By Jakob Ryan / Jambar Contributor

Long before empty mills lined the Mahoning Valley, Youngstown was powered by steel and the people who made it.

The history, deeply rooted in those factories and jobs, still lingers in Youngstown and can be found in the many exhibits located at the Youngstown Historical Center of Industry & Labor, at 151 W. Wood St.

Jonathan Cambouris, administrator of the museum, said it is important for the Youngstown State University community and people living locally to understand the region’s steel and labor history.

“It built more than just Youngstown and, in some regard, whether or not you’ve been here, you’ve taken things for granted that you don’t even recognize,” Cambouris said. “Items like [Apple] MacBooks, although the steel that it’s housed in wasn’t built in Youngstown, at some point there were fabrications that were created in Youngstown.” 

Showcased in many different exhibits, the center — known locally as the Steel Museum — highlights all different aspects of what work and life were like during those times.

Exhibits, such as the housing display that highlights what factory home life looked like for factory workers, to the pulpit recreation, which gives visitors a real behind-the-scenes look at the control platform, hold a unique piece of history. 

The main gallery space titled “By the Sweat of Their Brow” formed when the museum was built in the early ‘90s. Located in the lobby near the front of the building is a temporary gallery, where the museum typically hosts one to two rotating exhibitions a year. 

“We’re presently working on an exhibit for the District Three Nurses Association, which is a local and professional nurses’ organization,” Cambouris said.

The center and YSU both work together to sustain the museum. Brian Bonhomme, professor and coordinator of the history program, said the organizations comanage the museum.

“The Steel Museum and its permanent collections are owned by the Ohio History Connection, which provides the bulk of our operating budget and oversees a range of basic operation conditions,” Bonhomme said. “YSU employs the museum’s personnel, provides utilities and a range of basic services from managing parking and cutting the grass, to minor repairs and maintenance.”

In addition to people understanding the history of local labor and industry, Bonhomme said it is important for the center to connect and give back to its community.

“We offer local tours to local community groups, schools and so on. We host public events and talks. We also create and display new temporary exhibits on a variety of community-related topics,” Bonhomme said.

The Steel Museum announced its first ever endowment Feb. 9, the YHCIL Support Fund. Administered by YHCIL’s management team through YSU’s history program, the fund will provide donors an opportunity to help expand collections, enhance operations and advance the center’s mission.

The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 12-4 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free for YSU students and faculty.