The area became one of the leading steel-producing regions in the United States. By the 1920s it had 10 mills and was second only to Pittsburgh. After World War II, the industry declined steadily. Most of the mills closed in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Nearly 25,000 steelworkers lost their jobs in four years.
Many visitors expect to see the museum in an old mill.
They are surprised to find a modern-style building not far from downtown Youngstown. Dr. Donna M. DeBlasio explains that redoing and operating an industrial site would have been too expensive. As site manager, she has been involved with the project since 1985. Dr. DeBlasio is a graduate of Youngstown's Ursuline High and Youngstown State University and earned her doctorate in history at Kent State University. The museum, designed by Michael Graves of Princeton, N.J., was dedicated in June 1992 and operates year-round.