirk, it is interesting to know about the Portsmouths in the US, from here in Portsmouth, England (nicknamed, Pompey [ pronounced: POMpee] )
Jay Foreman has a YT video titled "Why are British place names so hard to pronounce?" The bit of that video from 1:06 to 1:29 is priceless.
My late mom use to sell medical equiptment in southern Ohio & rural Kentucky when I was a kid during early 80s and I would go along during Summer break. Always enjoyed the scenery during the drive along US 52 to Portsmouth and Route 32 to Jackson & Athens.
It's really cool when a town gets into the spirit of the season with all the decorations. I really like the flood wall murals-- they remind me of the ones in Paducah. Looks like the Dari-Creme is thriving--good to see! (and a great sign as well). Love the shots looking up to the church spires with the blue skies and wispy clouds. Ah, a black cat crossed your path...cue the song "Run Run Run" by The Who 🙂
I thought JoJo Gunne wrote "Run Run Run".
Robert Dafford is the Muralist. He painted the murals in Paducah as well.
@@Phllpsmary Very cool! Thanks for the info!
Portsmouth has lots of pretty features and an interesting past. The murals on the flood wall are priceless. Aha a black kitty cat! A yellow one too! It's a shame the war memorial is in such a bad way. All the churches were attractive. Thanks for the tour.
Back in the late 1980s when we were living in Russell KY I used to cross the bridge regularly into Ironton and shop around (being as that Russell had absolutely NOTHING going on :)). But Ironton was pretty down on its luck then; the mills had closed and many of the former workers were trying to survive. I knew a guy who had worked at the mill when it closed, he was selling his old comics and Western memorabilia at a corner store near the bridge; used to go there often to buy, trade and talk. He eventually closed up shop because of increased competition from the comic store down the street, and finally moved to Tennessee when he found a job at another steel mill there.
We live about 60 miles Northeast of Portsmouth. We just went there yesterday for lunch at The Scioto Ribber and antique shopping downtown. They have been making tremendous gains in rebuilding the downtown. It was pretty bad for a while.
That down town is still kinda bad although it has improved a little the nice murals and hood steak still being one of only a couple of things of great quality in the down town the rest of Portsmouth besides that one decent neighborhood shown is a complete disaster
I drove to Portsmouth in 1975 to get my car license due to it had my initials on it. Still have that plate. That was about the time the shoe factories were going out. Some of the steel plants still around. Last there maybe 1998. Happy it's looking so good.
That mural is amazing.
Another very good video. The courthouses were impressive. Some of your shots were picture postcard perfect. And finding cats is always a top priority. I too was impressed with the housing. Some nice towns in the heartland
Thank you!
Even that Portsmouth has struggled through the years it’s a town that has pride . I like here because it’s small and doesn’t have the troubles like larger cities like gangs and crime. Oh we have crime but not like it’s over welling a& there’s drugs but what state doesn’t. Iv live in 7 different states and in large cities through the years but I came back to Scioto county. Most of the people here try to make it better here and each year we have a day to clean up the areas that need it . There are much more beautiful homes here too it’s a shame you didn’t get to explore more of them & the people here are nice and friendly 😊
Sweet little town I think I’m going to have to check out that area the next time I’m down that way.
Portsmouth, Ohio.... a very beautiful city of USA good times 😏
Thank you Joe, as usual, interesting and informative
My town!! Born and raised, and have never left! Portsmouth is slowly making a comeback, thanks to the revitalized and growing Boneyfiddle District. Come see what beautiful Appalachian Scioto County has to offer! :D.
BEST CHANNEL ON TH-cam 💯💯💯
Thank you!
The murals are truly awesome. Amazing artwork. Especially on the river walls
I looked up Memorial Hall. In 2014, bids went out to restore it. However, it was decided not to be practical considering the amount of money involved. 29:05
Interesting.
Love traveling with you guys to some places I’ll probably never get to visit in person!
Thanks for the ride . Enjoyed seeing all those beautiful Churches.👍💕
WOW! IN MY NECK of the woods. Y'all should have tried the Ribber in portsmouth. The week before Thanksgiving my friend's wife's car was stolen right out of her driveway. Turned out it was in a ring of thefts coming from. ...... HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS! They found a suspect but still no car. Today is the 9 th. We're up the rd a ways....oak hill. Glad to see especially portsmouth in good views. That town is terrifying and especially at night! ❤
I'm surprised to hear that about Portsmouth. The crime stats he mentioned were quite low for that town.
