History:
Founding:
Growth:
Significant Changes in Urban Development:
Shifts in Industry:
Values and Attitudes:
Sources:
http://www.villageoflowellville.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2-History.pdf
http://www.villageoflowellville.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/3-Timeline.pdf
Docherty, L. (2016, November 26). Personal communication.
Founding:
- Lowellville, which lies along the banks of the Mahoning River, was once an American Indian paradise
- The Indians were pushed out of their land when the European settlers invaded the land we now call Lowellville
- Lowellville was settled by first and second generation Europeans who had originally lived in Connecticut
- The area on the “south” side of Lowellville was originally called Petersburg, the area on the “west” side of Lowellville was called McGillsville, and the area on the “east” side of Lowellville was originally called Lowell
- In 1836, Petersburg, McGillsville, and Lowell came together to form what we know now as Lowellville
- In 1936, there was a ceremony for the 100th anniversary of the founding of Lowellville
Growth:
- In 1839, the Mahoning Canal that ran through Lowellville was opened, leading to many business opportunities and increasing the population
- The Mahoning Canal was very important in trade because it helped transport coal, dairy products, and wool to Cleveland, Pittsburg, and other large cities
- In 1840, the first church in Lowellville was created, a small Methodist church under the leadership of J. Bissell
- Lowellville started to industrialize when coal was found in Mt. Nebo and shipped through the canal to furnaces in the upper part of the valley
- In 1844, Wilkinson, Wilkes, and Co built the “Mary Furnace” and it made iron for the Civil War, the Spanish American War, World War I, and World War II
- In 1875, the first Bessemer steel in the valley was poured, changing the basic industry from iron to steel
- In 1876, the first Lowellville High School was opened and it is one of the oldest high schools in northern Ohio
- In 1906, the first Lowellville Bank was created and eventually its name was changed to Western Reserve Bank in 1980
Significant Changes in Urban Development:
- In the 1950’s, there were many businesses in Lowellville that provided a lot of shopping and food options for the village
- These business’s included: Sam Simons (shoe and clothing store), DiRusso’s (grocery store), Isalis (fast food restaurant), Vernons (grocery store), Bolands (drug store), Cunningham’s furniture store, King’s Bakery, Geno’s Restaurant, McBride’s Motors (car shop), and Insulated Glass Company
- Over the years, many of these businesses closed down and were never replaced with similar types of businesses to provide the services that were lost
- In 2014, Lowellville’s last local bank, Huntington Bank, closed and there has not been a bank in the village since then
- As of 2016, the village has one small grocery store called Ross’s Market, a post office, three local bars, two restaurants (Station Square and Carchedi’s Restaurant), a catering company (Gianna’s Catering), a funeral home (Cunningham Becker), A Penn Ohio Ceiling Company, S.E.T. Construction company, and the Falcon Foundry
Shifts in Industry:
- As previously mentioned, in 1875 the industry in Lowellville changed from iron to steel when the first Bessemer steel in the valley was poured
- In 1953, the Falcon Foundry was established, switching the industry from steel to copper in the Lowellville area
- There are only two Falcon Foundry locations in the United States today
- One of these locations is in Lowellville, Ohio and another is in Alabama
- This copper industry keeps Lowellville as one of the major cities for the production of copper and provides many jobs and income for the Lowellville community
Values and Attitudes:
- Over the years, Lowellville has continued to pass down strong family values and prove that they are a hardworking community
- Although a lot of their businesses have closed, the village proves that it can still stand strong with the tight knit family generations that it does have
Sources:
http://www.villageoflowellville.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2-History.pdf
http://www.villageoflowellville.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/3-Timeline.pdf
Docherty, L. (2016, November 26). Personal communication.