Historic Ashtabula Harbor

In the late 19th Century, Ashtabula Harbor became the busiest port on the Great Lakes, handling huge quantities of iron ore and coal. WIth the completion of a rail spur in 1873, Ashtabula Harbor became the most direct source of iron ore to feed the booming steel mills in Youngstown and Pittsburgh.

Unloading ships of iron ore and re-filling them with coal was a labor-intensive business: it took 150 men to unload a typical vessel. Thousands of immigrants - Finns, Swedes, Italians, English, Irish, Scots and Portuguese - flocked to the Harbor, competing aggressively and often violently for work. During this 30 year Boom Period, Ashtabula Harbor was considered, along with Calcutta and Shanghai, one of the three roughest ports in the world. Many of the historic buildings on lower Bridge Street today served as bars and bordellos.

Now at the beginning of the 21st Century, Historic Ashtabula Harbor is evolving into a popular attraction for both locals and visitors. With nearby beaches and parks on Lake Eric, marinas and boat clubs, the cleanest river on Lake Eric, local museums and a growing list of unique shops, as well as good places to dine and drink, the Harbor is poised to become a regional destination for Tourism, Recreation and Entertainment.