Youngstown, Ohio’s namesake, John Young, settled here in 1797 after purchasing land from the Western Reserve Land Company. Although his time here was short, other early settlers soon planted their roots that would grow the area from a township to a village (1848), a city (1867), and ultimately, the seat to Mahoning County (1876).
While its beginnings were largely agricultural, Youngstown became an industrial magnet with the development of coal mines, the Erie Canal, and an extensive network of railroads. The early 20th century saw the spectacular rise of iron and steel production. All of this industrialization was bolstered by an influx of immigration, creating a much-needed work force, and also a rise to prominence and wealth for company owners and their families.
As the Central District bustled, the four sides of town expanded with residences, businesses, and other community institutions. Here on the West Side, thriving neighborhoods like Steelton and Schenley got established. Farmland held by the Wehr, Stambaugh, Lanterman, Osborne, Price, Borts, DeCamp, Tod, and Wick families, among others, eventually yielded a handful of very grand homes (a few still standing today!)
However, the most dramatic change came with the development of the vast number of single- and multi-family housing units to accommodate the ever-growing work force. Neighborhoods were enriched by many family-owned shops, houses of worship characterized by a dominant ethnicity, expanded civil services for fire and safety, establishment of schools and libraries, and other facets of a growing community. Public parks and recreation were also desired and proximity to Mill Creek Park made the West Side very attractive.
James L. Wick Jr., who once owned a home on the present-day site of Assumption Social Center, was an attorney, civic leader, and strong advocate of Mill Creek Park. He was instrumental in preserving an area on the park’s northern border, which would be dedicated for public use and much needed respite from the industrial filth that blanketed the immediate surrounding areas of the mills. He encountered much opposition from residential developers but ultimately prevailed, for which generations of neighbors can be thankful!
Charles S. Robinson, Dr. Hugh Morgan, and James L. Wick Jr. served a total of 76 years as Mill Creek Park Commissioners.
Rock Ridge or Rocky Ridge, as the recreational area was known, got its moniker from the natural glacial rock formations that cradle the waterways of Mill, Bears Den, and Ax Run creeks, and also the park’s development of Lake Glacier and Lily Pond. In 1956, the park we’ve grown to cherish officially became the James L. Wick Jr. Recreation Area.
Over the last few generations, the West Side has experienced various levels of decline, largely attributed to the demise of the steel industry in the late 1970s/early 1980s. However, due to its location on Mill Creek MetroPark’s border and the resiliency of our neighbors, Rocky Ridge Neighborhood has proven itself to be enduring.
ROCKY RIDGE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MILESTONES
June 30, 2010 – first meeting ever with 60 neighbors in attendance
Summer 2010 – group name chosen and website launched
Summer 2010 – first neighborhood service project
Summer 2011 – demolition of a boarded home on South Hazelwood Avenue and creation of our Rocky Ridge Community Gardens
Fall 2011 – first Emerald Pierogi Award given
Summer 2012 – first neighborhood walking tour, featuring the Shrine of Our Lady Comforter of the Afflicted, Chaney High School, the home of the previous Emerald Pierogi winner, and the terrain in and around the Wick Recreation Area that inspired the name of Rocky Ridge
Summer 2012 – first Rocky Ridge Neighbors Bacon Fry
Winter 2012 – first season of maple syrup production, in collaboration with Mill Creek Park
Spring 2014 – first group participation in Youngstown’s Streetscape Planting Day
Summer 2014 – Rocky Ridge Sugar House unveiled to the community
November 24, 2014 – 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, non-profit status attained
Spring 2017 – “Community Impact” award given by Dominion Energy and Cleveland Magazine for the Mill Creek Maple Syrup project
Winter 2018 – first monthly meeting held at the newly-opened Michael Kusalaba Library
Spring 2019 – first monetary donation made to the newly-created Wick Recreation Area Endowment Fund
Winter 2020 – COVID-19 pandemic paused in-person encounters for our community and the world, ushering in an era of working from home, school closures, ZOOM calls, mask-wearing. social distancing, hand-sanitizing, and vaccines. Social interaction gradually resumed, guided by state protocols, in Summer/Fall 2021
Fall 2023 – Neighbor Day celebration for all ages held at West Side Bowl
Summer 2025 – Rocky Ridge Neighborhood Association marked the 15th year since its first gathering 
Take a closer look at
our amenities and our initiatives
Our Rocky Ridge Neighborhood 