I’m from East Liverpool and live in wellsville! That little church you visited on Main Street helped me more than I have words to describe. They are a beacon of hope and they feed a lot of folks of all walks of life! Thank you god
I love Ohio people.I miss the genuine hearts that I grew up with.Its just different here in Texas and Oklahoma.I worked for State Of Texas for years hard to walk away from a State Job.To be honest Our own Government ruined the Midwest.Yes the Unions priced themselves out to a certain degree.However Government hasn't helped.
@@gibememoniSoo much for the Make America Great Again? Trump 2.0 is only going to make these people's lives worse. Why do Soo few of them realize that?
@ Ohio was a huge manufacturing state - blue collar jobs. Most of those are gone - good pay and benefits. Jobs you refer to are service jobs ,poor pay, few benefits and different skill sets for many
One of my favorite things about Ohio is you have the Appalachian region, the northeast part with Cleveland and the lake, central Ohio with Columbus, southwestern part with Cincinnati, and northwestern part with Toledo. Each region feels distinct and different from each other.
Ohio is made up of 3 cultural nations. The north east (where I grew up Willoughby OH) is what Colin Woodard termed in his book American Nations calls Yankeedom. The middle section is the Midlander's that has a German cultural flair and lastly the southern portion is called Greater Appalachia! Colin Woodard book is spot on for all of these 11 cultural nations type regions and their distinct differences. Also the boy knows how to write he will keep you up late!
Steubenville here. Life long native. 59 y.o. From the 1940's through 1980's Steubenville had it all! But so did Toronto, E. Liverpool ect. The mills went down and things went to hell overnight!
My wife is from (canal) Dover. When I hear her folks talk about the work and opportunity that was in that area in the mid 70's , and seeing the hauntology of the area. It makes me understand why there is so much anxiety in my wife about me wanting to move to live in a small town.
I am from Ireland and I can connect to the people of east Liverpool. My hometown used to be a huge ceramics producer, then the pottery closed and my great grandfather lost his job. Thankfully we didn’t fall into decline like east Liverpool we now are a huge pharmaceutical producer but my heart goes out to them.
I'm from Youngstown, the nearest big city to East Liverpool. In 1960 the city's population was nearly 200,000. Today, its population is 60,000. As a 22 year old I'm sad to say I never saw the city in its former glory. There's so many big buildings downtown in that early 1900s style that have been vacant and run down since I was a kid. It's shocking to see photos of how it used to be, and hear stories from older people. Now, it's just a dangerous city with no economy and no soul. So sad to see what happens to a city when all its industry is taken away. That said, I'm happy to hear that your town was successfully able to pivot to a new industry and thrive. Best of luck to you all!
@@Ron-j2sexactly and he's playing the victim saying it hurt alot to hear that. Get real your supposedly sober 13 months but won't make the call she asked for when he got sober
@@CraigOC1482 He's not playing a victim - he's expressing his feelings. People in the wrong can also feel pain, brother. And yes, shame is a powerful thing. You're being kind of an asshole, bub. Everyone can change, I'm sure he's done wrong - but to sit here and act like he's lying and playing the victim without proof to hold those opinions says more about you than him, brother
@@Ron-j2s Yea, I'm sure it does really hurt when your daughter says to not call her until he is clean. On the other hand, I am sure he caused his daughter just as much if not more pain. I hope that family can heal. I hope this country can heal as well.
As somebody who works in the county, and lives just further down Rt 7, it's always exciting to see our area get featured, and not instantly be bashed. The Ohio Valley was once the backbone of America; producing everything from metals to chemicals, and generating electricity from the coal that was mined here. Now it's a welfare state, and filled with the memories of what it once was. Some towns here adapted to the reality that the mills and mines are not coming back to how it was in the 50s, and they are holding their own. Others are still living in the shadows of yesterday and refuse to accept reality. And then there's the towns who are having that internal battle of change is good vs. change is bad. We may be Ohio and WV, but we're the forgotten parts. But at the same time, no matter where you go, somebody has a connection back to here. Appalachia is full of unique people and places, and the OV is very unique (good and bad).Looking forward to the rest of this series, and hope you come back sometime!
My mother is from Weirton as well. We went up that way for a football game and it is truly depressing how much old infrastructure is just sitting there rusting.
From Weirton also. Sad seeing the town dying. It's starting to pickup a bit as a bedroom community of Pittsburgh. A new car battery plant being built to employ 700 at old open hearth area.
My family is from the area!! Wellsburg, Follansbee, and Weirton!! Growing up there in the 70’s it was nice, but once the steel mills closed the entire area was hit hard!!
I actually found this part really sad. People in a town that has been recked by neoliberal capitalism and drug abuse are grasping for supernatural fictions to help cope with the destruction. I found it unsettling.
@@paulj9587 The Bidens’ Influence Peddling Timeline Since taking the gavel in January, the Committee on Oversight and Accountability has accelerated its investigation of the Biden family’s domestic and international business practices to determine whether the Biden family has been targeted by foreign actors, President Biden is compromised, and our national security is threatened. Records obtained through the Committee’s subpoenas to date reveal that the Bidens and their associates have received over $20 million in payments from foreign entities. Below is a timeline that details key dates in our investigation. The main points of interest are: 1) Romania: On September 28, 2015, Vice President Biden welcomed Romanian President Klaus Iohannis to the White House. Within five weeks of this meeting, a Romanian businessman involved with a high-profile corruption prosecution in Romania, Gabriel Popoviciu, began depositing a Biden associate’s bank account, which ultimately made their way into Biden family accounts. Popoviciu made sixteen of the seventeen payments, totaling over $3 million, to the Biden associate account while Joe Biden was Vice President. Biden family accounts ultimately received approximately $1.038 million. The total amount from Romania to the Biden family and their associates is over $3 million. 2) China- CEFC: On March 1, 2017-less than two months after Vice President Joe Biden left public office-State Energy HK Limited, a Chinese company, wired $3 million to a Biden associate’s account. This is the same bank account used in the above “Romania” section. After the Chinese company wired the Biden associate account the $3 million, the Biden family received approximately $1,065,692 over a three-month period in different bank accounts. Additionally, the CEFC Chairman gives Hunter Biden a diamond worth $80,000. Lastly, CEFC creates a joint venture with the Bidens in the summer of 2017. The timeline lays out the “WhatsApp” messages and subsequent wires from the Chinese to the Bidens of $100,000 and $5 million. The total amount from China, specifically with CEFC and their related entities, to the Biden family and their associates is over $8 million. 3) Kazakhstan: On April 22, 2014, Kenes Rakishev, a Kazakhstani oligarch used his Singaporean entity, Novatus Holdings, to wire one of Hunter Biden’s Rosemont Seneca entities $142,300. The very next day-April 23, 2014-the Rosemont Seneca entity transferred the exact same amount of money to a car dealership for a car for Hunter Biden. Hunter Biden and Devon Archer would represent Burisma in Kazakhstan in May/June of 2014 as the company attempted to broker a three-way deal among Burisma, the Kazakhstan government, and a Chinese state-owned energy company. 4) Ukraine: Devon Archer joined the Burisma board of directors in spring of 2014 and was joined by Hunter Biden shortly thereafter. Hunter Biden joined the company as counsel, but after a meeting with Burisma owner Mykola Zlochevsky in Lake Como, Italy, was elevated to the board of directors in the spring of 2014. Both Biden and Archer were each paid $1 million per year for their positions on the board of directors. In December 2015, after a Burisma board of directors meeting, Zlochevsky and Hunter Biden “called D.C.” in the wake of mounting pressures the company was facing. Zlochevsky was later charged with bribing Ukrainian officials with $6 million in an attempt to delay or drop the investigation into his company. The total amount from Ukraine to the Biden family and their associates is $6.5 million. 5) Russia: On February 14, 2014, a Russian oligarch and Russia’s richest woman, Yelena Baturina, wired a Rosemont Seneca entity $3.5 million. On March 11, 2014, the wire was split up: $750,000 was transferred to Devon Archer, and the remainder was sent to Rosemont Seneca Bohai, a company Devon Archer and Hunter Biden split equally. In spring of 2014, Yelena Baturina joined Hunter Biden and Devon Archer to share a meal with then-Vice President Biden at a restaurant in Washington, D.C. The total amount from Russia to the Biden family and their associates is $3.5 million. SOURCE, OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE
Thanks for covering Steubenville! I've been living here for almost four years and am well connected with a lot of people revitalizing the downtown. I was just at the grand opening of a local grocer on 4th Street this afternoon. If you'd ever like to come back to do a story on those revitalizing the town, I'd be happy to show you around and put you in contact with those people.
Thank you! I wish this video would show even the other side of the street while they are walking through downtown 😂 but probably can’t do that because it would show a few bustling businesses full of light and character and hope 😂
Im so excited to see my town on TH-cam along with my college of Franciscan University, im a local and my family has been around and in Steubenville for generations. I can confirm that Franciscan is the new steel mill, its how most here made a living or at the power plant, which both of my Grandparents did. I study there and as a local I can assure you most are from out of state. I have many friends who graduated this year who choose to live here and they are making our town so much better. Franciscan is making Steubenville a popular and revitalized town, my Grandparents who grew up and still live in Steubenville can vouch that it was great when they grew up and then it entered a dark time for a long period, now there is a big revitalization happening all thanks to the college. More and more are choosing to move here permanently for the college or work near Steubenville, but the community and revival is happening. Thank you so much for covering Appalachian Ohio. If you need a tour guide for the area or interesting people to talk to I know plenty from here.
