Editing Ashtabula, Ohio (section)

==Port==
{{See also|Ashtabula Harbour Commercial District}}
[[File:Ohio - Ashabula - NARA - 68146567 (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|Aerial view of the Ashabula Coal Docks, 1941]]
[[Image:DSCN4525 ashtabularailyard e.jpg|thumb|Railyard in the port of Ashtabula]]
In the 20th century Ashtabula developed rapidly as a major shipping and commercial center because of its access to [[Lake Erie]] and nearly {{convert|30|mi|km}} of shoreline.

During the 1950s, the area experienced growth with an expanding chemical industry and increasing harbor activity, making Ashtabula one of the most important port cities of the [[Great Lakes]]. Other historical industries in the area included a Rockwell International plant on [[U.S. Route 20 in Ohio|Route 20]] on the western side of Ashtabula, which manufactured brakes for the [[Space Shuttle]] program, and the extrusion of depleted and enriched uranium at the Reactive Metals Extrusion plant on East 21st Street.

Due to such industrial uses, however, there was extensive environmental contamination. The Ashtabula River and harbor were designated as a significant [[Superfund (environmental law)|Superfund]] site by the [[Environmental Protection Agency]] in the late 20th century. A multi-year process of environmental cleanup of toxic wastes and soils was needed; cleanup concluded with river dredging in 2012–2014.

Ashtabula Harbor hosts an annual 'Blessing of the Fleet' community festival. This Blessing of the Fleet began as a practice of priests for Catholic Portuguese and Irish fishermen and tugmen who had settled in Ashtabula. During the 1930s, the Blessing was a small, almost private affair in early April conducted by a few tugmen, their parish priest, and an acolyte, according to their traditions. It took place annually when the Great Lakes were free enough of ice to be open for regular traffic. By 1950, this event was held as a public ceremony under the auspices of [[Mother of Sorrows Church|Mother of Sorrows parish]]. In 1974, the Blessing of the Fleet became a community affair, with all of Ashtabula's religious and harbor community participating.

The United States Coast Guard Station and the Ashtabula Maritime & Surface Transportation Museum, located in the old lighthouse keepers home, help to preserve Ashtabula's maritime heritage.

[[Norfolk Southern Railway|Norfolk Southern]] used the port for one its [[coal pier]]s. The coal pier became idled in 2016 due to declining demand for [[coal]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.starbeacon.com/news/local_news/norfolk-southern-closing-ashtabula-docks/article_37d4f173-bc9b-5caf-86bb-58b2d4143cc7.html|title=Norfolk Southern closing Ashtabula docks|last=Terry|first=Shelly|newspaper=Star Beacon|date=December 24, 2015|access-date=March 2, 2018}}</ref>