Travels of Punch around York’s square, part three
In my first post on the cigar store figure Punch I shared his first known photo, dated from around 1870, and a current photo of him at York County Heritage Trust. My second post showed more of Punch’s stops around York’s Centre/Continental Square in the 1880s and 1890s.
The photos shown here bring Punch into the 20th century. Charles H. Sieker, proprietor of Young & Busser cigar store is said to have moved his business from the square in March 1931 to a site next to the Vigilant Fire Company on West Market. He supposedly took Punch with him. I have looked at older photos of that area, but I haven’t sighted Punch on any yet. He was sold to the Historical Society of York County in 1941.
There is a poem about Punch in the files at York County Heritage Trust. It is attributed to Margie Aughenbaugh. It reads:
Punch
He’s just a wooden fellow
And quite old, we must confess,
With an historic background
But we like him nonetheless.By the cigar store he stood
‘Mid sunshine and ‘mid rain,
When wintry winds were blowing
And when the summer came again.He was ever there to greet us
As we came into the Square;
If we looked within his corner,
His presence we could share.With his painted cap and suit,
Now he’s in a sheltered nook
But we can always see him
If we take the time to look.There are the wooden Indians
With war paint and feathered crown,
But Punch is still our favorite
As a relic of York Town.
