Recently, another block of Youngstown history was destroyed by fire. Now all that is left is an empty lot.

Here is a link to an article discussing the fire: http://wkbn.com/2015/08/16/buildings-destroyed-by-fire-in-youngstowns-uptown-area/

And overnight, another portion of our history was lost.

I took a drive recently down Market Street from downtown and snapped some photos along the way. There's the new empty spaces right next to the old Uptown Theater—the site of the fire. The rubble from the buildings destroyed was still there, as new grass was trying to grow. Further down the road is an empty parking lot where once stood Bumpers, a 50's style diner that hosted outdoor events and even hula hoop contests in the 80s. Finally, there's the boarded up shell of Sparkle Market. For years, my family had no idea what a giant eagle was (other than a zoo creature), and exclusively did our grocery shopping at Sparkle. Now, it's all gone. It's hard to imagine that this all once was a thriving community.

One of the things we are trying to do at YST is make a community based historical record of photos and stories of how the city, and specifically its steel heritage, once was. Memories and even buildings are finite, so to preserve our local heritage, it is important to share these stories and photos.

Share your stories and photos with us at info@sheetandtube.com

We'll post them here on the Youngstown: Stories and Photos section of our website.

The most interesting submission in the next two weeks will get a free mug or t shirt of their choice!