Sharon's Yesterdays & Tomorrow

An Outline of the Growth of Sharon and its Industries....

and a History of the McDowell National Bank, June 1935

An Outline of Sharon's History 

The continuing development of Sharon is illustrated by the fact that during the term of Superintendent of Schools S. H. Hadley, who began his school work in 1902, enrollment in the schools was 1653. There are now 1428 pupils in the High School alone, and on March 31, 1935, there was a total enrollment of 5209 in the public schools. Mr. Hadley is now president of the Protected Home Circle and a director of the McDowell National Bank. 

Sharon has had a remarkable development in religious and other institutions. There are many beautiful churches, and practically all denominations arc represented. Sharon is the home of the Protected Home Circle, a fraternal insurance society which does business in twelve States and the District of Columbia. This is one of the few fraternal insurance societies that has survived. It is today on a sound basis. This far-flung institution is of great value in advertising Sharon.

Sharon has four colleges within 25 miles, three of them within 14 miles. 

Sharon became a third class city in 1920, having prior to that rime passed the required 10,000 in population. Today, the Sharon District, which includes Sharon, Farrell, Sharpsville and Wheatland, has a population of about 60,000 people. These towns, which adjoin, together with a substantial settlement on the Ohio side of the Pennsylvania-Ohio Line, make this the center of a well rounded community. The people of the towns making up the community live and work indiscriminately in parts of the other towns. The present population of Sharon proper is 25,446. 

The geographical position of Sharon is one of its great advantages. It is located in almost the exact center of three-fourths of the population of the United States. Within twenty miles are the cities of Youngstown, O., Warren, O., and New Castle, Pa. Within an 80-mile radius are found Cleveland. Pittsburgh, Wheeling, and Erie. Within a shorter radius are Akron and Oil City. Within 160 miles are found Toledo. Detroit, Toronto, Buffalo, Cumberland and Columbus. A radius of 360 miles includes Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Norfolk. 

Sharon offers an exceptionally good location for the manufacture and distribution of consumers goods. An adequate water supply is assured by the Pymatuning Reservoir. Sharon also has excellent rail, rail and water and motor transportation facilities. 

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