by Leanne Turner

Origins
In 1909, Carnegie Steel Co. wanted to make a unique village for its workers and bought 118 acres of pastureland in Weathersfield Township. The site was bordered by the Mahoning River and was connected to Youngstown by railroad. By 1916 a steel mill was built and served as the basis of a planned community, a 'company town.'

This quiet town is south of Niles, east of Mineral Ridge, west of Girard, and north of Youngstown. Most people have no idea how to get there...but if they take the time to go, they find a quiet and lovely town with tree-lined streets, a place where neighbors say that they look out for each other. For many years it has been called "Ohio's finest village" and its signs state that.

McDonald was named for the general superintendent of the Youngstown District of Carnegie Steel Co. The purpose of "McDonald Mills" was to finish raw steel from the Ohio Works plant in Youngstown. The company provided more than an income for its workers and their families; the village included entertainment, a community building with a library and church, a park and schools. Original dwellings were built with the idea that no two should be alike in the same 4-street area. Houses belonged to the company and were rented to the families who worked for the company. This practice ended in 1941 when anti-trust laws were passed and CSC sold the houses to employees.

Change
In 1941, there were significant changes in McDonald. The village was incorporated. CSC became US Steel. A headline in the Tribune read: "Nearly Whole McDonald Village is Sold to Columbus Realtor." The sale of Carnegie's 'company town' was an unusual real estate transaction. The tax record assessment was $1,540,000; the purchase price was not revealed. The sale listed "262 homes, four two-families, five brick four-family apartments, a brick community building and an office and maintenance building; 1000 lots and 233 acres of unimproved land."

The buyer, John Galbreath, purchased the water and electric distribution systems with the real estate. In the sale disclosure, "Woodland Park" was described as "a beauty spot with many fine oak, maple and evergreen and elm trees, together with the developed playgrounds, tennis courts, shelter house and other features." But the new owner had none of the aesthetic vision that Carnegie had demonstrated. By 1950, Galbreath had built street after street of prefabricated homes.

The 1980's had the same impact on McDonald as other steel towns: the plant closed. But, in 1982, McDonald Steel was reactivated. The plant became a leading domestic producer of hot-rolled steel shapes. The new company president explained that teamwork made all the

difference in making the mill productive and competitive, as did innovative thinking. A change in the time of the rolling schedule put the work on the overnight shift to take advantage of off-peak electric rates. These efforts paid off in 1983 - one of the worst seen in the steel industry since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

McDonald Steel continued to produce its steel shapes. In 1991, the employees voted against the union; the legacy of a company-town history continues to differentiate McDonald from the nine other communities on the mainstem of the Mahoning River.

Other industries exist in this former company town. For example: Dehl Industrial products (Harsco Co.) supplied and processed basic raw material for steel-making; Standard Slag continued its post-steel production of material; McDonald Welding & Machine Co. serviced the industry with ferrous, non-ferrous and exotic metals.

Improvements
A beautification project began in McDonald the late 1980's with the mayor's request for people's time, not money. It began with a general cleanup and eventually included new trees, new benches and a new gazebo, and the refurbishment of the war memorial.

Then, this close-knit community decided to make something new happen: Woodland Park Retirement Apartments. This venture was a model for all of the Mahoning Valley. Using methods proven elsewhere in Ohio, the Village built this facility by contributing land and locating an experienced property manager to put together the project. Funding came from a cooperative venture between private and public monies. It opened in 1992.

In 1999, steps were taken to put the community center and a section of the Village of McDonald on the National Register of Historic Places. This 'company town' has a unique historical, educational and preservation importance.

Current
There are two large tracts of land on the Mahoning River that are going to be available for purchase soon. They are Brownfields and require EPA assessments to determine how they can be remediated and used. The largest tract is 155 acres and was a slag pit. The other site is a 55-acre tract, the old US Steel property. Currently, the town of McDonald is waiting for their availability and the funding for assessments and purchase.

Potential
If the Brownfields are remediated there are several uses hoped for: a "light industrial" area for jobs, a residential area to allow for expansion in a town that has no land to build on, and an area for a riverside park and bike trails. Visible from aerial photos, the original path of the Mahoning River is seen in the large tract. This example of channelization could become the site of a re-created waterway and wetland - a 'natural beauty spot' with recreational facilities. The town turns to the Regional Chamber and Eastgate Council of Governments for information and direction, but first, McDonald needs to get the land.

Says Mayor Border, " McDonald is a town with a lot of history. It's a friendly town. It's Trumbull County's best kept secret." And, he added one more thing that all of Mahoning Valley can take to heart as we proceed with the Mahoning River cleanup project, " We're all on the same team."

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