You must be part of the Francisian 7 Mountain Apostolic xitian nationalst cult here.THIS PLACE IS A dangerous dump,rampant with far-right hatred,drugs,prostitution,local corruption.Wintersville, is no better.
I’m an adult and have been wanting to apply for a second chance of my own now that my children are adults. Thank you for sharing the love you have for the area people and school. May God bless and keep you.
@@Witness03 You voted the same as the KKK.You voted against people of color.Voted against women. You can go to church all day long but you are just hate filled an evil.You're no christian. Stop pretending you're racism is patriotic.
Hell yeah, I live like 5min from Portsmouth in a little nowhere called Minford. 😂 I'm from downtown Dayton so I love it here... But the people around here can't appreciate it because they never had to live somewhere like that. Just the trees an hills alone here are so gorgeous. You can find beauty anywhere you look, just gotta be looking with the correct lens. 😂
Friendly suggestion, when visiting these towns other than bars and quick stop stores. Consider asking where all the barber shops are and pay them a visit and see who will talk to you there. I think you will get a different perspective from that group in the wait area.
Good in theory. I’m a restaurant/bar owner in Toronto. We have 12 bars, zero barber shops. Coffee shop would be a good suggestion for our town. Tri-B’s is the name in case you return for a part 2.
I was born and grew up in Salem. We'd got to East Liverpool and Wellsville all the time, as my sister was studying in Steubenville. It is a gorgeous area, but it was very poor even back when I left (mid 90s).
I'm from Guilford lake till I was 13 and moved to Salem. I'm 32 now but it's crazy how much has changed bc of the businesses leaving and drugs coming in. Sad really
You probably know my dad, he grew up in Salem and left around the same time you did. We live in Cleveland now but he took me there frequently to see family, would’ve loved to see it in its hay day
Come back to Steubenville during the Christmas season. The community really comes together for person-size nutcracker display at Fort Steuben, a historic fort which was also the site of the first Federal Land Office that sold plots in the US western frontier. Side note that Abraham Lincoln’s Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton, was from Steubenville. The history of the area is rich. The Christmas nutcrackers are all made by one resident whose family (the Nelsons) has almost single handedly started to bring Steubenville back from the grave. They have done some great things. They also put on a monthly block party in the summer they call First Fridays that brings out local businesses and residents. When I was a kid, there was little to no reason to ever go to Downtown Steubenville, but those two events lead to times where it is actually hard to find parking now, which I still find incredible. I have moved away and don’t currently live in the Ohio Valley, but despite their hardships, there are lots of people there with an incredible level of morale and dedication. The sense of community in the Ohio Valley is strong. I always hope and pray for better things to come. Always will love my home.
Really good video. My family is originally from this area and I like visiting but the financial situation is hard to experience even on a very temporary basis. Along with everything else, I’d like to see tourism developed further in this beautiful region.
I knew when I clicked on this it would be East Liverpool. I used to drive through East Liverpool everyday for a job I had years ago and everyday I would be amazed at how old, poor and rustic the town looked. And this is coming from someone who grew up in East Cleveland!
I went to college at Franciscan University. I was from California and had many many friends from all over the country attend this amazing college. I highly recommend going there if you want to meet good people. Many alumni are staying and buying homes and creating businesses there It's absolutely amazing y'all actually went there. So cool. Keep it up!
I'm from NE Ohio (Youngstown) another Ohio city that has suffered since the steel mills closed. I've been along the river, visiting several of the mills, when I was in flat rolled steel sales. It is sad to see what happens to our state when the jobs leave.
@ Who wants to be a firefighter? You’re almost guaranteed cancer and an early demise too. These are rough jobs but ultimately they’re essential. Also, if places like steel mills followed modern safety and environmental regulations it wouldn’t be that bad. A big reason these local mills closed were because they lacked innovation and were falling behind technologically too
Don’t hold your breath dude, I’m from Cincinnati n got 10 years clean after 13 years of active addiction after 6 back surgeries n only 1 of my 3 kids speak too me n haven’t seen my 2 older brothers since 2001 n one of em is a preacher. Good luck too you.
As someone who has lived in OH about my whole life (near columbus) this was very accurate. While not from this area, from 2020-2023 I made a LOT of trips around OH to see what other places were like. I had thoughts of moving (for something cheaper) and just wanted to see what was out there and if these places were really that bad. Well sadly a lot are and it feels mean saying this, I do not intend it that way but boy I thought East Liverpool was bad! That was the worst place I had traveled too in my opinion. Steubenville and that whole area down RT 7 into Wheeling, it is pretty rough. Seen better times for sure. But as the video said there were some glimmers of hope. Steubenville still has a long way to go overall but there are some decent areas. Its also not a terrible drive into Pittsburgh for work or shopping. like 5 miles or so south they just build a brand new bridge crossing into WV. That actually surprised me because you do not usually see improvements like that in such depressed areas. So the govt. has not given up totally on these areas yet, there is potential and you can live very affordably in these areas. A lot of work is being done in Wheeling WV too nearby, potential there too. Great people too. Everyone I ever encountered was nothing but nice.
That Bridge had been a thing for almost 70 years while I was a kid there in the 70's and 80's they tried but couldnt get it passed and they needed it since the infrastructure hasnt been taken care of due to the loss of the steel industry late 80s. I saw the writing on the wall and joined the military. I love to visit but like some many state there is no jobs unless you commute to Pittsburgh. I still love the area though
I've been to Steubenville. It was the early '90s and my youth group was doing a mission trip there. Back then, the kids (people then my age) said there wasn't much to do so they went to Wheeling a lot, but it was more in a normal teenaged way, not so much the doom and gloom that other towns were talking about. All the people we met there in Steubenville and Tiltonsville, though, were very kind to us weirdos from New Jersey. I had a good experience.
I’m outside of Steubenville and I totally disagree about it being a nearly empty downtown, you went at a bad time! There are a few incredible local families who are really bringing the city back to life. Most days the downtown is filled with college students and locals in the coffee shop and restaurants there, and at Christmas time they have a Nutcracker village which draws in so many people especially from Pittsburgh, and hosts lots of local businesses every weekend for an Advent market. The shot of the orange cones was probably the day after their annual Light Up Night. Also, because of Franciscan and the cheap housing prices, a ton of young families are moving in. There is a clash of the “new” catholics and the older locals and those from surrounding cities that don’t view the town as thriving, but it is doing much better than what you guys saw. Anyway, just wanted to drop my 2 cents because I love you guys and know you care about getting the right picture!
@@klwthe3rd I believe he meant the Nelson family. They’re not old money at all, they are locals who started a small store (“Catholic to the Max”) many years ago. Later they felt inspired to bring Steubenville back to life, so they bought one old building downtown 10-15ish years ago to renovate and start a coffee shop (Leonardo’s). It was a huge success, and they (specifically the oldest kids) continued doing projects around the city - First Fridays on Fourth and the Harmonium project. Basically they’re artisans and carpenters that are really passionate about the city and use all of their revenue to put back into the city. They were the ones who started the Nutcracker project, it was featured on Good Morning America last year and on Forbes top Christmas towns to visit.
@@illabesa Thank you so much for the clarification on the Nelson family. You did a much better "deep dive" into how that family is helping revitalize the town of Steubenville. TY. 🥰
@@illabesa No problem. The one thing that i got out of this video and about the Nelson family is that it all seems to stem around the church. To be honest, i'm not big into religion and even though it sounds like alot is going right, i don't think a city's problems can be solved by faith based solutions themselves. Praying away the drug problem isn't going to work and spending money fixing infrastructure when alot of drug addicts are walking around destroying everything that is just built, isn't a solution either. Just my perspective.
I live in Ohio, actually Columbus, Ohio all my life, and I must say you did this video very beautifully.. even though I am moving thank you for doing this video.
Thanks for this. My dad was from Steubenville & graduated from Franciscan when it was still the College of Steubenville. He grew up in an Irish-American neighborhood they called "The Patch," along the river near downtown. The family had arrived in Steubenville pre-famine & he and my uncles were the 4th generation. My grandpa worked for the Pennsylvania & B&O railroads and had employment all through the Depression. One thing I remember about visiting as a kid in the 1970s was the air pollution. The steel industry was still going at that point, and it was eye-stingingly bad. That was a thing of the past when we returned for my uncle's funeral in 2000, but the state of the city was pretty shocking. In some respects it appears things have turned around a bit. Would really like to visit again and am definitely pulling for Steubenville and the Valley!
I was born in Steubenville (a lot of family still there) and grew up in Wellsville. I also knew the waitress who was praying..I went to school with her youngest son. Moved away but I still love my home! Thank you for covering “the Valley”
I’m from one of the few growing communities in Northwest Ohio and this makes me sad for my state. I love Ohio and it’s heartbreaking to see what has happened to these communities. I’m grateful to be in the city I am.
A Korean War Vet told me about growing up in Stubenville . Cars would get dirty from smoke and dust . They talked about the Churches, however the clubs and other rackets were run by legitimate business men .
