Sunday, June 15, 2014
Staff report
YOUNGSTOWN
The Mahoning Valley Historical Society has set its summer and fall schedule for the Bites and Bits Lunch Lectures at Tyler History Center, 325 W. Federal St.
A schedule for the events is set through October; all start at noon.
The next program, “The Fairest of them All: Evolving Images of Beauty” by manager of collections Jessica Trickett, will take place at noon Thursday. The presentation will explore the ways that men and women have attempted to transform themselves into the contemporary ideal form, journeying through a changing image of ideal beauty and the tools used to achieve that ideal.
Rick Shale, author of “Idora Park: The Last Ride of Summer” will explore the history of Idora Park on July 17, discussing why the park was created, why it was built on Youngstown’s south side, and the secrets behind its name.
An Aug. 21 event will be “Dining on the Town” with Tom Welsh, author of “Classic Restaurants of Youngstown.” Guests will learn about the city’s restaurant industry, moving from 1945 to the present, beginning with a description of postwar downtown Youngstown, including the Mural Room, Raver’s, the Italian Restaurant, and Jay’s Lunch. Welsh will describe the manner in which trends contributed to the decline of the city’s restaurant industry, but he also will call attention to establishments that have served as symbols of continuity in changing neighborhoods. The presentation will feature rare images of classic dining spots.
Rick Rowlands, executive director of the Youngstown Steel Heritage Museum, will present “1914-2014: A Century of Steelmaking in Brier Hill” on Sept. 18. From the discovery of coal at the Tod Estate in the 1840s through the heyday of Youngstown Sheet and Tube’s Brier Hill Works and the construction of Vallourec Star’s mini mill, Brier Hill has played an important part in America’s steel industry. The history of iron and steelmaking in Brier Hill will be explored, and Rowlands will discuss how Vallourec’s new investments are merely a continuation of the Valley’s dominance in the Oil Country Tubular Goods market over the past century.
“The Pivotal Right, A History of the Women’s Suffrage Movement” will be presented by Traci Manning, MVHS curator of education, on Oct. 16. The brave and outspoken women who fought to gain voting rights in the 19th and early 20th centuries will be celebrated. The struggle, persecution, and prosecution of these women will be set against the backdrop of national history and the greater civil rights movement.
Parking is available for $2 in the lot on the west side of the History Center.
Overture Restaurant at the DeYor Performing Arts Center, 260 W. Federal Plaza, will offer a $6 Bites & Bits lunch special. Call 330-744-9900 to place an order.
For information, visit www.mahoninghistory.org or call 330-743-2589.