The Murals of York can be used as artifacts to tell a story about the York area. Pictured here is the York Fair mural on the side of the East Market Street parking garage across from the Yorktowne Hotel. There's a certain irony of this particular mural as a celebration of agriculture being located on the side of the garage, overlooking a parking lot. For the last 25 years, York County farmland has been gobbled up to provide housing for commuters from Maryland and elsewhere. Background posts: 20 questions and answers to prove your York County WWII smarts, Resources for York/Adams history junkies increasingly posted on Web, 20 questions and answers to prove your York County smarts, Part III.

When about 20 York County teachers became my students in a recent Millersville University summer continuing education class, I cast about for tools make local history come alive.

I put together a true/false quiz designed to summarize some of the themes of my two-hour primer. (I used it more as a mental execise than a test.)

See how you do, and don't be surprised if my answers resemble sound bytes. Follow the links to go deeper:

Posted in American Revolution Black history Civil War Events Explanations/controversy Farms & fields For photo fans Genealogy/research Local journalism & Web Made in York Quizzes & (fun) tests War Wheels of York Women's history York Town Square

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This 1917 Pullman light delivery truck, owned by the Laugerman family and restored by Paul Vaughn, won Best in Class among York-built cars in a past Concours D'Elegance, an annual vintage car show that serves as a York County Heritage Trust fundraiser. Background posts: Mechanical museum intrigues newcomers, Where do you go for one-stop shopping on York County history? and When a Pullman automobile became a seesaw.

Was York the "Detroit of the East" or did it just miss becoming "Detroit of America"?

That prospect was raised again in the program for the annual high-end car show Concours D'Elegance held just this past weekend at York College.

The program "Ford and fins" reprinted a short item about York auto industry penned by William H. Shank, the late York resident and noted transportation writer.

"Under slightly different circumstances, York might have become 'Detroit' of America," Shank wrote... .

Posted in Books & reading Events Explanations/controversy For photo fans Genealogy/research Harley-Davidson Made in York Nostalgia & memories War Wheels of York York Town Square

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This ticket to the nation's Centennial celebration of 1876 is part of Robert Shaub's collection. It was recently printed in the Codorus Valley Chronicles, a monthly publication of the Codorus valley Area Historical Society. The newsletter wraps up the society's activities each month and reports on events of other historical groups. Background posts:
Good stuff found in Codorus Valley Chronicles, Who was that slain Yankee messenger at Green Ridge? and Abandoned Codorus Railroad not just any railroad.

The Codorus Valley Area Historical Society does something that other local historic groups miss.

The Jefferson-area group (Codorus is the name of Jefferson's post office) gives other historical societies an opportunity to report on their activities - Northern Maryland and West Manchester are two of those groups.

They do so in the business part of their meetings.

And in their newsletter... .

Posted in Explanations/controversy For photo fans Genealogy/research Local landmarks People Small-town life Unsung/obscure sites War York Town Square

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Kenneth Johnson poses in the original outhouse on an Adams County property he has remodeled. Outhouses can still be seen dotting the York/Adams countryside. For those trying to keep historical accuracy in remodeling old farmhouses, they're an integral part of the restoration. Background posts: Wanted. One slate-roofed privy from Delta, Pa., 'Bottle and Jug' enthusiasts must dig for York County gold and Two tales of four schools teach about change in education in York County

Outhouses remain ubiquitious parts of homesteads across York and Adams counties.

People around here are unabashed about the small backyard sheds being a memorable part of their growing up years.

Just mention them to a local audience, and that will start a string of stories... .

Posted in Explanations/controversy Farms & fields For photo fans Local landmarks Nostalgia & memories Small-town life York Town Square

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About 2,500 German POWs spent their days in orchards and canneries and their nights in Camp Stewartstown, seen here in this Stewartstown Historical Society photo, in the World War II summers of 1944 and 1945. These tents are located on the present-day ballfield at the community park occupying the site. The Germans had non-prisoner counterparts in the orchards. Jamaicans came north to pick fruit. Background posts:
Story revives memories of oft-forgotten POW camp, Good stuff found in 'Codorus Valley Chronicles' and 'Yesteryears' chock-full of Southern York County sites.

The fact that Jamaican fruit workers worked orchards in southern York County in World War II came as no surprise to members of the Codorus Valley Area Historical Society.

During a recent speech to the group, I covered the Jamaican presence in York County.

Members of the historical group remembered them well, saying they worked from camps in Brodbecks and Fawn Grove... .

Posted in Black history Books & reading Explanations/controversy Farms & fields For photo fans Genealogy/research Local landmarks Small-town life Unsung/obscure sites War World War II York Town Square

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This was the scene at the 2005 Musclecar Madness event at the York Expo Center, an event inspired by weekend racing at the York Airport - the U.S. 30 Drag-O-Way. The dragstrip operated from the late 1950s to 1979. Background posts: U.S. Drag-O-Way, Part I, U.S. Drag-O-Way, Part II and Wheels of York.

