Youngstown Magic Club Marks 100 Years
The Youngstown Magic Club Ring 2 celebrated its centennial with a dinner in Boardman attended by magicians and families from across the region.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Magic
The Youngstown Magic Club Ring 2 held its 100th anniversary dinner on Saturday at Magic Tree Pub & Eatery in Boardman. Magicians, wives and family members attended from Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties, along with guests from Akron and Pittsburgh.
Why it matters
The anniversary highlights the long continuity of a local hobbyist organization devoted to magic performance and fellowship. It also shows how members across generations, from a university senior to an 83-year-old, remain connected to the club's traditions.
The club's 100-year run is documented by its anniversary dinner, with longest-serving member Fritz Coombs at 60 years and Niland Herbkersman's membership spanning 1948 to 2022. The available record does not give the current membership count or total attendance.
The players
Youngstown Magic Club Ring 2
A local magic society whose members perform for one another at monthly meetings and whose history stretches back a century.
Fritz Coombs
The longest-serving member of the Youngstown Magic Club, having belonged for 60 years.
James Killmeyer
A Youngstown State University senior who is the club's youngest member and a 2023 Leedy - Yahn Trophy winner.
The details
Three magicians performed specialty acts at the dinner, including Gary Morton's East Indian Pin Trick honoring the 100th anniversary of Harry Houdini's death. Members perform for one another at monthly meetings and earn points, and the member with the most points at year's end receives the Leedy - Yahn Trophy.
Timeline
1926: IBM held its first magicians convention in Ohio.
1948: Niland Herbkersman became a Youngstown Magic Club member.
2022: Niland Herbkersman's membership ended.
2023: James Killmeyer won the Leedy - Yahn Trophy.
Saturday, November 7, 2026: The club held its 100th anniversary dinner.
Legacy Thread
The club's performance honoring the 100th anniversary of Harry Houdini's death ties its centennial to the same 1926 moment that marked the decline of the Houdini era. The celebration follows a long pattern of magicians' clubs preserving that legacy through live performance and fellowship.
Local residents interested in magic can attend the club's monthly meetings at Valley Christian Church, 7155 Glenwood Ave., Boardman, where members perform for one another. The source does not describe how non-members can join or attend public shows.
The takeaway
A century-old club shows how sustained fellowship and regular practice keep a hobby alive across generations. Readers curious about magic can seek out local clubs and their monthly meetings to learn the craft firsthand.
Further reading
Explore more magic news and performances from the Youngstown area.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Vindicator.
