USA > Ohio > Mahoning County > Youngstown > Twentieth Century History of Youngstown and Mahoning County Ohio and Representative Citizens > Part 19
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Some good work has been done by the chamber to encourage the establishment of new industries here. One of these, the Trussed Concrete Steel Company, has already erected in Youngstown two large factory buildings, equipped with $110,000 worth of machinery, and has spent in the city up to date $50,000 in wages and $50.000 for material. Their main business is the construction of reinforced con- crete work. and the manufacture of reinforc- ing materials, of which latter they will pro- duce an average of 6,000 tons per month when in full operation. They have branch works in Liverpool. England. and Wakefield. On- tario, with offices in all large cities in this and other countries.
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RESIDENCE OF H G HAMH.TON, YOUNGSTOWN
RESIDENCE IF GEORGE TOD. YOUNGSTOWN
KESIDENCE OF MRS C # ANDREWS. YOUNGSTOWN
KESIDENCE OF HENKY & WICK. YOU NGSTOWN
VIEWS OF TOP LANE YOUNGSTOWN
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Through the chamber's efforts, also, the firm of Gross & Dallet, shirtwaist manu- facturers, of Cleveland, have been prevailed upon to establish an experimental factory in this city, rented quarters having been secured for them. The experimental phase of their proposition is entirely on the question of se- curing a sufficiency of female help to run the plant, which will employ ultimately, if success- ful, from five to eight hundred women. They are already employing 125 and turning out an average of 400 garments per day, being the full capacity of their present quarters. The Chamber of Commerce is still in correspond- ence with other reliable enterprises, some of which may be finally induced to locate here.
In view of the fact that the most threat- ening obstacle in the way of a brilliant future for Youngstown is a possible failure of a suf- ficient water supply to meet its industrial growth, the committee on water and light, consisting of Messrs. A. D. Thomas, W. P. Williamson, Carroll Thornton, Louis Lieb- man and B. M. Campbell, last fall made a per- sonal examination of the available sites for additional reservoirs for the storage of the sur- plus water accumulating during the periods of abundant rainfall. The committee came to the conclusion that the largest available sites for such reservoirs that can be economically secured are those on the Mahoning river in Berlin township, this county, and in Deer- field township, Portage county. They accord- ingly began taking options on lands in these basins and now hold options on about 600 acres. A report of their proceedings was filed with the city council in April of the present year, with the offer to transfer their options free of charge to the city, with the request that the council begin proceedings to appropriate the remainder of the lands necessary to estab- lish such reservoirs in this vicinity. The mat- ter. at this writing, is before a special com- mittee of the City Council. Other matters in which the Youngstown Chamber of Com- merce has been stirring, for the benefit of the business community and the future welfare of the city, are mentioned in the report already alluded to. Enough has here been said to
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 COLI.EGES.
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 1800, a business institution was opened in the Monser block. Many were its early vicissitudes. The demand for trained office hielp 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 stenographie department of the Jamestown Business College, James- town. N. Y., where he is at present.
In 1904. Mr. Hall, desiring a broader fieki 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 .. mpon 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 1800. Miss Isabel McGrath, who had for a number of years previous been principal of the stenographie 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. Slindce. 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- eial National Bank, In May. 1903. they ineor- porated. Shortly thereafter they removed to
the Wick block, No. 16 West Federal street, and have since ocenpied the entire third floor.
On April 1. 1906, J. F. 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 MeGrath, 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 publie school teach- ing in the village of Girard and vicinity. Her home is in Girard, where she has hosts of friends.
About 1808, Prof. Niswanger founded an institution in the Diamond block and although enjoying a splendid patronage, he was com- pelled to discontinue Imsiness owing to failing healthı.
With the exception of a commercial and stenographic department in the Canfield Nor- mal School, the only institutions of this nasure in the county are located in Youngstown, and the demint for their product more than equals the supply. In 1906 the three business insti- tutiens 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 worldl. 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 eiti- 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, 110 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 fect 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- crated 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.
Jolın Young lived in Whitestown until ·1796, 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 1802. 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- plovers, visited Sandusky, the month 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 Jolin 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.
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