Marietta Ohio...First Glance

 Well, as it turned out, with all the short stops along the route, (US Hwy 52 to OH Hwy 7 along the Ohio River), I misjudged the time it would take to get to Marietta Ohio.  That meant that by the time we arrived in town, it was getting too late to do much shopping.  Worse than that, I would have received several demerits if Laurie didn't get to shop in her favorite store in Marietta.

We had stopped in Marietta once or twice before when David II, Amy and the grandsons lived in the Cleveland area.  She loves kitchen related retailers and she had discovered The Cook's Shop at 180 Front Street.  Would the store be open when we arrived?  It had been several years since we visited Marietta so would the store still offer the variety of items that it had previously?

It turned out well for me...and for Laurie!  The shop was still open and it still carried a huge variety of serious kitchen related items plus a plethora of gadgets related to food preparation, serving and dining.  

Laurie scored with 6 different items in her shopping bag...and I avoided censure or worse.  Plus the folks running the store have a 'house dog', and they were friendly and helpful.  Since it was a Saturday, the timing had been critical as although we had another full day planned in Marietta, most stores, including The Cook's Shop, would be closed.  Did you notice those floors?  They are original to this building which was constructed in the late 1800s.  

The Cook's Shop is located at 180 Front Street in Marietta Ohio.  Phone: 740-538-6003.  Website: www.TheCooksShop.com.  Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheCooksShop.

The structure at the right of this photo is historically known as the Marietta Register Building.  Former home of the Marietta Register Newspaper, (1862 - 1906), it was completed in 1888.  The right side of the structure (175 Front Street) is now home to Marietta Makery - Functional Art and Design.  A very nice apartment upstairs can be leased for $1,145 per month.  The left portion of the building is home to Print With Me...Print Kiosk at Jeremiah's Coffee Shop and there is an apartment above that retail establishment as well...

That red brick building at the left dates back to roughly the same period...the late 1880s.  That symbol above the door is for Moose Lodge #1823 and that building at 173 Front Street has been 'wedded' with or incorporated into a much newer structure at its left, the Marietta Moose Family Center at 169/171 Front Street.  In the late 1890s, 173 Front Street was home to a retailer, W.A. Sniffen, Hatter and Gents Furnished Goods.  During some later period, it was occupied by the Salvation Army.   

It was very near this point at the foot of Front Street in Marietta, where the French hero of the American Revolutionary War, the Marquess de Lafayette,  landed in May of 1825, during his triumphal one and a half year tour of the United States.  The bridge over the Ohio River is called the Williamstown Bridge, connecting Marietta with Williamstown West Virginia.

Speaking of the Marquess de Lafayette, this is the Lafayette Hotel, the oldest hotel in Marietta Ohio.  An earlier hotel, The Bellevue Hotel, was built here in 1892.  Four stories tall, it had 55 steam heated rooms, a call bell system in every room and it advertised both hot and cold baths...all for between $2.00 and $3.00 per night.  

Unfortunately, the old hotel as shown above was destroyed by a fire in the spring of 1916.  The Lafayette Hotel was built on the same site and it opened in 1918...with an expansion completed in 1936.  For those of us of a certain age, guests at the hotel have included Pat Paulson and Charles Kuralt.  The hotel is considered to be one of the most haunted in Ohio.  The "Paranormal Quest" team visited, explored the possibilities, and filmed a TV show at the Lafayette Hotel back in 2019.

To learn more about staying at the Lafayette Hotel, just go to https://lafayettehotel.com/.  

After shopping and wandering around downtown Marietta, it was time for dinner.  We decided on Boathouse BBQ for a couple of reasons.  It was a very casual venue, it is a popular local joint/dive and it's situated right on the Ohio River.

The bar at Boathouse BBQ was busy.  Loved the solid slab bar top!  

Almost no one was dining in the enclosed dining room.  It was just too nice outside even for yours truly.  I normally don't like eating outdoors...bugs, wind, sunshine on my bald head, etc.  

Yes, patio dining on the river!  None of these tables were available when we arrived but since the section we were seated in had collapsible windows, our view was comparable to the second photo shown above.  No wind and almost no bugs...combined with early evening light on the Ohio River.  

Here's another look upriver in the direction of downtown Marietta and the Williamstown Bridge.  Very calming indeed...

