125 Years Ago, 1901 transcribed as originally published in the Youngstown Vindicator:

“President Wick deserves credit for removal of general offices of National Steel Co. from New York to Youngstown. Real significance given. Choice lay between Pittsburgh and Youngstown and the Youngstown Man selected his old home….”

“The definite and positive announcement made in the Vindicator that the general offices and headquarters of the National Steel Co. are to be removed to Youngstown from New York City, was probably received with more pleasure by the people interested in the real welfare of this city than any news that has been printed in a long time. The removal of these offices will mean much to Youngstown in more ways than one, and has greater significance attached to it than most people believe. It will mean that whenever any expansions or extensions to the properties are contemplated and decided, that Youngstown will naturally be the first place in mind.

“In connection with the removal of the general offices to this city, the Vindicator is able to say that Henry Wick, the president of the National Steel Co., is wholly responsible for it. It is known that President Schwab of the United States Steel corporation, decided that it would be wisdom to take the offices from New York to or near the scene of action of the immense properties controlled by the company. President Schwab said that either Pittsburg or Youngstown would be satisfactory for the location of the offices and he left the choice of the two places to Mr. Wick. The Youngstown iron and steel master at once arrived at a decision in the matter, and the word has since been passed around that Youngstown is to secure the offices.

“Mr. Wick naturally has more interest in Youngtown than he has in Pittsburgh, and under the circumstances he chose the money-making metropolis of the Mahoning Valley, reputed far and wide for its vast iron and steel industries. In deciding this important question Mr. Wick not only took into consideration the best interests of the National Steel Co. but the interest of Youngstown as well, and by doing this he made a master stroke that will send the city up a number of notches farther and more firmly fix it in the commercial and business world, so that it will, in the future, be more liable to get all the credit that is due. Youngstown will certainly be grateful to Mr. Wick for this consideration.

“Mr. Wick is at present out in the northwestern part of the United States, probably in Idaho or the state of Washington, looking after some of his mining interests, and it was said today that he will not be back in Youngstown until May 23, at the earliest. Before his departure for the northwest, Mr. Wick said he would return to New York after he gets back to Youngstown from his western trip, but he would not remain that any longer then it will take to get matters in shape for the removal of the offices to this city. Mr. Wick said that one of the greatest difficulties he expected to encounter would be the inability of the company to find suitable office rooms here, but it is more than likely that this would be surmounted when it is finally taken up seriously. It has been suggested that the National Steel Co. might erect a building here, but this is hardly possible as it is the intention to get the offices here as soon as possible.”

• Compiled by Dante Bernard, museum educator at the Mahoning Valley Historical Society