Tim Rearich, a former York countian living out west, remembers the U.S. 30 Drag-o-Way, subject of a couple of previous posts.

He particularly remembers the radio ads that went something like this:

"Saturday, Saturday, Saturday night at the US 30 dragoway... ."

Posted in For photo fans Local landmarks Mail bag Nostalgia & memories People Small-town life Wheels of York York Town Square York sports

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When some people think about the southwestern York County borough of Jefferson, they think Jefferson Hillclimb. Codorus Valley Area Historical Society is seeking a historical marker to tout that region's history, too. Here, a cycle tries to scale the 300-foot hill just outside Jefferson in Codorus Township. Background posts: War memorial stand proudly in towns throughout York County, Driver invades Jefferson's quiet square and Tragedy hits York County family - again

Elijah White's Comanches rode through Jefferson's square in June 1863. This mounted force was bound for the communication and rail center of Hanover Junction.

Then came Jeb Stuart's 4,500 horsemen, with a 125-wagon train in tow, in quest of their commander Robert E. Lee.

Some time after they had cleared the square, Union General David M. Gregg's blue cavalrymen came through, headed toward Gettysburg.

In November of that year, Abraham Lincoln rode via Hanover Branch Railroad train through town, just north of the square. He was on his way to and from Gettysburg where he delivered his celebrated address... .

Posted in A.B. Farquhar Civil War Explanations/controversy Famous York visitors For photo fans Genealogy/research Local landmarks Presidential stops Small-town life War Wheels of York York Town Square

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The York Daily Record/Sunday News produced this Murals of York booklet in 2000. It's available at no cost at the York County Heritage Trust, 250 E. Market Street, York. Its contents, complete with a walking tour of the murals, is available on the newspaper's history site. Background posts: York County library site brings together links for local research, Martin Library leaves microfilm behind and Tips for genealogical research.

Every year, 20 more more teachers participating in Millersville University's York County history course stop by the York Daily Record/Sunday News for a primer.

I was proud to share with them this year an updated Internet presentation on York County history, developed by the York Daily Record/Sunday News Web guru Joan Concilio.

She particularly overhauled the site Local history that serves as one-stop shopping for information about York County's past. The site also updates with news about York County's historical community.

You can view below the same information as the Millersville class received, and you didn't even have to sit through my two-hour presentation:

Posted in Black history Books & reading Explanations/controversy Genealogy/research Local journalism & Web Nostalgia & memories Quizzes & (fun) tests War World War II York Town Square

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Camp Security, in present-day Springettsbury Township, probably resembled this British prisoner-of-war encampment in Charlottesville, Va. Some prisoners from this camp moved to Camp Security in 1781 when Cornwallis' redcoats moved northward into Virginia. Later, other prisoners from Cornwallis' surrendered command at Yorktown, Va., were detained there. Background posts: York County has done its share in playing host to POWs, Camp Security offers beauty, history and First history trail stop: Camp Security.

Even as a jury awarded Peter Alecxih $17.25 million for Highpoint, another prime piece on the preservationists' list made the news.

That's the Springettsbury Township acreage that was site of Camp Security, a British prisoner of war camp in the American Revolution. It's been placed on another high-level list of most-endangered historic sites... .

Posted in American Revolution Books & reading Explanations/controversy Famous York visitors For photo fans Local journalism & Web Local landmarks War York Town Square

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This World War II air raid siren sat atop the Yorktowne Hotel in York for years. York County Heritage Trust preservationists will soon begin work to restore it to working order. Background posts: Air raid siren discovered atop Yorktowne Hotel, York County stood firmly behind Allies on all fronts in World War II and Unusual valve gave steam whistle prominence in World War II.

Preservationists eyeing the rusty air raid siren that sat atop the Yorktowne Hotel for 65 years believe the air raid siren was never fired up for the real deal.

Indeed, no account exist of enemy flyovers above York County... .

Posted in Explanations/controversy For photo fans Local journalism & Web Local landmarks Nostalgia & memories School days Small-town life War World War II York Town Square

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Volunteer Tom Sadler repoints the walls of Welsh quarry worker cottages in Peach Bottom Township. 'It's good for them to be preserving this history for the future generation,' he said. By them, he means two-year owner Old Line Museum in Delta. (See additional photos below.) Background posts: Digging Coulsontown: 'This is not Indiana Jones', Time almost forgotten Coulsontown and Wanted: One slate-roofed privy from Delta.

Those old Welsh miners' cottages in the southeastern tip of York County, in Peach Bottom Township?

It's hard to get too much of their story. And those photos capture the eye.

Spokesmen at the Old Line Museum in Delta, which bought the cottages two years ago, believe the structures serve as the only examples of Welsh construction in the country... .

Posted in Black history Explanations/controversy For photo fans Genealogy/research Local journalism & Web Local landmarks People Small-town life Unsung/obscure sites York Town Square

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