Ashtabula Harbor, Ohio

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.