May 24—SHARON — Farrell was once known as the “Magic City” because it appeared out of nowhere as a booming town during the first decade of the 1900s driven by the development of the steel industry.
Local historian Taylor Galaska chronicles the town’s history in his new book, “Magic Town: The Factories, People and Homes of a Steel-Forged Company Town,” published by the Sharon Historical Society.
“I was really amazed at the level of research he did,” said April Torrence, a lifelong Farrell resident who runs the Zion Education Center in Farrell. “It gave me a deeper understanding of why some of the streets I’ve walked on are named that way.”
The next most recent book written about Farrell, which was founded as South Sharon in 1901, was published about 10 to 15 years ago and was a photo book that didn’t include any historical text, Garaska said.
“People have come to me saying they want a book about Farrell done properly,” he said, “so I hope this book will be like that. I think it’s more of a historical story about the town.”
Galaska used the town’s past history as the main framework for the book: the town’s history in the 1950s was covered in essays written by local women and compiled into a commemorative publication.
“I used those, and essays written by a few other people about different parts of the history, as a framework, and then I dug deeper into the people behind the factory and the factory itself,” Galaska said. “I always like to include an architectural angle, so the book also includes information about Farrell’s house.”
and corporate housing, including large homes along and near Sharon-Newcastle Road and Romer Boulevard.
“So I wanted to compare and contrast the homes of the factory workers with the homes of the factory owners, who had huge mansions, and see how life was different back then,” Galaska said.
Garaska, president of the Sharon Historical Society, wrote and did much of the research for the 260-page, photo-packed book.
Galaska’s community activism began in 2013, when he was 14 years old. He was a Kennedy Catholic middle school student and designed and sold T-shirts to help families affected by the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
At age 14, Galaska illustrated the book “Little Lambs and a Special Mission” by Rhonda Paglia at Hermitage High School. The book was dedicated to the 20 students and six teachers who died in the Sandy Hook shooting on Dec. 14, 2012.
“Magic City” is the third local history book written by Garaska, who previously wrote “Gilded Age Mansions,” a large-format book about Sharon estates, and “Black Gold: Boomtowns, Celebrities and Mansions in Hickory Township,” about present-day Hermitage and its early coal mining industry.
Torrence, who donated to the project through the LLC Steel City Enterprise Zone, said he was proud to have been Galaska’s teacher for a while.
“I taught him in the preschool and after-school programs, and then 15 years later I sent him to Westminster College,” Torrence said. “Of the thousands of kids who have come through my doors, he’s one of those kids who’s come full circle. It’s a very special memory.”
Garaska grew up in Sharon, currently serves on the Sharon City Council, and has been a member of the Sharon Historical Society since he was 15 years old.
“I just knew there was an interest. At the time, it was just a group of history buffs getting together and going on historical walks,” Garaska said. “I was just an executive member at the time. From there, it grew into what it is today.”
Torrence said there’s a lot of information packed into “Magic City.”
“The book tells the story of the city of Farrell – not just the mills, but the community and the culture,” Torrence said. “The houses where some of us once lived at the top of the hill were only available to people of color.”
Torrence attended a recent lecture Galaska and the Society held in Sharon to coincide with the launch of the new book, and she asked him to hold another book lecture at Farrell City Hall.
For the past decade, Torrence has been talking to Farrell economic development officials about using steel shipping containers, looking for ways to reuse the steel and bring revenue back into the city without raising taxes.
“This book has given me the strength to move forward to receive the grant again, revitalize Farrell’s economic development, and continue our culture of steel recycling,” Torrence said. “It gives me a ‘reason’ to connect, and I will support him and showcase his research while he sells as many copies as he can. It’s more than worth the price.”
The book can be purchased for $30 at sharonhistoricalsociety.com.
Follow Melissa Klaric on Twitter @HeraldKlaric or email her at mklaric@sharonherald.com.
Follow Melissa Klaric on Twitter @HeraldKlaric or email her at mklaric@sharonherald.com.