Fascinating that almost every single person had a different perspective and lived experience, all while still being neighbors. Wild. Ohioan here. Glad you did this video and glad you correctly assigned that region as Appalachia.
This channel talks to real people about everyday life situations. It gives me a much clearer picture of how people live in their geographical areas than any commercial news channels on TV.
I am a student at Franciscan University, about to graduate in May. I have now lived in Steubenville for almost 4 years and worked right downtown and across the river in Weirton. The area was certainly a culture shock to me, coming from a nice agricultural/suburban community that actually had money. I would say Steubenville is probably the worst you are gonna get in this area. I would joke that my clientele at work was 70% dealers and junkies, because it was a common thing to experience. When you cross the river into Weirton and as you get closer to Pittsburg, the experience gets better. There are certainly charms to living in the area, but most grads that end up sticking around is just because they got a job at the university. The sad thing is that most of the students at the university live in a bubble and never experience the real world coming into Steube or any of the surrounding areas, which is a shame because it really opens your eyes to what reality is like. Some maintain a very narrow perspective and look down at those who have to survive the conditions they are given in the area. I may not have been here long, but I have gained some real connections with coworkers or locals that have opened my mind to the area. I really would have liked to experience this area in its heyday. I had a coworker that was the old store manager before he retired and eventually came back due to the economic struggle of the pandemic. He told me stories of when he moved here with his family in the 50s and how Steubenville was the place to be. It truly was a little city in the mountains. I will say this though, the one thing people should visit this area for is its restaurants and food. They have wonderful places to eat and are all pretty cheap because of the local economy. Highlights for Steubenville would be Naples Spaghetti House, the Sesame Grill, Steve's Fish & Chips, and of course the two local Pizzaria sensations: Vocelli's and Di Carlo's. The area may be rundown, but there are good folk here and some excellent local businesses, so don't exclude it from possible travel destinations.
Thanks for seeing the positives in my 200 year old, historically complex, ethnically diverse hometown. I lived on Woodlawn, in what came to be the Franciscan neighborhood, and some of the new people were extremely friendly, but others could be judgemental of people they had never met. I'm in Kent now.
Congratulations 🎊 graduation 🎓 I love Franciscan University of Steubenville Ohio Dr Scott Hahn. His books and lectures brought me awareness to Steubenville and the University (never heard of them) and my conversation to Catholicism.
this is an incredible series !!! i love watching things about Appalachia and the Midwest that seemingly no one else cares about!!! it makes me feel that as a west texan places like this are still so important and at one point were highlights of the US
I grew up in Appalachia Ohio. It will always have a place in my heart. With the growing cost of living in central Ohio, I do think there will be more opportunity in Appalachia over the next few years. A big part of people turning to drugs is there aren’t hardly any jobs, I already know quite a few people who moved back for the cost of living and driving up to Columbus for work. I think about moving back all the time, the only reason I haven’t is I don’t wanna run into people I went to high school with everyday 😂 It’s a beautiful area and those foothills are etched into my heart.
@slaphappybullet you can't Blame a lack of jobs for drug use.....it's a decision to want to get high ..many die from the decision my son did... but atleast he worked not like the ones whining saying woo is me I can't find a job ...so I will lay around drunk or high on drugs
I subscribed. I live in Columbus, but my parents and my brother and I went to Marietta today, sort of on a whim. We knew it had a lot of history as one of the first settlements outside of the 13 colonies. It was New Year's Day so pretty much everything was closed, but I think that forced us to focus on the architecture, which is amazing. Sooo many historical markers in front of random (old and beautiful) houses. This video is so relevant to me and I don't know why it popped up, except I went there today. Maybe my phone did it.
Great work! Not many people know about Appalachian Ohio, only the big cities. I’m from Cleveland and never knew what Appalachian Ohio was like until I moved down here 5 years ago. Truly an interesting place. Very depressing but the people are often quite nice
I live just outside Columbus now but grew up in this part of the country technically in wv but my grandparents lived right across the river so I spent a lot of my time there growing up. There is something special about that area and I never really feel like I’m “home” unless I see the Ohio river
As a Cincinnati native born and raised in a small city (Norwood) that was financially crushed when GM left, I feel for everybody in this story as they had/have it way worse. The optimist in me is rooting for a brighter future for all of us.
Or the card factory half a dozen years back, Multi color is still there, my gramma worked at that one and moved to the Batavia one. Norwood is very different from when I would visit as a child, my father has a garage there.
I grew up in this area and left 40 years ago to find opportunity. I still have family in the area and go back occasionally. The people are wonderful and it is sad to see how some of these communities are a shadow of what they used to be. Glad to see the area is on the upswing. The people in this area deserve a break.
I wish mainstream media and culture didn't hate my family or my people... its gotten so bad that its pretty regular to see comments on Instagram or any social media calling Appalachia "fly over states". Makes me sick to my stomach. Thank you Roca🙏
Mainstream media doesn’t think about you at all lol. I don’t understand why these people don’t move. East Liverpool is within driving distance of Pittsburgh where these people can find jobs. Everyone in these towns seem to have a victim complex.
I was born and raised in WV, right across the bridge from Steubenville. When the mills closed, a lot of folks left and the oxycontin took over, then heroin, and seemingly now meth. However, not region is without issues and drugs are seemingly everywhere now. I work near Pittsburgh in tech and continue to raise my family now in Weirton. Tech and the gas/oil industry have really helped and there are jobs if you are willing to work. This region is a bit misunderstood, but we are good, salt of the Earth people who will give you the shirt off their back.
I'm in SE Ohio. The entire steel valley area took a desperate nosedive when the mills closed. But the people are good. Strong people, with big hearts. Don't miss Steve's Fish and Chips in Steubenville.
Born and raised in Portsmouth, Ohio. Same thing here in Portsmouth. I’m blessed enough to have a job that pays the bills. I’ve been all over the country, and I’ve always missed home. I was born here, and I’ll die here.
Same thing happened to Portsmouth Ohio...At one time in the mid to late 50's it was called, "little Cincinnati".....Had a booming downtown, a bus line & movie theatres.....& in the early 1900's they began the 1st motorcycle club in America..... Then the Steel mill moved out in the 60's & the town crashed...then came a drug problem......
Yup now it’s ground zero for the opioid and poverty epidemic in the state of Ohio. Growing up in Ohio it got so bad I started hearing nicknames about the town calling it Portsmeth as a nickname
@@josephhoover4542 SMH....I only tried meth 2 times & didn't like it....yuk...I've been a weed & coffee man a long, long time....hard drugs suck the life & money out of ppl...
From Portsmouth OH. Incredibly devastating how horrible the opioid epidemic and deindustrialization have been in these Appalachian areas in Ohio. Praying for God to bring his people back to him and save these people. Not just save those on drugs and those who are poor, but ANYONE who doesn’t know Him.
I live in Lancaster, OH, also nicknamed Glass City. There used to be a factory off the intersection of Memorial St and Main St back in the 70s. Now, its just an empty field. Theres still a glass factory knwon as Anchor hocking. Place has went down within industrial jobs.
Anchor Hocking used be owned by a big company Newell industries. They bought Graco from PA and moved it to Ohio. They had Rubbermaid, Sharpie, Levelor Blinds, Cephalon cookware and about 20 others under the Newell name. I worked at Graco for 16 years before they came. Got laid off during a downsizing. My husband went on to work another 3 yrs till the company moved. He was in maintenance.
River Valley Mall is so sad these days. There's a half baked mini golf course in there that has to be a money laundering scheme lol. There was actually a decent turnout for the downtown 2025 new years ball drop. Hoping this little city is on the upswing.
@choochoo1963 had a friend invite me to go but I stayed in. Yeah, I remember being younger when my dad would take me and my twin brother to the arcade. Absolutely miss the water falls they had. As far as the golf thing goes, is it new? Last time I been in there was a month or so ago. Didn't see any mini golf shops in it. There used to be a mini golf place beside subway off of Main St, but they've closed.
My family settled in the OHV When they came over from Czechoslovakia and Russia, they settled in Saint Clairesville and Yorkville. They were all steel mill workers, machinists and coal miners. I’ve heard from my family how tough things got when a lot of the jobs left that area. I live in cbus and it’s depressing heading down there, see what it’s like in the city and see how ravished their areas are.
Our politicians allowed these towns to die, if the steel mills and other industries could have stayed, this would still be a vibrant area, instead its mostly dying
Capitalism stopped steel, not politics. The business owners said it was better to buy steel from overseas instead of producing it here. All the politicians did was help them. But it was the business owners, CEO's and the 1% that made the decision to screw over American manufacturing.
My grandparents grew up in Athens County and I saw a lot of it as a kid in the 90s. I can only imagine what its like now, but its nice to see people are trying to restore it.
My cousin was on the streets of Steubenville due to drugs and died of an OD a few years ago...drugs have truly taken over the valley and it hurts my heart
Love seeing more videos showing the world I grew up in on TH-cam. Grew up in Gallipolis, OH, right across the river from Point Pleasant, WV. All these little towns in Appalachia are the same. Nothing to do, all the jobs disappeared, opioids came when the coal left. A lot of down on their luck people in these towns but they all have hearts of gold. Appalachia is unlike anywhere else in the world and I’m proud to be from here.
