Contains resource stories about the 24 ironmasters that formed the Ohio, Iron & Coal Company that came up with the scheme to build a new town; their genealogy and their contributions to Ironton’s growth and prosperity. This volume contains some of the first businesses; churches, schools, etc. The others will be in Ironton's Progress - Part Two. Many Lawrence countians moved from other parts of the county to the new town and played major roles in it's success. Lawrence Couny history: The government opened the uninhabited area known as the Northwest Territory for settlement in 1794. In 1803, Ohio, a part of the Northwest Territory, officially became a state. Early pioneers started arriving once the territory opened; however, Lawrence County was not officially formed until December 1816 part of it was taken from Scioto and Washington counties. The first county seat of Lawrence County was located at Burlington.