It’s so sad we allowed our industry to be outsourced. It killed our towns, took our jobs, and left many feeling hopeless and helpless. I have told some of my friends about you guys, and the many towns you have taken us through with these videos. Gone are the days when we were the biggest manufacturing country and now we are no longer self sufficient. In my opinion big business exchanged this self sufficiency for money.
The manufacturing will be back in decade or sooner, as war is raging, it makes big demand on munitions and weapons. The big money is injected into manufacturing, and manufacturing is resumed at significant extent.
"We" didn't do it, but I understand what you mean. If I recall correctly, back in the 90's, Bill Clinton and his administration shared so many of our military secrets with China (I wonder how much money went into his and Killary's pockets) and once upon a time when you called any service number, you didn't have to navigate your way through a labyrinth of recordings, and could clearly understand whoever was on the other end of the line. Also, American made products were high quality and built to last, but those gave way to overseas items manufactured by dedicated employees, while some American workers were too busy striking and demanding $30+ an hour to build something inferior.
You didn't 'allow' it, global developments made the high-paid US population's produce unaffordable compared to cheaper mass-produced goods from what your former president loved to refer to as "s***hole countries". Like all citizens of empires in steep decline Americans can't understand what's happening to them. Meanwhile the rest of us see the situation more clearly and less emotionally and I'm afraid to tell you that the news isn't good. Let's hope you can find a political system with some kind of sanity attached.
My favorite thing about Ohio towns/neighborhoods is the walk ability. That you could walk from downtown into the neighborhoods was so cool. Living where you can walk anywhere you need to go would be a dream come true for me. Growing up in ❤Ohio, we walked everywhere, to school, to the theaters, to parks, to church, to the libraries, to Doctor and Dental appointments……..everywhere.
Thank you for showing Portsmouth and being positive. The new wave of our downtown renovation is really underway. We recently received a 1.5 million dollar grant for revitalizing our riverfront. Very exciting!!
I was born and raised in Portsmouth, Ohio. I’ve not lived there in more years than I did. It used to be a beautiful town. I’m happy to see they’re trying to revitalize the downtown area. Sadly, poverty and drugs has taken over a majority of the town. Heartbreaking.
My wife was born in Portsmouth Ohio in 1955. Her father was the electrical nuclear engineer who was the engineer in charge of designing and building the Portsmouth gaseous diffusion plant in Piketon and the sister plant in Paducah Kentucky. He managed the Piketon plant until he was transferred to Beaumont Texas to build and manage the Goodyear tire plant there. He ended up dying from the contamination he had come in contact with at the Piketon plant, as did many others who worked in that industry.
Yep, my poppy did too... in 1977.....he wS a free Mason a day ppl came from all over for his funeral.... I was 11.. granny worked at the shoe factory as a few others I knew. I'm still here.....where you at, now? Lol
Who else answers at home when Joe asks a question?? If Joe says…. Am I Right? Me: yes you are Joe! Thank you for all your great videos Joe. Love to you & Nicole ❤
Reflections of bygone era, old charms, dying towns, efforts to bring back atleast a part, beautifully captured throughout Jos's professional look.Just beautiful to watch. Wonderful effort. Thank you.
WOW! IN MY NECK of the woods. Y'all should have tried the Ribber in portsmouth. The week before Thanksgiving my friend's wife's car was stolen right out of her driveway. Turned out it was in a ring of thefts coming from. ...... HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS! They found a suspect but still no car. Today is the 9 th. We're up the rd a ways....oak hill. Glad to see especially portsmouth in good views. That town is terrifying and especially at night! ❤
And it has put us in a position of manufacturing very little. If we had a huge problem where we needed to quickly manufacture things like during WWII, we would be in deep trouble.
Joe, were you a history teacher? You would be a great one the way you share facts and history with us while bringing each town to life. Just found this great channel.
Very nice program, thanks. One of the reasons Portsmouth prospered from its early 19th century days was that it was the southern terminus of the Ohio - Erie Canal connecting Lake Erie at Cleveland with the Ohio river. This was before railroads so the canal and the river were major transportation arteries for both passengers and cargo.
Back in the late 1980s when we were living in Russell KY I used to cross the bridge regularly into Ironton and shop around (being as that Russell had absolutely NOTHING going on :)). But Ironton was pretty down on its luck then; the mills had closed and many of the former workers were trying to survive. I knew a guy who had worked at the mill when it closed, he was selling his old comics and Western memorabilia at a corner store near the bridge; used to go there often to buy, trade and talk. He eventually closed up shop because of increased competition from the comic store down the street, and finally moved to Tennessee when he found a job at another steel mill there.
Portsmouth has lots of pretty features and an interesting past. The murals on the flood wall are priceless. Aha a black kitty cat! A yellow one too! It's a shame the war memorial is in such a bad way. All the churches were attractive. Thanks for the tour.
Hi guys what a remarkable feat of painting the mural on the flood wall at Portsmouth, and a nice touch of nostalgia for all the Anglofiles in Ironton - the Union Flag in the window!
