“Mahoning Valley: America Forgotten?” Local residents featured in documentary
In the early 20th century, Youngstown was the second-highest ranking city just behind Pittsburgh in steel output nationwide.
But on September 19 in 1977, over 5,000 employees lost their jobs in a single day in Youngstown when Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company closed its Campbell Works plant.
Frank Marr is one of many residents who lived through that day in Youngstown which would historically be remembered as “Black Monday.”
Marr is one of several residents featured in a new film called “Mahoning Valley: America Forgotten?” outlining the last 46 years of economic and community recovery from “Black Monday.”
The one-hour documentary is about the boom of the early steel industry, the fall during “Black Monday” and how the community bounced back.
“Mahoning Valley: America Forgotten?” was produced by two French filmmakers named Jean-François Debos and Jean-François Henane.
They spoke with activists, entrepreneurs and historians, as well as everyday residents from around Mahoning County.
The documentary is now available to watch online, featuring:
- Bill Lawson, executive director of the Mahoning Valley Historical Society in Youngstown
- Sean Posey, Campbell historian
- Timothy Sokoloff, president of Iron Soup Historical Preservation Company in Campbell
- Joseph Pavlansky, Campbell historian
- Derrick McDowell, founder of Youngstown Flea
- Catherine Cercone Miller, mayor of Struthers
- Christine Kusky, waitress at Taverne 26 in Campbell
- J. Richard Rowlands, founder of J&L Narrow Gauge Railroad in Youngstown
- Tim Roddy, Struthers city chief of police
- Matt Martin, executive director of Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership
- Shawn Carvin, executive director of the Ohio Land Bank Association in Warren
- James Dicenso, Downtown Development Group in Warren
- Bryan Tedesco, mayor of Campbell.
