MEADIAVILLE

As Meadville, and Crawford County as a whole, continued to feel the pinch of the economic crisis from the 80’s unemployment was at 7.5%. The blow was softened by the fact that Meadville’s tool and die industry was so prominent at the time, and continued into the 1990’s. Meadville earned the nickname Tool City, USA. Over 100 small and medium-sized companies developed from the zipper, however, these companies usually relied on a few big customers, making them extremely economically vulnerable. During the recession of 2001, many companies suffered and did not make it through. Those who did learned to alter how they did business, making them more competitive with foreign design. Why did we choose this year? What is so special about it? We chose to add 1991 to the timeline of Meadville due to the prolonged effects of the 80's recession. While most of the country was beginning to recover, Meadville was still struggling. This impacted the generation rasing today's youth, directly impacting the resources and stories available to youth media makers today.