Early in the twentieth century, most people did not own automobiles.  For transportation, they were dependent on street cars and interurban railways.  These rail lines were introduced in the 1890s: by the 1920s Youngstown had 59 miles of trolley lines.  The first line to run south of the river opened in 1898/1899 and ran from downtown to Idora Park.  In 1903 the Youngstown & Southern Railway Company opened a line that ran all the way into Columbiana.  Both these rail lines fostered growth on the south side of the city.

The new housing developments advertised paved streets and walkways, and sewer, water and gas lines.  They were only a few minutes’ walk from street car lines and had the ‘wind advantage.’  Because prevailing winds came from the southwest, neighborhoods on the south side of the city were free from the dirt, dust, and smoke generated by the mills along the river.

There were so many new residents that the Board of Education had to open South High School, the city’s second high school, in 1911.  Similar development on the east and west sides of the city resulted in the building of East High School and Chaney High School during the mid-1920s.  By the end of that decade, Mahoning Valley residents were enjoying a high standard of living as a result of the industry located here.

What would you look for if you were going to move to a new housing development: nearby schools, stores, and parks?  paved roads, gas, water, and sewer lines? clean air and lots of trees?  If you couldn’t drive, where would you want to live? To learn more about growth in our Valley, visit the Arms Family Museum of Local History.  For a better look at these pictures, go to www.mahoninghistory.org.  Click on ‘Education,’ then click on ‘What Do You Know’ for a list of articles.  Each article has small images you can click on to enlarge or download a file.