Youngstown

Industrial city and administrative headquarters of Mahoning County, northeast Ohio, USA; population (2000) 82,000. It is situated on the Mahoning River, 97 km/60 mi southeast of Cleveland. It has long been a leading steel producer and distributor. Other manufactures include aluminium extrusions, automotive equipment, asphalt pavers, office equipment, cement and cement products, forgings, dies, and jigs. The Butler Institute of American Art, Mill Creek Park, and Youngstown State University (1908) are all in the city.

Pioneers began settling the site in 1797. The discovery of iron ore and the building of Ohio's first blast furnace (1803) in the area were followed by discoveries of coal and limestone, precipitating Youngstown's rise as a major iron producer. Conversion to steel began in 1892, and eventually miles of steel plants lined the banks of the Mahoning. The local economy has been shaken during periods of decline in the US steel industry; 10,000 workers lost their jobs when three steel plants shut down 1977.