Working class

Growing Up in Working Class Youngstown — Rotogravure Section

/ rtrube54 / 3 Comments
Screenshot of the front page of the rotogravure section of The Sunday Vindicator. May 15, 1927. Public Domain.

Remember the “Brown section” in the Vindicator? This was a section of the Sunday newspaper printed in sepia tones with photographic portrayals of local and national human interest stories. When I delivered the paper, the Sunday Vindicator came in two parts. One was the newspaper part. The other bundle included the “Brown section” on the outside along with the Sunday comics, Parade Magazine, and various ad sections. Usually, we inserted this section inside the newspaper section, an extra step. Around holidays, this made for a very bulky paper.

The “Brown section” also known as the Rotogravure section was a favorite of many people for telling stories with high quality pictures instead of words, other than captions. Some of the greatest work of Vindicator photographers Edward A. Shuba and Lloyd Jones can be found on these pages.

I was inspired to write about this as I looked at the December 16, 1973 edition of the Vindicator on Google News Archive. The Rotogravure section from that Sunday had a front page story titled “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” with a number of cozy family images. Page two features “A Log Cabin for Five Generations,” showing the home of John Sonnedecker on E. South Range Road in Beaver Township. In what was once a log cabin, the Reverend Henry Sonnedecker founded a church in 1831. On page 3, “Super Bowl” is about the construction of a huge radio telescope in Arecibo, Puerto Rico (which collapsed in 2020 and has been de-commissioned). Page 4 is “Toy Trends” including the debut of the Big Wheel.

Page 5 features once famous movies stars Greta Garbo, Jean Harlow, Joan Crawford, and Gloria Swanson in a piece titled “Those Were The Days.” Photos of champion skiers on page 6 appear under the title “Winter King.” “The Ox Man” is the headline for page 7, featuring Irving Lamb, a west New York farmer with a team of four Red Devon oxen, an old English breed. Page 8 features an art spread called “In the World of Art,” page 9 shows women in a variety of furs that would be banned today, titled “Day and Night Elegance,” and page 10 is devoted to “The Girls” by Franklin Folger, a spread of comics featuring middle-aged women. that appeared regularly.

Where does the name “rotogravure” come from? It refers to a printing process using etched cylinders rather than flat plates, allowing for superior reproduction of photographs in terms of sharpness and tonal depth. Sepia ink was used to provide warmer, less stark images. Colors were consistent and the ink did not smear, allowing for immediate bundling. On Christmas of 1912, the New York Times printed its first rotogravure section.

The practice spread rapidly and the Vindicator printed its first Rotogravure section November 7, 1926. In 1936, it became a featured section of the Sunday Vindicator. In the 1970’s, the section became the Pictorial Section and featured color photographs. In July of 1986, the last Rotogravure section was printed, a feature on how the Vindicator of that time was put together. On August 31, 2019, in the last issue of the “old” Vindicator, the staff published an article on the history and highlights of the Rotogravure section, some of which I’ve used here,

For many, the “Brown section” was the first place they went in looking at the Sunday paper. Re-visiting these old sections offers a pictorial essay of life in the Valley and nationally in different eras. Before “digital” and “video” was a thing, talented photographers working in sepia did amazing work telling stories of human interest.

To read other posts in the Growing Up in Working Class Youngstown series, just click “On Youngstown.” Enjoy!

Growing Up in Working Class Youngstown — Loblaws

/ rtrube54 / 4 Comments
Loblaw ad from 1967

Other than Sparkle Markets, I don’t think any of the grocery store chains we shopped at when I was young are still in Youngstown. My parents shopped at A & P on Mahoning Avenue until it closed, then shopped at Sparkle. My wife’s parents shopped at Loblaws on Youngstown-Poland Road. Going through the Vindicator in the 1960’s and early 1970’s, you can see their ads every week, especially on Wednesdays, when stores advertised their weekly specials.

What I was surprised to learn was that this chain had a relatively short existence in the Youngstown area. Loblaws, then called Loblaw, had its beginnings in Toronto, Canada, in 1919 where they opened their first “Grocetarias,” cash and carry stores. By 1924, they had expanded throughout Toronto and into New York state, forming an American company headquartered in Buffalo. The American subsidiary was also known under the name “National Tea,” as you will notice in the ad from 1967, although Loblaws of Canada held the controlling interest.. They continued to expand into Pennsylvania and northeast Ohio.

The Canadian chain continued to expand after being acquired by the Weston family, who also had department store interests. They pioneered the concept of supermarkets, the precursor to our superstores. They also implemented a customer loyalty program with Green Stamps, that spread throughout the US.

Meanwhile, Century Foods operated 14 stores in the Youngstown area and 39 in the region. On June 11, 1961, the New York Times ran a story announcing the sale of Century’s 39 store to Loblaw, Inc. of Buffalo. That’s when the old Century Foods became Loblaw Food Stores and later Loblaws Markets. The chain grew as it continued to expand during the early 1960’s but then growth stagnated and declined.

A Loblaws ad from its last year in Youngstown in 1972.

In 1972, Galen Weston, the new CEO began a reorganization and downsizing of the chain, focusing on its most profitable stores and consoldating stores. As part of that, the Meridian Road warehouse was closed and the 14 stores (they never expanded in the Mahoning Valley) were sold off to other chains. And thus, the Loblaws name came to an end in Youngstown.

The reorganization paid off for Loblaws in Canada. By the1980’s, they were Canada’s biggest supermarket chain. They acquired Shoppers Drug Mart, Canada’s largest chain of pharmacies, in 2013. They’ve created their own line of superstores. But its all in Canada. So if you are ever in Canada and see a Loblaws, you can say you remember when they were in Youngstown. And if they don’t believe you, just show them this article with the Vindicator ads.

To read other posts in the Growing Up in Working Class Youngstown series, just click “On Youngstown.” Enjoy!

Growing Up in Working Class Youngstown — Baldwin’s Mill

/ rtrube54 / 3 Comments
Postcard of Baldwin’s Mill c. 1910 with the old Spring Common Bridge to the north..

When most of us think of a grain mill in Youngstown, we think of Lanterman’s Mill in Mill Creek MetroParks. But for much of the 19th century, the major grain mill was Baldwin’s Mill, at the foot of Oak Hill just south of the old Spring Common Bridge on the west bank of the Mahoning River.

The story of grain mills on this site goes all the way back to 1804, when James Hillman, who owned a 60 acre tract purchased from John Young on the west side of the river, sold an acre to Caleb Plum to erect a mill, the first in the village of Youngstown.

In 1858, Homer Baldwin built a mill near this site. Baldwin had experience with flour milling going back to 1840. The mill not only provided flour and grain for the community for several generations but rapidly grew so that its products were distributed throughout the United States. It was the first mill in the United States to replace the stone mill wheels, going back to the beginning of history, with rollers to grind wheat.

The quality of their flour won awards throughout their history. In 1876, Baldwin’s Mill won honors at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. In 1904, competing with grain mills throughout North and South America, Baldwin’s Mill won top honors for the finest barrel of flour in the Americas. In the 1890’s flour was $4 a barrel and the mill offered a 40 cent discount for those who paid cash. For a time, an old canal barge from the Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal offered boat cruises starting at Baldwin’s Mill up the Mahoning River to Salt Springs Road.

Despite their reputation, the mill encountered legal troubles with the City of Youngstown when the city won a case challenging the dam Homer Baldwin had built to help power the grist mill. Baldwin counter-sued claiming damages from a diminished water supply that hampered mill operation.

In 1913, they faced a different sort of water problem–flooding. On March 23 to 26, 1913 it rained steadily with 7 to 9 inches falling, flooding low lying areas along the river including a good part of downtown Youngstown, the B & O Station, as well as the mill. This became known as the Great Flood of 1913, and spurred the city to take flood control measures to prevent future episodes.

Flooding at Baldwin’s Mill During the Flood of 1913. Public Domain

What finally ended the mill’s illustrious history was a fire on December 18, 1922. Twice, over the years, the building survived lightening strikes. That morning, during production, some grain dust spontaneously ignited. Aided by strong winds, the fire spread rapidly. Train traffic was stopped on the B & O line to run fire hoses across. The building was a total loss, amounting to $70,000, not only leveling a downtown landmark, but also ending a national business.

When we think of mills in Youngstown, we tend to think of iron and steel mills. But for 64 years Homer Baldwin’s Mill also made Youngstown famous for flour, due to his innovations and skill. Something to think about the next time you drive over the Spring Common Bridge.

To read other posts in the Growing Up in Working Class Youngstown series, just click “On Youngstown.” Enjoy!

Growing Up in Working Class Youngstown — The Energy Crisis of 1973

/ rtrube54 / 3 Comments
Hills Deparment Store ad. Youngstown Vindicator, November 23, 1973.

Do you remember skyrocketing gas prices? Long lines at the pumps? Limits of how much gas you could pump? Going into the Christmas holidays of 1973, the U.S. was confronted with an oil embargo from OPEC nations that resulted in the quadrupling of the price of a barrel of oil. U.S. production had declined and we had become increasingly dependent on imported oil to meet our fuel needs, not only for cars but also for heating and electricity in parts of the country where this was oil generated. The cause for this decision was a response to the support the U.S. gave Israel in the 1973 Yom Kippur War. We were encouraged to lower our thermostats to 68, to conserve energy and carpool. We tried an experiment in year round daylight savings time. I remember going to early classes during winter at Youngstown State in the night.

Looking at the Vindicator for November 23, 1973, there were a number of indications of the impact of this crisis. One story urged us to “Expect Shopping to Not Be So Gay” [a reference to holiday cheer, not a sexual orientation]. The article detailed the curtailing of streetlighting and Christmas lighting displays in many communities. Some shortened the number of days for displays. Meanwhile, another article stated “The City’s Cost on Gasoline Jumps December 3.” Prices were up to over 35 cents! Of course, it offered an opportunity for price-gouging, with one station charging 86 cents a gallon on Thanksgiving, covered in a story describing how the station “Tries Gasoline ‘Blackmail.’ ” And there were signs that things could get worse with a front page story with the ominous news that “Arabs Threaten 80 Pct. Oil Cut.”

All of a sudden, interest in small cars became popular–Vegas, Pintos and cars from Japan like Toyota Corollas and Honda Civics. We all got used to wearing sweaters in chilly buildings and bragged when we saved a few pennies a gallom or even were able to buy a full tank. Speed limits were lowered to 55 miles per hour, which felt like crawling but was supposedly the optimum speed for fuel savings.

The Hills ad above continued with this copy describing the steps they were taking to conserve energy:

Hills Department Store ad, Youngstown Vindicator, November 23, 1973.

They cut back lighting, heating, appliance use on floor samples, encouraged carpooling, and set speed limits on driving for company business. And they encouraged the rest of us to join them. And as I recall we did–for as long as the embargo lasted. Then we relaxed although OPEC held this threat over our heads. In the late 1970’s, there were more shortages and restrictions. Remember odd-even days? And the prices always climbed.

It’s tempting to talk then and now, but I will resist that temptation–we’re in a different time and situation. I’d be interested in your memories of the gas shortages of the 1970’s and how you thought that changed your life around Youngstown. How did you respond? Did you buy a car that got more miles to the gallon? What other changes to your life do you remember?

To read other posts in the Growing Up in Working Class Youngstown series, just click “On Youngstown.” Enjoy!

Growing Up in Working Class Youngstown — Thank You, Youngstown!

/ rtrube54 / 9 Comments

I finished Joseph Lambert, Jr.’s biography of David Tod this week (review). It’s really a fine piece of writing about one of Youngstown’s most illustrious citizens. If you like Youngstown history, you will want to pick up a copy! In the conclusion, he quotes Tod as saying, “I would not have been born anywhere else than in Youngstown if I could.” I find myself in thorough agreement with David Tod. And since it is the Saturday before Thanksgiving, I thought I’d share some of the reasons I’m thankful to have been born and grow up in Youngstown.

  1. Maybe it goes without saying, but it was where my family was. My father John and mother Dorothea (who had what I think is one of the most beautiful of names) loved me and raised me right. I have fond memories of time spent with both sets of grandparents. My brother, sister, and I were greatly blessed in this regard.
  2. I’m thankful for Dr. James Birch, without whom I might not have been alive. I remember him making housecalls with his black physicians bag and the toys in the waiting room of his office.
  3. Mill Creek Park has got to be high on the list. I loved hikes there with my dad as a kid. Naturalists like Lindley Vickers and Bill Whitehouse helped us understand the delights of this place. From our wedding pictures to my parents sixtieth wedding anniversary, Fellows Riverside Gardens is a place that carried so many special memories.
  4. I’m thankful for good memories of downtown Youngstown from McCrory’s soda fouintain to milk shakes at Strouss’. I think of the endless fascination of the stamp counter on Strouss’ mezzanine, and being able to watch shoppers on the main floor. In later years, I had the chance to work at another of those grand department stores, McKelvey’s. I remember all the decorations and crowds at the holidays.
  5. I learned the value of work and responsibility not only from my dad but from the customers I cut grass and shoveled snow for, and delivered papers to. Everybody worked hard in my neighborhood and from when I was ten or so, I learned the satisfaction of earning my own money.
  6. Of course, you have to be thankful for so much good food! At this season, I think of my mom’s turkey dressing and her cranberry salad with a dash of 7-Up. There is so much good food that I have written about.
  7. I will forever be grateful for the dedicated teachers in every school I attended from Mrs Smith who taught me to read to Mr. Erickson who taught me to love math. They, along with Youngstown’s libraries, fostered in me a love of learning that has endured throughout my life.
  8. Youngstown State made it possible for me to get a college education. Between scholarships and my own earnings and the low tuition, I finished without any debt. That and a number of great professors and the chance to make a number of new friends was a gift.
  9. I’m thankful that I met my wife in Youngstown, over 50 years ago (and married for 45). We’ve had such a rich and good life together and our shared upbringing in Youngstown is a part of the bond between us.
  10. Finally, I am thankful for you, all my Youngstown readers. You have taught me so much about the hometown I try to write about, over nearly ten years. You confirm my own sense of what a great good place Youngstown was for us all.

I could go on and on. But I want to leave room for you. What are you thankful for because you grew up in Youngstown?

To read other posts in the Growing Up in Working Class Youngstown series, just click “On Youngstown.” Enjoy!

Growing Up in Working Class Youngstown — The Trumbulls Behind Trumbull County

/ rtrube54 / 3 Comments

Trumbull County was always the county just to the north of Youngstown. What many of us didn’t know was that for nearly the first fifty years of Youngstown’s existence, until 1846, Youngstown was part of Trumbull County. Trumbull County was created in 1800, and at one time was the county of the Western Reserve with its county seat in Warren. In reading Joseph Lambert, Jr’s The Political Transformation of David Tod, I discovered that David Tod, who we so often associate with either Brier Hill or the Governor’s Mansion, spent the first half of his adult life in Warren as lawyer, councilman, mayor, and state senator.

Eventually a number of counties were formed out of Trumbull County, including Mahoning County, in 1846. Canfield was the county seat until it was moved to Youngstown after a court battle, in 1876. But where did the Trumbull name come from?

Jonathan Trumbull, Jr. Strictly speaking, the county was named after the governor of Connecticut at the time the county was formed. He was governor of Connecticut from 1797 until his death in 1809. He was General Washington’s aide de camp with the rank of Lt. Colonel during the Revolutionary War. He was in the House of Representatives from 1789-1796, serving as the second Speaker of the House, and a US Senator the following year.

Jonathan Trumbull, Sr. The father of Jonathan Trumbull, Jr., he was Governor of the Connecticut Colony from 1769 to 1776. He refused General Gage’s request for assistance at Lexington and Concord, throwing his support behind General Washington. He continued as governor until 1784, dying of a stroke the following year. He played an important role in asserting the state’s claims to its western territories, forming the County of Westmoreland in what is now Pennsylvania in 1776. Then on November 15, 1783, Governor Trumbull issued a proclamation protecting Connecticut’s rights to “all lands by virtue of the charter granted by King Charles”. At the time, these extended from the western border of Pennsylvania to the Mississippi River!

Jonathan Trumbull, Esq., for the State of Connecticut (Printed by Timothy Green), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

There are two other famous Trumbulls in the same family that the Trumbull County name also reminds us of.

John Trumbull (1756-1843) Trumbull was the artist of the Revolutionary War. He was at Bunker Hill, also was an aide de camp to Washington. He then turned to art painting 250 portraits, including one of Washington from memory. Perhaps his most famous was his Declaration of Independence, which hangs in the US Capitol.

By John Trumbull – US Capitol, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons

John Trumbull (1750-1831). This John Trumbull was the cousin of John (who painted his portrait) and Jonathan Trumbull. He was one of America’s first great poets. His most noted work was M’Fingal, a masterpiece of political satire. He was also a staunch Federalist.

The Trumbull name was an illustrious one in American history. While no Trumbull ever set foot in the Western Reserve, the name expresses the role that the two Governor Trumbulls played in its existence and the hope for a shining future for this territory that eventually became a home of a president (McKinley) and a major industrial center. Youngstown, once a part of Trumbull County and still its neighbor, shares in that history.

To read other posts in the Growing Up in Working Class Youngstown series, just click “On Youngstown.” Enjoy!