I can’t believe no one mentioned JSW steel. It’s reopened, I believe the second largest arc furnace in the northern hemisphere. It’s a 10 minute drive from Steubenville, lots of jobs, good pay. Making American steel.
As a Brit from "over the pond" it's fascinating to see this - we have similar issues with Mill towns in the North of England - sadly all the traditional industries have gone & and not much has replaced them - this has been aided by the Conservative party policies whose main priority is the English Southern Home Counties .
I’m from the heart of columbus, only 15 mins from downtown columbus. My partner is from just across the river, from Wheeling, WV. We met a few years after he moved up to columbus for college. We’ve driven down a few times and every time, I’m in awe. While beautiful and so different from where I grew up, it’s definitely a big change.
Born and raised in Ohio. Currently living in Akron. My people are miserable. There’s no jobs and everything is expensive. Late stage capitalism has no room for anyone who isn’t a tech bro.
you need visit Nelsonville Oh. or even Youngstown in both its mostly the collage that has kept these towns alive. I lived in Nelsonville Ohio while in college.
Great documentation guys. Nice to hear from genuine Americans in the middle of the country. I sympathize with people who've chose to move from, heck, even California (where I'm from) to places like Steubenville - small town, communal life is truly special.
Hopefully the College grows. College towns get vibrant, students come back and some start local businesses. Great people in this area who can drive all the partnerships that will help them continue to move forward.
As an academic in Sociology I watch a lot of documentary films concerning the problems in our American Society, as well as the locations these concerns are currently prevalent within. This was a very well produced piece, and it was able to convey the intent of the film without being overbearing or preachy. I am enthusiastic about watching other efforts by the RocaNews Team.
I have a bunch of family in the tri-state area. From Beaver Pa to East Liverpool Ohio down into West Virginia. My great aunt Arlene Weaver was a school teacher in East Liverpool many years ago. My cousin and aunt are all buried there. I hung around there for a few years when I was a teenager. That place was in rough shape then and I am 60 now. Yup things like NAFTA and other things that sent jobs overseas really trashed that part of the country. It's a real shame.
I married a girl from Midland. Her family was from Wellsville. Wonderful people but the area was soul-crushing to visit. Even the weather matched the setting.
From Steubenville My whole life 20 y.o Sometimes it feels like everything's so hopeless around here it's so hard to get jobs it was definitely a scary place growing up on the hilltop thank you for bringing this to light
i live in southern ohio and its getting worse wallgreens,frischs,rite aid,wendys,and few others all shut down nothing to do drugs all over the place no one can afford cars or houses been like this ever since 2008
Ohio still has plenty of good jobs, but we need the jobs to come back from China. I grew up here, I see how it used to be. We need unions, bring them back and everyone wins!
ProtoMario, we meet again at last…Loyal Subscriber here. Anyways I’m over in Mahoning county not far from the border with Pennsylvania. Places like Youngstown lost out big time when the manufacturing left the country. I’m lucky and got a job working for the County government. The Unions really help!
Thank you for shining a light on this topic and area! As a fellow Meigs Co native, you need to come down river! Come experience Pomeroy, Middleport, and Gallipolis! Much love!
I just finished my clinicals at the east Liverpool hospital for Youngstown state nursing, so sad what’s become of all of NE ohio from Cleveland to Akron to Youngstown to east Liverpool. The steel companies left us to rot.
I used to live in Athens Ohio on Pleasanton Hill road yes I totally agree with you on that also Glouster Ohio and nelsonville Ohio are also the poorest places to live it's either people are on drugs or due to lack of jobs 😢
Agree. I'm an OU alum who also lived in Bidwell and Wellston. Loved Athens! Know a lot of people who live throughout this region. The gloomy weather on top of the depressing economic situation and drug culture was too much for me.
I was born and raised in Steubenville, and moved in 2015. It’s been cool to see new stuff in town when I go visit, because there was never anything new when I was growing up except auto parts stores lol
Great video!! bro you gotta keep doing this. I’m an Amazon delivery driver from Canton, Ohio. So I go to all these small towns and I always wondered what the hell happened. You can see how everything has decay in unison, including the peoples hope. Although all very nice people, I’m always interested in why they would stay in such a place and what the history of it is. If you cover enough places and show what has happened to America I think you can make a significant impact given what the new administration is trying to do a lot and I mean a lot of town need help because America is just not what it used to be.
I was born in New Castle, Pa. My folks moved to Dallas , Tx. In 1963, when i was 1 year old. I LOVED spending summers in Western Pa. I wonder what my life would've been like had i grown up in Pa. It's sad how depressed this area is.
I’m from East Liverpool and live in wellsville! That little church you visited on Main Street helped me more than I have words to describe. They are a beacon of hope and they feed a lot of folks of all walks of life! Thank you god
Wow. They were some of the warmest and best-intentioned people we’ve ever met
I love Ohio people.I miss the genuine hearts that I grew up with.Its just different here in Texas and Oklahoma.I worked for State Of Texas for years hard to walk away from a State Job.To be honest Our own Government ruined the Midwest.Yes the Unions priced themselves out to a certain degree.However Government hasn't helped.
The Potters are suffering from top to bottom.
@@rocanewsI just subscribed to your channel. I live by Akron Canton Airport, and have grown up in Ohio my hole life !!! I'm 64 and seen alot.
@@mikemancini3907my son lives in North Canton 😊
7:41 "did you grow your own food out in the woods?" "Oh hell yeah... among other things" 😂🍃
The state oh Ohio is a great example of what happens when jobs are shipped overseas. I grew up there and saw how great jobs were lost
Lots of jobs are gone. I see my hometown in Warren, and I am sad what has left.
we can thank our republican friends in business for doing that
There are jobs available if these people are willing to move 2 - 3 hours away. I wouldn’t want to live in these towns even during their prime.
@@gibememoniSoo much for the Make America Great Again? Trump 2.0 is only going to make these people's lives worse.
Why do Soo few of them realize that?
@ Ohio was a huge manufacturing state - blue collar jobs. Most of those are gone - good pay and benefits. Jobs you refer to are service jobs ,poor pay, few benefits and different skill sets for many
One of my favorite things about Ohio is you have the Appalachian region, the northeast part with Cleveland and the lake, central Ohio with Columbus, southwestern part with Cincinnati, and northwestern part with Toledo. Each region feels distinct and different from each other.
New York region: Cleveland
Pittsburgh region: Youngstown
Ohio Heartland: Columbus
Southern Michigan (without the accents): Toledo
Northern Kentucky/West Pittsburgh: Cincinnati
Ohio is made up of 3 cultural nations. The north east (where I grew up Willoughby OH) is what Colin Woodard termed in his book American Nations calls Yankeedom. The middle section is the Midlander's that has a German cultural flair and lastly the southern portion is called Greater Appalachia!
Colin Woodard book is spot on for all of these 11 cultural nations type regions and their distinct differences. Also the boy knows how to write he will keep you up late!
I lived in Bowling Green Ohio for 3 years😊
And a lot of rural bumhorse in between.
That's why I say I'm from southwest Ohio(Dayton). Columbus looks down on the rest of the state tbh.
Steubenville here.
Life long native. 59 y.o.
From the 1940's through 1980's
Steubenville had it all!
But so did Toronto, E. Liverpool ect. The mills went down and things went to hell overnight!
My wife is from (canal) Dover. When I hear her folks talk about the work and opportunity that was in that area in the mid 70's , and seeing the hauntology of the area. It makes me understand why there is so much anxiety in my wife about me wanting to move to live in a small town.
My dad and grandparents were from Steubenville. They lived on Clark Street. Just around the corner from a Steubenville pottery factory.
St. Clairsville / Wheeling here
Never give up ❤
Dean Martin's hometown.
I've been to that mall in St. Clairsville. Undo's, too.
I am from Ireland and I can connect to the people of east Liverpool. My hometown used to be a huge ceramics producer, then the pottery closed and my great grandfather lost his job. Thankfully we didn’t fall into decline like east Liverpool we now are a huge pharmaceutical producer but my heart goes out to them.
I'm from Youngstown, the nearest big city to East Liverpool. In 1960 the city's population was nearly 200,000. Today, its population is 60,000. As a 22 year old I'm sad to say I never saw the city in its former glory. There's so many big buildings downtown in that early 1900s style that have been vacant and run down since I was a kid. It's shocking to see photos of how it used to be, and hear stories from older people. Now, it's just a dangerous city with no economy and no soul. So sad to see what happens to a city when all its industry is taken away. That said, I'm happy to hear that your town was successfully able to pivot to a new industry and thrive. Best of luck to you all!
Is that Carrigaline pottery? I remember it well.
@ it sure is!
2:20 this hits really hard. I hope he’s since spoken to his daughters 😢
She gave her father some tough love plain and simple
@@Ron-j2sexactly and he's playing the victim saying it hurt alot to hear that. Get real your supposedly sober 13 months but won't make the call she asked for when he got sober
@@CraigOC1482 He's not playing a victim - he's expressing his feelings. People in the wrong can also feel pain, brother. And yes, shame is a powerful thing. You're being kind of an asshole, bub. Everyone can change, I'm sure he's done wrong - but to sit here and act like he's lying and playing the victim without proof to hold those opinions says more about you than him, brother
Yeah that hurt to hear. I hope he's doing he's doing better.
