100 Years since the YS&T Riots

The local Youngstown paper, The Vindicator, ran a couple articles in their Sunday (1/24) edition highlighting the Youngstown Sheet & Tube history and name.

The first gives a great history of the violent struggle between powerful steel interests and the workers who toiled daily in sometimes brutal conditions.

"What started as a labor dispute devolved into a day of rioting. By the time 2,000 National Guard troops arrived, they found a community charred and devastated."

The article details why the workers strike, how the owners responded, what sparked the riots, and the aftermath of scarred buildings and grand jury investigations. Through it all Jordyn Grzelewski does a fine job of painting the picture of what life was like in Youngstown and particularly what role the steel industry had in our town 100 years ago.

To commemorate 100 years passing since the event, enter promo code "100Years" to take $5.06 off the trademark T-shirt in our shop.

Read more here: http://www.vindy.com/news/2016/jan/24/youngstown/

Our Legacy: Let's not forget!

Recently, another block of Youngstown history was destroyed by fire. Now all that is left is an empty lot.

Here is a link to an article discussing the fire: http://wkbn.com/2015/08/16/buildings-destroyed-by-fire-in-youngstowns-uptown-area/

And overnight, another portion of our history was lost. 

I took a drive recently down Market Street from downtown and snapped some photos along the way. There's the new empty spaces right next to the old Uptown Theater—the site of the fire. The rubble from the buildings destroyed  was still there, as new grass was trying to grow. Further down the road is an empty parking lot where once stood Bumpers, a 50's style diner that hosted outdoor events and even hula hoop contests in the 80s. Finally, there's the boarded up shell of Sparkle Market. For years, my family had no idea what a giant eagle was (other than a zoo creature), and exclusively did our grocery shopping at Sparkle. Now, it's all gone. It's hard to imagine that this all once was a thriving community. 

One of the things we are trying to do at YST is make a community based historical record of photos and stories of how the city, and specifically its steel heritage, once was. Memories and even buildings are finite, so to preserve our local heritage, it is important to share these stories and photos. 

Share your stories and photos with us at info@sheetandtube.com

We'll post them here on the Youngstown: Stories and Photos section of our website. 

The most interesting submission in the next two weeks will get a free mug or t shirt of their choice!

Coffee Mugs are moving quickly!

We want to encourage everyone to check out our shop to buy themselves, their parents or their favorite professor a coffee mug. While you are there, buy a t-shirt as well!

A portion of the money is contributed to help the economic redevelopment of the Youngstown area. In the coming years our goal is to open our own local factory making lunch boxes, tools, and so much more.

2015 has been great for Youngstown

Youngstown, OH continues to see a resurgence. We have all noticed the progress downtown, even if it is only because of the scaffolding and construction!

However the rest of the country is taking notice as well. Here is a short list of some stories we have been tracking this summer:

- New York Times: Youngstown, OH Reinvents its Downtown

- Forbes: Youngstown, OH is 4th Best Place in the US to Raise a Family

- Forbes (again): Youngstown State University is one of "America's Best"

These are all positive stories and we have no doubt the positivity will continue. We are happy to be part of this community and have plans to grow substantially in the second half of the year.

JDB