CITIES AND TOWNS. 345 



hoga river, which we have noticed under head of rivers. This 

 county, eventually, will be one of the most populous in the state. 



All along the Erie and Ohio canal, towns are sprincrinw into 

 life, and no description, can be correct, one month, which was 

 so, one month before. And a volume could not describe them 

 and our work forbids even the attempt to do so. 



Portsmouth was laid out in 1805, on the northern elevated 

 bank of the Ohio, at the mouth of the Scioto river, in latitude 

 38° 43' north, by Henry Massie, Esquire. The Ohio and Erie 

 canal terminates here, three hundred and nine miles in length. 

 The bottom on which it stands, is sufficiently spacious for a 

 population of fifty, or even of one hundred thousand inhabi- 

 tants, though at present it contains only about three thousand. 

 The surface of the town is four hundred and seventy feet 

 above the ocean, and ninety-four, below the surface of lake Erie. 

 To persons passing along on the Ohio river, the aspect of the 

 town, with its factories, large, substantial and handsome stores, 

 dwelling houses and churches, produces a pleasing effect. A 

 splendid new court house and jail, four churches, a market 

 house, thirty stores, two large taverns, and several boarding 

 houses, a printing office, and a banking house, are among the 

 buildings of Portsmouth. Within twenty five miles of this 

 place on the southeast, and east of it, are twenty-five blast 

 furnaces for the manufacture of iron. Besides these, there 

 are six water forges. There is also a rolling mill in the town 

 itself, owned by Thomas Gaylord and company. 



The iron thus manufactured, near Portsmouth, is worth 

 now, two millions of dollars annually, and is increasing rapid- 

 ly, in amount and value. Goods are sold here, annually to the 

 amount of four hundred thousand dollars, besides a large 

 amount of commission business. The total value of the produc- 

 tions of Scioto county, annually, is about one million of dollars. 

 These productions have been constantly and rapidly increas- 

 ing, especially during the last four years. This town must soon 

 be among our largest manufacturing and mercantile cities of 

 the western states, and so continue to be forever. It is now im- 

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