Struthers is a city in eastern Mahoning County, Ohio, United States, along the Mahoning River. The population was 10,063 at the 2020 census. Located directly southeast of Youngstown, it is a suburb in the Youngstown–Warren metropolitan area.

History

John Struthers, from Washington County, Pennsylvania, purchased of Poland Township land in 1798 and gave it the name Marbletown. John Struthers owned this land until the War of 1812 came around when he and his family suffered financial ruin. The land was dormant until 1865 when it was purchased by Thomas Struthers. Thomas bought this land to honor his father and he was instrumental in bringing industry and railroads to the town. Eventually, the town name was changed to Struthers by popular vote. This furnace was built in 1803 by Daniel Eaton and was mentioned in the first line of the 1995 Bruce Springsteen song "Youngstown".

In 1869, Struthers again became an iron-producing community with the construction of the Anna Furnace by the Struthers Iron Company. In 1880, the sheet mill plant of the Summer's Brothers Co. was added and in 1888, the plant of the J. A. and D. P. Cooper Gear Company was constructed.

With all these activities, Struthers still remained a village of less than 1,000 inhabitants, after 100 years had elapsed since John Struthers built his first cabin and erected the sawmill and grist mill on Yellow Creek. In 1899, Struthers was brought into closer communication with Youngstown and the upper Mahoning Valley by the completion of an interurban electric line.

In 1902, the neighboring village of East Youngstown (now Campbell) was started. This new community was started shortly after the incorporation of the Youngstown Iron Sheet and Tube Company (known as the Youngstown Sheet and Tube Co., since 1905).

With the steel industry booming in the early part of the 1900s, immigrants from throughout Europe flooded into Struthers. Still a village when it was officially incorporated in 1902, Struthers quickly became a city in 1920. The steel industry allowed the city to flourish until 1977, when several area plants closed their doors for good. The city padded the loss of thousands of jobs by using its industrial infrastructure to lure non-steel making jobs, but population losses have continued throughout the start of the new century.

Geography

thumb|The [[Nebo (Struthers, Ohio)|Nebo neighborhood in eastern Struthers historically contained a significant Slavic American population.]]

Struthers is located on the banks of the Mahoning River about west of the border between Ohio and Pennsylvania at the intersection of Ohio State Route 616 and Ohio State Route 289. The larger part of the city is across the river from State Route 289 on the south side of the river.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Neighborhoods

Source:

  • Downtown
  • Nebo
  • North Hill
  • Lyon Plat
  • Coke Alley

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Struthers had a population of 10,063. The median age was 41.6 years; 21.0% of residents were under the age of 18, and 19.1% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 93.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.2 males age 18 and over.

As of the 2020 census, 99.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.2% lived in rural areas.

As of the 2020 census, there were 4,336 households in Struthers, of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 36.5% were married-couple households, 20.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 33.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Number !! Percent

|-

| White || 8,668 || 86.1%

|-

| Black or African American || 475 || 4.7%

|-

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 19 || 0.2%

|-

| Asian || 51 || 0.5%

|-

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 6 || 0.1%

|-

| Some other race || 153 || 1.5%

|-

| Two or more races || 691 || 6.9%

|-

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 586 || 5.8%

|}

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 10,713 people, 4,382 households, and 2,886 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 4,886 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.3% White, 2.9% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.1% of the population. By ethnicity, 28.4% of residents were of Italian, 25.0% German, 20.0% Irish, 13.2% Slovak, 8.5% English, and 7.7% Polish ancestries. In addition, 95.9% spoke English, 1.5% Italian, 1.1% Spanish, and 1.0% Slovak.

There were 4,382 households, of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.6% were married couples living together, 17.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.1% were non-families. Also, 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.97.

The median age in the city was 41.4 years. 22.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.5% were from 25 to 44; 27.6% were from 45 to 64; and 18% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.6% male and 52.4% female.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, As a statutory city, Struthers has home rule powers, but operates under a governmental structure prescribed by the state of Ohio. The city has three branches of government: executive, legislative, and judicial.

The mayor is the chief executive officer of the city charged with executing the laws of the state and ordinances passed by city council as well as overseeing the operations and affairs of the city in conjunction with the various department heads. The mayor is also the appointing authority for the city and, with the Director of Public Service and Safety, constitute the Board of Control. The mayor also has power to veto actions of the City Council. Struthers is served by a branch of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County.

Media

Struthers is served by the Hometown Journal, a local weekly newspaper. It also has a local radio station, WKTL 90.7 FM, that is located at Struthers High School in the Struthers Fieldhouse.

Notable people

  • Joe Begala, college football and collegiate wrestling coach at Kent State University
  • Steve Belichick, professional football player in the National Football League, college football head coach
  • William H. Calbreath, claimed to have been the model for the Cream of Wheat trademark
  • John Gerak, professional football player in the National Football League
  • Bob James, rock singer-songwriter best known for his work with the band Montrose
  • Paul Jenkins, abstract artist
  • Andy Kosco, professional baseball player in Major League Baseball
  • Mildred Joanne Smith, film actress and educator

References

  • City website
  • Struthers city schools
  • Youngstown State University history
  • Hometown Journal