Lost Youngstown

by Sean T. Posey

The massive steel mills of Youngstown once fueled the economic boom of the Mahoning Valley. Movie patrons took in the latest flick at the ornate Paramount Theater, and mob bosses dressed to the nines for supper at the Colonial House. In 1977, the Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company announced the closure of its steelworks in a nearby city. The fallout of the ensuing mill shutdowns erased many of the city's beloved landmarks and neighborhoods. Students hurrying across a crowded campus tread on the foundations of the Elms Ballroom, where Duke Ellington once brought down the house. On the lower eastside, only broken buildings and the long-silent stacks of Republic Rubber remain. Urban explorer and historian Sean T. Posey navigates a disappearing cityscape to reveal a lost era of Youngstown.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

176 pages, Paperback

Published April 11, 2016

Reviews

[Mallory Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I could talk to my grandparents about this book and their experience with all the places it talked about. Cool look inside how the collapse of industry and urban redevelopment affected the people and places of Youngstown.

[J.P. Willson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very informative look at a city of what seems like yesteryear. Almost sad in it's realization of the past "glory days" of this city. Some of the photographs make you think, why would they tear down or let such things fall into such disrepair? A nostalgic look into the past of an up and coming vibrant place...sadly mostly gone.

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great walk down memory lane. I love Youngstown and I never want to move away. Great survey of things that once were in Youngstown such as businesses, areas, and neighborhoods that are gone. I wish the author would have spent a little more time on Idora Park.

[Blane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been on a rustbelt/urban decay kick as of late. And nothing screams "rustbelt/urban decay" like Youngstown. Though this is barely a "trip down memory lane" for me (too young...even though I'm old), this is one of the best I have read. I especially enjoyed the chapters on "Uptown" & "Smoky Hollow"--the mysterious neighborhood I recall from my early-80s days at YSU.

I would love to see an expansion of the Uptown chapter to more thoroughly cover its nightlife (especially the gay component...The Troubadour Lounge/Joshua's) of the early-80s.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book did an amazing job of reviving memories of the city I grew up in and filling in the background.

[Ben Lariccia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A valuable local history resource. Youngstown created great wealth for the U.S.A. Coal, iron, steel, and related industries created the foundation for a beautiful urban center and periphery.

[Kathy Cherney · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you grew up in Youngstown, this is a good read. Even for me, who did not but my husband did, it was worth reading.

[Anthony Hake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellently written

[Kosar7480 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting look at the history of the city. The author focuses on some of the steel mills, entertainment venues, and neighborhoods from the city's past. Ample photographs but would have loved a map to put everything in context. Also wish it was longer or another volume would be written. as there's a lot more that could be included.