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Area kids live local history
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Ricky Sammartino and Education Specialist Keith A. Mann at Youngstown Historical Center,
By Don Shilling
Historical programs are designed to pass along the area’s collective memory.
YOUNGSTOWN — For some kids, five days a week of learning is not enough.
Three area children visit the Youngstown Historical Center one Saturday each month to learn more about the area’s past.
“I consider it an extracurricular class,” said Emily Moon, 12, of Poland.
“I consider it fun,” said Ricky Sammartino, 10, of Boardman.
They were joined Saturday by Gabrielle Vargo, 12, of Poland, for a two-hour tour of the exhibits of the center, which also is known as the Steel Museum.
They walked through a mock locker room to learn how steelworkers of the past got ready for their jobs. They tried on some work clothes and looked through old newspapers. They watched a video of how a steel ingot was shaped.
Gabrielle has been gathering such information on the past for more than three years. She started attending the monthly sessions in September 2005.
“It’s a fun way of learning, rather than just looking at books at school,” she said.
Later in 2005, she recruited her half sister, Emily, to start attending with her. Ricky started showing up each month last year.
“I came here because I enjoy learning,” he said.
Sometimes, they are part of a group of up to a dozen eager learners. Sometimes, such as on Saturday, it’s just them.
Keith Mann, education specialist at the center, said he’s happy to discuss the past with whomever shows up.
“They get to tie in with our collective memory. This is the collective memory of the Mahoning Valley,” Mann said as he looked around at the exhibits that show what steelmaking used to be like.
He talked with the children about the violent steel strike of 1937 and explained how President Harry Truman tried to take over the nation’s steel mills in 1952 to avoid another strike.
Plus, he explained what living in the Steel Valley was like.
“I told them that if they were here 50 or 100 years ago, they would never have seen the sun. The air would be full of soot and smoke,” he said.
Even though the girls who were there Saturday have been attending his lessons for more than three years, they were learning something different. It was the first time he explained steelmaking to them and showed them all the way through the museum.
Normally, he uses the exhibits as backdrops to talk about other historical issues. Past topics have included “The Depression Era,” “Railroads in the Days of Steam,” “A Pioneer Christmas” and “Pirates! Pirates! Pirates!”
The next session will be “Climbing My Family Tree,” an adult-child workshop, from 1 to 3 p.m. Feb. 14 at the center at 151 W. Wood St. Cost is $12 for a team if they are Ohio Historical Society members or $15 if not. To register, call (330) 743-5943.
shilling@vindy.com