@@Ron-j2s Yea, I'm sure it does really hurt when your daughter says to not call her until he is clean. On the other hand, I am sure he caused his daughter just as much if not more pain. I hope that family can heal. I hope this country can heal as well.
Crazy to see my hometown in a yt video. Thank you for bringing this to light. Everyone in Ohio, everyone everywhere, I am praying for you all❤
We have riders for Christ here in lake and Ashtabula counties too, God bless you!
God bless you as well my friend. Stay safe out there brother
As somebody who works in the county, and lives just further down Rt 7, it's always exciting to see our area get featured, and not instantly be bashed. The Ohio Valley was once the backbone of America; producing everything from metals to chemicals, and generating electricity from the coal that was mined here. Now it's a welfare state, and filled with the memories of what it once was. Some towns here adapted to the reality that the mills and mines are not coming back to how it was in the 50s, and they are holding their own. Others are still living in the shadows of yesterday and refuse to accept reality. And then there's the towns who are having that internal battle of change is good vs. change is bad. We may be Ohio and WV, but we're the forgotten parts. But at the same time, no matter where you go, somebody has a connection back to here. Appalachia is full of unique people and places, and the OV is very unique (good and bad).Looking forward to the rest of this series, and hope you come back sometime!
Not get bashed? It sucks.
@@mpetho well said
You really know how to reach people. It's a gift. Always worth it to watch your videos.
My mom's family is from Weirton, WV across the river from Steubenville. The same thing happened there when steel went down.
My mother is from Weirton as well. We went up that way for a football game and it is truly depressing how much old infrastructure is just sitting there rusting.
From Weirton also. Sad seeing the town dying. It's starting to pickup a bit as a bedroom community of Pittsburgh. A new car battery plant being built to employ 700 at old open hearth area.
My family is from the area!! Wellsburg, Follansbee, and Weirton!! Growing up there in the 70’s it was nice, but once the steel mills closed the entire area was hit hard!!
Weirton is my Dads hometown. Jim Layman Sr. 1947 -2018
@jameslayman2615 Name sound familiar
I love how those people prayed for you guys. So lovely 💕
Seems like some good people
I actually found this part really sad. People in a town that has been recked by neoliberal capitalism and drug abuse are grasping for supernatural fictions to help cope with the destruction. I found it unsettling.
@@paulj9587 Right? How dare the lesser thans have hope.
@@paulj9587 the Lord helps us get through hard times
@@paulj9587 The Bidens’ Influence Peddling Timeline
Since taking the gavel in January, the Committee on Oversight and Accountability has accelerated its investigation of the Biden family’s domestic and international business practices to determine whether the Biden family has been targeted by foreign actors, President Biden is compromised, and our national security is threatened. Records obtained through the Committee’s subpoenas to date reveal that the Bidens and their associates have received over $20 million in payments from foreign entities.
Below is a timeline that details key dates in our investigation.
The main points of interest are:
1) Romania: On September 28, 2015, Vice President Biden welcomed Romanian President Klaus Iohannis to the White House. Within five weeks of this meeting, a Romanian businessman involved with a high-profile corruption prosecution in Romania, Gabriel Popoviciu, began depositing a Biden associate’s bank account, which ultimately made their way into Biden family accounts. Popoviciu made sixteen of the seventeen payments, totaling over $3 million, to the Biden associate account while Joe Biden was Vice President. Biden family accounts ultimately received approximately $1.038 million. The total amount from Romania to the Biden family and their associates is over $3 million.
2) China- CEFC: On March 1, 2017-less than two months after Vice President Joe Biden left public office-State Energy HK Limited, a Chinese company, wired $3 million to a Biden associate’s account. This is the same bank account used in the above “Romania” section. After the Chinese company wired the Biden associate account the $3 million, the Biden family received approximately $1,065,692 over a three-month period in different bank accounts. Additionally, the CEFC Chairman gives Hunter Biden a diamond worth $80,000. Lastly, CEFC creates a joint venture with the Bidens in the summer of 2017. The timeline lays out the “WhatsApp” messages and subsequent wires from the Chinese to the Bidens of $100,000 and $5 million. The total amount from China, specifically with CEFC and their related entities, to the Biden family and their associates is over $8 million.
3) Kazakhstan: On April 22, 2014, Kenes Rakishev, a Kazakhstani oligarch used his Singaporean entity, Novatus Holdings, to wire one of Hunter Biden’s Rosemont Seneca entities $142,300. The very next day-April 23, 2014-the Rosemont Seneca entity transferred the exact same amount of money to a car dealership for a car for Hunter Biden. Hunter Biden and Devon Archer would represent Burisma in Kazakhstan in May/June of 2014 as the company attempted to broker a three-way deal among Burisma, the Kazakhstan government, and a Chinese state-owned energy company.
4) Ukraine: Devon Archer joined the Burisma board of directors in spring of 2014 and was joined by Hunter Biden shortly thereafter. Hunter Biden joined the company as counsel, but after a meeting with Burisma owner Mykola Zlochevsky in Lake Como, Italy, was elevated to the board of directors in the spring of 2014. Both Biden and Archer were each paid $1 million per year for their positions on the board of directors. In December 2015, after a Burisma board of directors meeting, Zlochevsky and Hunter Biden “called D.C.” in the wake of mounting pressures the company was facing. Zlochevsky was later charged with bribing Ukrainian officials with $6 million in an attempt to delay or drop the investigation into his company. The total amount from Ukraine to the Biden family and their associates is $6.5 million.
5) Russia: On February 14, 2014, a Russian oligarch and Russia’s richest woman, Yelena Baturina, wired a Rosemont Seneca entity $3.5 million. On March 11, 2014, the wire was split up: $750,000 was transferred to Devon Archer, and the remainder was sent to Rosemont Seneca Bohai, a company Devon Archer and Hunter Biden split equally. In spring of 2014, Yelena Baturina joined Hunter Biden and Devon Archer to share a meal with then-Vice President Biden at a restaurant in Washington, D.C. The total amount from Russia to the Biden family and their associates is $3.5 million.
SOURCE, OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE
Thanks for covering Steubenville! I've been living here for almost four years and am well connected with a lot of people revitalizing the downtown. I was just at the grand opening of a local grocer on 4th Street this afternoon. If you'd ever like to come back to do a story on those revitalizing the town, I'd be happy to show you around and put you in contact with those people.
Thank you! I wish this video would show even the other side of the street while they are walking through downtown 😂 but probably can’t do that because it would show a few bustling businesses full of light and character and hope 😂
I’m from East Liverpool. Born and raised. I moved away. Thank you for sharing this. My friend recently lost his life in Wellsville 😢.
hi Tayler been awhile. hope you and the kids are doing well.
@ Hi, who is this ? :)
Im so excited to see my town on TH-cam along with my college of Franciscan University, im a local and my family has been around and in Steubenville for generations. I can confirm that Franciscan is the new steel mill, its how most here made a living or at the power plant, which both of my Grandparents did. I study there and as a local I can assure you most are from out of state. I have many friends who graduated this year who choose to live here and they are making our town so much better. Franciscan is making Steubenville a popular and revitalized town, my Grandparents who grew up and still live in Steubenville can vouch that it was great when they grew up and then it entered a dark time for a long period, now there is a big revitalization happening all thanks to the college. More and more are choosing to move here permanently for the college or work near Steubenville, but the community and revival is happening. Thank you so much for covering Appalachian Ohio. If you need a tour guide for the area or interesting people to talk to I know plenty from here.
Congrats on your pride
You must be part of the Francisian 7 Mountain Apostolic xitian nationalst cult here.THIS PLACE IS A dangerous dump,rampant with far-right hatred,drugs,prostitution,local corruption.Wintersville, is no better.
God bless them ladies telling the curator forhis documentery giving those the love when that was all that was left so. Beautiful .
I’m an adult and have been wanting to apply for a second chance of my own now that my children are adults. Thank you for sharing the love you have for the area people and school. May God bless and keep you.
@@Witness03 You voted the same as the KKK.You voted against people of color.Voted against women. You can go to church all day long but you are just hate filled an evil.You're no christian. Stop pretending you're racism is patriotic.
If you want to see the Appalachian section of Ohio, go 100 miles downriver to Portsmouth, Gallipolis, Pomeroy, and Ironton in SE Ohio.
Yep. Those are my roots.
Hell yeah, I live like 5min from Portsmouth in a little nowhere called Minford. 😂 I'm from downtown Dayton so I love it here... But the people around here can't appreciate it because they never had to live somewhere like that. Just the trees an hills alone here are so gorgeous. You can find beauty anywhere you look, just gotta be looking with the correct lens. 😂
@@OStateAce I live in Minford. 😅 ❤ Hey, at least it isn't P-town! 😂
@@Chaotic-Neutral-Opinions You're from Minford bro?
@OStateAce yup, moved to cbus for 12 years, then came back to Minford 2 years ago. Home sweet home.
Friendly suggestion, when visiting these towns other than bars and quick stop stores. Consider asking where all the barber shops are and pay them a visit and see who will talk to you there. I think you will get a different perspective from that group in the wait area.
Great advice!
Good in theory. I’m a restaurant/bar owner in Toronto. We have 12 bars, zero barber shops. Coffee shop would be a good suggestion for our town. Tri-B’s is the name in case you return for a part 2.