It’s almost non American to travel to here and not go to the ribber
@@HazDee28it’s like all small towns you can leave your doors unlocked in one neighborhood but go over a few streets and anything not bolted down disappears
Terrifying? That's a stretch. Things are definitely screwed up there for sure. But I can't think of anywhere i would be afraid to go regardless of the time. But unfortunately like most small Appalachian or rust belt towns property crimes are out of control. The tweakers will steal anything that isn't bolted down and some things that are. I have seen some of the homeless camps that are furnished very nicely, and I definitely have my doubts as to whether or not people throughout brand new patio sets, fire pits and grills.
@@54racemanThe Ribber is way overpriced for what you get. Toro Loco is better i think
My grandmother was born in Portsmouth. They had an NFL team when she lived there! The Portsmouth Spartans (now the Detroit Lions)!
Memorial Hall was sad to see, hopefully they will restore it to its former beauty. It is great to see that they are thriving and trying to overcome the loss of the industries. Thanks for sharing and you have a safe trip. Happy Holidays to you and yours
Fun video. Thx Joe for taking us along.
Joe and Nic ...Thanks for stopping in Ohio !!( I'm a new sub ) Portsmouth is about 30 miles from where I live . You really should have gone to Chillicothe, Ohio! Lots of history here ! (Maybe some other time , Okay ? ) The downtown area is really coming back (it looked old and tired back in the 1990's ) And the Holiday Lights are up in the Park which are so beautiful . Oh...And, we have Cats ...EVERYWHERE ! LOL ( I have 11 of them ! ) God Bless you both ...safe journey.
I know some peeps in Chillicothe. Maybe Joe and Nic will make their way towards the town on a future trip. There’s a lot of good history in Chillicothe, which I think was Ohio’s first capital if I’m not mistaken?
@@Christopher-of-Columbus Yep...Ohio's first Capital !
Chillicothe will be visited, most likely in the spring. :)
Thanks for not focusing on the negative about Portsmouth. We sure have had enough of that. I have been away from Portsmouth for a total of 20 years, but I still feel very much at home there. Ironton is so much like Portsmouth. They have had better luck in high school football championships though.
I went to college at Shawnee State in Portsmouth. When you were going down 5th street right before the black cat crossed in front, that big house you stopped and zoomed in on is the house I had lived in during college! So cool! They are really trying to fix this town up, but the drugs are such a bad problem. At one point Portsmouth was the OD capital of the state, and had one of the biggest pill mills in the country
It’s crazy how like in port smith they had several streets with no trees in the Blvd and other towns have tons of trees wonder why they don’t plant replacement trees unless it would be a problem with sewer and water pipes.., what a shame streets look so much prettier with trees
Another great video joe safe travels God Bless
There was a an excellent book about the opiates epidemic published a few years ago called Dreamland, that had as a central theme the city of Portsmouth Ohio as a place most affected.. The book was named after a place in town that brought townspeople together for fun and recreation in the "good old days." The book shows the sad recent chapter in the city's history.
Dreamland pool. I grew up spending my days at Dreamland pool. I’m still here. Lot of my friends have either been murdered, suicide or fentanyl OD. I’m taking care of 2 of my grandchildren becos their parents are junkies. I’m 64, single and had to quit work to care for them. I only get 480$ a month cash to care for them. Luckily I do get food stamps and WIC. I own my home. Worked my whole life and now at this age I’m raising a 9 yr old and 19 month old. It’s funny to hear Joe talk about how poor people are living off of 400$ a week. I pay my few bills with 480$ a month. It’s crazy. But the kids are safe and doing well.
@@Phllpsmary God bless you.
Looks really nice from Portsmouth England
Great viewing of township and homes building will rebound again
A guy I know who is a retired new car salesman grew up near Portsmouth. I happened to tell him that I went through this town a couple years ago on my way back from Parkersburg WV and told him how bleak it appeared and I mentioned how they lost their steel industry. He said they lost that back in the 1970s but haven't ever fully recovered but that there are a large number of towns up the Ohio river into Pennsylvania who had the same problem but through industriousness found ways to still do well. His attitude was that it was partly their own fault because other cities along the Ohio were able to so why not them.
I am an 67 years old American man. Husband, father and grandfather. I think old America is alive in me and others, so it is not dead. As for the economy it was necessary to adapt. It is ability to adapt on a dime, I don’t know if young people have those skills, I think it is the case though. Life will teach those skills, if you want to eat regularly.
The murals was the BEST part of the video Joey being that i'am an artist MYSELF i ❤ that . 👍2🐈 The 2 towns were quite cozy and relaxing for some reason @Joe &Nic's Road Trip
Thank you for making these videos
You should definitely come and visit Lynden Washington, four miles from the Canadian border I really think it would blow your mind. There’s so much Chuck that you would learn driving into town seeing the windmills and above all the cost of housing and the cost of living in this small little town you would be very very very impressed. ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
My parents and myself and my brothers were born in Portsmouth. My parents met while working at Williams Manufacturing. We lived on Vinton Ave before moving to West Virginia and then to Florida
Thanks for showing us around America very enjoyable to watch .
