Hazelton (also spelled Haselton) is a neighborhood in Youngstown, Ohio, located on the city's east side. It is bordered by the cities of Struthers and Campbell. In the early 20th century, the neighborhood was alternately referred to as "the East End".[2]
Hazelton | |
|---|---|
 St. Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church | |
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| Coordinates: 41°05′01″N 80°37′04″W / 41.0836695°N 80.6178515°W[1] | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Ohio |
| County | Mahoning |
| City | Youngstown |
| Elevation | 856 ft (261 m) |
Origins
editHazelton overlooked the many blast furnaces that operated along the banks of the Mahoning River. These included the Haselton Iron Works Mill and Republic Steel's Youngstown mill. Today, the vacant remains of some of these plants can still be seen along the river.
The neighborhood was originally named after the Haseltine family, who owned land. The neighborhood was renamed by later inhabitants who favored a name that made the neighborhood seem like a town.[3] Hazelton's population expanded with the growth of the mills, and it became the home of thousands of immigrants from England, Germany, Ireland, Italy, and Eastern Europe.[2] The neighborhood's African-American population grew steadily in the post-World War II era.[2]
Post-industrial decline
editHazelton, with its brick streets, neo-Gothic churches, and family-owned businesses, retained a strong ethnic flavor long after many of the city's residential areas became rather homogeneous.[2] The area became increasingly depressed and depopulated as the local steel industry fell into decline. Yet, those who pass through the area can still glimpse the shells of former steel-manufacturing plants.
The neighborhood retains a number of well-known landmarks, including Immaculate Conception Church, one of the oldest surviving Roman Catholic parishes in the city,[2][4] and Saint Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church, a symbol of the area's Eastern European population.[5]
Notable residents
edit- Frank J. Battisti – Judge, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio (1961–1994); best known for rulings on Cleveland's school desegregation case.[6]
- William M. Cafaro – developer, pioneer in construction of strip malls and enclosed malls, including the Eastwood Mall.[7]
References
edit- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Haselton, Ohio
- ^ a b c d e Scarsella, Richard S. (2005). Memories and Melancholy: Reflections on the Mahoning Valley and Youngstown, Ohio. New York: iUniverse, Inc. pp. 45–47.
- ^ "Census of Slovaks, Haselton Area". Archived from the original on 2013-01-26. Retrieved 2006-10-08.
- ^ Leone, Carmen J. (1998). Rose Street: A Family Story. Youngstown, Ohio: Carmen J. Leone. p. 10.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2001-12-18. Retrieved 2006-10-08.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio, October 20, 1994.
- ^ "William M. Cafaro, 84: Developer of malls, philanthropist dies". The Vindicator. April 23, 1998.