The following are historical photographs of Girard, Ohio Double click on each picture below to view a larger version.

Girard, Ohio
by Leanne Turner

Origins
Girard is located on the west edge of Liberty Township and the east edge of Weathersfield Township in Trumbull County. In December of 1836, four men from Warren and Howland laid out a plot of land on the Mahoning River and named it for a philanthropist they admired: Stephen Girard - who had nothing to do with the area!

The river dominated the village, which crowded its banks. Girard grew due to the opening of the Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal in 1839 and then the railroad, increasing both the traffic and the population. Girard was the southern end of the Erie railroad, so anyone who used it from Youngstown had to traverse through the village. By the 1850s, Girard had already become a manufacturing and business center, but the development of coal mining in Liberty Township in the 1860s meant more industrial development for Girard.

Growth
Industry flourished along the Mahoning River in Girard. In the early days, mills were constructed along the river. A large flourmill was built on the west side of the river in 1840 and operated for 90 years. Then came the woolen mills, tanneries and a blast furnace. Following the custom, when the Girard Iron Co. opened its ace blast furnace in 1890s they named it, "Mattie" for the daughter of the general manager.

The tanneries of Girard are a story unto themselves. Krehl's Tannery, the oldest firm, manufactured harness and sole leather. (Destroyed by a spectacular fire in 1904, the accounts of the fire give a stirring rendition of fire-fighting experiences in the early days. Tanning liquors in large open vats caused explosions that fueled the blaze.) The Ohio Leatherworks produced calfskin and kip leather for fine bags and shoes; during the Great Depression it was one of the few businesses in the Mahoning Valley that worked every day. (Abandoned, it too burned. In 1974, 100 firefighters from 5 districts battled a blaze all day. The site remains a Brownfield saturated in hazardous materials that require identification and removal.)

Education was important to residents of Girard. Several schools were opened in the early days of the village's history. By 1883, a building in Jefferson Square provided space for school, patriotic meetings, and theatrical productions (before becoming Town Hall.) The first graduating class of Girard had 4 members - each of whom made a speech. Early records show that sports were competitive (especially between Girard and Niles) and that in 1911, Girard had "a very fine girl's basketball team." Their games were noted for their roughness; the 'hip block' was not uncommon.

Amusement was also important. Avon Park was opened in 1897. This 83-acre park boasted a zoo, two-story dance hall, boating lake, swimming and wading pool and wooden roller coaster. Advertisers crowed that "the entire grounds will be lighted by electricity." A flood in 1913 destroyed much of it; it was relocated uphill where it flourished and then declined.

Change
Over the years, fortunes have waxed and waned in Girard. It has always been friendly to business, even when economic times have been harsh. While most people are familiar with steel manufacturing that is so common on the Mahoning River, Girard can boast some more "interesting" businesses, including:
* Greenwood Gum Co., which made chewing gum;
* Benyo's, who built "custom fishing rods" - to the exact specifications of the owner;
* a textile designer named Greenglade came from Cornwall, England to Girard in the early 1980s to make hand-crafted toys;
* and one enterprising fiber artist named George Beard won an award for his tapestry, "Wool and Steel Compatibility". (What other element could Beard have incorporated to reflect Girard's industrial history?)

Current
For a few years, Girard has been pursuing a foreclosure lawsuit against the current owners of the old Ohio Leatherworks property. Cleanup has progressed, albeit slowly. Asbestos was discovered and removed, buildings were razed, tires were removed, fences were put up, and two underground storage tanks were recovered. (The tanks, intact and full to capacity with a brew of sulphuric acid and other compounds, will be removed.) The remaining tasks include the environmental assessment and the decision about the 'cooling pools' that are still filled to capacity with used water that cannot be returned to the river without some form of remediation. The City of Girard has been awarded a $200,000 grant to complete the cleanup, but obtaining the funds is dependent on owning the property. While the city really has no desire to be in the property management business, it does want the property owner to comply with zoning. Then, Girard's CIC could find tenants, providing new economic opportunities.

Girard's CIC actively promotes new and maintains current businesses, assisting with a review of opportunities and recommending loans. Two major industries currently located in Girard are:
* Indeflex East (formerly EASCO Inc.) producer of soft alloy aluminum products and painted extrusions, employs 400 people;
* Trinity Industries (formerly Syro Steel) one of the US largest manufacturers of guard rails.
Always looking for new business and ways to improve the business climate, Girard is optimistic about its future.

In the past year, the Governor of Ohio presented Girard with a check for $30,000 to be used for the nature trail at Tod Park. The trail begins in the west of the city, across from the Mahoning River and the old Ohio Leatherworks property on Rt. 422 - where it could blend nicely with a riverside park if that were ever built! (It would require crossing a busy highway in order to reach the river.) Additionally, the mayor created a "bike trail" committee to begin the planning for participation in the area's trails that will utilize the old railroad right-of-way along the river. On the McDonald side of the river, over the "Girard - McDonald Viaduct" (aka: Liberty Street Bridge), is another park area located directly on the river. One day...when the river is clean and the parks are in place, the city could open a set of canoe launches whereby boaters could 'put in' at one location and 'put out' at another. These actions would help to re-establish the recreational heritage of Girard.

Plans/Potential
For 30 years, the Ohio Leatherworks site has been vacant and an eyesore - not the 'vista' it could be. The 'Leatherworks' is an integral part of the history and a source of pride to the residents of Girard - many of whom have ancestors who worked at the old mill. Making that tract of land 'develop-able' is the goal. Moreover, the area is most advantageous, given its location on the river, and it is the first thing that visitors see when they enter the city from Rt. 422 heading west. This 27-acre parcel along the river is adjacent to a neighborhood. While the parcel could be used for light industry and a riverfront park, whatever is located there should not have a negative impact on the neighborhood.

In Girard, the high school students are actively engaged in learning about the river, an activity that Mayor Melfi sees as "only positive." A clean Mahoning River will benefit Girard's downtown business district - which is on the banks of the river. Moreover, the old notions about the river are changing and the townspeople now believe in a better future for the river. It is understood that the river cleanup is not a short-term project and that it will result in a more beautiful locale.

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