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“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
Youngstown in Mahoning County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
 

A Little Bit of Youngstown’s History

— The Wedge at Hazel Hill —

 
 
A Little Bit of Youngstown’s History Interpretive Panel image. Click for full size.
Photographed By J. J. Prats, March 22, 2021
1. A Little Bit of Youngstown’s History Interpretive Panel
Inscription. The City of Youngstown has a long and interesting story, which continues to influence its development and growth. Native Americans traveled through the richly forested area that contained plenty of natural resources, enticing migration from the east coast after the American Revolutionary War. John Young surveyed the area in 1796. Young purchased the 15,560 acre township from the Western Reserve Land Company on February 9th, 1797. Officials recorded the establishment of “Young’s Town” on August 19,1802. Local natural resources including large deposits of coal, iron ore and limestone were instrumental in the development of a thriving iron industry. The area’s first “stone stack” blast furnace, built by James and Daniel Heaton. began production in 1803. By the mid-1800s, industry in the Mahoning Valley drew immigrants from Germany, Ireland, and Wales. Youngstown was the site of several iron industrial plants that continued to expand into the 1890s. Local industrialists began the conversion from iron to steel manufacturing during a period of industrial consolidations enabling large, national corporations such as Carnegie Steel (US Steel) to modernize and monopolize much of the Mahoning Valley’s industry. Employment opportunities continued in the iron and steel mills of the late 19th century and made Youngstown, Warren,
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and surrounding areas desirable destinations for Eastern European, Greek, and Italian immigrants.

Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley experienced major changes as they entered the twentieth century. The 1920s saw industrialists and entrepreneurs create cultural institutions. Joseph Butler endowed the Butler Institute of American Art, the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra grew out of Michael Ficocelli’s “Little Symphony Orchestra,” and local citizens formed the Youngstown Playhouse. New venues for entertainment included the city’s many parks such as Mill Creek Park (1891) Wick Park, Idora Park (a trolley park which opened in 1899 and evolved into a modern day amusement park by the 1920s), and the Warner Brothers theater (among other downtown movie palaces). All sports, from high school, college, minor leagues and semi-pro teams filled the stands with spectators.

Historically, the city was rich in ethnic variety and, unlike previous waves of immigrants, people now came from countries such as Lebanon, Syria and Palestine. Jobs in the iron and steel industries lured migrants from across the country including African-Americans from the South. Latin Americans and Puerto Ricans came in the 1950s. While the area became more diverse, this often contributed to strife in the community and workplace, especially during strikes when owners used foreigners and people
Hazel Hill. Interpretive Panel is in the Foreground. image. Click for full size.
Photographed By J. J. Prats, March 22, 2021
2. Hazel Hill. Interpretive Panel is in the Foreground.
St. Columba Cathedral is in the background. The Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor museum is out of frame to the left.
of color as strikebreakers. Union activity often caused violent strikes as workers and owners struggled for changes in wages, safety and hours of work. Area industry moved into steel manufacturing, and ancillary businesses such as General Fireproofing opened here to take advantage of their proximity to mill products from such steel mills as Youngstown Sheet & Tube, Republic Iron and Steel, and the Ohio Works. Following the end of World War I, the Mahoning Valley was second in the country in steel production. Like the rest of the nation, Youngstown’s industries greatly decreased output during the Great Depression, but rebounded with the onset of World War II. Demand for steel increased, with local plants producing unprecedented amounts of the product. When the war ended, the industry slowed temporarily as it switched from war production to civilian production of consumer goods. Unfortunately, the Mahoning Valley’s heyday of steel production soon ended with the closing of many steel mills beginning on Black Monday, September 19, 1977.

Black Monday caused strife for most people living in Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley. The Lykes Corporation, parent company of the Youngstown Sheet and Tube, shut down the Campbell Works without warning and most of the other mills in the area quickly followed suit. In an economy dedicated to steel production, this meant disaster. The
Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor Museum image. Click for full size.
Photographed By J. J. Prats, March 22, 2021
3. Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor Museum
steel industry lost over 25,000 jobs and local businesses closed as a result. The population of the city decreased from 166,689 in the 1960s to 65,062 in 2014. Since the mill closures, Youngstown has been diversifying its economy and the future looks bright. The city is home to a number of beautiful museums, art galleries, and parks, which pay tribute to our rich and vibrant history. Among the greatest assets of the City is Youngstown State University, which brings in new people from all over. Every year, approximately 12,000 students from across the region and around the world travel to Youngstown for their education. The university partners with America Makes and has a state-of-the-art Center of Innovation in Additive Manufacturing on its campus. In the commercial sector, the Youngstown Business Incubator is dedicated to fostering growth in emerging technology. The Youngstown 2010 initiative brought more attention to the area and helped to revitalize the downtown which has an influx of businesses, housing and activity. The city's downtown is a hub for government, restaurants and entertainment with the Covelli Center and new venues for visitors and residents alike. It has been a slow recovery from Youngstown's halcyon days as a bustling city sustained by the steel industry. Today Youngstown's economic base is more diverse and holds great promise for the future.

—Dr.
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Marcelle R. Wilson, Site Manager YHCIL // Rev. Dr. John K. Liana // Cody M. Cooper Youngstown Historical Center of Industry & Labor

 
Erected by Youngstown Inplace.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Government & PoliticsIndustry & CommerceSettlements & Settlers. A significant historical date for this entry is February 9, 1797.
 
Location. 41° 6.147′ N, 80° 39.047′ W. Marker is in Youngstown, Ohio, in Mahoning County. Marker is on North Hazel Street south of West Wood Street, on the left when traveling north. It is next to the Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor museum. There is free parking at the museum. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 151 W Wood St, Youngstown OH 44503, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Little Steel Strike (within shouting distance of this marker); Working Class Heroes (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Warner Theater (about 700 feet away); 1959-1975 The Vietnam War (approx. 0.2 miles away); Union National Bank Building / Central Square (1798-1899) (approx. 0.2 miles away); In Memory of the Heroes of the Township (approx. 0.2 miles away); Central Tower / Mahoning National Bank Building (approx. 0.2 miles away); Central Square (1900-2004) / Stambaugh Building (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Youngstown.
 
More about this marker. The Wedge at Hazel Hill is a pocket park on the southwest corner of North Hazel and West Wood Streets.
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on March 30, 2021. It was originally submitted on March 30, 2021, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 427 times since then and 92 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3. submitted on March 30, 2021, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.

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Mar. 29, 2024