Cool video, Mark! I learned so much! I’m actually researching my family history at the moment as well! I loved learning that salinville is the named for saline. And my mind is blown about the breeder reactor in shipping port. I do find it surprising that you didn’t included the shale gas boom that has gone quite recently. I would love to see more on that. I disagree that lack of energy is the reason for the declining population and productivity of the area because of this last example. I’m not sure what the figures are like for gas production now but I know it’s the biggest fuel we still have. Regarding the decline of the area in the 1960s it’s related to the peak of manufacturing of commodities in general for the United States. A few things were happening simultaneously that contributed to this. 1. The mechanization of production required less workforce and increased unemployment. A precarious workforce undermined the strength of unions which had been improving everyday wages for people. The decline of unions and thus wages in turn decreased consumption. 2. At the same time manufacturing was outsourced to foreign nations that could produce the same goods for much cheaper because of the same reasons that union strength in the US declined. 3. The social movements of the 1960s were crushed and slandered into oblivion. As a result a rightward backlash against them was overwhelmingly embraced in our country that allowed the wealthy manufacturers to deregulate, cut taxes and privatize everything they could get their hands on. This shifted the areas of importance and allowed our area to be basically left for dead. We should catch up soon!
Thanks for the thoughtful comment... Yeah, the shale story hasn't really played much of a role in East Liverpool, at least not yet. The shale oils and gases are certainly a valuable chemical resource but are they an energy resource? A frack well is 100x deeper and harder to drill than the East Liverpool "Gas Bonanza" well of 1877. Common rust belt decline themes are mechanization /or failure to mechanize enough, outsourcing jobs, and 1960s culture wars... I talk a bit about these in my Peak Pittsburgh Video, but my thesis is that these were sideline issues that emerged when we (Ohio and PA Coal workers) could no longer produce 150,000,000 tons of coal each year. You bring up some interesting points that might be worth talking about in a video blog format let me know if you want to do that some time. Cheers!
