“East Youngstown Burning: Commemorating the Centennial of the 1916 Steel Strike” is the title of a symposium 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 12, in the Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor.
Featured speakers will be U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown and David McCall, district one director of the United Steelworkers of America. Discussing the history of the strike and its aftermath will be Thomas E. Leary, associate professor of history at YSU; H. William Lawson, executive director of the Mahoning Valley Historical Society; and Donna M. DeBlasio, professor of history at YSU.
In early 1916, workers at the Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company’s flagship plant in East Youngstown (now Campbell) walked off their jobs for higher wages and better working conditions. On Jan. 7, 1916, off-duty police hired by the company fired into a crowd of picketers gathered at the north gate of the plant on Wilson Avenue. A riot ensued, burning down half the business district of East Youngstown. The Ohio National Guard was called in to restore order, ending the strike.
The symposium is free and open to the public, but a ticket is required for admission. Tickets must be picked up prior to the event and are available at the following locations: the Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor, 151 W. Wood St., Youngstown, and the Mahoning Valley Historical Society, 648 Wick Avenue, Youngstown.
For more information, contact YHCIL at 330-941-1314.
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