Our Past

[sfc_oliver]

Really Rick? 1977? I left in 71 and didn't return until 98, but didn't the Democrats take over the valley in 77 or 78?

[Rick Rowlands]

Westsider, the focus on our past for many only goes back to 1977.  To a lot of people, including the Vindicator, MV history started in 1977 and the area has known nothing but despair since day one.  I run around frantically trying to save some reminders of that era of "prehistory" when the Youngstown area was a very important place in the US, and a place where some quite influential people came from and lived at.

[Towntalk]

Both here and in my webshots site I've concentrated on Youngstown's past in a positive way simply because there are a ton of sites that concentrate on it's present.

The Webshots site is the History of Youngstown in picture form, and I hope at least that it stimulates folks to develope enough interest to go to Google Books and download and read some of the books that are available there such as the books by Sanderson, Upton and Butler.

I do wish here to thank the owner of this web site for the opportunity to take trips down memory lane, and hope that I've not been too much of a bore for doing so.

[northside lurker]

I'm new(er) to the area, but I'm interested in Youngstown's history. (though I am FAR from a scholar, and have no interest in becoming one)  This area's history helps give it flavor that many newer "hotter" places don't have.

But, IMO, too many people (present company excepted) focus on the past too much.  It helps to create the defeatist attitude that is so prevalent here. (i.e. downtown is a terrible place because it will never achieve the glory it had in the old days, so why bother trying to make it better...)

[Towntalk]

All of us who have lived in Youngstown for any length of time (I've lived here 61 years) have memories of the past ... people we've known ... places we recall ... and the like, so why not share some of those memories?

For example, how many here remember C. W. Ricksucker, former Principal at Chaney High. He was a really wonderful educator, but until I started delving into Youngstown history, I had no idea just how extensive his career had been. Teacher, Principal, School Superintendent of Coitsville Schools (1910-14) and the Lowellville Schools (1910-11). I just remember him as a man that had an open door policy for his students. [Source: History of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley - J. G. Butler]

And there was Ches McPhee ... I had him for history and developed my love for history from him.