USA > Ohio > Mahoning County > Youngstown > Century history of Youngstown and Mahoning County, Ohio, and representative citizens, 20th > Part 19
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show the important nature of its work, which will be appreciated by all who are interested in the future prosperity of the city.
MAHONING GAS FUEL COMPANY.
The Mahoning Gas Fuel Company of Youngstown was incorporated in 1886, and has since enjoyed a steadily increasing busi- ness in the supplying of gas as fuel for house- hold purposes. It obtains its gas from wells in Allegheny and Washington counties, Pennsylvania, and is now engaged in drilling new wells in Brooke county, West Virginia. The company has about 19,000 acres of gas territory and 103 gas wells, supplying Youngstown and the neighboring villages of Poland, Petersburg, and Middleton. As the wells become exhausted new ones have to be drilled to keep up the supply and satisfy the increasing public demand for this fuel, the average number of new wells opened being about eighteen per year. In each territory these wells are from 2,500 feet to one mile apart, and are connected by pipe lines with the trunk lines of the company.
The company has a large compressor sta- tion at Allegheny, using three 500-horse power compound compressor engines, with other powerful machinery. Their boilers con- sume from 1,200 to 1,500 tons of coal per month.
During its existence in Youngstown the company has given the public excellent service, both as to the quality and cost of its product, selling the gas at twenty-seven cents per 1.000 feet, which is several cents cheaper than the rates prevailing in Pittsburg, Cleveland and other neighboring cities. The best scientific appliances are used to avoid accidents, and it has been shown that there is less liability of fire in the use of gas fuel, as thus furnished, than in the use of coal, not counting the greater convenience and large amount of time saved. The company employs an army of men in the various departments of its busi- ness.
CENTRAL UNION TELEPHONE COMPANY.
This company is a branch of the Bell Tele- phone Company, and was established in
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Youngstown as the successor of the Midland Telephone Company, a short-lived concern whose franchise was secured in 1882. The company now has 3,400 phones in the city, besides about seventy-five at Struthers and fifty at Lowellville. There are also quite a number of "farmer lines" connecting with residences in the country, making the total number of phones outside of the city proper about 400. The company is now engaged in making extensive improvements in the busi- ness section of Youngstown, laying conduits for an underground system, while in the resi- dence section the open wires are being sup- planted, as far as practicable, by cable lines. A piece of property at the corner of West Rayen and Phelps street has been purchased, the present building thereon will be moved, and a new fire-proof building for the business offices of the company is soon to be erected. The manager of the Youngstown district is J. P. McGahon.
YOUNGSTOWN TELEPHONE COMPANY.
The Youngstown Telephone Company was incorporated in June, 1896, with a capital stock of $200,000. It has at the present time about 3,500 subscribers. It has direct com- munication over its own lines with Hubbard, Canfield, and Lowellville, and also connects, through other companies, with North Jack- son, O., North Lime, O., and New Bedford, Penna., these three places aggregating some 500 'phones. The Youngstown office is lo- cated in the Dollar Savings and Trust Com- pany building, near Central square. The local manager is Mr. George G. King.
BUSINESS COLLEGES.
A most important factor in the develop- ment of the commercial life of Mahoning county has been the excellent business train- ing provided by the business colleges to the young men and women who have taken ad- vantage of their opportunities in that direc- tion. Conditions which surrounded the young man or woman twenty years ago are changed.
Today a young person must show some spe- cial preparation before he can hope to enter the counting house or office.
Prof. J. C. Browne was the founder of business colleges in Youngstown, as well as in Mahoning county. Coming to this city in 1885 he established the Browne Business Col- lege, which institution proudly numbers among its graduates some of the most success- ful young business people of the county. This college had on its faculty during its long career some of the foremost business educators among whom was R. W. Ballentine, whose ability as an instructor and skill as a pen art- ist was second to none in the country. In 1900 Mr. Ballentine left Youngstown to take charge of the department of penmanship in the Banks Business College of Philadelphia, one of the leading schools of its kind in America. During the last years of Mr. Browne's life, owing to his increased age and to sharp competition, this institution was not as flourishing as in its earlier days, but the same high grade work prevailed, and his honest dealing held the con- fidence of all. Prof. J. C. Browne died in 1907, and with him the college also passed out of existence.
