Universal York

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Dillsburg Notes

The daily papers in York County used to have a stringer in just about every small town or village. They were paid by the column inch, so a lot of very local social news made the papers. My aunt covered the New Bridgeville (Chanceford Township) area, and I remember that she sometimes reported the occasion of my family having Sunday dinner at her house.
Those small tidbits did keep the neighbors up on community happenings. As time goes on they can be quite useful to anyone researching family or local history, as illustrated by the Dillsburg tidbits below from the October 19, 1928 York Gazette and Daily.


“Dillsburg, Oct. 18– Mrs. Jane Goodling of York, spent the week-end as the guest of Arthur McClure and family.
Mrs. Henry Knaub returned home after spending several weeks with relatives at St. Louis, Mo.
Mr. and Mrs. W. K. Klugh and daughter, Thelma, of Lemoyne, were guests of Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Klugh Friday.
Mrs. Sarah Menear returned home Saturday after spending two weeks with her daughter, Mrs. John Fortney and family, in York.
Miss Maxine Karns, a student at Cumberland Valley State Teachers college, Shippensburg, spent the week-end at her home.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Fox and son, John, Mrs. Gladys Saylor and daughter, of State college, spent the week-end with Mrs. Fox’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Weaver.
Mrs. William Gembe spent Monday in Harrisburg.
Mrs. Frank Slyder, of Mechanicsburg, spent Tuesday with her son, Ralph Slyder, and family.
Mr. and Mrs. Roy Carns and children, of Carlisle, spent Tuesday at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. C. W. Gallatin.
M. Luther Karns, of Harrisburg, spent Tuesday at his former home.
Charles Prosser, Edgar Smith and Ralph Slyder left Wednesday evening for Perry County on a hunting expedition for wild turkey.”
The column continues with longer items. One announces the fifty-seventh annual convention of the local Sunday School association, complete with the names of speakers and their topics. Another lists all the attendees at a party held by the Primary Sunday school class of the South Mountain Union Church.
If the local newspaper correspondent knew about it, your early through mid-twentieth century life could be minutely documented.
Read more news from Dillsburg.
Click below for more about past news.
German newspapers in York County.
Jacobus news from 1897.
Wedding cake bribe.