 The city was named for John Young, an early settler from Whitestown, New York, who established the community's first sawmill and gristmill.Youngstown is located in a region of the United States that is often referred to as the Rust Belt.Traditionally known as a center of steel production, Youngstown was forced to redefine itself when the U.S. steel industry fell into decline in the 1970s, leaving communities throughout the region without major industry.