Community Spotlight: Under spotlight, Niles building a brighter future
During its 214 years of existence, Niles has been through many tough times, but community leaders and activists are striving to improve the city’s stature with a brighter outlook.
Location
Niles encompasses 8.6 square miles and is Trumbull County’s second-largest city in population. Niles is bordered by the cities of Warren and Girard, Howland and Weathersfield townships, the community of Mineral Ridge and village of McDonald. The city is 12 miles northwest of Youngstown, 47 miles southeast of Akron and 67 miles southeast of Cleveland. Highway access includes Interstates 11, 76, 77 and 80, U.S. 422 and state Routes 46 and 82.
History
Niles was initially settled in early 1806. Ruben Harmon was the first permanent settler, but James Heaton is considered the town’s founder and initially named the settlement Heaton’s Furnace, which later became Nilestown. In 1843, the name was shortened to Niles when iron ore, coal and limestone deposits were uncovered. The community became a village in 1865 and a city in 1895.
Seven years after Niles was founded, the community was deluged with rain for four days during what became known as one of Ohio’s largest natural disasters. The Mahoning River and Mosquito Creek poured into homes and spread throughout the state. Water was 21 feet over the banks. Losses included 428 confirmed dead and 20,000 homes destroyed. Damage was estimated at $300 million. As a result, several dams were built along the Mahoning. Niles also experienced floods again in 1959 and 2003. In 1985, 18 people were killed in Trumbull and Mercer counties when a tornado ripped through those communities and Niles.
In 1924, historians said, Niles was targeted by a faction of the Ku Klux Klan because of the city’s large Catholic population. Before problems subsided, the mayor’s home was bombed.
On Jan. 29, 1843, the city became the birthplace of William McKinley Jr., who would become a seven-term U.S. congressman and then the 25th U.S. president. The McKinley Birthplace Memorial Library and Museum at 40 N. Main St., was built in 1915 and displays his 12-foot outdoor statue at the library entrance. A replica of his birthplace home now stands at 36 S. Main St. A Civil War veteran, McKinley opened a law office in Canton, served 14 years in the U.S. Congress and became Ohio governor in 1891. In 1897, he was elected president. McKinley married prominent Canton resident Ida Saxton.
This Tuesday, Sept. 6, will mark 121 years since McKinley was fatally shot while attending the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. He was shot twice by anarchist and American steelworker Leon Czolgosz and died Sept. 14.
Another piece of history is the 14-room Ward-Thomas historic Victorian mansion at 503 Brown St., which was built in 1862 by James Ward, a pioneer in the iron industry. The mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and now is home to the Niles Historical Society. The Wards lived in the home several years before the family of John Thomas, founder of the Niles Firebrick Co. and Mahoning Valley Steel, took possession. The last residents were the family of Jacob Waddell, vice president of Empire Steel Corp. The site was donated to the city in 1969 and over 5,000 items are on display by the historical society.
Highlights
• Another sight Niles visitors still talk about is an 18-foot scrap iron sculpture in front of the Niles Iron & Metal Co. at 700 S. Main (state Route 46), just south of downtown. Founded in 1917 by Hyman and Morris Clayman, the business continues under family fourth-generation owner Gary Clayman. He explained “The Steelworker” was created by retired Rabbi Sidney Rackoff, who enjoyed sculpting with scrap iron. When asked in 1993 to make something special for the Clayman children to give their parents, William and Hilda Clayman, for their 40th anniversary, the rabbi responded at age 74 by creating the tribute. The rabbi died 21 years later at age 95.
• Reese Floral Art. Marking her 68th year as a floral designer and Niles businesswoman is Jo Coupland, owner of Reese Floral Art at 49 Vienna Ave. She and daughter Jackie Dell, operate the Niles staple and serve a radius of 40 miles in the Niles-Warren-Youngstown area.
A fire in the mid-’60s caused major damage to the shop. A Niles architect, the late Tom Schroth, designed the state-of-the-art flower shop and had them back in business in a year.
Mayor touts major plans
Niles Mayor Steven Mientkiewicz is high on the city for improvements already underway and more plans for the future.
“The amount of development in and around the Eastwood Mall has been amazing. We haven’t seen that much development in years, thanks to the Cafaro Co.,” said Mientkiewicz, a graduate of Niles McKinley High School, Youngstown State and Kent State universities. “When most malls are failing across the country, our mall is growing at a rapid rate.”
Mientkiewicz said a downtown renovation is underway for small businesses.
“We are trying to attract and retain businesses in the downtown area, and the city also has some infrastructure projects underway or in the pipeline to improve downtown,” he said.
