PORTSMOUTH, Ohio, city and county-seat of Scioto County, at the confluence of the Scioto and Ohio rivers, at the southern terminus of the Ohio Canal, and on the Chesapeake and Ohio, the Baltimore and Ohio, the Norfolk and West ern, the Chesapeake and Ohio Northern and the Ohio Valley Traction Line railroads, about 80 miles in a direct line south of Columbus and 107 miles east by south of Cincinnati. It has steamboat connection with all the Ohio River ports. It was settled in 1803 and in 1814 was incorporated. It is in an agricultural region, and in the vicinity are valuable deposits of fire-clay. It is the commercial centre of an extensive mining and manufacturing section. The chief manufactures of the city are steel mill products, foundry and machine-shop prod ucts, paving and building brick, firebrick, cars, lumber products, stoves, ranges, beer, rectified spirits, paper boxes, wagons, carriages, furni ture, veneer factory products and boots and shoes. The invested capital in manufacturing plants is $7,500,000; and the value of the products aggregates $10,000,000 yearly. The principal public buildings are the government building, county courthouse, municipal build ings, some of the business blocks, the church and educational buildings. It has a city hos
pital, homes for old ladies and orphanages. The educational institutions are the public and parish schools, several private schools, a public library and the Hamilton Peebles reading room. The principal parks are Athletic, Grandview, York, Millbrook and Tracy. In the vicinity are interesting remains of the Mound Builders.
The government is vested in a mayor, who holds office two years, and a coundil. The ad ministrative officials who are chosen by popular vote are the members of the school board, the justices of the peace, the board of public service, the assessors, city treasurer, city so licitor and city auditor. The business manage ment of the city is in charge of the board of public service. Other subordinate officials are appointed by the mayor, subject to approval by the council, or are elected by the council. The city owns and operates the electric-light plant and the waterworks. Pop. 30,000