Mahoning Valley Forum

Youngstown & The Mahoning Valley => Youngstown in General => Topic started by: Towntalk on August 23, 2010, 06:02:49 PM

Title: Question for Rick
Post by: Towntalk on August 23, 2010, 06:02:49 PM
Rick, can you help me? This photograph was taken in 1889 and was titled: "Looking North-West From Pine Hill". I am able to identify Front Street School in the upper left center, and what looks like Market Street on the upper left of the picture, but never was able to find a reference to "Pine Hill".

My question for you concerns the factory complex in the picture. Can you identify it?
Title: Re: Question for Rick
Post by: Rick Rowlands on August 23, 2010, 10:17:56 PM
I just got home from a brutal day down at the steel plant in Steubenville.  I cannot even focus on that small picture!

Is the bridge South Avenue?  If so then the buildings would have been a part of the Brown Bonnell Works. 
Title: Re: Question for Rick
Post by: Towntalk on August 23, 2010, 10:35:37 PM
Sorry about the picture size limit but in a blowup the Man on the Monument can be seen in the upper left hand of the picture, and since you can see most of the Front Street School I was confused because the school was located on Front Street and South Phelps Street.

There is a large format version on my Webshot site, and when you have the chance I'd appreciate it if you'd take a look.
Title: Re: Question for Rick
Post by: Rick Rowlands on August 24, 2010, 08:41:00 AM
Could you provide a link so I don't have to spend the next ten minutes figuring out what your webshots name is, then looking for the photo.  I searched for the photo's caption but turned up nothing. Thanks
Title: Re: Question for Rick
Post by: Towntalk on August 24, 2010, 09:57:28 AM
http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2553302070052266667RaoNsE

1.   click on picture
2.   Choose full screen
3.   Click on picture to enlarge.
Title: Re: Question for Rick
Post by: Rick Rowlands on August 24, 2010, 12:23:41 PM
This is a tough one.  That does not appear to be the Front Street school. The window spacing is wrong.  Your picture of the school shows either seven or five windows while the building in the photos shows six.  But the bridge does appear similar to the South Avenue bridge.  If that is correct, I would say that the tall brick building is probably a blowing engine house, and the building closest to the bridge a freight station.  With no blast furnaces there is no need for blowing engines unless there are Bessemer converters in one of the other buildings.  But at this location the Bessemers were on the other side of the bridge. Now if you reverse the image it looks very much like Republic's Bessemer plant.  I would guess that the negative was reversed and we are instead looking northeast. 

What do you think?
Title: Re: Question for Rick
Post by: Towntalk on August 24, 2010, 01:34:59 PM
The whole thing baffles me because of the "Pine Hill" reference. I couldn't find any reference to it in any of my books.
Title: Re: Question for Rick
Post by: joly1584 on August 24, 2010, 08:52:39 PM
The book "Mahoning Memories" has a reference, with pictures, to "Pine Hill" on page 141.   It is described as a nearly vertical ridge on the south bank of the Mahoning River.  The first Market Street Viaduct built in 1899 started at Front Street and ended at the top of Pine Hill.
Title: Re: Question for Rick
Post by: Towntalk on August 24, 2010, 10:07:09 PM
Thanks greatly Joly. Could you scan the pictures andsend them to me via e-mail?

This being the case, what we're seeing is the William Tod & Co on the left side of the picture  posted, and the Pennsylvania RR Freight Depot which a few years later relocated to Front and Phelps.
Title: Re: Question for Rick
Post by: Rick Rowlands on August 25, 2010, 12:28:09 AM
Yep.  Although some of the buildings are William B. Pollock Co.
Title: Re: Question for Rick
Post by: Towntalk on August 25, 2010, 01:32:28 AM
The ones behind the PRR Freight Depot?  ???
Title: Re: Question for Rick
Post by: Rick Rowlands on August 25, 2010, 07:00:30 AM
Yes.  Pollock's original plant was located there, and burned in 1900.  They then moved to the former Himrod Furnace Co. property and sold the land to the William Tod Co. who constructed the erecting hall that still stands today.   At one time the Homer Hamilton foundry, Pollock and the Lloyd Booth Co. all shared this little triangle of land. 
Title: Re: Question for Rick
Post by: Towntalk on August 25, 2010, 10:16:11 AM
How did the Fredonia Automobile plant fit in there?
Title: Re: Question for Rick
Post by: iwasthere on August 25, 2010, 10:55:49 AM
this forum should have a public history debate on businesses that were and still are operating in the valley with pics  and power  pt delivery.
Title: Re: Question for Rick
Post by: AllanY2525 on August 25, 2010, 02:22:20 PM
Interesting stuff, guys (and gals...)


:)


Cool photo, TownTalk