Join the Sharon Historical Society, in collaboration with The BLOCK by Nova Destinations, as we host “Strouss’: Youngstown’s Dependable Store,” a unique, lecture with an alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage included. Author, editor, and regional historian Thomas Welsh will give the story behind the story of the famed Strouss-Hirshberg Department Store, started in downtown Youngstown in 1875. More than two decades have passed since Youngstown lost its beloved Strouss’ Department Store. But Youngstowners can still taste those incomparable chocolate malts, see the dramatic view from the store’s mezzanine and feel the excitement of the annual Thanksgiving Day parade. The story of Strouss’ kept pace with the powerful trends that defined Youngstown as a whole. This was especially true during the boom years of the early twentieth century, when the store was the shopping hub in a community known as “America’s Ruhr Valley.” But the city changed, and Strouss’ changed with it. In the 1950s, under May Company ownership, Strouss’ expanded to own The Sharon Store in downtown Sharon. When the Shenango Valley Mall was built, a Strouss’ location anchored the shopping mall, eventually becoming Kaufmann’s, then Macy’s. In this unprecedented historical narrative, Welsh digs deep into Strouss’ past to uncover a dramatic story that will surprise — and delight — Youngstowners of all ages.

This lecture is provided by Thomas Welsh, a professional writer and editor based in Youngstown, Ohio. He earned a graduate degree in English language and literature from Youngstown State University and a doctorate in cultural foundations of education from Kent State University. He is the author of Closing Chapters: Urban Change, Religious Reform, and the Decline of Youngstown's Catholic Elementary Schools (Lexington Books, 2011), and coauthor of three works of popular history: Strouss': Youngstown's Dependable Store (The History Press, 2012), Classic Restaurants of Youngstown (The History Press, 2014), and A History of Jewish Youngstown and the Steel Valley (The History Press, 2017). In 2021, he produced a biography of Youngstown-based commercial real estate developer William M. Cafaro, which was privately published. More recently, Tom authored The Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown: Serving the Mahoning Valley Since 1874 (History Press, 2024), which was released in time for the religious community’s 150th anniversary. He has served as an adjunct professor at Youngstown State University's Department of Communication and contributes to newspapers and other periodicals.

This event requires tickets to be purchased in advance on our website which are $20 per person and include an alcoholic or two non-alcoholic beverages. The BLOCK will open their kitchen for apps and dinner during the event.

The event will be at The BLOCK by Nova Destinations, second-floor, Sharon, PA 16146 on Thursday, April 24, 2025, at 6:00 pm.