120 years ago, 1900

Youngstown lumber merchants were swindled by a man claiming to be a purchasing agent. He gave his name as “Frank Schmidt” and began his dealings at Dingledy’s Basin Street lumber yard. After putting together an order of $800, Schmidt “remembered” that he left his wallet at the hotel and asked for a small loan to get him through the day. He was given $1.50. The next day, he visited the Mill Street lumber yard of Fred Hoffman and selected more than $900 worth of lumber, shingles, flooring and paper. Schmidt swindled the man out of a small loan when he stated that he’d return after dinner with the full amount. Hoffman loaned him 50 cents and paid for his dinner (with calculated inflation, Schmidt received more than $61 from these men).

Hood and Beard’s lumber yard was his next target but Schmidt changed his name to William Adams. This order was nearly $1,000 but again, he asked for a small loan to help cover his expenses until after dinner. The merchants loaned him $2 and asked Adams to meet them at the Tod House to finalize the purchase. When they visited the Tod House they were told that no such man existed. Schmidt / Adam’s dealings continued at the Youngstown Lumber company where he promised an $1,800 purchase and received $1.50. He attempted his scheme again for $1,100 at the Hoffman Brothers yard where he was loaned 50 cents, but his luck started to run out. It had finally dawned on the business owners that these large purchases were simply too good to be true. The telephone rang before he left and the caller warned the Hoffman Brothers to be on the lookout for this so-called “Schmidt.” He was kicked out of the office and ran toward downtown. All of the local lumber dealers came together to wallow in their misery, some thinking it a joke that each of them was swindled. It was difficult to know just how much he was able to steal, but it was easily more than $5 (more than $150 in 2020).

90 years ago, 1930

Silver screen star Evelyn Brent’s new film “Slightly Scarlet” featured a Youngstown connection. Brent was known for her dramatic and serious roles and this piece served as a high point in her career. The adventurous and romantic melodrama centered around jewel heists and featured the latest trends in fashion, beauty and action along the French Riviera. Brent’s character, Lucy, attempts to steal jewels from the wife of a Youngstown millionaire played by Eugene Pallette. Youngstown featured heavily in the dialogue and storyline and viewers were thrilled to see their hometown showcased.

60 years ago, 1960

Easter Seals opened its campaign with a successful evening at the Elks Club. The focus was not only on the work done by the Mahoning County Society for Crippled Children and Adults but also on the need to dispel false notions and prejudices that the public had about those who are differently-abled. Ray Leizer, rehabilitation coordinator with the Easter Seals, noted how important employment opportunities are to empower their clients. Recent studies had shown that people with disabilities were less likely to have workplace accidents. Leizer also stated that employers should not be hesitant to adapt their workplace to accommodate different needs. For example, allowing a worker to sit instead of stand resulted in greater productivity, less fatigue and greater safety. The evening wrapped up with the presentation of the Easter Seal Child of 1960, Julie Houlette. Julie received a new doll from the Union Bank doll collection as part of her role in helping to spread awareness.

50 years ago, 1970

General Motors unveiled the 1971 Chevrolet van at Lordstown. High-ranking executives were on hand to greet the dark blue van as it rolled through a golden curtain on the truck assembly line. Patti Danko, an office receptionist, had the great honor of sitting at the wheel for the reveal. Most of the truck assembly line’s first shift crew of 330 workers gathered at the end of the line to observe the ceremonies, which marked the official opening of production. The construction of the plant, however, was not complete. Most of the crew had worked previously at a nearby car assembly line, which was waiting to be converted for production of a new GM car.

The assembly line was full of vans of various colors waiting to take their turn and drive off to help “fill the pipelines” and stock up showrooms around the country. The vans were set to be assembled at a rate of one per hour for the first few days with production gradually speeding up to reach 20 vans per hour by the summer months. There was one other plant making this model but it was scheduled to be shut down, leaving Lordstown as the only factory in the country producing this large van. Over the next 23 years, nearly 2 million Chevy vans rolled out of Lordstown.

• Compiled from the archives of the Youngstown Vindicator by Traci Manning, MVHS curator of education.