Very cool video on these towns. The memorial hall building in Ironton looks to have suffered a fire since you can see all of the charring on the foundation on the side alley that you went down. The building must have been really nice at some point due to that stone construction. I also really like the architectural detail that you go into regarding the city hall buildings when you come across them.
Thank you again for the video I really enjoy them and get to learn and know how things are really are all over the world God bless you and your wife
As soon as someone asked, "Why does he keep saying Rare-Road instead of RaiL-Road", the room would go nuts every time you said rareroad LoL. Thanks for another great video. That wall looked amazing with the murals. I would still be nervous during a flood. Real estate prices seem reasonable too. Thanks for posting another cool adventure.
Good work, covering these towns
Thanks Joe 4 the video! Church bell @ the end was perfect!! Stay warm.
Thanks for sharing a brief history of the towns in OHIO.
This is the best travel video on yt
That are very pleasant looking towns.
Hello, Lord spoda I wish you happy holidays & family greetings 😊
Same to you! 👍
Hey Mr. Joe, you look great at the end, wearing your hat and sweater. That shade looks good on you! Safe travels to you and Nic!
Thank you!
I live in ironton. This was so cool to watch. The old memorial building used to be the old jail. If you look back the low windows had bars on them. I remember being a kid and the prisoners would always try to yell to get someone’s attention. Ironton really is the best place to live!
Love the more detailed stats/graphics interspersed with on-foot video of the place. Keep it up!
Plus the historical photos. That’s a great addition too.
Ohio has a few oddly pronounced town and city names. Lancaster is often pronounced lank-aster instead of lan-caster, Rio Grande is rye-oh grand, Nevada is ne-vay-duh. Ironton sounds like arntown, most likely due to the regional accent.
My favorite is Bellefountaine. Pronounced "Bell Founten"
Your channel needs to be seen by the people in power. You show just how much cities are dying and declining. I don't think the public knows just how much small towns can decay and how much society has changed. It is really an educational marvel what Joe and Nic are revealing to the world. It really shows how corporate america, shifts in jobs, and other changes have left so many small towns behind.
beautiful video as always thanks for sharing joe and Nic 👍
Thanks 👍
Interesting info about manufacturing. I believe the only domestically produced shoes in the USA today is by the Weinbrenner company with plants in both Merrill and Marshfield Wisconsin. I was told the turning point was when Walmart exceeded General Motors as the largest US employer back in the ˋ90ˋs when we were consuming more than what we produced.
Haven't been through Portsmouth in 25 yrs. It looks a LOT better than it did then.
Whoop Cat found! Thanks for the Ride Along, say Hi to Nicky for me
I will!
I live just outside of Portsmouth. Thank you for this fascinating video! ❤️
Both of my parents were born here in the 20s. My grandmother was a master embroider for Selbys's Shoes. I visited a couple of years ago and was happy to see the downtown building back up again. The friendliest people live here.
Manufacturing needs to stop going overseas. This is so sad. Our country is falling apart!
Hey Joe, you’ve shown several of Robert Dafford’s murals in many of your videos. I’ve commented on a few of your other videos telling you about the muralist. He’s painted the Portsmouth Murals, here in Portsmouth. He’s painted the murals in Paducah Ky, and the murals that you showed in Lafayette La. He paints them all over the world. Robert is from Lafayette La. Did you miss the cat that Robert painted in one of these Portsmouth murals? Close to the opening of the Floodwall to the Ohio River. I used to help paint on these murals back in the 90’s. What fun we had. Also my best friends son was one of the recent murders you mentioned in this video. He was only 20 and shot in the back. And then in next county north of Scioto County, Pike County where they had the Piketon Murders, family massacred in 2016. It made national news. Between the Wagners and the Rhoden families. They are still waiting on a trial for one of the family members. Anyways, thx for the video of my hometown. 😊
my husband took a picture of me sitting with the cat. So realistic. I am sure it is a popular photo spot. Everyone should go see those murals. They really are priceless.
My grandfather owned a used mail truck and delivered shoes and dentures of all things to local stores etc. From Portsmouth to greater Cincinnati. Starting in the 1940s.
I grew up in Portsmouth, and my parents owned the Suzuki Motorcycle shop there... I moved to GA, but Portsmouth is HOME.
My great grandmother grew up nearby in South Webster, my great grandfather in Ashland, KY. Portsmouth comes up often in my ancestry records. Thanks for sharing!
