Ask Joan: Trivia challenge edition
I’ve said before that my purpose with Ask Joan is to help you find answers to things you don’t know about York County, past and present. I prefer for it not to be “stump Joan” by asking me to answer things you already know about or that you just know are unlikely to be known by me!
That said, I was presented an interesting three-question challenge from a reader recently, and the questions were so interesting and fun that I thought they might be worth digging in to.
So, all of today’s questions are from Robert Finke of North Codorus Township, who describes himself as “a part-time buff on local history.”
What’s inside
1. Name history of Glatfelter’s Aldine Hotel
2. Seeking “Hyde” along the rail trail
3. Lincoln Highway marker’s relocation
1. When Mr. Glatfelter built a hotel in Spring Grove in 1887, why did he name it “Aldine”?
I don’t know for sure – on this or any of the answers – but I have a guess that it has something to do with alcohol, or, in this case, lack of same.
Philip H. Glatfelter, the “P.H.” of some fame, was well-known for being a supporter of the temperance movement, and the Hotel Aldine, when it opened, operated under strict temperance principles, according to George Prowell’s “A History of York County: Volume II.”
Aldine, it turns out, comes up in a couple of different ways related to the temperance movement; “Aldine Chambers” was the home of the British & Foreign Temperance Society‘s meetings in the 1830s. And then there’s a book called “The Temperance Bible,” which actually describes how various translations of Scripture treat phrases dealing with wine and alcohol, and one of the translations they talk about is the “Aldine” version.
So to the specific point of what Glatfelter’s connection to the word is? I’m not sure, but this is the direction I’d be most inclined to go. Any other ideas?
2. How did “Hyde” located on the rail trail at Indian Rock Dam Road get so named?
Well, much like Sticks or Brogue, it turns out Hyde is kind of an unincorporated area – village would be perhaps too generous of a term?
Specifically, I found Hyde to have been a station along the Ma&Pa Railroad when it operated, meaning there was certainly some business or housing in the area. A family named Hyde? That would be my guess, but it’s only that, so any further info on the name itself would be great.
3. What became of the original Lincoln Highway marker that was located on Rt. 30 & Fleishman Mill Road prior to the recent road work at that location?
I admit I was drawing a blank on this one for a while until I started to think maybe this is actually referring to the roadwork that was going on at Loucks Mill Road and 30.
Sadly, though, that didn’t help me either. So, on this one, I admit defeat. I would love to find out what happened to the sign, but first, I’d love to find out if I’m actually thinking of the right place and, if so, what kind of sign it was – I don’t think it was one of those blue Pa. historical markers, because I searched their full list of York County ones and didn’t turn up what even would have previously been in that area.
One thing I did find is that there’s lots of cool Lincoln Highway news here, from the same person who created the postcard image above that’s in the Daily Record/Sunday News archives. Definitely check out Brian’s site if you’re interested in that road’s past, and please, if you can give me any info at all on that sign, I’d love it!
Got any questions? Ask Joan using the form at right. I’ll attempt to answer them in a future “Ask Joan” column on this blog. I’m already getting a big volume, so it might take me a while, but I hope to be able to answer as many as possible!
