Many of us are excited about the prospect of seeing the wonderful building on the northeast corner of Philadelphia and Beaver Streets restored. As promised in my last post on the old York Post Office, I’m repeating my blog post here of June 25, 2011, consisting mainly of photos I
Recent news reports indicate that the striking 1895 Federal Building, built to house the York Post Office and the local Internal Revenue office, is going to be redeveloped. About five years ago I recapped a detailed history of that building in my York Sunday News column. The column is still
When planning for the recent Unraveling York County’s History: An Evening with the YDR’s History Bloggers event earlier this month, each of the five bloggers (Jim McClure, Scott Mingus, Stephen H. Smith, Joan Concilo and me) was asked to choose a local history topic that tends to generate discussion. I
Walking through the mezzanine gallery at York County Heritage Trust the other day, I stopped to take a new look at the cast iron lions guarding the stairs up to the second floor. I remembered some photos in the YCHT Library/Archives taken of them while they still watched over their
Sources say that about 350,000 women served in the United States armed forces during World War II. WACS (Women’s Army Corps), WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service in the Navy, women in the Coast Guard (SPARS) and Women Marines served as nurses, administrators, instructors, office workers and in many
Those of us who were born in the first half of the 20th century remember what a big deal polio, measles, diphtheria, whooping cough and other communicable diseases were, before effective preventative vaccines were developed and immunizations were routinely available. Even those of us who were very small recall how
You might remember the daily Boys’ and Girls’ Newspaper page in the Gazette and Daily. The page had puzzles, riddles, jokes and crafts, but the highlights were the letters from area children telling a little about themselves or a relative and asking for enrollment in the Birthday Club. (See example
The hunt goes on for the various components that made up Camp Security, the Revolutionary War camp established to detain British prisoners in York County. Specific areas of interest, such as the palisaded stockade and the village for the captives accompanied by families, will eventually be located by careful research
It is obvious that I love old newspapers. From the vitally important to minutia, the items make the past come alive. With over two hundred years of local newspapers on microfilm, as well as files full of clippings, at York County Heritage Trust, I won’t run out of old news
Weight lifter and founder of York Barbell Company Bob Hoffman (1898-1985) had strong opinions about exercise and nutrition to build and maintain a healthy body. I didn’t realize that he was a fairly early advocate of drinking bottled spring water. Friend Dennis Kunkle always has an eye out for local