Villages

Hamilton Township Once Booming; Now Often Bypassed
Based, in part, on a earlier narrative by Lorna Marks

The history and importance of Hamilton Township should not be overlooked. The village of Hanging Rock, the largest village in Hamilton Township, once boasted a bustling, populated area and served as the forerunner of the present day city of Ironton, which later became the leading center for the iron furnaces and industry throughout the county, state and even the country. The Village of Hanging Rock gave the name to the famous and historic Hanging Rock Iron Region which covered more than 1,000 square miles extending into the states of Kentucky and West Virginia and throughout the counties of Lawrence, Vinton, Scioto, and Jackson in Ohio.

In 1825, the iron region was virtually a wilderness. In 1845, 21 furnaces were operating in the Ohio section of the district. In 1884 there were some 42 furnaces in the same district. The area that makes up present day Hamilton Township was a part of Upper Township from 1850 until the later part of the year when Upper was divided and Hamilton was identified as a separate entity. Therefore, the 1850 census figures provide no insights into the history of the township, but the area would soon play a big part in the emergence of Lawrence County as a robust commercial and industrial force.

In 1846, according to most historical narratives, Hanging Rock thrived about 17 miles downriver from the county seat (operating at that time) in Burlington, Ohio. Hanging rock had a church, four stores, a forge, a rolling mill, a foundry, and approximately 150 inhabitants. The town grew rapidly because of the booming iron industry and its strategic river location. The famous Union Landing, where pig iron was loaded onto barges, was situated on the banks of the Ohio within the area of the new township.

Information concerning the naming of the village of Hanging Rock remains sparsely documented, but some scant historical details about the river and local lore provide definite clues as to the origin of the name. Local sages and  old riverboat captains insist that river pilots named the village after so many riverboats floundered on a large, 200 foot rock outcropping hiding beneath the surface of the river, especially dangerous  during summers when the water levels dropped. They advised, “watch out for the hanging rock in the river!”

Some early accounts state that Luke Kelley, his wife, seven children, and Mary Kelper from Russell County, Va., made the first settlement and built the first cabin in Hamilton Township in the late 1700s. Another narrative relates that Andrew Yingling made the first settlement in 1798, near what later became Hanging Rock. Another account asserts that the intrepid settler, Christopher Stump, built the first house near Union Landing in 1799. According to the latter report, Luke Kelley and his family bought the house from the Stumps that same year..

The first steam locomotive on the rails, named The Shawnee, began operation in 1848. Robert Hamilton, for whom the township was named, and Andrew Ellison, were capitalists who controlled many furnace interests in the area. According to many reports, the two men built the Pine Grove Furnace* along with many other furnaces. Hamilton, in his later years, resided in a stone showplace on the riverbank in Hanging Rock.

According to census listings, Robert Hamilton, born in Pennsylvania and owning $80,000 worth of property, lived as the richest man in the Township. He married Nancy Ellison, an aunt of Mrs. John Campbell, wife of the founder and leading capitalist of Ironton. Hamilton later assumed the role of sole proprietor of Pine Grove furnace. Hamilton, a very devout and religious man, sought to bring Christian ideals into the iron industry. He was supposedly the first iron master in the nation to shut down his furnaces on Sundays.

Mr. Hamilton was also one of the founders of the Church of Hanging Rock and Pine Grove. The building still stands on the main corner of the village, near the previous location of the famous log post office. The church, dedicated on November 23, 1850, is still in use and is the oldest occupied public building in the county.

From the days of the three-mile railroad into the hills through the glory of the Hanging Rock Iron Region and now dissected by rail and the U. S. 52 expressway, Hamilton Township has played an important part in county and state history due to its strategic position on the riverfront. Today the eastern sector of the township contains a small part of the city of Ironton.

*Pine Grove Furnace, erected in Elizabeth Township, was one of many furnaces operated by Hamiton. The iron industrialists moved throughout the region in pursuit of their ventures.