Yeah, you’ll hear the name ‘Trump’ about thousand times and a bunch nonsense.
@@djdaveott There are multiple barber shops. Just not the old school ones where people hang out.
Please...the area sank to rock bottom during the eight years of Clinton.
My Dad was Keith Watkins who grew up in East Liverpool and I spent most of my life there and the surrounding areas!!! Keep up the good work!!!
I was born and grew up in Salem. We'd got to East Liverpool and Wellsville all the time, as my sister was studying in Steubenville. It is a gorgeous area, but it was very poor even back when I left (mid 90s).
I'm from Guilford lake till I was 13 and moved to Salem. I'm 32 now but it's crazy how much has changed bc of the businesses leaving and drugs coming in. Sad really
Salem is nice. I’m from Massillon and make my way over there every once and a while.
I grew up in Wellsville
You probably know my dad, he grew up in Salem and left around the same time you did. We live in Cleveland now but he took me there frequently to see family, would’ve loved to see it in its hay day
I attended Kent State’s Salem Campus. Great school 🏫
great piece man!
Thank you for bringing us the stories of these towns and the beautiful human beings who call them home. ❤
You guys are fantastic, thank you so much for showing us a piece of this resilient community
This is a awesome video I was born and raised and still live in Toronto Ohio
Come back to Steubenville during the Christmas season. The community really comes together for person-size nutcracker display at Fort Steuben, a historic fort which was also the site of the first Federal Land Office that sold plots in the US western frontier. Side note that Abraham Lincoln’s Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton, was from Steubenville. The history of the area is rich. The Christmas nutcrackers are all made by one resident whose family (the Nelsons) has almost single handedly started to bring Steubenville back from the grave. They have done some great things. They also put on a monthly block party in the summer they call First Fridays that brings out local businesses and residents. When I was a kid, there was little to no reason to ever go to Downtown Steubenville, but those two events lead to times where it is actually hard to find parking now, which I still find incredible. I have moved away and don’t currently live in the Ohio Valley, but despite their hardships, there are lots of people there with an incredible level of morale and dedication. The sense of community in the Ohio Valley is strong. I always hope and pray for better things to come. Always will love my home.
Really good video. My family is originally from this area and I like visiting but the financial situation is hard to experience even on a very temporary basis. Along with everything else, I’d like to see tourism developed further in this beautiful region.
Tourism? To see what?
I knew when I clicked on this it would be East Liverpool. I used to drive through East Liverpool everyday for a job I had years ago and everyday I would be amazed at how old, poor and rustic the town looked. And this is coming from someone who grew up in East Cleveland!
We have a video from East Cleveland coming soon.
I went to college at Franciscan University. I was from California and had many many friends from all over the country attend this amazing college. I highly recommend going there if you want to meet good people.
Many alumni are staying and buying homes and creating businesses there
It's absolutely amazing y'all actually went there. So cool. Keep it up!
Thanks for sharing. How did you like Steubenville when you went there?
My sister also studied at Franciscan University in the late 90s. Even then the college kids wouldn't venture much into the city itself.
Priests from Steuby are overrated. Pontifical College of the Josephinum stays winning
I'm from NE Ohio (Youngstown) another Ohio city that has suffered since the steel mills closed. I've been along the river, visiting several of the mills, when I was in flat rolled steel sales. It is sad to see what happens to our state when the jobs leave.
And unfortunately there’s not much any of us can do about it 😞
@ Who wants to be a firefighter? You’re almost guaranteed cancer and an early demise too. These are rough jobs but ultimately they’re essential. Also, if places like steel mills followed modern safety and environmental regulations it wouldn’t be that bad. A big reason these local mills closed were because they lacked innovation and were falling behind technologically too
Don’t hold your breath dude, I’m from Cincinnati n got 10 years clean after 13 years of active addiction after 6 back surgeries n only 1 of my 3 kids speak too me n haven’t seen my 2 older brothers since 2001 n one of em is a preacher.
Good luck too you.
Lived in Wyoming area in 2006-7
The beautification project looks awesome! Always amazing to see locals step up and take some pride in their community
As someone who has lived in OH about my whole life (near columbus) this was very accurate. While not from this area, from 2020-2023 I made a LOT of trips around OH to see what other places were like. I had thoughts of moving (for something cheaper) and just wanted to see what was out there and if these places were really that bad.
Well sadly a lot are and it feels mean saying this, I do not intend it that way but boy I thought East Liverpool was bad! That was the worst place I had traveled too in my opinion.
Steubenville and that whole area down RT 7 into Wheeling, it is pretty rough. Seen better times for sure. But as the video said there were some glimmers of hope. Steubenville still has a long way to go overall but there are some decent areas. Its also not a terrible drive into Pittsburgh for work or shopping. like 5 miles or so south they just build a brand new bridge crossing into WV. That actually surprised me because you do not usually see improvements like that in such depressed areas. So the govt. has not given up totally on these areas yet, there is potential and you can live very affordably in these areas. A lot of work is being done in Wheeling WV too nearby, potential there too. Great people too. Everyone I ever encountered was nothing but nice.
It gets worse the further south you go
That Bridge had been a thing for almost 70 years while I was a kid there in the 70's and 80's they tried but couldnt get it passed and they needed it since the infrastructure hasnt been taken care of due to the loss of the steel industry late 80s. I saw the writing on the wall and joined the military. I love to visit but like some many state there is no jobs unless you commute to Pittsburgh. I still love the area though
I've been to Steubenville.
It was the early '90s and my youth group was doing a mission trip there.
Back then, the kids (people then my age) said there wasn't much to do so they went to Wheeling a lot, but it was more in a normal teenaged way, not so much the doom and gloom that other towns were talking about.
All the people we met there in Steubenville and Tiltonsville, though, were very kind to us weirdos from New Jersey.
I had a good experience.
I grew up in Oak Hill, Ohio. We didn’t even have running water when I was very young. It was a poor area back in the 80’s.
I drove through oak hill once during the 80s as a commercial driver I was shocked at the poverty.
Oak hill is nice in certain areas
For an European it’s interesting to see the situation of the people in the rust belt.
I’m outside of Steubenville and I totally disagree about it being a nearly empty downtown, you went at a bad time! There are a few incredible local families who are really bringing the city back to life. Most days the downtown is filled with college students and locals in the coffee shop and restaurants there, and at Christmas time they have a Nutcracker village which draws in so many people especially from Pittsburgh, and hosts lots of local businesses every weekend for an Advent market. The shot of the orange cones was probably the day after their annual Light Up Night. Also, because of Franciscan and the cheap housing prices, a ton of young families are moving in. There is a clash of the “new” catholics and the older locals and those from surrounding cities that don’t view the town as thriving, but it is doing much better than what you guys saw. Anyway, just wanted to drop my 2 cents because I love you guys and know you care about getting the right picture!
So guy mentioned the "Neil" family who owns all of 4th street? Are they some wealthy old money family in the region?
@@klwthe3rd I believe he meant the Nelson family. They’re not old money at all, they are locals who started a small store (“Catholic to the Max”) many years ago. Later they felt inspired to bring Steubenville back to life, so they bought one old building downtown 10-15ish years ago to renovate and start a coffee shop (Leonardo’s). It was a huge success, and they (specifically the oldest kids) continued doing projects around the city - First Fridays on Fourth and the Harmonium project.
Basically they’re artisans and carpenters that are really passionate about the city and use all of their revenue to put back into the city. They were the ones who started the Nutcracker project, it was featured on Good Morning America last year and on Forbes top Christmas towns to visit.
@@illabesa Thank you so much for the clarification on the Nelson family. You did a much better "deep dive" into how that family is helping revitalize the town of Steubenville. TY. 🥰
@@klwthe3rd Definitely, they’re doing amazing work and I wanted to share my perspective! Thanks for letting me share
@@illabesa No problem. The one thing that i got out of this video and about the Nelson family is that it all seems to stem around the church. To be honest, i'm not big into religion and even though it sounds like alot is going right, i don't think a city's problems can be solved by faith based solutions themselves. Praying away the drug problem isn't going to work and spending money fixing infrastructure when alot of drug addicts are walking around destroying everything that is just built, isn't a solution either. Just my perspective.
I live in Ohio, actually Columbus, Ohio all my life, and I must say you did this video very beautifully.. even though I am moving thank you for doing this video.
Thanks for this. My dad was from Steubenville & graduated from Franciscan when it was still the College of Steubenville. He grew up in an Irish-American neighborhood they called "The Patch," along the river near downtown. The family had arrived in Steubenville pre-famine & he and my uncles were the 4th generation. My grandpa worked for the Pennsylvania & B&O railroads and had employment all through the Depression. One thing I remember about visiting as a kid in the 1970s was the air pollution. The steel industry was still going at that point, and it was eye-stingingly bad. That was a thing of the past when we returned for my uncle's funeral in 2000, but the state of the city was pretty shocking. In some respects it appears things have turned around a bit. Would really like to visit again and am definitely pulling for Steubenville and the Valley!
I was born in Steubenville (a lot of family still there) and grew up in Wellsville. I also knew the waitress who was praying..I went to school with her youngest son. Moved away but I still love my home! Thank you for covering “the Valley”
I’m from one of the few growing communities in Northwest Ohio and this makes me sad for my state. I love Ohio and it’s heartbreaking to see what has happened to these communities. I’m grateful to be in the city I am.
