Only in York County

To kick off 2018 in “Only in York County” style, I just want to share some fun memories I’ve received over the past year or so from all around town. I hope you’ll enjoy reading these letters from readers, many of whom have family connections to the businesses they’re recalling.

What’s inside

1. Memories of J.M. Fields
2. Bowling centers of the past
3. Recalling Mort’s Newsstand
4. Memories from a 1916 cookbook
5. Peoples Drug remembered fondly

1. Memories of J.M. Fields

“As a kid growing up in York in the ’50s and ’60s I remember the J.M. Fields store well. As I recall, it was the very first ‘big box’ store in the west end of town. The women in the family still usually headed downtown to The Bon-Ton or Bear’s, but us guys liked Fields better. They sold everything you could want. But the greatest thing in the whole store was that they sold live monkeys in the pet department! Wow! I still remember the prices. $19.95 for a monkey and $29.95 for the cage! What a deal!

“My dad and I soon developed a ritual. Every time we went there I’d beg him to buy us a monkey and he would always say ‘No! You’re not getting a monkey!’ But as a pretty savvy kid of 7 or 8 I knew that the toy department was right next to the pet department! After dashing my monkey hopes I could always count on him to buy me a plastic model kit, or two or three Matchbox cars from the big display on the counter! (Back when they still came in little yellow boxes). They are great memories! I’m not sure when the Fields store eventually closed, but I know we were all disappointed.”
– Fred Eyster, West Manchester Township

2. Bowling centers of the past

“I asked my mother for information about the old bowling centers in York. My grandfather (her dad, Leonard Lynch) owned White Rose Lanes with Glen Smith. White Rose was located on Market Street just after Broad Stret on the left-hand side heading east. It was upstairs from a news stand, a five-and-10 and the York Theatre. The lanes were later moved across from the Valencia on George Street for a short period of time before moving to what was called Central Lanes in an alley by (what was) the Gingerbread Man off Philadelphia Street between the river and the YMCA. Central Lanes was upstairs in a building that is now apartments. Lloyd Pottorf was partners early on with her dad, taking over for Glen Smith. Later on a Mr. Lentz became involved. Mr. Lentz was a milkman in York.

“20th Century Lanes was located on Pine Street. 20th Century Lanes was owned by Don Kauffman. Don later moved the 16 lanes when he built what is now Colony Park Lanes on Pennsylvania Avenue. Colony Park opened with 28 lanes in the early 1970s. The first 16 lanes at Colony Park are still the original Brunswick Automatic Pinsetters moved from Pine Street. Later on eight more lanes were added to make it the current 36 lanes it is today.

“My early memories were being afraid to go downstairs at 20th Century thinking it was haunted. There were really old semi automatic pinsetters down there. Behind the machines was a tunnel leading to a shooting gallery underground. It was a very scary place for a little kid. I was 12 years old in 1977 when Don Kauffman hired me for $2.50 per hour to be a pin chaser at Colony Park Lanes. My original check stubs had 20th Century Bowling Inc. on them… I could go on and on with the rich bowling history in York.”

– John Jameson, Innovative Bowling Products/Vise

3. Recalling Mort’s Newsstand

“I was quite interested in your article in the York Sunday News… It brought back pleasant memories of my work experience in downtown York during the 1950s at my father’s newsstand. I read with nostalgia the many places of business you mentioned. I delivered The York Dispatch to many of these businesses in downtown York from my father’s newsstand.

“I want to correct… the identity of the newsstand between Pep Boys and Pat Paterson’s Café. I worked for my father, Morton C. Feder, who owned and operated Mort’s Newsstand at 138 S. George St. My father’s newsstand was the newsstand between Pep Boys and Pat Paterson’s Café. I worked for my father from age 12 (1950) until I graduated from college in 1959. I did not need a work permit because I worked for my father. I clearly remember some patrons of Pat Paterson’s Café who would give their children a nickel or a dime to buy something at my father’s newsstand while they drank at the café. My father would frequently tell patrons of Pat Patterson’s Café not to send their children into his store while they drank, because he did not want to be responsible for their children while they drank. Most times, Pat Patterson’s Cafe was not a problem for my father.

“Carl Cassel owned Carl’s Newsstand at 536 S. George St. Carl’s Newsstand was across the street from where the Byrnes Health Education Center is now located. Carl and my father were friendly competitors. If my father or Carl would run out of something, or did not carry something a customer wanted, they would refer their customers to each other’s newsstand. I remember running to Carl’s Newsstand to either pick up or deliver something one of their customers wanted. I enjoyed working for my father. My father expected more from me than he did from his other employees, which gave me good work experience. A customer of my father’s made heavy iron paperweights with ‘MORT’S’ molded into them to prevent newspapers and magazines from blowing off my father’s outside display stand.”

– Mort Feder

4. Memories from a 1916 cookbook

“I enjoyed your recent article about the stores from long ago. I recently purchased ‘The York Hospital Benefit Cook Book and Home Formulary of Tried and Tested York County Recipes with Hints and Helps to Good Housekeeping’ and do enjoy reading about the Sphinx Motor Car Co. selling their new car for $640. The book was originally printed in 1916 and yes, that is the title on the front cover. Every page has something to make me smile: Rowen’s York’s Exclusive Women’s Store, Physical Therapeutic Sanitorium, Getz Ginger Ale, J.D. Dotterer Furniture and Undertaking, Refinishing of Antiques a Specialty. They also list their ‘New Ten Commandments,’ which my wife enjoyed.”

– Charlie

5. Peoples Drug remembered fondly

“Thank you for your columns on Downtown York. My husband’s father was the manager of Peoples Drug Store on the square. When the store closed and they were tearing apart the interior, the company told him that he could take a memento of the store. The store had a wonderful soda fountain where I remember getting ice cream and soda. He opted for a ‘hunk’ of the marble from the fountain. My husband polished the marble and made an outdoor table. Later his mother was downsizing and I asked her if I could have it and I took the marble and added a sofa table bottom to it. The table is the first thing you see when you enter my living room and I like to feel the marble when I dust and remember when downtown York was a grand place to shop. Thanks for taking the time to listen to my story and keep those memories coming.”

– Marta VanZandt