About the year 1890, a business institution was opened in the Mouser block. Many were its early vicissitudes. The demand for trained office help at that time was small, and the Browne College, owing to its established repu- tation, tended to overshadow the younger school. It passed from owner to owner until 1892, when it became the property of E. A. Hall, who had been the proprietor of an insti- tution in Logansport, Ind.
Prof. Hall is known today as one of the most successful business college men in the country. He not only possesses superior ability as an instructor in commercial branches and penmanship, but is a successful manager as well. At the time of assuming control of "The Hall Business University" it numbered less than twenty students, and in 1904 it had an annual average attendance of two hundred. Prof. Hall is a jovial, whole-souled man who during the time he was in Youngstown won a host of friends among the business people
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of the county, which was of great assist- ance to him in placing his students. He sur- rounded himself with an able corps of assist- ants, foremost among whom may be named Richard Vipan, instructor in stenography and typewriting.
Mr. Vipan was a graduate of Dover Col- lege, Dover, England, and many of the young business people of today bear living witness of his success as an instructor. Later he be- came principal of the stenographic department of the Jamestown Business College, James- town, N. Y., where he is at present.
In 1904, Mr. Hall, desiring a broader field for his activities, disposed of his institution to Short Bros., of Akron, Ohio, and removed his family to Pittsburg, Pa., where he is at present the owner of two institutions, one in the heart of the city, and one at East Liberty, a suburb.
Short Bros., upon taking over the Hall Business University, made a decided change, both in instructors and courses. Clyde W. Os- borne, who under Prof. Hall, had been assist- ant manager and instructor, took charge of the commercial department, and Prof. Henry Durkes of Indiana the department of sten- ography and typewriting, while Mr. C. C. Short, not being an instructor, became man- ager.
The Hall Business University, in 1906, moved from the place of its inception and now occupies one-half the third floor of the Homer S. Williams block, on the corner of Boardman and Market streets.
In 1899, Miss Isabel McGrath, who had for a number of years previous been principal of the stenographic department of the Hall Business College, severed her connection with that institution and founded a school of her own, in the Excelsior block. In the fall of 1900 she formed a partnership with J. E. Slindee, who had also been associated with the Hall Business College for a year previous to this venture. Shortly after this the school was moved from the Excelsior block to Nos. 5 and 7 West Federal street, next to the Commer- cial National Bank. In May, 1903, they incor- porated. Shortly thereafter they removed to
the Wick block, No. 16 West Federal street, and have since occupied the entire third floor.
On April 1, 1906, J. E. Slindee, who held the controlling interest, disposed of the same to C. W. Osborne, but Mr. Osborne took up the practice of law in January, 1907, and in February disposed of his interest to Miss Isa- bel McGrath, who is now sole owner. Miss Mc- Grath, owing to her thorough knowledge of the subjects taught, and her years of experi- ence, will undoubtedly continue to reap, as in the past, a harvest of richly deserved success.
Before taking up work of this nature, Miss McGrath was engaged in public school teach- ing in the village of Girard and vicinity. Her home is in Girard, where she has hosts of friends.
About 1898, Prof. Niswanger founded an institution in the Diamond block and although enjoying a splendid patronage, he was com- pelled to discontinue business owing to failing health.
With the exception of a commercial and stenographic department in the Canfield Nor- mal School, the only institutions of this nature in the county are located in Youngstown, and the demand for their product more than equals- the supply. In 1906 the three business insti- tutions in that city educated and placed in po- sitions nearly four hundred young men and women. These four hundred young people,. who are going out yearly into the business world, are to be, in a few years, the captains of our vast commercial army.
YOUNGSTOWN HUMANE SOCIETY.
Prior to July 22, 1895, the State Humane- Society had appointed an agent or officer to prevent cruelty to animals and children in Youngstown and Mahoning county, John A. Ladd being the first agent so appointed.
On July 22, 1895, some public-spirited citi- zens met and resolved to organize a society to become incorporated under the laws of Ohio. and to be known as "The Youngstown Hu- mane Society" for the prevention of cruelty to- animals and children and for the prevention of cruelty in any form. The first directors-
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were Dr. W. L. Buechner, Dr. D. H. Evans, Dr. S. R. Frazier, Mrs. T. H. Bulla, Mrs. S. J. McElevy, Mrs. Belle Ford and Rev. A. L. Frazier. First officers: Dr. S. R. Frazier, president; J. H. McEwen and Robert Mc- Curdy, vice-presidents; A. I. Nicholas, secre- tary and treasurer; Richard Morgan, agent; Frank Jacobs, counsel. In October, 1895, the late Robert McCurdy became treasurer, which position he held until his death. In October, 1895, A. I. Nicholas became counsel.
