East Federal Street, probably some time in the 1940’s or early 50’s. Stambaugh Building and Realty Building are in the foreground. Photo source unknown.
One of the things that I’ve discovered is that there is a real gap in my memories of Youngstown east of Central Square. For a short time in the 1960’s my father worked at Haber’s Furniture at 200 East Federal and as a kid, I went to the YMCA on North Champion every Saturday for a couple years. I honestly have a hard time remembering much else. I remember the Stambaugh and Realty Buildings opposite each other just east of the square. Most of my memories of downtown, particularly because I worked at McKelvey’s during high school and college, were west of the square. I went to an orthodontist in Central Tower and remember stores like Strouss,’ Lustig’s, Reicharts, Fanny Farmers, Stambaugh-Thompson’s, Record Rendezvous, and of course, the Home Savings Building.
East Federal Street in the 1960’s. Photo from Mahoning Valley Historical Society archives.
Looking at old photographs of East Federal Street, I am amazed at the sheer number of stores and businesses, many with awning fronts, that lined East Federal from the 1940’s to the 1960’s. In one photo, I can make out Rocky’s Tavern, Castle Jewelers, East Federal Furniture Company, Factory Shoe Store, Lewis Apparel on Credit, Volunteers of America Opportunity Store, Fishers Dry Goods, and a partially obscured sign for Modern…. Another has signs for the Bargain Store, Marlane, The Atlas Grille, and Downtown Tile Center. Others have signs for Nick’s Shoe Repair, a camera and jewelry store, Leonard’s Clothes Shop, Best Cleaners, Philco/Royal TV Service, the Regent Theater, LeCar Furniture Store, an Army-Navy store, and a Sherwin-Williams paint and wallpaper store. All of these can be seen in a Homeplate TV/MetroMonthly video of East Federal Street in the 1960’s. At one time Rulli Brothers had two stores on East Federal, at 345 and at 21. Eventually the consolidated to the 21 E. Federal location.
I noticed two things from the pictures. One was that this was usually a busy place, cars lining the streets and a number of people on the sidewalks. The other was that the names suggested that these stores may have served a more economically-challenged part of Youngstown than the stores on the other side of Central Square. Bargain stores, stores offering apparel on credit, repair shops for shoes and appliances probably served those who lived paycheck to paycheck.
All these old storefronts are gone. The Realty and Stambaugh Buildings remain (the latter now a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel) as does the Haber Building now owned by Ohio One with an additional story. East Gateway Community College now occupies the block between South Champion and South Walnut. The YMCA is still on North Champion. But the cityscape has totally changed.
The gap in my own memories of East Federal seems to be matched with a lack of information in books I have or online articles apart from a few videos. I’d love to hear from others who have memories of downtown east of Central Square. It’s plain to me that downtown wasn’t just on West Federal back then. I’d like to know more about what I missed.
Bob on Books 
There was the Central Store and a pet shop, we didn’t shop at the end too often, but, I liked to see the chicks in the window.
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Thanks! Didn’t know about these!
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My Aunt worked in The Central Store. I can’t remember if it was a full department store or just clothing. The dresses she bought for us were beautiful. It was probably in the second block down from the square on the opposite side of the street from Haber’s. I think it was still open at least until early 60’s.
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Had to be in late 1950s and i went to east federal street with my grandfather to a butcher shop where they slaughtered live chickens. Dont think i a making that up.
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I believe you!
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Sounds as if it could have been a kosher butcher.
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You were not making it up – it smelled so bad in that store that I cried because I did not want to go inside store with my Mother. My Mother would go in store, pick out the chicken she wanted to cook for Sunday dinner, butcher would take chicken in backroom – kill it than remove chicken feathers, tied chicken up, wrapped chicken in white butcher paper, put in brown bag and off we would go to catch the trolley bus (buses at that time ran on a track with a long rod reaching the wire or line up high). One cannot believe people in those days carried the freshly brought chicken was carried home in a brown paper bag on the city bus. I believe the store was Rullie Bothers. Note: one cannot forget the sawdust that was always on the floor in the store – those were the day
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7/11/2023 You were not making it up – it smelled so bad in that store that I cried because I did not want to go inside store with my Mother (I believe it was in the late 50’s at that time). My Mother would go in the store, pick out the chicken she wanted to cook for Sunday dinner, butcher would take chicken in backroom – chop the head off, than hang chicken upside down so the blood could drain out; afterwards, butcher would put chicken in some type of machine to remove chicken feathers, then tied chicken up, wrapped chicken in white butcher paper, put wrapped chicken in a brown bag and off we would go to catch the trolley bus (buses at that time ran on a track with a long rod reaching the wire or line up high- I think bus fare at that tine was 10 cent & children of a certain age rode free; also, in those day people brought bus tokens to use for bus fare ). Children nor young adults born in the late 60’s and 70’s cannot believe people in the 40’s thru the early 60’s carried the freshly brought chickens home in a brown paper bag on the city bus. I believe the store was Rullie Brothers. Note: one cannot forget the sawdust that was always on the floor in the store – those were the days.
