Who knows how many thousands of sturdy musical instruments emanated out of the growing complex of buildings that stood imposingly for 136 years at the intersection of Broad and Philadelphia streets in York? The York County History Center Library/Archives has 16 volumes of shipping records, up through 1944, and it
As promised in a recent post, here are more graphics showing the remarkable growth of the Weaver Organ and Piano Company factory in just 22 years. The 1882 building, designed by the Dempwolf firm of architects was of fair size, but the 1892 and 1898 additions added much more
My recent York Sunday News column was on the leading 20th century poet, Lee Anderson, a resident of southern York County. In addition, I also shared some of Anderson’s poetry in my last post. Here is a look at how he really supported himself: Anderson was very candid in that very, very
Arthur Briggs (A.B.) Farquhar is a familiar name in York County history, mostly because of his huge agricultural equipment manufacturing establishment. Son Francis stayed in York, an attorney and businessman. But have you heard of another son, Percival Farquhar (1865-1953)? He also gained enormous success in business, but not on
For half a century A.A. Bosshart captured images of local people and countryside with his camera and brush. His work is represented in many collections of family photographs and still found hanging on walls of homes and businesses. My recent York Sunday News column on Bosshart and his work is
The very ornate silk-fringed holiday cards of the late 1800s into the early 1900s weren’t made in York, but they were popular with local residents. There are quite a few, donated over the years by York countians, in the York County Heritage Trust Library/Archives collections. These are two of my
It was Christmas season 1956, and the battle lines were drawn between downtown and suburban shopping centers. The first stores in the York County Shopping Center in Springettsbury Township probably opened in the fall of 1955, since the center celebrated their second anniversary in October 1957 by giving away a
Old newspaper ads are such a wonderful resource to give us an idea how our ancestors lived. Did you ever think about feathers and how important they were for filling mattresses and pillows? Where did they get them? Your own fowl might not provide enough, so you needed to turn
What do Cecil County, Maryland’s first millionaire; the 1871 candidate for Governor of Maryland and the founder of several steamship companies have to do with a York County native? They are just a few accomplishments of Jacob Tome, born in the Hanover area and raised in Chanceford Township. His fortune,
Stephen Morgan Etnier (1903-1984) was expected to go into the family business, the hugely successful turbine manufacturing company started by his grandfather, Moravian minister and inventor Stephen Morgan Smith. Young Stephen had other ideas–he saw art, not business in his future. Etnier grew up in York. His parents, Susan Smith