It happened to Toledo too….all the building down town are mostly empty ….i know I worked downtown at one seagate the largest building……mostly empty
Awesome documentary...please keep doing this for other ohio rural areas!
Thank you for your honest, fair and balanced and non-judgemental reporting. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for watching Robert!
I love videos like these. When you have nothing to watch on TH-cam there is always something to watch.
Unfortunately, this has been happening to many small towns across the country for years now.
A Korean War Vet told me about growing up in Stubenville . Cars would get dirty from smoke and dust . They talked about the Churches, however the clubs and other rackets were run by legitimate business men .
When your on rt 7, right before turning to go to Steubenville if you stop at the light and smell it air it smells like crack and meth..
Fascinating that almost every single person had a different perspective and lived experience, all while still being neighbors. Wild.
Ohioan here. Glad you did this video and glad you correctly assigned that region as Appalachia.
Thanks for watching!
This channel talks to real people about everyday life situations. It gives me a much clearer picture of how people live in their geographical areas than any commercial news channels on TV.
That’s exactly our goal. Thank you for sharing that
I’m from the YO, the Y.O. Ohio, Youngstown if ya never been there💯🔥👍👍 Wishing you well young man & safe travels❤️🙏
I am as well, now a hartville transplant. Sending prayers to everyone that needs it down here.
We got Mill Creek MetroParks! Lemme just say, our park is a national treasure. 🌲 🌞
Mill creek metro park is gorgeous park which is all over Mahoning county not just in the city of Youngstown. Truly a beautifully maintained park❤️
@@terrylucas630 struthers here
I am a student at Franciscan University, about to graduate in May. I have now lived in Steubenville for almost 4 years and worked right downtown and across the river in Weirton. The area was certainly a culture shock to me, coming from a nice agricultural/suburban community that actually had money. I would say Steubenville is probably the worst you are gonna get in this area. I would joke that my clientele at work was 70% dealers and junkies, because it was a common thing to experience. When you cross the river into Weirton and as you get closer to Pittsburg, the experience gets better. There are certainly charms to living in the area, but most grads that end up sticking around is just because they got a job at the university.
The sad thing is that most of the students at the university live in a bubble and never experience the real world coming into Steube or any of the surrounding areas, which is a shame because it really opens your eyes to what reality is like. Some maintain a very narrow perspective and look down at those who have to survive the conditions they are given in the area. I may not have been here long, but I have gained some real connections with coworkers or locals that have opened my mind to the area.
I really would have liked to experience this area in its heyday. I had a coworker that was the old store manager before he retired and eventually came back due to the economic struggle of the pandemic. He told me stories of when he moved here with his family in the 50s and how Steubenville was the place to be. It truly was a little city in the mountains. I will say this though, the one thing people should visit this area for is its restaurants and food. They have wonderful places to eat and are all pretty cheap because of the local economy. Highlights for Steubenville would be Naples Spaghetti House, the Sesame Grill, Steve's Fish & Chips, and of course the two local Pizzaria sensations: Vocelli's and Di Carlo's. The area may be rundown, but there are good folk here and some excellent local businesses, so don't exclude it from possible travel destinations.
After what happened to Franciscan students Brian Muha and Aaron Land 25 years ago, nobody wanted to send their kids to Steubenville.
Thanks for seeing the positives in my 200 year old, historically complex, ethnically diverse hometown. I lived on Woodlawn, in what came to be the Franciscan neighborhood, and some of the new people were extremely friendly, but others could be judgemental of people they had never met. I'm in Kent now.
Congratulations 🎊 graduation 🎓
I love Franciscan University of Steubenville Ohio Dr Scott Hahn. His books and lectures brought me awareness to Steubenville and the University (never heard of them) and my conversation to Catholicism.
Pittsburgh *
@billpike-cn5pz i was in middle school when that happened, and word on the street was those mentioned above weren't just picked at random.
this is an incredible series !!! i love watching things about Appalachia and the Midwest that seemingly no one else cares about!!! it makes me feel that as a west texan places like this are still so important and at one point were highlights of the US
I grew up in Appalachia Ohio. It will always have a place in my heart. With the growing cost of living in central Ohio, I do think there will be more opportunity in Appalachia over the next few years. A big part of people turning to drugs is there aren’t hardly any jobs, I already know quite a few people who moved back for the cost of living and driving up to Columbus for work. I think about moving back all the time, the only reason I haven’t is I don’t wanna run into people I went to high school with everyday 😂 It’s a beautiful area and those foothills are etched into my heart.
@slaphappybullet you can't Blame a lack of jobs for drug use.....it's a decision to want to get high ..many die from the decision my son did... but atleast he worked not like the ones whining saying woo is me I can't find a job ...so I will lay around drunk or high on drugs
I subscribed. I live in Columbus, but my parents and my brother and I went to Marietta today, sort of on a whim. We knew it had a lot of history as one of the first settlements outside of the 13 colonies. It was New Year's Day so pretty much everything was closed, but I think that forced us to focus on the architecture, which is amazing. Sooo many historical markers in front of random (old and beautiful) houses. This video is so relevant to me and I don't know why it popped up, except I went there today. Maybe my phone did it.
Marietta is a neat town. I worry about whether their college will survive - it’s pretty small.
Great work! Not many people know about Appalachian Ohio, only the big cities. I’m from Cleveland and never knew what Appalachian Ohio was like until I moved down here 5 years ago. Truly an interesting place. Very depressing but the people are often quite nice
Can you help find a wife I am from Pakistan age is doesn't matter 😢 I really need help please
I live just outside Columbus now but grew up in this part of the country technically in wv but my grandparents lived right across the river so I spent a lot of my time there growing up. There is something special about that area and I never really feel like I’m “home” unless I see the Ohio river
As a Cincinnati native born and raised in a small city (Norwood) that was financially crushed when GM left, I feel for everybody in this story as they had/have it way worse. The optimist in me is rooting for a brighter future for all of us.
Or the card factory half a dozen years back, Multi color is still there, my gramma worked at that one and moved to the Batavia one. Norwood is very different from when I would visit as a child, my father has a garage there.
Great video. I live about 2 hrs away from there this an accurate description of the area.
I grew up in this area and left 40 years ago to find opportunity. I still have family in the area and go back occasionally. The people are wonderful and it is sad to see how some of these communities are a shadow of what they used to be. Glad to see the area is on the upswing. The people in this area deserve a break.
I wish mainstream media and culture didn't hate my family or my people... its gotten so bad that its pretty regular to see comments on Instagram or any social media calling Appalachia "fly over states". Makes me sick to my stomach. Thank you Roca🙏
🙄Oh brother...seriously?
Nobody hates you for god sakes Maybe brush your teeth and wash your hair once in awhile. Read a book . And stop smoking meth. That would be nice
@@steveb7429 bullshit. people do all of those things on the coasts
Mainstream media doesn’t think about you at all lol.
I don’t understand why these people don’t move. East Liverpool is within driving distance of Pittsburgh where these people can find jobs.
Everyone in these towns seem to have a victim complex.
Everyone in Appalachia including All of Western Pennsylvania have that same victim mentality including my ex. Very soft and lazy folks
I was born and raised in WV, right across the bridge from Steubenville. When the mills closed, a lot of folks left and the oxycontin took over, then heroin, and seemingly now meth. However, not region is without issues and drugs are seemingly everywhere now. I work near Pittsburgh in tech and continue to raise my family now in Weirton.
Tech and the gas/oil industry have really helped and there are jobs if you are willing to work. This region is a bit misunderstood, but we are good, salt of the Earth people who will give you the shirt off their back.
Interesting. Thanks for sharing!
I'm in SE Ohio. The entire steel valley area took a desperate nosedive when the mills closed. But the people are good. Strong people, with big hearts. Don't miss Steve's Fish and Chips in Steubenville.
Robin is a gem!
Born and raised in Portsmouth, Ohio. Same thing here in Portsmouth. I’m blessed enough to have a job that pays the bills. I’ve been all over the country, and I’ve always missed home. I was born here, and I’ll die here.
Same thing happened to Portsmouth Ohio...At one time in the mid to late 50's it was called, "little Cincinnati".....Had a booming downtown, a bus line & movie theatres.....& in the early 1900's they began the 1st motorcycle club in America.....
Then the Steel mill moved out in the 60's & the town crashed...then came a drug problem......
Yup now it’s ground zero for the opioid and poverty epidemic in the state of Ohio. Growing up in Ohio it got so bad I started hearing nicknames about the town calling it Portsmeth as a nickname
@@josephhoover4542 SMH....I only tried meth 2 times & didn't like it....yuk...I've been a weed & coffee man a long, long time....hard drugs suck the life & money out of ppl...
From Portsmouth OH. Incredibly devastating how horrible the opioid epidemic and deindustrialization have been in these Appalachian areas in Ohio. Praying for God to bring his people back to him and save these people. Not just save those on drugs and those who are poor, but ANYONE who doesn’t know Him.
I live in Lancaster, OH, also nicknamed Glass City. There used to be a factory off the intersection of Memorial St and Main St back in the 70s. Now, its just an empty field. Theres still a glass factory knwon as Anchor hocking. Place has went down within industrial jobs.