In December, 1895, the society took action to have a children's home established, which resulted in the establishment of the Glenwoods Children's Home.
At the annual meeting of October, 1896, the membership of the Board of Directors was changed from seven to fifteen. In 1896, J. J. Hamilton became counsel. He was succeeded in that office in January, 1899, by F. L. Bald- win, who held this position until October, 1906. In February, 1898, Joseph Williams be- came humane agent.
The directors elected at the annual meeting held October 10, 1906, are as follows: Dr. S. R. Frazier, Dr. Ida Clarke, J. G. Butler, Dr. D. H. Evans, Rev. A. L. Frazer, Harry Bon- nel, C. P. Wilson, Mrs. D. M. Wise, Dr. J. J. Thomas, Gus A. Doeright, W. A. Maline, B. C. Pond, S. L Wright, F. L. Baldwin and M. C. Gibson.
The present officers of the society are: President, Dr. S. R. Frazier; first vice-presi- dent, Dr. Ida Clarke; second vice-president, Dr. J. J. Thomas; treasurer, C. P. Wilson; secretary, B. C. Pond; agent, Joseph Wil- liams ; counsel, John Schlarb.
The following is an abstract of the last annual report as published in the Youngstown Telegram of October 10, 1906:
ANNUAL REPORT.
To the Youngstown Humane Society :
Eighth annual report of Joseph Williams, humane agent, from October 1, 1905, to and including October 9, 1906:
Complaints received, 1, 109.
Visits made by agent to investigate cases, 1,088.
Cases prosecuted, 71. Cases convicted, 69.
Cases convicted for non-support of minor children, 48.
Cases convicted for non-support of aged parents, 8.
Cruelty to animals, 7.
Cruelty to children, 2.
Cruelty to wife, 2. Arrests for keeping houses of ill-fame, 4. Letters of warning sent out, 54.
Horses ordered shot, 21.
Horses and mules unfit for work ordered back to barn, 119.
Horses examined in city and county, 600. Advice given at office and at home, 230. Telephone calls at home, 250.
Fines collected, $25.
Money received for support of children, $750.50. Children taken to Children's home, 16. Children put in homes, 5.
WORK INCREASED.
During the last year the work of the agent has increased over twofold. Many complaints are received which do not admit of any pub- licity or action by the society except such as the agent can give as mediator or peacemaker. Only such cases are brought into court that have arrived at a stage where no amount of arbitration or interceding for one or the other party is of avail.
The work is on the rapid increase as re- gards complaints to be investigated, for the existence of the Humane Society is now known in almost every home. The trial cases, however, are not as numerous now, owing to the fact that the agent has time to thoroughly investigate each and every case, and, thus see- ing the true status, can act immediately with- out the "airing" of the case in a court room.
GRAND OPERA HOUSE.
The Grand Opera House, which is situated at the southwest corner of the public square, has long been a favorite house of entertain-
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ment with Youngstown theater-goers. The company was organized in July, 1872, with William Powers, president; Henry Tod, vice- president ; J. H. McEwen, secretary and treas- urer. The building is a substantial iron front structure, IIO feet in length by seventy-eight feet in width. The auditorium is seventy-four feet square, with an ordinary seating capacity of 1,400, which is capable on special occasions of extension to 2,000. The stage is thirty feet wide and forty feet deep, while there is an ample sufficiency of commodious and neatly furnished dressing rooms. The ceiling of the house is decorated with allegorical figures rep- resenting the drama, music, poetry, comedy, tragedy, and painting. All the decorations and furnishings are of tasteful and artistic design, and are renewed from time to time as the need arises. The house has an enterprising man- ager in Mr. Joseph Schagrin, who succeeded Mr. J. K. Albaugh at the beginning of the sea- son of 1906-7, and who has shown ability in securing for its patrons a list of excellent at- tractions.
The building is owned by a joint stock company composed of prominent citizens of Youngstown.
PARK .THEATER.
