YOUNGSTOWN

city, Mahoning and Trumbull counties, seat (1876) of Mahoning County, northeastern Ohio, U.S. It lies along the Mahoning River, near the Pennsylvania border, and is equidistant (65 miles ) from Cleveland (northwest) and Pittsburgh (southeast). Youngstown is the heart of a steelindustrial complex that includes the cities of Warren, Niles, Campbell, Struthers, and Girard. The region was part of the Western Reserve until John Young, a surveyor from New York, purchased a tract of land there from the Connecticut Land Company (1797) and laid out a town (Young's town). Colonel James Hillman, a local trader, was responsible for the early development of the community, which was organized as a town in 1802. In 1805 James and Daniel Heaton built Ohio's first furnace at nearby Yellow Creek to produce iron by reducing ore with charcoal and limestone. Later, it was discovered that locally mined block coal could be used directly for iron smelting. In 1855 the first Sault Ste. Marie locks were opened, making available to Youngstown and its neighbouring steel centres the rich iron ores from the upper Great Lakes region; subsequently, four main railroad lines and four branch lines were built to transport ores and coal to Youngstown. By 1920 the city had become one of the largest steel-producing centres in the United States. Youngstown still produces steel, but in much smaller quantities after some major mill closings in the 1970s; other manufactures include aluminum, rubber, and paper products, office furniture, aircraft and automotive parts, storm windows and doors, and awnings. Youngstown State University was first established as a night school (1908). In the city are the Butler Institute of American Art, the Youngstown Playhouse, and the Youngstown Symphony Center. The city's scenic Mill Creek Park is bisected by a 6-mile- (10-kilometre-) long gorge with three lakes and a waterfall; it is the site of the Ford Nature Education Center and several historic landmarks. Inc. village, 1848; city, 1867. Pop. (1990) city, 95,732; Youngstown-Warren MSA, 492,619.