The mayor took special pride in the city adopting a Hometown Heroes banner program displaying 230 banners with individual names and photos of Niles veterans this year in and around the downtown area. The program was launched last year with 100 banners on light poles.
“The response has been tremendous,” said Mientkiewicz, who was elected a councilman in 2015, chosen to complete the term of late Mayor Tom Scarnecchia in 2018 and elected to a four-year term in 2019.
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He said the city has been awarded a $2.5 million grant, part of which will be used to demolish the Waddell Park pool and bathhouse and build a splash pad next year. The 15,000-square-foot Wellness Center will remain with its large variety of programs for youth and adults alike.
“We have participated in a comprehensive revitalization project and created a plan to revitalize the Mahoning River and add boating opportunities. We’re also creating a river walk and bike path to connect the downtown area with the Greenway Bike Trail, which eventually connect northern Ohio to near Columbus,” he said.
• The Cafaro Co.’s sprawling Eastwood Mall at the city’s north end at 5555 Youngstown Warren Road (U.S. 422) is the centerpiece of Niles business and growth. The mall was started in 1969 followed by several expansions since. Scores of businesses include mall anchors Dillard’s clearance center, Boscov’s Department Store, J.C. Penney, Macy’s and Target. Boscov’s just opened in October.
Across Route 46 (Niles Cortland Road) from the mall, construction is underway for a large Advanced Dermatology and Skin Care Center, which is projected to open the middle of October. Meanwhile, a new Meijer Supercenter and gas station are being erected within the mall expanse.
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• Nestled behind the mall is Eastwood Field, home of the Mahoning Valley Scrappers baseball team, which is now part of the MLB Draft League where college ballplayers try to make the minor and major leagues. Owned by Cafaro, the team recently signed a second 20-year lease with the city, which owns the complex that seats 6,000.
Five city parks
• The 52-acre Waddell Park on Sharkey Drive between Warren and West Park avenues was donated to the city in 1929 by the Jacob Waddell family with the stipulation the land be used for a municipal park. In addition to the Wellness Center and planned splash pad, the park has several baseball fields, three lighted Little League baseball fields, plus football, hardball and softball fields, a bocce court, walking track and a playground, three picnic pavilions and other amenities for visitors.
• Stevens Park: The Harry Stevens family donated 35 acres of land for a park at 700 N. Crandon Ave. Stevens emigrated from England to Niles, became obsessed with baseball and created and sold the sport’s first scorecard in 1949.
• Murphy Park was developed in 1960 along East Park Avenue at Langley Street and is equipped with playground equipment, a basketball court and practice soccer field.
• Kennedy Park off Route 46 and Lincoln Way in Niles contains 27 acres purchased by the city in 1963 near Fairhaven School where the haunted forest is staged in October, offering self-guided tours through the woods. The park has two basketball courts, a baseball field and practice soccer field.
• The Iowa Street Park has playground equipment and a practice soccer field.
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Dining
• Cafe 422 at 4422 Youngstown Warren Road has long been known for serving Italian and American cuisine, including steak and seafood and pasta for lunch and dinner since 1939. Original owners Guerino “Greenie” Abruzzi and Orazio Rossi first located near the mall but a decade later moved to the current site since 1949. Website: cafe422.com.
• At the StoneYard Grill & Tavern, 41 S. Main St., co-owners Rich Hale and Denny Ross serve lunch and dinner, specializing in burgers, pizza and pasta for 10 years. The pair transformed a pharmacy into an eatery “because our downtown hadn’t had a full-service downtown restaurant in over 30 years before we opened.” Website: stoneyardgrill.com.
• Giorgio’s Ristorante Italian restaurant at 1231 Youngstown Warren Road. Steak and seafood are the restaurant’s specialties. Go to Facebook for Giorgio’s details.
• Little Damascus Restaurant at 1112 Niles Cortland Road features Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes. For more, go to Facebook.
• StoneBridge Grille & Tavern 1415 Niles Cortland Road SE is a unique location where everything is made from scratch. Casual American cuisine is served in a comfortable bistro setting. Website: stonebridgegrille.com.
• Firebirds Wood Fired Grill in Eastwood Mall is a steakhouse and seafood venue. Reservations are accepted. Website: firebirdsrestaurant.com.
About Niles
Founded: 1806. Village in 1865, city in 1895.
Population: 18,279 in 2020 census
City website: thecityofniles.com
School district: Niles City Schools
District website: nilescityschools.org
Mascot: Red Dragons
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Niles, Ohio, birthplace of President McKinley, building bright future