The Park Theater, the present manager of which is Mr. William De Shon, was estab- lished in 1901, and is now owned chiefly out- side of Youngstown. It is a convenient and well constructed theater, always clean, bright and cheerful; the spacious auditorium is well heated and well ventilated, the exits in case of fire or panic are many and readily accessible. The management is thoroughly up-to-date, and the performances are clean morally, nothing unwholesomely suggestive being tol- erated for an instant. The matinees are well attended by women and children, and special efforts are made to see to the comfort of all.
A FEW STATISTICS.
In a leaflet recently issued by the Youngs- town Chamber of Commerce some interesting
facts in regard to Youngstown's present de- gree of progress and achievement are given and may be appropriately included for pur- poses of present and future comparison with- in the limits of this chapter. The financial and manufacturing interests of the city may be found treated more in detail in separate chap- ters of this volume.
Youngstown is located on four of the lead- ing trunk lines of the United States and is a midway point on the proposed Ohio River and Lake Erie Ship Canal, a mammoth engineer- ing project which, when completed, will spread a continuous town from Pitssburg to Lake Erie.
It has a world-wide reputation as an iron and steel manufacturing center. Six banks have combined assets of $18,000,000, with $6,000,000 of savings deposited in these banks.
Not a single bank failure within its entire history.
Two substantial building and loan compa- nies.
The lowest bonded indebtedness in propor- tion to her tax duplicate of any of the ten larg- est cities of Ohio.
A tonnage, commercial and industrial, in the enormous amount of 15,000,000 tons per year, freight in transit not included.
Fifteen thousand men employed in her va- rious industries.
A pay roll of $1,000,000 a month,
Varied and extensive manufacturing es- tablishments representing the enormous in- vestment of $40,000,000.
Two and a half million dollars worth of new buildings erected within the past year- building permits issued at the rate of 100 per month.
Three public parks containing 592 acres of land.
The Mahoning river furnishes an abundant water supply for manufacturing purposes. Contemplated additions to and enlargements of present industrial plants, part of which are al- ready in course of construction, approximat- ing $10,000,000 in value.
A splendid water works system, the most modern filtration plant in Ohio, streets well
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paved and sewered and supplied with an ex- tensive system of water mains and hydrants.
Three splendid viaducts and numerous bridges connecting the various parts of the city, two hospitals, new city buildings, the · county buildings of Mahoning county, chil- · dren's home, public library, electric light and power plant, natural gas and artificial gas company, steam heating company, two daily and five weekly newspapers, an enormous and varied output of manufactured products, con- .sisting of steel rails, steel billets, heavy ma- chinery, pig iron, sheet iron, pipe and tubing, blasting powder, leather, table oil cloth, me- «chanical rubber goods, carriages, wagons and „automobiles, steel roofing, brass work, rail- road cars, electric supplies, steel furniture and "Office filing equipment, and all varieties of heavy iron and steel manufactures known to the iron and steel manufacturing world.
The Biographical sketches which follow are of some of the earlier residents of Youngs- town. Biographies of prominent citizens of later date may be found in the exclusively biographical portion of this volume.
NOTABLE PERSONAGES.
JOHN YOUNG came of a Scotch family - that settled near Londonderry, in the north of Ireland, in the Sixteenth or Seventeenth cen- tury. Here, in 1623, the first of the family whose record is known to us was born. In 1718, in his ninety-sixth year, with his son and grandson, their brothers and .sisters, and sisters' husbands, forming in all fourteen, part of a Scotch-Irish colony, he sailed away from Ireland, and landed in Boston, Mass., the same year. One of the descendants settled in Petersborough, N. H., and there John Young was born in 1763. About 1780 he emigrated to Whitestown, N. Y., and in June, 1792, was married to Mary Stone White, youngest daughter of Hugh White, the first settler there and original pro- prietor of a large tract of wild land.
John Young lived in Whitestown until 11796, in which year he became interested in
Ohio lands. In 1797 he began the settlement of Youngstown, to which place, two years later, he removed with his wife and two children - John and George. Here two more children were born to him - William, in 1799, and Mary in I802. In 1803, Mrs. Young, finding the trials of frontier life, with a latch-string always out, and a table free to all, too great with her young family for her power of en- durance, persuaded her husband to close up his business and returned with the family to Whitestown, where her father had kept a home for them.
Mr. Young's nominal occupation subse- quently was that of farmer, though he devoted the greater part of his time to other business interests. He was for many years engaged in the construction and superintendency of the Great Western Turnpike from Utica to Can- andaigua, and later on the Erie Canal, near which he resided, and upon which one of his sons was employed as civil engineer.
