Steubenville, Ohio

 

population: 19,015. seat of jefferson county

 

dean martin was from here, and it has the bridge that coldayman made famous over the 'mighty' ohio river.

obviously steubenville is currently in it's prime.... :wink:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

:cry:

SKYSCRAPERS!

You just reminded me of a line from the mid 1980s Ed Grimley cartoon (Martin Short):

"If you kids don't quiet down I'm canceling our vacation to Steubenville!"

 

Sorry.

Another once-prosperous steel town fallen to rust and decay. It looks even more depressing than the first time I visited there, about 1993. They've done one of those Ohio courthouse bastardizations, too, where they knock off the cornices and add a completely incongruous "modern" story on top of a formerly respectable period building.

Bette Davis said it best - "Whatta dump!"

 

That courthouse (with the atrocious top) is one of the worst I've ever seen - hideous, hideous, hideous!

 

Great pics, though :)

charming.

Sad.  And yes I noticed that bad Courthouse addition.  Thanks for the tour though . . .

someone mentioned before about how portsmouth is to southern ohio what sandusky is to northern ohio. well, i'd like to add to that --- steubenville is to eastern ohio what lima is to western ohio. bleak.

 

nice shots, you sure captured it alright.

 

They've done one of those Ohio courthouse bastardizations, too, where they knock off the cornices and add a completely incongruous "modern" story on top of a formerly respectable period building.

 

I think the story is that the mansard roof collapsed during a storm in the late 50's and the county (cash straped even back then) took the economical option. Preservation/restoration wouldn't have been a major concern in that period anyway, I suppose.

I heard several of the original Wu-Tang were from Steubenville.. Was that just a rumor?

That's not true, but they DO have some affiliates from Steubenville (Baretta 9, I believe).

That's not true, but they DO have some affiliates from Steubenville (Baretta 9, I believe).

 

 

First post, but I've viewed this site for some time. I'll post here because I had ties to Steubenville in the late 90s and early 2000s. While it's true that The "Wu" didn't all orginate from Steubenville, the Steubenville connection is more than just "some affiliates".

 

For one, the RZA, the mastermind of the Wu-Tang Clan, is from Steubenville. RZA was the subject of a shooting in the 'Ville in 1991, two years before Wu Tangs 36 Chambers album dropped. As of the early 2000s, his mom still lived in the 'Ville.

 

Also, 4th Disciple is from Steubenville. He layed down the track "B.I.B.L.E." off the Genius' first album (Liquid Swords). He also produced most of Killaramy's tracks. Killaramy is the group Beretta 9 was with. Beretta was from Steubenville. Shogun Assassain, another member of the group, was also from Steubenville. From what I remember, he grew up in the projects just east of downtown (I think that's east) off of Lincoln Ave.

 

But the ties to the group were deeper than just that. A Steubenville cat by the name of Wise was a friend of the Wu. From what I know, Wise was part of a gun-running operation between Steubenville and Staten Island. Wise was an "unofficial" member of the Wu. The Wu also had a place outside of town where they would shoot target practice. Anyway, Wise, who was in the "Gods" gang (which was the Wu's allies), was murdered in Steubenville by some crips in the late 90s (97-98). At the time, there were three gangs in the 'Ville, the Gods, Crips, and Bloods. The Gods and the Bloods had an allegiance against the Crips.

 

A couple of weeks later, a couple of Crips were shot in retaliation. It was the Gods and the Bloods responsible, though I don't think anybody was ever charged. A couple of Crips were charged with Wise's death however.

 

Things have died down recently, but what I just wrote is another chapter in the Stuebenville, tough town, image. Regardless, F' Reno, Steubenville is the biggest small town in America.

I did a little research and here is an article showing the Steubenville, Wu Tang ties. I knew my memory wasn't as bad as it should be ... LOL.

 

http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0021,owen,15084,1.html

RZA, the mastermind of the Wu-Tang Clan, is from Steubenville. RZA was the subject of a shooting in the 'Ville in 1991, two years before Wu Tangs 36 Chambers album dropped. As of the early 2000s, his mom still lived in the 'Ville.