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Hi Bob–my first job out of high school was in the Leedy Building on East Federal as a stenographer at the Mahoning County Welfare Department. There was the Central Store on the same side of the street and I stopped at the Brass Rail for my morning coffee (always busy). Around the corner was Moore’s Tavern where we went for lunch especially on Fridays–always crowded with the legal crowd. Great food there. Samuel’s Jewelry Store there and later a pizza shop where you could just get a slice. There were markets across the street where you could get stuff to make a salad. At one time my mother and I would go down further to the Far East Restaurant where you went up the stairs to get a great Chinese dinner. It was dingy but delish! During steel strikes people would be lining the street to head up to the MCWD for food stamps. My aunt took me to the Central Store to pick out my prom dress which I put in layaway and paid for with my baby sitting money. There was also an A & P Grocery Store. My grandmother would walk to town when she saw a bargain there. Some of my memories–it was a long time ago–1956.
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Nancy, this is great! Sounds like a pretty vibrant place at that time. Thanks for sharing these memories!
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I forget the addresses…but the Salvation Army had a building on E. Federal as did Wilkerson’s Drug Store. The Youngstown Paint and Glass Co. had a since and warehouse from 1904 until 1969 next to the Salvation Army. It moved to Mahoning Avenue. The Warehouse was removed for the extension of Commerce Street (?) in the mid 60’s. I worked at the Paint Glass and walked to YSU, 66-70.
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Thanks for these memories!
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You had mentors clothing store. You had isleys on East Federal. The Silver Dollar Bar. The 40 club. A bar under the 40 club. A pool room on the East End. Max hat shop. a bar two doors from the Regent Theater. I worked at haber’s furniture store in 1963 to the beginning of 1965. Martin and Frank Haber was the owners.Haber’s also had a store on West Federal Street.
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Being a “Weekend Picker” I ran across a small what one may call a “Key Fob”; on it , it read:
Owners Number ……., and on the other side:
RETURN KEYS IF LOST TO
FRYE’S
40 E. FEDERAL ST.
YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO
“GOOD CLOTHES ON CREDIT”
ANYONE REMEMBER THE FRY’ES STORE OR ANYTHING ABOUT SUCH A KEY FOB?
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Intriguing…
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I went to Ursuline and our Campbell Hill bus stop was on E. Federal in front of a store that sold meat. I wonder if it was Rulli’s. Most of the other kids got their busses in front of Strouss. We felt second class sometimes.
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My father owned East End Market at the corner of East Federal and Basin Street. It was a grocery store and butcher shop. My dad slaughtered chickens there, as well. I worked their for many years. I used to take the end of day receipts and money to the bank in a brown paper sack. It was quite an education for me.
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Any information on the M and E Army Store? I believe it was owned by Max Schwartz. My mother worked there in the mid 1950’s. Just try to secure learn about it.
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I’ve never looked into it.
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Thank you. I do not have a lot of information. Just trying to learn about the place and the owners. Appreciate it.
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Back when I was about in Kindergarten, (1961) Easter time we went into a feed store on East. Federal. My brother ended up with two young chicks. One had the feathers red and the other was blue dyed. I ended up with an albino rabbit. We kept the rabbit until he died but the chicks got to be about 1/2 grown and they got taken out to a friend’s farm that was located in Hubbard where the McDonalds is by I-80. Those birds were making a huge mess out of the basement.
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Every Easter (period) we would end up with “Chicks”, often purchased at the 5/10 at the Mahoning Av. Plaza. We would keep them until they grew too big to keep and they also would end up at my uncle’s place outside of Hubbard; not a farm, but enough land to support them. Few weeks later, after dropping them off we would all be invited over for dinner……hmmmm, “Chicken Dinner” ?
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