We also had some river traffic going by...and I love boats almost as much as I do automobiles and airplanes!  Nice night for a cruise!  I do like the old time look when it comes to yachts and cabin cruisers.  The sleek new style streamlined boats that some folks love just don't look relaxing to us.

Time for some food!  Some may be surprised that I chose the Fish and Chips for my entree. ($16.99) The fact is that I knew that given Laurie's dietary efforts and a new lack of capacity on her part, I'd be able to sample some of her BBQ.  FYI, the fish and chips were good if not great.  

Laurie ordered a Vodka and Tonic with Tito's Vodka...more reasonable than usual at $7.00.  They she chose BBQ Pork Ribs with one side...she chose cottage cheese. ($14.49) As I calculated, she couldn't finish her ribs so I had a nice portion of ribs to back up my fried fish.  The ribs were pretty decent too! 

The menu is more expansive than you might think and it offers a few items that one doesn't normally see in a casual setting in the middle of the USA.  To learn more about Boathouse BBQ and to view their menu, go to https://boathousemarietta.com/#.  

As the sun started setting this large grouping of river barges appeared upriver coming from under the bridge.  As it moved toward us, we chatted with a friendly and attractive young couple.  He was a professional dog trainer and she was studying to be a veterinarian.  Later we noted that most young couples barely notice 'older' folks but that these young professional couple were the exception.

The towboat/pusher moving all those barges downriver was the M/V Ms. Nicole.  She has been around for quite a while.  The twin screw push boat was built in 1975 by Modern Marine Power Inc. in Houma Louisiana.  She has had several names during her time on the rivers, including the "Ricky James", "Capt. John H. Palmer", "R.L. Shipley", "Clay Griffin", "Henry Soudelier" and "Mike Kennelly".  Apparently she was renamed the "Ms. Nicole" after she was purchased yet again...

That's about it for now.  Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Following the Ohio River through Southern Ohio

...continuing with our October road trip.  Leaving Maysville Kentucky in the morning, we crossed over the Ohio River on the Simon Kenton Memorial Bridge, then turned east on US Hwy 52.  We followed this highway east and a bit north as it followed the course of the river as far as Sybene Ohio...across from Huntington West Virginia. From Sybene we followed OH Hwy 7 north.  Our eventual goal for the night was Marietta Ohio, our 'home' for the next two days. 

We passed through several small towns along our route.  In Manchester Ohio, we stopped to take a look at the New Beginnings Church and the Founders Cemetery that is located adjacent to the church.  A little research revealed that in 1906 this church had replaced an earlier one on this site.  At that point in time it was the Manchester Presbyterian Church.  However, membership had dwindled and aged, so the last Presbyterian service was held here in late September of 2013.  Only 8 - 10 members of the church congregation remained.  The good news was that the church building was turned over to the New Beginnings Church, which enabled it to remain in use as a church.

The Founders Cemetery is much much older than the church.  The Manchester Founders Cemetery was founded in 1791 and it contains the gravesites of roughly 300 people, including many from the original families in the area.  The cemetery no longer accepts burials...with the last interment taking place on December 22, 1888. 

Manchester Ohio was originally founded in 1790.  This was the first permanent settlement in the Virginia Military District.  The town is named after Manchester England.  It was the fourth permanent settlement that was established in the Northwest Territory...and by 1791 the town's residents had completely encircled the community with a stockade.  With 1,839 residents as of the 2020 census, the population of Manchester is smaller than it was in 1890.  Note: Jack Roush, the founder, CEO and co-owner of Roush Fenway Racing and Roush Performance Products, was raised in Manchester.

Next stop...Portsmouth Ohio.

This is the former Eli Kinney House in Portsmouth Ohio.  This home was one of Portsmouth's showplace residences, built on a much grander scale than nearby properties.

The Kinney Family came to Portsmouth in 1804.  Eli's parents arrived with 4 children but they weren't done with raising a large family.  In all, 12 Kinney children lived into adulthood. One of them was Eli, who was born in Portsmouth in 1810.  The family was very prominent and successful.  Eli was the founder of the Portsmouth branch of the State Bank of Ohio.  Later, he moved to Cincinnati and established the banking house of E. Kinney and Company.

At some much later point in time, this building was purchased by the B.P.O.E., aka the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.  This home is attached at the back to a much newer Elks Club structure forming a complex of sorts.

