Downtown New Castle, Pennsylvania, was a thriving industrial and commercial center marked by rapid growth and prosperity. It was famously known as the tin plate capital of the world due to the Shenango Tin and Steel Company’s extensive mills, making tin plate manufacturing its dominant industry. The population swelled as waves of immigrants from Europe, particularly Italians, Welsh, and Greeks, flocked to the city to work in the mills and settle in ethnic neighborhoods, contributing to a culturally diverse community. The downtown landscape featured beautiful early 20th-century buildings such as the Scottish Rite Cathedral, St. Mary’s Church, and the Castleton Hotel, which still stand as historic reminders. New Castle also earned unique nicknames during this time: the “hot dog capital of the world” for its famous Greek immigrant chili dog restaurants, and the “fireworks capital of America,” home to renowned fireworks companies like Zambelli and Pyrotecnico.