What can we learn about our shared history in the recently published 2013 Journal of York County Heritage? The theme of the journal this year was driven by the 150th anniversary commemoration of the Civil War. Here is a rundown of the articles: First, Daniel Roe, York County Heritage Trust
As I pointed out in my previous post on slavery in York County, even though slavery very gradually died out in Pennsylvania after 1780 Act for Gradual Abolition of Slavery was passed, that long southern York County border with slave state Maryland led to a lot of action with runaways
Can you imagine your home town newspaper with ads selling human beings? A 15-year-old being sold because her master/mistress didn’t have enough work for her (seller offering financing)…families split apart…children as young as four being sold away from their mothers? Well, it did happen here. The ad above is from
It is a very short ad in March 30, 1811 York Recorder newspaper, but it is extremely chilling. I usually write about the wealth of positive things comprising much of York County’s rich history. There is sometimes also a dark side. Slavery, right here in York County, is one of
Just out–the brand new 2012 edition of Journal of York County Heritage, a popular periodical published annually by York County Heritage Trust. The new edition offers five well-researched articles on a variety of events from the 19th and 20th centuries. They include: “The Cartridge Box: The Inside-Out Newspaper of the
Settlement patterns can be determined by what those who went before us left behind. Cemeteries offer many clues. The surnames on the headstones and the denomination of the churches with which the graveyards were affiliated point to the ethnic background of the people who lived nearby. The dates on the
We are bombarded with ads today for Christmas gifts, in print, on television and online. In 1840 York county residents managed to get their shopping, which was much sparser than ours, done with few ads to entice them. Still, York entrepreneur William Goodridge managed to cram a lot of merchandise
Smart marketing isn’t a recent innovation. Merchants were just as eager to get the customer’s attention 160 years ago as today. The top news story of that day was the Mexican War (1846-1848). Local African American businessman William Goodridge used the interest in the war as the “hook” in the
One hundred and fifty years ago York Countians loved to have their photograph taken. The art of practical photography was less than 20 years old, but there were at least two outstanding photographers in York. We seem to hear most often about Glenalvin Goodridge, perhaps because his father William is
One hundred fifty years ago Yorkers were just as eager to spend their money on snack and drinks as they are today, as shown in a sampling of ads from the Gazette: Christian Pfahler caught your eye with the large letters “L. I. P.” You had to read further to