Anchor Hocking used be owned by a big company Newell industries. They bought Graco from PA and moved it to Ohio. They had Rubbermaid, Sharpie, Levelor Blinds, Cephalon cookware and about 20 others under the Newell name. I worked at Graco for 16 years before they came. Got laid off during a downsizing. My husband went on to work another 3 yrs till the company moved. He was in maintenance.
@stevesmom9868 that's interesting!
River Valley Mall is so sad these days. There's a half baked mini golf course in there that has to be a money laundering scheme lol.
There was actually a decent turnout for the downtown 2025 new years ball drop. Hoping this little city is on the upswing.
@choochoo1963 had a friend invite me to go but I stayed in. Yeah, I remember being younger when my dad would take me and my twin brother to the arcade. Absolutely miss the water falls they had.
As far as the golf thing goes, is it new? Last time I been in there was a month or so ago. Didn't see any mini golf shops in it. There used to be a mini golf place beside subway off of Main St, but they've closed.
My family settled in the OHV When they came over from Czechoslovakia and Russia, they settled in Saint Clairesville and Yorkville. They were all steel mill workers, machinists and coal miners. I’ve heard from my family how tough things got when a lot of the jobs left that area. I live in cbus and it’s depressing heading down there, see what it’s like in the city and see how ravished their areas are.
Our politicians allowed these towns to die, if the steel mills and other industries could have stayed, this would still be a vibrant area, instead its mostly dying
Capitalism stopped steel, not politics. The business owners said it was better to buy steel from overseas instead of producing it here. All the politicians did was help them. But it was the business owners, CEO's and the 1% that made the decision to screw over American manufacturing.
My grandparents grew up in Athens County and I saw a lot of it as a kid in the 90s. I can only imagine what its like now, but its nice to see people are trying to restore it.
3:20 is awesome the way everyone comes together.
My cousin was on the streets of Steubenville due to drugs and died of an OD a few years ago...drugs have truly taken over the valley and it hurts my heart
As an Ohioan, yes there is a total shortage of jobs, but I guarantee the fast food places and dollar stores in those towns are short handed
Love seeing more videos showing the world I grew up in on TH-cam. Grew up in Gallipolis, OH, right across the river from Point Pleasant, WV. All these little towns in Appalachia are the same. Nothing to do, all the jobs disappeared, opioids came when the coal left. A lot of down on their luck people in these towns but they all have hearts of gold. Appalachia is unlike anywhere else in the world and I’m proud to be from here.
I can’t believe no one mentioned JSW steel. It’s reopened, I believe the second largest arc furnace in the northern hemisphere. It’s a 10 minute drive from Steubenville, lots of jobs, good pay. Making American steel.
Because they're all liars and lazy. They do not want jobs!
This channel is amazing thank you so much for exposing me to this part of america never knew about it. Hope these people keep fighting
I have lived in ohio my whole life,sad to see the homeless, drugs, and the lack of jobs.
There isn't a lack of jobs, it's just that people don't want to work. Especially, the younger generation. After the plandemic, people really got lazy.
Truth @@Krullmatic
@@KrullmaticI’d say there’s a lack of good quality jobs.
@Gordy-fj1jy jobs are jobs, not everyone can type emails at a desk all day.
@@mSeabass I ain’t working for less than $20/hour and it better come with decent healthcare and 3 weeks vacation. And I’m only working 40 hours.
Cool video. Very well done.
As a Brit from "over the pond" it's fascinating to see this - we have similar issues with Mill towns in the North of England - sadly all the traditional industries have gone & and not much has replaced them - this has been aided by the Conservative party policies whose main priority is the English Southern Home Counties .
I’m from the heart of columbus, only 15 mins from downtown columbus. My partner is from just across the river, from Wheeling, WV. We met a few years after he moved up to columbus for college. We’ve driven down a few times and every time, I’m in awe. While beautiful and so different from where I grew up, it’s definitely a big change.
Born and raised in Ohio. Currently living in Akron. My people are miserable. There’s no jobs and everything is expensive. Late stage capitalism has no room for anyone who isn’t a tech bro.
Portsmouth, ohio here. Born and raised. Crazy what happens in just a little time when you take the work from the workers.
you need visit Nelsonville Oh. or even Youngstown in both its mostly the collage that has kept these towns alive. I lived in Nelsonville Ohio while in college.
Great documentation guys. Nice to hear from genuine Americans in the middle of the country. I sympathize with people who've chose to move from, heck, even California (where I'm from) to places like Steubenville - small town, communal life is truly special.
Hopefully the College grows. College towns get vibrant, students come back and some start local businesses. Great people in this area who can drive all the partnerships that will help them continue to move forward.
A similar thing is happening in East Liverpool but on a much smaller scale with Kent State University.
"college" itself is shifting online. Who would go into 100000 dollar debt when, you can learn it online.
Went to school at Bethany and basically lived in wellsburg, Weirton, and Steubenville. Loved that area
Im from east liverpool now I live in wellsville outside of wellsville... live a upper middle class life working in Toronto ohio 15 minutes from home
Is the drug problem really as bas as it sounds.
As an academic in Sociology I watch a lot of documentary films concerning the problems in our American Society, as well as the locations these concerns are currently prevalent within. This was a very well produced piece, and it was able to convey the intent of the film without being overbearing or preachy. I am enthusiastic about watching other efforts by the RocaNews Team.
I have a bunch of family in the tri-state area. From Beaver Pa to East Liverpool Ohio down into West Virginia. My great aunt Arlene Weaver was a school teacher in East Liverpool many years ago. My cousin and aunt are all buried there. I hung around there for a few years when I was a teenager. That place was in rough shape then and I am 60 now. Yup things like NAFTA and other things that sent jobs overseas really trashed that part of the country. It's a real shame.
I married a girl from Midland. Her family was from Wellsville. Wonderful people but the area was soul-crushing to visit. Even the weather matched the setting.
From Steubenville
My whole life 20 y.o
Sometimes it feels like everything's so hopeless around here it's so hard to get jobs it was definitely a scary place growing up on the hilltop thank you for bringing this to light
i live in southern ohio and its getting worse wallgreens,frischs,rite aid,wendys,and few others all shut down nothing to do drugs all over the place no one can afford cars or houses been like this ever since 2008
Ohio still has plenty of good jobs, but we need the jobs to come back from China. I grew up here, I see how it used to be. We need unions, bring them back and everyone wins!
ProtoMario, we meet again at last…Loyal Subscriber here.
Anyways I’m over in Mahoning county not far from the border with Pennsylvania. Places like Youngstown lost out big time when the manufacturing left the country. I’m lucky and got a job working for the County government. The Unions really help!
You get what you vote for. Thank republicans for those jobs getting shipped overseas
Wait! I thought that MAGA hates unions? Unions are "COMMUNIST" and all that they say. The GOP hates unions along with their oligarch funders.
But Proto, those jobs will be gone in China too because of automation
Thank you for shining a light on this topic and area! As a fellow Meigs Co native, you need to come down river! Come experience Pomeroy, Middleport, and Gallipolis! Much love!
I just finished my clinicals at the east Liverpool hospital for Youngstown state nursing, so sad what’s become of all of NE ohio from Cleveland to Akron to Youngstown to east Liverpool. The steel companies left us to rot.
Great content !
I’m from Athens and the only thing keeping that town going is OU and Joe burrow
I used to live in Athens Ohio on Pleasanton Hill road yes I totally agree with you on that also Glouster Ohio and nelsonville Ohio are also the poorest places to live it's either people are on drugs or due to lack of jobs 😢
Agree. I'm an OU alum who also lived in Bidwell and Wellston. Loved Athens! Know a lot of people who live throughout this region. The gloomy weather on top of the depressing economic situation and drug culture was too much for me.
I remember following you guys on the gram years ago and now you're in my suggested with 80k subs, awesome!!!!
Im a Franciscan University student in Steubenville. Its hard here but people are very real and genuinely love one another.
What about Galipolis?
I was born and raised in Steubenville, and moved in 2015. It’s been cool to see new stuff in town when I go visit, because there was never anything new when I was growing up except auto parts stores lol
Great video!! bro you gotta keep doing this. I’m an Amazon delivery driver from Canton, Ohio. So I go to all these small towns and I always wondered what the hell happened. You can see how everything has decay in unison, including the peoples hope. Although all very nice people, I’m always interested in why they would stay in such a place and what the history of it is. If you cover enough places and show what has happened to America I think you can make a significant impact given what the new administration is trying to do a lot and I mean a lot of town need help because America is just not what it used to be.
Thanks for watching!
We got videos from Akron, Youngstown, Flint, Detroit, Milwaukee, Gary, and Cleveland on the way!!
When people vote for politicians who sell our country for personal gain you get what you see in this video. People don't care.
@@rocanewsAll the 'garden' areas! I'm glad these areas are being filmed--wish I could make the politicians watch. None of this happened by accident.
I was born in New Castle, Pa.
My folks moved to Dallas , Tx. In 1963, when i was 1 year old.
I LOVED spending summers in Western Pa. I wonder what my life would've been like had i grown up in Pa.
It's sad how depressed this area is.
Such a simple recipe - drive out there and talk to genuine people. The result is simply marvelous. Moving and heartwarming.