Universal York

Freedom Train Scrapbooks
In a recent York Sunday News column I wrote about the 1948 Freedom Train visit to York. I mentioned that there were scrapbooks about the train at the York County Heritage Trust Library/Archives.
There are two scrapbooks, created by junior high students. They won first and second place for the best scrapbooks on the Freedom Train. Each volume is about one and a half inches thick. According to markers still in the books, First prize was won by Nancy Rahe and second place by Donna Springer.

I was pleased to recently hear from Nancy Rahe Lipschutz. The email she sent is quoted, with her permission, below:

June,
Thank you for writing about the Freedom Train visit to York. It brought back memories I will share with you.
I won the first prize in a Freedom Train Scrapbook contest conducted for all York City School children. The presentation ceremony was held at the former Historical Society Building. There were 3 winners.
My prize was $35.00 and the scrapbook was supposed to be sent to the Library of Congress. Since you mentioned having scrapbooks I wondered if it had made its way back to York.
I believe the second place winner was Eli Eichelberger and third place, Donna Springer. One scrapbook was to be exhibited at the Martin Library and the other at the Historical Society.
Our junior high teacher at Hannah Penn taught us about the historical documents for weeks before the train arrived. There were articles in the newspapers that we cut out and used in the scrapbooks. It was an exciting time. I was quite surprised when the York artist Walter Trout came to my home to inform me I won first prize.
I would be interested to see if my scrapbook is in the collection you have. It had a red cloth cover. My maiden name was Rahe.
Thank you again for writing the article.
Nancy Rahe Lipschutz

Nancy added in a later email:

I really don’t remember how many entries there were for the contest. I did have a photo that was published in one of the daily papers but can’t find it anymore. The winners all graduated from William Senior High School, class of 1953. The other winners are deceased.
Is the scrapbook available at the Historical Society? Maybe I could see it again.

I assured her that she could stop in and see the scrapbook at the York County Heritage Trust Library/Archives. Both scrapbooks are in remarkable condition, considering they contain a lot of newspaper clippings pasted on 1940s scrapbook paper, two of the fastest deteriorating materials there are.
Click here for the brief stop of the 1976 Freedom Train.