This is the All Saints Episcopal Church in Portsmouth.  This Gothic Revival style structure is located at 610 4th Street.  The first portion of this church, the Samuel Gunn Parish Hall, was built in 1833, with most of the mass of the structure completed in 1850.   In 1855, it was the first public building in Portsmouth that used gas lighting.  Then it survived an interior fire in 1893 and suffered extensive flood damage in the Ohio River flood of 1937.  The Parish itself dates back to June of 1819, well before construction began on the church.  This structure may be the oldest public building in Portsmouth that has continuously been used for the same purpose since it was built. 

                             

The First Presbyterian Church congregation in Portsmouth Ohio first met in each others' homes beginning in 1803.  By 1816 the congregation was sharing the first courthouse with early Methodists and Episcopalians for 'preaching services'.  Construction of this handsome Greek Revival church building began in 1849.  The congregation...with about 115 members at the time...first gathered here in April of 1851.  According to church members' oral tradition, the storage areas under the church's stairs were used by African Americans who sought refuge as they transited the 'underground railway' to freedom.

This is the Labold House and Garden complex.  Built in 1897, its primary architectural significance stems from a major Colonial Revival renovation of the home in the late 1910s and early 1920s.  Gardens, a natatorium, greenhouse and a garage were all added to the property during this period.  

Simon Labold quit high school at the age of 14 when his family encountered financial troubles.  He started buying wool, hides, produce and more and then reselling his purchases.  At the age of 17, he clerked for a year in Vincennes Indiana.  Then he returned to Portsmouth, carrying on the business of S. Labold and Company.  Then he became a Director and Cashier in the First National Bank of Portsmouth.  He was also the President of the Chicago Fire Brick Company, a Director of 2 other fire brick companies, a drug store, a shoe company and another bank.  He also served as a member of Portsmouth's City Council.  Not bad for not having finished high school!

                              

This is the George Henry Gharky House in Portsmouth.  He was born in nearby Alexandria Ohio in 1813 and he lived in Portsmouth until he passed at the age of 80.  He started out as a carpenter building river and canal boats.  By the mid-1800s he was involved in Portsmouth city government.  He apparently did rather well as he had 2 brick homes built on Fourth Street (this one is at 638 Fourth Street).  I also found a reference that referred to Ohio River steamboat captain and Wharf Master G.H. Gharky.  Note: I did find a connection with 'airbnb' listing showing that at least part of this home is a vacation rental.

Continuing about 30 miles further south and east along US Hwy 52, we came to Ironton Ohio.  This large Neoclassical style structure is the former Ironton Norfolk and Western Railway depot.  The railroad finished construction on this depot in 1907.  Trains ceased using this impressive station in 1969 when it closed.  The city of Ironton purchased the depot and it has been leased for a number of purposes, including a number of restaurants.

So why such a large railway station in Ironton Ohio?  Basically, at the time this depot was built, Ironton was experienced major growth.  By 1890, more people lived in Ironton than there are now.  In the 20 years between 1890 and 1910, the population had jumped by more than 20%.  The reasons were the extensive deposits of iron ore that was being processed in the area's many charcoal-fired blast furnaces.  The transition to more modern methods of steel manufacturing required improved trackage and rail facilities in Ironton.  As the steel industry consolidated and new sources for ore became available, the industry move north.  The local population has been in decline since 1960.

                             

Between Ironton and our next stop in Gallipolis Ohio we stopped and took a couple of photos of the scenic Ohio River and its river traffic.  The towboat, A.B. York is part of the fleet owned by Florida Marine Transporters, which is based in Mandeville Louisiana.  The A.B. York was built in 2016 by Horizon Shipbuilding in Bayou La Batre Alabama.  She is 120 feet long and develops 4,00o H.P.  This was the 19th towboat/pusher that Horizon has delivered to FMT.  

The A.B. York was built to operate in areas that are restricted due to overhead clearances and limitations on draft/depth.  She only has a 10 foot draft and although she has four decks, the pilothouse itself is retractable.  I'll have to check and see just how the latter feature works.

While the Ohio River looks wide and it is navigable from its juncture with the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illinois all the way upriver to Pittsburgh and beyond, it is because of massive modification by the US Army Corps of Engineers.  There are 20 dams and lock combinations from Cairo Illinois upriver to Pittsburgh.  The Ohio River and its 7 navigable tributaries total more than 2,500 miles of waterways.  More than 270,000,000 tons of coal, aggregates, chemicals, agricultural products, plus a variety of industrial and petroleum products move up and down the system every year.

