YorksPast

Joe Spagnolo shared some fascinating early history about the 1960s Wagner’s Diner, located along the Lincoln Highway, east of Hellam. A 1963 publication contains a photo of the downstairs bar, with the caption: “Wagner’s Saloon, run by John Wagner in Hellam, Pa., is the home of the country’s first Noggin Club.” These clubs quickly spread across North America. They owed their name and popularity to characteristics of Noggin beer mugs, produced with the proprietary, aluminum-based alloy metal, Armetale, developed in 1963 by Ralph P. (Bud) Wilton, Jr.

Bob Thompson commented about the strong Go-Kart Racing culture in York County during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. His home track, as a racer, was a half-mile raceway, located along River Road, south of Goldsboro. About the mid-1970s, Bob progressed into helping stage weekend Go-Kart races in large parking lots, throughout Central Pennsylvania.

A large diverse community of quarry workers resided at Union Stone Quarry near Saginaw in York County during the early 1900s.

Lee Davis submitted information on the 200th Anniversary re-enactment of the westward march of the Continental Congress by way of Lancaster to York; which originally took place during September of 1777 upon the British capture of Philadelphia during the Revolutionary War. During the re-enactment, Lee Davis, a teacher at Eastern

Twelve-mile long Lake Clarke at Long Level was formed in 1931 by the Susquehanna River backing up behind the 75-foot high Safe Harbor Dam. Several times the question has been raised concerning the naming of Lake Clarke; most recently following my presentation at Shank’s Mare, at Long Level, this past

With York and Lancaster Counties recent establishment as the Susquehanna National Heritage Area, the time has come to extend the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor through those counties. The decade long effort to gain the Susquehanna National Heritage Area designation emphasized the Susquehanna River as the focal corridor of culture and

An artifact of Bube’s Brewery’s 1908 YORK Ice Machine still adorns the walls of that Lancaster County establishment in Mount Joy. That YORK Manufacturing Company machine was an addition to a YORK Ice Machine, which Alois Bube previously purchased in 1893. The 1893 YORK Ice Machine was one of the

An 1870s Butchers stove manufactured by Wolgemuth and Geyer is in the basement of a historic home in Springettsbury Township at 3790 East Market Street. The following photos of the stove, taken by Greg Koller were forwarded for further research. This house is the former long-time home of antique dealer

The distinctive red roof of Memory Lane’s Huntleys drive-in was repurposed to the pictured hunting club in Centre County. Mike Eisenhart shared the photo and wrote: “My father-in-law, Curt Linsey, worked with the crew that demolished Huntleys on Memory Lane. He was able to salvage the red metal roof shingles

Mahlon Haines’ Wizard Ranch might be a great location for a disc golf course. My first encounter with the Shoe Wizard occurred during a Haines scouting safari at that ranch in June of 1960. That first encounter was just in passing, as Mahlon walked through our area at Wizard Ranch.