 

Uh...yes and no.  I'm sure his mom lived there (no idea) and I'm sure he's lived there before but he's from Staten Island/Brooklyn, New York. 

 

http://www.wutang-corp.com/artists/wu-artist.php?id=9

http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/RZA-Biography/4ABB3CA50138782848256A3900252650

 

It's the same with Cam'ron and Columbus (his family is probably from Columbus but he's still from Harlem).

 

But I'm not saying that the Wu didn't have ties to Steubenville.  I'm just saying, the actual Wu-Tang members (not the other _____'s around them) were from New York.

^exactly, and tobe exact all the wu-tangers are from stapleton pj's in si far as i know. regardless, thats where all the wu music and inspiration came out of. bk too.

 

but i have no doubt they have ties elsewhere as well or some where born someplace else. they have so many people who know them its not funny, hell even including a couple people i know. still, that was interesting to hear the ohio/steubenville connection.

Wow, wasn't expecting buildings of that size.  Looks like a place I would like to visit and would be fun for some urbex.  Has anything changed since 2004 in Steubenville??

Has anything changed since 2004 in Steubenville??

 

They scrubbed the courthouse, that is about it. I'm going to head back in the fall though, its a facinating place.

Wow, wasn't expecting buildings of that size. Looks like a place I would like to visit and would be fun for some urbex. Has anything changed since 2004 in Steubenville??

 

I would actually say it is one of the more depressing towns I have ever been to.  I however am not the type to be able to appreciate towns that have alot of possibilities when they actually will probably not see much come to fruition.  The job market is pretty dead there, I believe the city is under 40,000 people, and youngsters really don't want to stick around unless they work in the power plants along the river. 

I believe the city is under 40,000 people, and youngsters really don't want to stick around unless they work in the power plants along the river. 

 

Steubenville is way under 40,000. Ohio's larger cities all peaked at the 1950, 60, or 70 census, but Steubenville peaked in 1940.

 

Population 1900 to 2008:

1900 - 14,349

1910 - 22,391

1920 - 28,508

1930 - 35,422

1940 - 37,651

1950 - 35,872

1960 - 32,495

1970 - 30,771

1980 - 26,400

1990 - 22,125

2000 - 19,015

2008 estimate - 18,820

WOW, 18,820 would make it a samll suburb.  Intrestlingly enough, last time I went throught there, there were biilboards marketing Stuebenville as a "Burb of the Burgh"  meaning a suburb of Pittsburgh.  It is roughly 40 miles west of downtown Pittsburgh. 

WOW, 18,820 would make it a samll suburb. Intrestlingly enough, last time I went throught there, there were biilboards marketing Stuebenville as a "Burb of the Burgh" meaning a suburb of Pittsburgh. It is roughly 40 miles west of downtown Pittsburgh.

 

I'm out in the Steube often visiting friends who live up on the hill. Which is nice compared to the city part. It's not so bad overall but yea some of the people there including my friends consider Steubenville/Weirton outter burbs of the burgh.  A few of them work in Pittsburgh metro, Robinson area, Bayer and comapanies like that.... Eastern PGH metro.

My Grandma is from and still lives on a farm in Steubenville.  This reminds me that I need to visit soon.  Thanks for sharing these.  :)

Wow, wasn't expecting buildings of that size. Looks like a place I would like to visit and would be fun for some urbex. Has anything changed since 2004 in Steubenville??

 

I would actually say it is one of the more depressing towns I have ever been to. I however am not the type to be able to appreciate towns that have alot of possibilities when they actually will probably not see much come to fruition. The job market is pretty dead there, I believe the city is under 40,000 people, and youngsters really don't want to stick around unless they work in the power plants along the river.

 

What absolutely boggles my mind is that Steubenville's downtown (a few mid-rises), infrastructure, neighborhoods, etc. are reminiscent of a city the size of Canton, Warren, etc. but its population is much closer to places like Salem, East Liverpool (aka small towns that peaked at 20K and are both around 12K now).