Belpre and The Ohio River

Side A: The history of Belpre and the Ohio River are inextricably linked. Settlers from New England, including farmers and Revolutionary War veterans, arrived via flatboats at “Belle-Prairie” (beautiful prairie) in 1789. Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery paid a visit in keelboats in 1803 as they began their epic journey to the Pacific. Belpre’s farmers raised fruits, vegetables, and grain. Packet boats carried flour, livestock, vinegar, and passengers down river, some all the way to New Orleans and thence throughout the world. (Continued on other side) Side B: (Continued from other side) Until around 1914, ferryboats in Belpre carried travelers across the river. By the mid-1900s, industry replaced agriculture in the area’s economy and Belpre became a center of polymer production. During this time, a system of river locks and dams placed Belpre in what became a forty-two mile long Ohio River “lake” where towboats with barges of up to 1,200 feet long and loads of up to 300,000 tons sailed. Another thirty-five miles of navigable tributaries in the area drew those using the mighty Ohio River for fishing and water recreation.