The first buildings at the York County Almshouse were erected in 1805 at a cost of $4,761. According to Gibson’s 1886 History of York County, Pennsylvania the “poor of all the townships of the county moved thither in April 1806.” Buildings need upkeep, and according to the Lewis Miller drawing
Here is more on the one room schoolhouses that provided the education for country children up until the middle of the last century. If you didn’t attend one, ask your parents or grandparents or older friends. You will probably find someone to regale you with tales of walking to school
I am working on an upcoming column on one-room schoolhouses, and finding a wealth of information in the 1855 book by Thomas H. Burrowes, Pennsylvania School Architecture. It covers the plans, materials and every little detail about how a Pennsylvania school should be run, and why. For example, paper was
Who would have thought that a few blocks on the eastern end of York would have had such a long and varied history? The bullfrogs are gone, as are the willow trees that supplied the material for the famous baskets. Descendants of the “gypsies,” some of whom became quite prosperous
Two of my recent posts were on historical atlases, first the 1876 York County atlas reprinted with the 1903 York City atlas, and then on the atlases of some other Pennsylvania and Maryland counties available for use at the York County Heritage Trust Library/Archives. The originals were very popular from
A few months ago I wrote about what was probably Declaration of Independence signer James Smith’s original gravestone. A newspaper clipping from 1887 said it had been found in a basement in South George Street. The present location is unknown. It was a mystery to the writer of that article,
A recurring advertisement for a new health aid first appeared in the York Press in October, 1851. The ad reads: “A natural Remedy, Procured, from a Well 400 Feet Deep, and possessing wonderful curative powers, in diseases of the Chest, Wind Pipe and Lungs. Also, for the cure of Diarrhea,
Does anyone know what happened to the original tombstone of James Smith, York’s Signer of the Declaration of Independence? Not the fancy one shown above, which was put up in 1850. It replaced an earlier stone, which was last seen in 1887 in the basement of a house in the
Old “City Directories,” which eventually covered small towns, suburbs and even rural areas are invaluable sources for researching the past. You can find out where your family members lived and worked; businesses, manufacturers, professionals, local government, churches and social organizations are classified, giving a glimpse into lifestyles. (It seems like
When researching regional history, you often come across the name of Adams Express. From the mid-nineteenth century until World War I, that is how private citizens and businesses shipped items large and small. Think of them as Parcel Post, Priority Mail, UPS and FedEx all rolled into one. See my