I enjoy your videos tremendously, but they bring back my regrets that I should have followed my heart when I was younger and found a good way to live in a small town or rural area. I was raised in NYC, but attended an excellent university in the beautiful small SE Ohio town of Athens, not far from Portsmouth. I fell in love with the local people, the towns, the countryside, and the culture and also the simplicity of life. Unfortunately as a young man thinking I'd have forever to figure it all out, I didn't - followed a conventional path....more education and became an attorney. That career took me to the ridiculous region of southern California where I was essentially trapped to run in the rat race. I have no complaints about my life other than aspects that I was entirely responsible for, but I missed out on what my heart was calling me to do. Now retired, I will travel best I can through disabilities, but too late to scratch that itch for starting over in a new environment, and much of the rural heartland is down on it's luck - which is why it's so affordable.
About 25 years ago I needed to go to Chicago for my work. When work was done I rented a car and did the kind of explorations that you are doing on TH-cam. Drove down along the Mississippi exploring those states, and eventually made my way to the Ohio River on my way to revisit my old college town. I remember well exploring Portsmouth just as you did. It was probably at its low point then. Yes, erie quiet that didn't feel like tranquility. Downtown was dilapidated and empty. I was surprised to see how much better and brighter it looks now. Before I left the town I bought a local newspaper (remember them?). I checked the employment classifieds out of curiosity, and low and behold I saw listings for what were probably the highest paying and interesting jobs one could find in such a place, including media jobs which I had some experience and interest in. Jobs one would only find listed in "Help Wanted" in a dying town. Still, as I continued driving along the river on my way to other towns and ultimately Athens, I had a fantasy of grabbing one of those jobs and finding an old house on in the beautiful surrounding forested hills, and getting a taste of simple living and Americana in my middle age years. I didn't do it - eventually had to return to the grind of my career and responsibilities in SoCal and get trapped back on that treadmill.
So seeing this video impacted me in a very personal way. Btw, almost all of your videos have an impact on me since I have had the opportunity to slow drive across America, Canada, and parts of Mexico a number of times - so I've been to most of the places you feature, and I wasn't flying by on the Interstate either! 😃 Sorry for all the verbiage, but this one really hit me in the heart. I hope to cross the continent again very damn slowly starting in late summer on my way to visiting old friends, lovers, and family along the way. I'll be watching your great content with great regularity before I go and during the few months I will dedicate to the journey.
Thank you for the great comment.
28:02-"Two towns, two cats." I guess you can also go Charles Dickens and say "A 'Tail' of Two Cities."
In the red brick house at 17:20, My grandfather lived , then passed away there and thats the last place I saw him when I was 12 or so,around 1970. . Its being turned into a Historical museum, for other reasons. I grew up in this area, left for 20 years in the Navy, Then spent 24 years in Jackson county, Moved back,and was shocked at the changes here. They have some fantastic restaurants here too.
I love in a small town in Ohio, born and raised in the state. Wouldn't live anywhere else.
Wow so happy to see Ironton growing up I and my brother wen here every summer to visit my grandparents
On the one hand I like your videos as I get a virtual tour of many places I will otherwise most likely never see first hand. On the other hand, some strike me as very sad. Towns that once bustled with activity now nearly abandoned and dying. Abandoned homes now rotting away. Imagine the personal tragedies that led to a home being abandoned...be it loss of wages or loss of life, the homes cry out.
Maybe like us, many towns have a life that begins, prospers, matures, declines, and ends...while others go on for much longer. Oh I understand...if you're born in a town where there are no longer any jobs, you have to move to find work and often the elderly with SS and/or pensions are left behind until the clock runs out. Still, just sad. 😞
Beautifully said.❤
Thanks for including Portsmouth. My mom's family is from there.
And orient pronounced or ri ent
Love to live in a small quiet 🤫 town 😊
Ohio looks pretty cool, not gonna lie.
I'm from Portsmouth too! My father was and my grandfather were also from Portsmouth. Like many others the lack of career jobs caused me to relocate. But there is a lot of history in Portsmouth. Some of it very interesting for sure!
My hometown. Glad you did this video.
I enjoyed learning about these two Ohio towns. Both have gorgeous homes and some beautiful churches. Interesting history on both. The mural in Portsmouth is very impressive. Looking forward to W. Virginia.
My grand parents had a log cabin on Lawco lake in the 70s just outside of Ironton
That sky is crazy cool.
That building in Ironton is the GAR Hall. It has a Wikipedia page.
I was just thinking there wasn't a kitty annnd he showed up.😹👍
Enjoyed this.
So interesting, thankyou
Old America is dying, New America is crap. 😪
Fr
And it has put us in a position of manufacturing very little. If we had a huge problem where we needed to quickly manufacture things like during WWII, we would be in deep trouble.
I hate to say it, but you are 100% correct
Billionaires have sucked the life out of America and put nothing back They own the government and expect you to pay their taxes
Even South Africa I can put it that way 😢😢