While doing some research on Phineas Davis and his York locomotive for an upcoming column, I realized I had never posted my column from some time ago on John Elgar and his Codorus steamboat. Elgar was a member of York’s Quaker community, as was Davis, and his iron steam boat
Leafing through a recent issue of a magazine for tractor collectors called Antique Power, I found an article “Resurrecting a Pioneer Diesel” by Dave Gerlach. The photos show a gleaming orange farm tractor with a bold nameplate reading “Sheppard Diesel.” The article relates that in 1933,
Below are some items from across the York County, as reported in the February 18, 1873 York Gazette. Each snippet entices you to learn more.
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
This one must be included in the “what were they thinking” category. The full-page ad above is from a late 19th century York, Pa. city directory–it shows Samuel Dick’s “Daisy” folding flower stand. Mr. Dick was selling it at his establishment on South Duke Street; he may have also been
I was intrigued by the strong advertising and testimonials lauding H. M. Crider’s 1881 fruit-picker (see previous post), so I stopped by York County Heritage Trust’s Agricultural and Industrial Museum to see one of these wonderful inventions in person. It does look like a good idea—strong metal tines or fingers
The Crider brothers are perhaps best known for their late 19th century marriage certificate forms, especially the ones with cutouts for individual photos of the couple, and, sometimes, also of the officiating minister. (More on the certificates later.) This time I’m sharing an ad for H.M. Crider’s 1881 “Patent Adjustable
Watch the Kathie Lee and Hoda segment of the Today Show Thursday for some York County connections. I understand that the popular TV hosts visited Kohr Bros. Original Frozen Custard in Rehoboth Beach on Friday and recorded a segment that is to air Thursday, July 28. Kathie Lee was one
Spring view of Smith tree Lucy Neville Mitchell was born in 1872 at Charleston, S.C. In 1902 she married Stephen Fahs Smith, an executive in the S. Morgan Smith Company founded by his father. Mrs. Smith was very interested in genealogy, tracing descent from British royalty. The Smith estate in
3-D seems to be all the rage with movies again; maybe it will become common on TV before long. Did you know that York County native Glen Akins (1916-2003) and two fellow engineers, Alex Quiroga and Cameron Pierce, at ABC in Los Angeles are credited with developing three dimensional television?