Like many other areas of the American Midwest, Northeast Ohio is currently experiencing a serious revitalization effort. But this comes after decades of declining population and business closures. Revitalization is slow work, and many areas of former industrial cities like Cleveland and Youngstown are still dotted with abandoned factories, schools, and in some cases, entire neighborhoods of housing sitting empty.

Having grown up in this area during the era of the biggest population declines, author and photographer Jacob Joseph became accustomed to seeing empty buildings and overgrown parking lots everywhere he looked. There is certainly something sad about these buildings sitting empty, but they also tell a tale of a time when this region of the country was far more prosperous, and Cleveland was one of the biggest cities in the country. Jacob believes that these stories deserve to be remembered, and these forgotten places should be seen before they’re gone forever.