My late mom use to sell medical equiptment in southern Ohio & rural Kentucky when I was a kid during early 80s and I would go along during Summer break. Always enjoyed the scenery during the drive along US 52 to Portsmouth and Route 32 to Jackson & Athens.
👍Thanks, Joe. Fascinating. 👍Also, as a quirk, it is interesting to know about the Portsmouths in the US, from here in Portsmouth, England (nicknamed, Pompey [ pronounced: POMpee] )
Those murals on the breakwall are absolutely amazing! And that Grinchmobile is brilliant! This is one hard working town! and its people have every right to be proud of it!
We live about 60 miles Northeast of Portsmouth. We just went there yesterday for lunch at The Scioto Ribber and antique shopping downtown. They have been making tremendous gains in rebuilding the downtown. It was pretty bad for a while.
That down town is still kinda bad although it has improved a little the nice murals and hood steak still being one of only a couple of things of great quality in the down town the rest of Portsmouth besides that one decent neighborhood shown is a complete disaster
It's really cool when a town gets into the spirit of the season with all the decorations. I really like the flood wall murals-- they remind me of the ones in Paducah. Looks like the Dari-Creme is thriving--good to see! (and a great sign as well). Love the shots looking up to the church spires with the blue skies and wispy clouds. Ah, a black cat crossed your path...cue the song "Run Run Run" by The Who 🙂
A guy I know who is a retired new car salesman grew up near Portsmouth. I happened to tell him that I went through this town a couple years ago on my way back from Parkersburg WV and told him how bleak it appeared and I mentioned how they lost their steel industry. He said they lost that back in the 1970s but haven't ever fully recovered but that there are a large number of towns up the Ohio river into Pennsylvania who had the same problem but through industriousness found ways to still do well. His attitude was that it was partly their own fault because other cities along the Ohio were able to so why not them.
I drove to Portsmouth in 1975 to get my car license due to it had my initials on it. Still have that plate. That was about the time the shoe factories were going out. Some of the steel plants still around. Last there maybe 1998. Happy it's looking so good.
There was a an excellent book about the opiates epidemic published a few years ago called Dreamland, that had as a central theme the city of Portsmouth Ohio as a place most affected.. The book was named after a place in town that brought townspeople together for fun and recreation in the "good old days." The book shows the sad recent chapter in the city's history.
Dreamland pool. I grew up spending my days at Dreamland pool. I’m still here. Lot of my friends have either been murdered, suicide or fentanyl OD. I’m taking care of 2 of my grandchildren becos their parents are junkies. I’m 64, single and had to quit work to care for them. I only get 480$ a month cash to care for them. Luckily I do get food stamps and WIC. I own my home. Worked my whole life and now at this age I’m raising a 9 yr old and 19 month old. It’s funny to hear Joe talk about how poor people are living off of 400$ a week. I pay my few bills with 480$ a month. It’s crazy. But the kids are safe and doing well.
Even that Portsmouth has struggled through the years it’s a town that has pride . I like here because it’s small and doesn’t have the troubles like larger cities like gangs and crime. Oh we have crime but not like it’s over welling a& there’s drugs but what state doesn’t. Iv live in 7 different states and in large cities through the years but I came back to Scioto county. Most of the people here try to make it better here and each year we have a day to clean up the areas that need it . There are much more beautiful homes here too it’s a shame you didn’t get to explore more of them & the people here are nice and friendly 😊
My town!! Born and raised, and have never left! Portsmouth is slowly making a comeback, thanks to the revitalized and growing Boneyfiddle District. Come see what beautiful Appalachian Scioto County has to offer! :D.
It’s crazy how like in port smith they had several streets with no trees in the Blvd and other towns have tons of trees wonder why they don’t plant replacement trees unless it would be a problem with sewer and water pipes.., what a shame streets look so much prettier with trees Another great video joe safe travels God Bless
As soon as someone asked, "Why does he keep saying Rare-Road instead of RaiL-Road", the room would go nuts every time you said rareroad LoL. Thanks for another great video. That wall looked amazing with the murals. I would still be nervous during a flood. Real estate prices seem reasonable too. Thanks for posting another cool adventure.
I am an 67 years old American man. Husband, father and grandfather. I think old America is alive in me and others, so it is not dead. As for the economy it was necessary to adapt. It is ability to adapt on a dime, I don’t know if young people have those skills, I think it is the case though. Life will teach those skills, if you want to eat regularly.
Another very good video. The courthouses were impressive. Some of your shots were picture postcard perfect. And finding cats is always a top priority. I too was impressed with the housing. Some nice towns in the heartland
Thanks for not focusing on the negative about Portsmouth. We sure have had enough of that. I have been away from Portsmouth for a total of 20 years, but I still feel very much at home there. Ironton is so much like Portsmouth. They have had better luck in high school football championships though.
The murals was the BEST part of the video Joey being that i'am an artist MYSELF i ❤ that . 👍2🐈 The 2 towns were quite cozy and relaxing for some reason @Joe &Nic's Road Trip
Memorial Hall was sad to see, hopefully they will restore it to its former beauty. It is great to see that they are thriving and trying to overcome the loss of the industries. Thanks for sharing and you have a safe trip. Happy Holidays to you and yours
Both of my parents were born here in the 20s. My grandmother was a master embroider for Selbys's Shoes. I visited a couple of years ago and was happy to see the downtown building back up again. The friendliest people live here.
