When I was growing up in Chanceford and Windsor townships, we did our much of our weekly shopping for groceries in Red Lion, but we traveled to York for serious shopping. I was quite familiar with Bear’s, Bon Ton and Wiest’s department stores, as well as the more specialized shoe
The United States officially entered World War I on April 6, 1917, but America had been already preparing to join its allies in the fight. Mobilization on the home front accelerated as the year progressed. Grier Hersh was the Chairman of the York County Unit, Committee of Public Safety for
Advertisements in old newspapers give us a glimpse into the lives of our ancestors. Here is a sampling from the December 21, 1824 York Recorder, on microfilm at the York County History Center: FRESH CRANBERRIES The Subscriber begs leave to inform his friends and the public generally, that he has
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
Marriage Certificate–Engraving by William Waqner Perhaps some of you have marriage certificates that came down through your family similar to the one above. They were created by the multi-talented Yorker, William Wagner (1800-1869). Wagner was a nationally known engraver and die-sinker. Some of his other occupations included banker, printer and
My last two posts were on Seifert the blue dyer, one on the blue dyeing craft and the other on his unruly children. My excursion into 19th century dyeing methods was sparked by the ad above, from the June 23, 1829 York Recorder. Charles A. Morris’s ad reads: DYE STUFF.
Philip A. Small examining Christian Roth’s wheat Whenever I start researching some York County history, it seems like someone from the Small family turns up. Pennsylvania German immigrant Lorentz Small settled in Windsor Township in 1743, but soon the family became involved in carpentry, building, mills, iron furnaces, retail and
Peoples Drug on York Square September 1955 (windows taped for storm) Sometimes fellow blogger’s posts inspire me. Joan Concilio has been getting a lot on her comments on York area retail memories. One person wondered about Peoples Drug Stores. Since my 96 1/2-year-old mother-in-law, Elsie Holder, worked for Peoples from
Truth in advertising? The item below from the May 11, 1911 York Gazette looks like a news item, but the further you read, the more it sounds like an advertisement for Quaker brand remedies. Perhaps it’s both–you decide.
Last week I wrote about several heroic citizens who saved a woman, a cow, and five horses from a raging five-building fire at South Queen and Prospect streets in 1857. The horses were saved by William Heffner, who ran naked into the stable and got them out. To read the