                             

In Gallipolis Ohio, I struck railroad paydirt!  This is the Gallipolis Railway Freight Stations Museum.  It's located at 918 Third Avenue and it was built by the Hocking Valley Railroad in 1901.  It's the only remaining wooden railroad freight station remaining along the former routes of the Hocking Valley Railroad.  It remained a bustling freight depot through changing ownership...Chesapeake and Ohio, Baltimore and Ohio and the Chessie System, until it was closed by CSX in late 1981.

The railcar next to the freight depot is a coach built for the Pennsylvania Railroad in the 1940s.  At one point it was purchased by the Ringling Brother's Circus to serve as quarters for their trapeze artists as the circus moved from town to town.

Ownership passed to the local park district and the City of Gallipolis.  Then in 2015, a group of concerned citizens became involved in the effort to save this 26 foot by 80 foot station.  The Gallipolis R.R. Freight Stations Museum LLC was formed in 2016.

                             

Almost every railroad museum and many old repurposed depots display an old caboose along side.  Cabooses were used on every freight train in the USA and Canada until the1980s when technology and safety laws requiring their presences with full crews were relaxed.  Thousands of them were then abandoned on siding or repurposed for non-railroad ventures.  The Southern Railway Bay Window style caboose shown above was built in 1969.

The caboose at the far right of the photo is relatively rare.  The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's classic wagontop caboose was a custom design that the railroad manufacture itself during the height of hte Great Depression.  The design was developed to reduce expenses but also to increase the car's strength via it's "U" shaped design.  These cabooses were a high quality product and many of them remained in regular service through the Chessie System era.  This is the first one I've ever seen...

I'll end this post with this photo of the Gallipolis Railway Freight Station's 1945 Fireless H.K. Porter Cooker switching locomotive.  The H.K. Porter Company built several different types of locomotives but in 1915 the company built their first fireless locomotive.  These locomotives are equipped with a large pressure vessel designed to hold steam and hot water in place of the usual boiler.

Fireless locomotives had several advantages over conventional steam locomotives.  They cost less to build, they were much cleaner and there was a significantly lowered risk of fire or boiler explosion.  Disadvantages were much like those experienced by electric vehicles today...limited range and a need for a source to recharge or refill the locomotive.  Typical usage was in a mine, a food or chemical plant...for a U.S. Army munitions depot.

The Gallipolis Hocking Valley Railway Freight Station preservation group made a video that will walk you through their efforts and plants to date.  Your guide is one of the founding members of the group.  Check out the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJZZdZvaEBw.  The Museum's website is at https://gallipolisrailroad.org/.  

Gallipolis Factoids:

• A group of Welsh immigrants settled in the Gallipolis area in 1818.  Welsh remained Gallia County's most common second language until 1970.
• Gallipolis is the home of restauranteur Bob Evans.  He opened the Bob Evans Diner here in 1948.  Today the company has 436 locations in 18 states.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Thanks for coming along on our road trip!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Dining Along the Ohio River...Maysville Kentucky

...continuing with our October road across parts of 8 states.  At the end of our day exploring and photographing Maysville Kentucky, it was time for dinner.  We chose a restaurant that is next to and has clear views of the Ohio River.  With the flood walls in the downtown area, such clear view options are truly limited.

This is Caproni's on the River in Maysville.  Caproni's started in the 1930s as a sandwich shop catering to railroad workers.  In 1945, the family purchased this restaurant and they operated it for many years.  Located at the base of Rosemary Clooney Street, it offers a clear view of the Ohio River...and the occasional train that roars past.  In the early years, the railroad station and its workers and passengers provided a major source of patrons.  As time passed, 'railroad customers' had faded, so the decision was made to remodel the building with a wall of windows facing the river, thereby providing a pleasant vista for most of the restaurant's diners.  The Caproni family ran the restaurant until 1990.

Following the Caproni family's departure, a number of different owners tried to run the business. Finally, in 1999, a well known caterer and Maysville native purchased the restaurant.  After extensive remodeling, Caproni's reopened in December of 2000.

We arrived early for dinner.  We didn't have any reservations so early was better.  This early in the evening there wasn't much going on in Caproni's attractive bar area.

This dining room at Caproni's is furthest from that wall of windows looking over the Ohio River...but it does provide a home for that baby grand piano.  The windows are at the left in the photo, across the aisle and 2 spacious rows of tables.