Your channel needs to be seen by the people in power. You show just how much cities are dying and declining. I don't think the public knows just how much small towns can decay and how much society has changed. It is really an educational marvel what Joe and Nic are revealing to the world. It really shows how corporate america, shifts in jobs, and other changes have left so many small towns behind.
The murals are truly awesome. Amazing artwork. Especially on the river walls I looked up Memorial Hall. In 2014, bids went out to restore it. However, it was decided not to be practical considering the amount of money involved. 29:05
Joe and Nic ...Thanks for stopping in Ohio !!( I'm a new sub ) Portsmouth is about 30 miles from where I live . You really should have gone to Chillicothe, Ohio! Lots of history here ! (Maybe some other time , Okay ? ) The downtown area is really coming back (it looked old and tired back in the 1990's ) And the Holiday Lights are up in the Park which are so beautiful . Oh...And, we have Cats ...EVERYWHERE ! LOL ( I have 11 of them ! ) God Bless you both ...safe journey.
I know some peeps in Chillicothe. Maybe Joe and Nic will make their way towards the town on a future trip. There’s a lot of good history in Chillicothe, which I think was Ohio’s first capital if I’m not mistaken?
Ohio has a few oddly pronounced town and city names. Lancaster is often pronounced lank-aster instead of lan-caster, Rio Grande is rye-oh grand, Nevada is ne-vay-duh. Ironton sounds like arntown, most likely due to the regional accent.
On the one hand I like your videos as I get a virtual tour of many places I will otherwise most likely never see first hand. On the other hand, some strike me as very sad. Towns that once bustled with activity now nearly abandoned and dying. Abandoned homes now rotting away. Imagine the personal tragedies that led to a home being abandoned...be it loss of wages or loss of life, the homes cry out. Maybe like us, many towns have a life that begins, prospers, matures, declines, and ends...while others go on for much longer. Oh I understand...if you're born in a town where there are no longer any jobs, you have to move to find work and often the elderly with SS and/or pensions are left behind until the clock runs out. Still, just sad. 😞
Very cool video on these towns. The memorial hall building in Ironton looks to have suffered a fire since you can see all of the charring on the foundation on the side alley that you went down. The building must have been really nice at some point due to that stone construction. I also really like the architectural detail that you go into regarding the city hall buildings when you come across them.
Hey Joe, you’ve shown several of Robert Dafford’s murals in many of your videos. I’ve commented on a few of your other videos telling you about the muralist. He’s painted the Portsmouth Murals, here in Portsmouth. He’s painted the murals in Paducah Ky, and the murals that you showed in Lafayette La. He paints them all over the world. Robert is from Lafayette La. Did you miss the cat that Robert painted in one of these Portsmouth murals? Close to the opening of the Floodwall to the Ohio River. I used to help paint on these murals back in the 90’s. What fun we had. Also my best friends son was one of the recent murders you mentioned in this video. He was only 20 and shot in the back. And then in next county north of Scioto County, Pike County where they had the Piketon Murders, family massacred in 2016. It made national news. Between the Wagners and the Rhoden families. They are still waiting on a trial for one of the family members. Anyways, thx for the video of my hometown. 😊
my husband took a picture of me sitting with the cat. So realistic. I am sure it is a popular photo spot. Everyone should go see those murals. They really are priceless.
I enjoyed learning about these two Ohio towns. Both have gorgeous homes and some beautiful churches. Interesting history on both. The mural in Portsmouth is very impressive. Looking forward to W. Virginia.
Interesting info about manufacturing. I believe the only domestically produced shoes in the USA today is by the Weinbrenner company with plants in both Merrill and Marshfield Wisconsin. I was told the turning point was when Walmart exceeded General Motors as the largest US employer back in the ˋ90ˋs when we were consuming more than what we produced.
My great grandmother grew up nearby in South Webster, my great grandfather in Ashland, KY. Portsmouth comes up often in my ancestry records. Thanks for sharing!
I went to college at Shawnee State in Portsmouth. When you were going down 5th street right before the black cat crossed in front, that big house you stopped and zoomed in on is the house I had lived in during college! So cool! They are really trying to fix this town up, but the drugs are such a bad problem. At one point Portsmouth was the OD capital of the state, and had one of the biggest pill mills in the country
I just flew back from GDL-Guadalajara, Mexico in March 2024. OMG! the last time I visited there was in 1980. It has grown so much now. It is the Silicon Valley of Mexico. There are a lot of Hi-Tech companies in the city, and it is growing like crazy. They are building many new high-rise condos. There were no High-Rise buildings back in 1980. I stayed in a hotel with a couple of friends back then and our hotel had a roof-top deck overlooking the city. Wow! how it has changed. I see these towns and I am thinking why our Country is in despair. My parents are from Texas, and it has many towns like this. They moved to Los Angeles after my father left the military, and we have been here ever since. I love L.A. but the violence is getting bad. Now looking out of state for a house.