As one of the justices of the peace and quorum, Mr. Young sat upon the bench at the first territorial court held at Warren in 1800, and was ever after addressed as Judge Young. He died in April, 1825, at the age of sixty- two, twenty-two years after his return from Youngstown. His wife survived him four- teen years, dying in September, 1839, in the old home of her father, at Whitestown, N. Y., at the age of sixty-seven.
COLONEL JAMES HILLMAN, one of the most picturesque figures of pioneer days on the Reserve, was born in Northumberland county, Pa., on the 27th of October, 1762. As a young man he fought for Ameri- can independence in the Revolutionary War, and on its termination accompa- nied his father to the West, settling on the banks of the Ohio river, a short distance below Pittsburg. In the spring of 1786 he was employed by the firm of Duncan & Wildon as a packhorseman and during the following summer, in the interest of his em- ployers, visited Sandusky, the mouth of the Cuyahoga, and other places. Subsequently he
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made several trading excursions up the Ma- honing river, on one of which, in 1796 or 1797, he met John Young, and made arrange- ments with him by which he soon after re- moved with his family to the then newly founded settlement of Youngstown. Of this place he was afterwards a resident until his death.
On his farm of sixty acres, on the west side of the river, Mr. Hillman built, so tra- dition says, the first frame house in the town- ship. About 1808 he opened in the village a tavern, of which he was proprietor for several years thereafter. He sold it after his return from the War of 1812, in which he served as wagonmaster under Colonel Rayen.
In 1818 he sold his farm and opened an- other tavern, on the corner of Federal and Walnut streets, which he kept until 1824. He then purchased another farm on the west side of the river, and resided thereon until his death, which occurred November 12, 1848, when he had just entered his eighty-seventh year.
Colonel Hillman was frequently elected to public office. In August, 1800, at the First Territorial Court held in Trumbull County, he was appointed constable of Youngstown. Subsequently he served several terms as ap- praiser of houses, and was a number of times elected township trustee. He was elected sheriff of Trumbull County in 1806, and on February 16, 1808, he was commissioned as lieutenant-colonel, commandant of the Sec- ond Regiment. First Brigade, Fourth Di- vision, Ohio militia, which latter office he re- signed in the following year. In 1814 he was elected representative in the State Legislature. He also held the office of justice of the peace for several years, being first elected thereto in 1825.
In early manhood, soon after his return from the Revolutionary War, he was married in Western Pennsylvania, making his wife's acquaintance at a dance and marrying her on the same evening. the dancing being suspended for a few minutes while the ceremony was per- formed. This union, though childless, proved a happy one. Mrs. Catherine Hillman sur-
vived her husband seven years, dying in August, 1855, at the advanced age of eighty- three. She was the first white female resident of Youngstown, and was noted for her hos- pitality and kind neighborly traits of character.
Colonel Hillman was a typical pioneer. Brave, hardy, adventurous and shrewd, he was well fitted to endure the toil and encounter the dangers of a life in the wilderness, and his fame as a man of courage and ready resource, yet of circumspect judgment, has come down to our day, and we know him as one of the most worthy among the founders of the com- munity of which we are today members.
JUDGE WILLIAM RAYEN was born in Kent County, Md., October 1, 1776, and moved to Youngstown as early as 1802, before Ohio had been admitted into the Union; he was therefore one of the earliest pioneers of the Western Reserve. The early records of Youngstown township, then a part of Trum- bull County, mention that the first public meet- ing to organize was held in his house, and the first township officers were elected there April 5, 1802. Subsequently he was elected and re- elected to different township offices, and be- came one of the foremost citizens in the public life of the community.
In the War of 1812, when about thirty-six years of age, he went out under General Har- rison as colonel of the First Regiment, Third brigade of militia, raised in the Western Re- serve, in his command being Major Mackey. Dr. Henry Manning, Charles A. Boardman, and Colonel Hillman. He was ever regarded with affection and esteem by those who had served under him. He was always a strong factor in the political party to which he be- longed, and its prominent members throughout the State were frequent visitors and guests at his house; among these were David Tod and John Brough, both of whom were afterwards governors of Ohio. He was appointed by the Governor of the State as associate judge on the Trumbull County bench, and from that period was generally addressed as Judge Rayen, ex- cept by his military friends, who continued to call him colonel. The leading events of his
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