Ashtabula Harbor, the toughest port on the Great Lakes, was famous for its bars, brothels and bums. Thanks to geography, railroads, immigrants and demand for steel, The Harbor also was a major iron ore receiving port, a vital link between Lake Superior mines and Ohio Valley steel mills. The book presents the fascinating, terrifying stories of this rowdy port town:
The curse that wrecked many of the sailing ships built at Ashtabula;
How railroads transformed The Harbor from a sleepy hamlet to a major Lake Erie ore and coal port, a world leader for a quarter of a century;
The story of the Finnish, Italian, Swedish and other immigrants whose labors built the docks;
Bridge Street’s rapid growth from swale to commercial district;
Innovations in ship unloading equipment, including the mighty Hulett unloaders;
Shipwrecks, fires, floods and dock accidents; The stories behind the lift bridge, lighthouses, resorts and other Ashtabula Harbor landmarks.
Illustrated with historical photographs and maps, this is a book sure to please any reader with an interest in the Great Lakes, shipping, and Ohio's connection to the coal fields of Appalachia.