Of course the tables by the window that overlook the river are the most desired tables.  They were all reserved...but this is the view from our table, not too bad for no reservations!  By the time we were about half way through our dinner, all the window tables were occupied.  

So who are these folks?  This is 90 year old Nick Clooney with his wife Nina.  They are George Clooney's parents and they live just down the road from Maysville in Augusta Kentucky.  When they dine at Caproni's they reserve the corner table by the windows...and they are sometimes joined by their famous son and his wife, Amal.  No such luck for Laurie and I on this occasion!

At least 3 Kentucky Governors have dined at Caproni's, as has Hillary Clinton.  While not a reason to have a meal here, it does show that the food and service are for real...as celebrities and dignitaries don't break bread in average restaurants.

I do love water views in restaurants and bars...and I especially like watching lake, or in this case, river traffic.  This big Marathon Oil barges and their towboat/pusher, (aptly named 'Marathon'), cruised by just before we started eating.  The "Marathon" towboat was added to the fleet ca. 2011 and it is 144 feet long and it produces 4,000 HP.

FYI, the Marathon Petroleum Marine Transportation fleet consists of 23 towboats/pushers and 256 barges as well as ocean going vessels.

Back to our dining experience at Caproni's.  We just 'had to' start out with an adult beverage after a challenging day of sightseeing and shopping.  Laurie spotted something different that she wanted to try... 

This was her Blackberry Old Fashioned. ($11.00) It was made with Buffalo Trace Bourbon, blackberry puree and orange bitters.  It was very attractive and she really enjoyed it.  I did get one blackberry!

Yes, even yours truly decided to imbibe.  After all, this was a 'vacation', at least from our normal retired life in the paradise that is East Tennessee.  I didn't get crazy though, sticking with a mild Belgian White from Blue Moon. ($4.00)

In addition to Caproni's regular menu, there were some daily specials.  I've never heard of Italian egg rolls before... The $75.00 King Cut Prime Rib was a bit too steep for my wallet...although I was tempted by the Sicilian Swordfish.  

With Laurie's continued weight loss and less appetite, we skipped the list of appetizers.  In any case, all entrees at Caproni's come with the House Salad and fresh baked rolls.  The salad was very fresh and enjoyable and the bread was warm...more importantly, it came with soft butter.

For my entree, I chose one of the items listed as Traditional Favorites.  This was my Chicken Scallopini. ($21.00) I had a choice of sauces for my angel hair pasta.  They include parmesan, marsala and piccata.  I opted for the latter.  My dinner's presentation was quite appealing and I really enjoyed my meal!

I did appreciate the fact that one doesn't have to go broke dining at Caproni's.  While it would be easy to spend $100.00 or more per person depending on drinks, appetizers, the entree and a possible dessert, travelers or locals watching their budget can enjoy the ambiance and the quality of the food without pause.  For example, a catfish platter is available for $17.00 and a Kentucky Hot Brown open face sandwich cost only $16.00. 

Laurie has become more demanding as her appetite and her capacity for large amounts of food has shrunk.  So, whenever possible she looks for items on menus that she regards as a real taste treat.  Mushrooms are high on her list.  So, for her entree she ordered the Portobello Ravioli. ($18.00) Cheese ravioli provided the base for sauteed portobello mushrooms.  The dish was finished with a lemon sage butter.  Happy Wife!!!

We did decide to share one of Caproni's dessert offerings.  This was a slab of Kentucky Butter Cake. ($9.00) "Unfortunately", I ended up having to eat most of this sweet treat...

To summarize... The ambiance at Caproni's is enhanced by the Ohio River flowing by but the dining rooms are nicely appointed as well.  Our server, Tonia, was friendly as well as very accommodating and patient.  The food was 'on point' too, very nice indeed.  This was a very satisfying and comfortable dining experience.

We'd recommend this restaurant to our friends and family.  To learn more about Caproni's on the River and to view their menu, just go to https://www.capronisontheriver.com/.  

I know...these photos have nothing to do with our dining experience.  Nevertheless, this is a beautiful 'ride' and a guy can dream can't he?  Laurie had to spoil my reverie by pointing out that I probably wouldn't be able to get in and out of this classic Corvette...

I thought that I should end our exploration of Maysville Kentucky with this photo I borrowed from the Internet.  Several of the historic properties I've photographed and written about are visible and this overview demonstrates the appeal of this Ohio River city.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Thanks for coming by to see what we had for dinner! 

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave