Description: This 8" by 10" (20.32 by 25.4 cm) image depicts Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company's research laboratory during the 1920s. At the time the company had research laboratories located in the coke plant, open-hearth department, Bessemer department, and the main office building. These labs tested the quality of the raw materials before they were used to make steel and the finished steel before it was shipped. They also analyzed samples to develop the proper composition of steel and iron needed to meet the special demands of customers. In addition, the labs monitored the quality of water brought into the plant for use as drinking water and in the manufacturing process. In 1921, researchers processed about 12,000 samples per month, providing approximately 40,000 separate results. In 1924 the company's research labs were renamed the metallurgy department. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Om1637_1911244_005
Subjects: Business and Labor; Science and Technology; Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company; Steel industry; Laboratories; Research facilities
Places: Youngstown (Ohio); Mahoning County (Ohio)
 

Description: Three photographs document vandalism at the Republic Steel Corporation's Warren Plant during the 1937 ""Little Steel"" Strike. The first photograph shows derailed train cars on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad tracks on June 15. In the second workers are seen replacing the derailed cars. The third shows railroad cars with opened pockets. These 4.5"" by 6.5"" (11.43 by 16.5 cm) photographs are part of a scrapbook maintained by the Republic Steel Corporation documenting events at its Warren Plant during the strike. The scrapbook is labeled Miscellaneous Communications, Posters and Pictures Relating to the C.I.O. Strike of the Warren Plant of the Republic Steel Corporation, Summer 1937, Vol. III. In June 1936 the Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel, and Tin Workers and the Committee for Industrial Organization (C.I.O.) agreed to a joint effort to organize the steel industry. This led to the formation of the Steel Workers Organizing Committee (S.W.O.C.). Soon after the first representatives from the S.W.O.C. arrived in the Mahoning Valley to begin their organizing efforts. On March 26, 1937 the organizing committee signed a contract with U.S. Steel, the nation's largest steel producer. Six weeks later the second largest steel company in the country, Jones & Laughlin, followed the example of U.S. Steel. Following these victories the S.W.O.C. increased its efforts at reaching agreements with the smaller companies known as the ""Little Steel"" companies: Republic Steel, Inland Steel, and Youngstown Sheet and Tube. Talks between the organizing committee and the steel companies broke down and on May 26, 1937 approximately 25,000 Mahoning Valley steelworkers walked off their jobs from Republic Steel and Youngstown Sheet and Tube. Most of the mills shut down with the start of the strike. However, Republic Steel kept their Warren and Niles plants open using non-striking steelworkers. This led to a number of violent confrontations outside the mills. With no end to the strike in sight, Youngstown Sheet and Tube and Republic Steel announced on June 21 that the mills will be re-opened for those workers wanted to return to work. Fearing the violence that would follow attempts to re-open the plants, Ohio Governor Martin Davey ordered National Guard troops to the Mahoning Valley and on June 22 nearly 2,000 National Guardsmen arrived in Youngstown and Warren. The arrival of the National Guard signaled the beginning of the end of the strike. On June 25 striking steelworkers began returning to work under the protection of the National Guard. The steel companies also began hiring new workers to replace those who remained on strike. Soon the mills were running at near full capacity and most of the striking steelworkers had returned to their jobs. On July 6 the National Guard reduced its presence in the Mahoning Valley and the strike was effectively over. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Om1619_2587090_056
Subjects: Transportation; Business and Labor; Strikes; Steel industry; Congress of Industrial Organizations (U.S.); Labor unions; Vandalism; Railroads
Places: Niles (Ohio); Warren (Ohio); Trumbull County (Ohio)
 

Description: This 8.5" by 11" (21.6 by 27.9 cm) photograph reflects both the safety environment that Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company encouraged and the ethnic diversity of those employed in the Youngstown steel industry. The sign posted at the company's employment office indicates that "unless you are willing to be careful to avoid injury to yourself and fellow workmen, do not ask for employment. We do not want careless men in our employ." The text is also written in other languages, including Hungarian, Romanian, German, Croatian and Slovak. In November 1900, a group of 55 Youngstown citizens, led by James A. Campbell, raised $600,000 in capital to create the Youngstown Iron Sheet and Tube Company. Land was purchased along the Mahoning River approximately three miles east of downtown. In 1902, the mill opened for production. Spectacular growth marked the company's second decade, some of it spurred by the demand for steel caused by World War I. In 1923, YS&T purchased the Brier Hill Steel Company of Youngstown and the Steel and Tube Company of America of East Chicago. During the 1930s the company survived the Great Depression and the 1937 "Little Steel" strike to emerge as a leading steel producer. In the 1960s, YS&T began to experience a decline. The company merged with the Lykes Corporation in 1969 and LTV Corporation in 1979, at which time all Youngstown operations were phased out. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Om1628_1920463_024
Subjects: Business and Labor; Immigration and Ethnic Heritage; Steel industry; Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company; Safety; Signs (Notices)
Places: Youngstown (Ohio); Mahoning County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph documents a ruse used to break through the picket line at the Republic Steel Corporation's Warren Plant during the 1937 ""Little Steel"" Strike. A garbage can was tied onto the front of a car to deceive the pickets, enabling a father and son to crash through the main gate. This 4.5"" by 6.5"" (11.43 by 16.5 cm) photograph is part of a scrapbook maintained by the Republic Steel Corporation documenting events at its Warren Plant during the strike. The scrapbook is labeled Miscellaneous Communications, Posters and Pictures Relating to the C.I.O. Strike of the Warren Plant of the Republic Steel Corporation, Summer 1937, Vol. III. In June 1936 the Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel, and Tin Workers and the Committee for Industrial Organization (C.I.O.) agreed to a joint effort to organize the steel industry. This led to the formation of the Steel Workers Organizing Committee (S.W.O.C.). Soon after the first representatives from the S.W.O.C. arrived in the Mahoning Valley to begin their organizing efforts. On March 26, 1937 the organizing committee signed a contract with U.S. Steel, the nation's largest steel producer. Six weeks later the second largest steel company in the country, Jones & Laughlin, followed the example of U.S. Steel. Following these victories the S.W.O.C. increased its efforts at reaching agreements with the smaller companies known as the ""Little Steel"" companies: Republic Steel, Inland Steel, and Youngstown Sheet and Tube. Talks between the organizing committee and the steel companies broke down and on May 26, 1937 approximately 25,000 Mahoning Valley steelworkers walked off their jobs from Republic Steel and Youngstown Sheet and Tube. Most of the mills shut down with the start of the strike. However, Republic Steel kept their Warren and Niles plants open using non-striking steelworkers. This led to a number of violent confrontations outside the mills. With no end to the strike in sight, Youngstown Sheet and Tube and Republic Steel announced on June 21 that the mills will be re-opened for those workers wanted to return to work. Fearing the violence that would follow attempts to re-open the plants, Ohio Governor Martin Davey ordered National Guard troops to the Mahoning Valley and on June 22 nearly 2,000 National Guardsmen arrived in Youngstown and Warren. The arrival of the National Guard signaled the beginning of the end of the strike. On June 25 striking steelworkers began returning to work under the protection of the National Guard. The steel companies also began hiring new workers to replace those who remained on strike. Soon the mills were running at near full capacity and most of the striking steelworkers had returned to their jobs. On July 6 the National Guard reduced its presence in the Mahoning Valley and the strike was effectively over. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID:
Subjects: Transportation; Business and Labor; Strikes; Steel industry; Congress of Industrial Organizations (U.S.); Labor unions; Automobiles
Places: Niles (Ohio); Warren (Ohio); Trumbull County (Ohio)
 

Description: The Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company employees played on baseball teams organized by department. This 8.5" by 11" (21.6 by 27.9 cm) image depicts a game played at Campbell Park in 1926. The blast furnaces of the Campbell Works are visible in the background. The game of baseball began in New York City in the 1840s and 1850s. During the Civil War, Union soldiers introduced the game to other soldiers from remote regions of the country. When the war ended, baseball clubs spread across the United States. The National League of Professional Baseball formed in 1876 to formalize professional baseball, but amateur baseball remained popular. By the end of the nineteenth century, many small towns in Ohio had formed their own baseball teams. In November 1900, a group of 55 Youngstown citizens, led by James A. Campbell, raised $600,000 in capital to create the Youngstown Iron Sheet and Tube Company. Land was purchased along the Mahoning River approximately three miles east of downtown. In 1 View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Om1628_1919905_008
Subjects: Sports; Business and Labor; Baseball; Athletes; Furnaces; Steel industry; Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company; Steel industry
Places: Youngstown (Ohio); Campbell (Ohio); Mahoning County (Ohio)
 

Description: A 4 by 5-inch (10.16 by 12.7 cm) photograph taken on December 9, 1900 shows workers at the Republic Iron and Steel Plant in Youngstown. The workers are identified on the back of the photograph from left to right as Charley Beam, Chris Fox, Billy Bowstead, and Chris Vogel. Beam was cupola foreman. Vogel was first cupola helper. Bowstead was a bricklayer and foreman at Republic's Bessemer Plant, located at South Avenue and E. Front Street. Frank B. Hall, who took the photograph, was an iron tapper first helper. Republic Iron and Steel Company (later called Republic Steel Company) was organized in 1899 and moved its headquarters to Youngstown in 1911. The company was a vital economic force in the Mahoning Valley and a leading producer of steel in the United States. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Om328_784000_001
Subjects: Business and Labor; Steel industry; Laborers
Places: Youngstown (Ohio); Mahoning County (Ohio)
 

Description: The men in this photograph worked as a shear team for Brown, Bonnell & Company in Youngstown. They specialized in using machinery to cut the edges of metal. The company was established in 1855 when a group of steelworkers from Pennsylvania purchased the plant of the Youngstown Rolling Mill Company, also known as the Youngstown Iron Works. It later became part of Republic Steel. The image measures approximately 5.5 by 8 inches (13.97 by 20.32 cm). View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Om326_763407_002
Subjects: Business and Labor; Steel industry; Laborers
Places: Youngstown (Ohio); Mahoning County (Ohio)
 

Description: These 4" by 6" (10.16 by 15.24 cm) color photographs depict scenes of abandoned Republic Steel blast furnaces on Center Street, approximately six months before demolition. The Republic Iron and Steel Company was organized in 1899, establishing its headquarters in Chicago, Illinois. In 1905 the company moved its headquarters to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and in 1911 transferred them to Youngstown, Ohio. The company became the Republic Steel Corporation in 1930 and in 1936 moved to Cleveland, Ohio. Until the decline of the steel industry in the 1970s and early 1980s, Republic was a vital economic force in the Mahoning Valley area. Nationally, the company was a mainstay of steel production in the United States, producing steel used by, among others, the American automobile, defense, and air industries. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, at a time when steel companies across the country were closing plants, the company substantially reduced its operations in the vicinity of Youngstown. I View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Om1625_1867256_001
Subjects: Business and Labor; Furnaces; Steel industry; Republic Iron & Steel Company
Places: Youngstown (Ohio); Mahoning County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph documents the first car to drive out of the front gate of the Republic Steel Corporation's Warren Plant during the 1937 ""Little Steel"" Strike. This 4.5"" by 6.5"" (11.43 by 16.5 cm) photograph is part of a scrapbook maintained by the Republic Steel Corporation documenting events at its Warren Plant during the strike. The scrapbook is labeled Miscellaneous Communications, Posters and Pictures Relating to the C.I.O. Strike of the Warren Plant of the Republic Steel Corporation, Summer 1937, Vol. III. In June 1936 the Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel, and Tin Workers and the Committee for Industrial Organization (C.I.O.) agreed to a joint effort to organize the steel industry. This led to the formation of the Steel Workers Organizing Committee (S.W.O.C.). Soon after the first representatives from the S.W.O.C. arrived in the Mahoning Valley to begin their organizing efforts. On March 26, 1937 the organizing committee signed a contract with U.S. Steel, the nation's largest steel producer. Six weeks later the second largest steel company in the country, Jones & Laughlin, followed the example of U.S. Steel. Following these victories the S.W.O.C. increased its efforts at reaching agreements with the smaller companies known as the ""Little Steel"" companies: Republic Steel, Inland Steel, and Youngstown Sheet and Tube. Talks between the organizing committee and the steel companies broke down and on May 26, 1937 approximately 25,000 Mahoning Valley steelworkers walked off their jobs from Republic Steel and Youngstown Sheet and Tube. Most of the mills shut down with the start of the strike. However, Republic Steel kept their Warren and Niles plants open using non-striking steelworkers. This led to a number of violent confrontations outside the mills. With no end to the strike in sight, Youngstown Sheet and Tube and Republic Steel announced on June 21 that the mills will be re-opened for those workers wanted to return to work. Fearing the violence that would follow attempts to re-open the plants, Ohio Governor Martin Davey ordered National Guard troops to the Mahoning Valley and on June 22 nearly 2,000 National Guardsmen arrived in Youngstown and Warren. The arrival of the National Guard signaled the beginning of the end of the strike. On June 25 striking steelworkers began returning to work under the protection of the National Guard. The steel companies also began hiring new workers to replace those who remained on strike. Soon the mills were running at near full capacity and most of the striking steelworkers had returned to their jobs. On July 6 the National Guard reduced its presence in the Mahoning Valley and the strike was effectively over. The C.I.O. and S.W.O.C. had suffered their first defeat in their efforts to organize the steelworkers; not until 1941 did Republic Steel and Youngstown Sheet and Tube sign agreements recognizing the union. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID:
Subjects: Transportation; Business and Labor; Strikes; Steel industry; Congress of Industrial Organizations (U.S.); Labor unions; Automobiles
Places: Niles (Ohio); Warren (Ohio); Trumbull County (Ohio)
 

Description: An employee takes a customer's order at Hip Pocket Tofu Deli, a vegetarian restaurant located at 1634 Northwest Boulevard in Columbus, Ohio. The restaurant was opened in March 1980 by Bill Lutz and Mick Vissman. This photograph was taken by a photographer for publication in the Columbus Free Press newspaper. The Columbus Free Press began as a bi-weekly publication in Columbus, Ohio, in 1970. An underground newspaper, it replaced the Ohio State University publication The People, Yes. The earliest known issue of the newspaper appeared on January 4, 1971. The newspaper underwent a series of name changes over the decades, with titles including the Columbus Free Press & Cowtown Times (1972-1976), the Columbus Freepress (1976-1992) and The Free Press (1992-1995). The paper, which covered many liberal and progressive causes, was an alternative to mainstream news sources in central Ohio with the slogan “The Other Side of the News.” In 1995, the paper ceased publication briefly before reemerging as a website in early 1996, and returning as a print publication under the Free Press title in the form of a quarterly journal in 1998. Published under various frequencies during the first part of the 21st century, the Free Press again became a nonprofit monthly publication in 2017 with both a print and web presence, published by the Columbus Institute for Contemporary Journalism and operated by a volunteer staff and board. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: MSS1301AV_NS01_03
Subjects: Street photography; Businesses; Restaurants--Ohio--History; Food and drink;
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)