Lunch On The Ohio River

The confluence of the Scioto and Ohio Rivers at Portsmouth has long been the site of human habitation, from the ancient Adena and Hopewell to the Shawnee and, lastly, to the Americans of today. The mouth of the Scioto has seen the rise and fall of many villages, some completely lost to history. The U.S. Grant Bridge is barely visible in background. The Grant bridge carries traffic on US 23 over the Ohio River between Ohio and Kentucky. 

Portsmouth is the county seat of Scioto County. Aside from the structures of county government, portions of downtown are dominated by Shawnee State University. On Gallia Street, you will find the Southern Ohio Museum and Cultural Center. The finest museum around, the Center has permanent exhibitions celebrating the work of the twentieth-century painter Clarence Holbrook Carter. Born in Portsmouth, Carter went on to earn national recognition for his work. Another exhibition showcasing local mastery goes back thousands of years. The Art of the Ancients collection comprises more than 10,000 artifacts produced by the Adena and Hopewell cultures in Ohio.