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Why it’s “the Brogue” – one possibility

Remember my post last month on why so many locals call the village in Chanceford Township “the Brogue” instead of Brogue?

A new commenter, Rita, helped me out with some insight on that question. (Hi, Rita!) She writes:

As to why the phrase “the Brogue” is used around here, my husband and I, both lifelong Brogue natives, have a theory. Supposedly, someone put a brogue (shoe) on a post at the hotel, naming it the Brogue Hotel. Folks around here would say they were going to the Brogue Hotel, which later would have become “I’m going to the Brogue.” And, yes, I get grief whenever I refer to home as “down at the Brogue” at work, even though they’ve heard me say it over the past 16 years.

Well, we won’t give Rita any grief, right? Not when we’re such fans of York County phrases like doing something awhile or saying something is “all”!

Now, for reading this far, here is a great photo from Brogue:

Here, Carole Hale of West Wind Bison Farm in Brogue feeds the bison apples early in the morning in 2002.

What I really should do is make a trip down and find out more about this Brogue Hotel. Is it still there? Is it still open to the public? Can I take pictures? This might be a road-trip project!

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