YorksPast

Verna Williams surprised me by submitted a photo of a sign heralding the office of Dr. L. V. Williams; used at one, or more, of his locations in York County. The sites include: the initial 1911 office in Mount Wolf, progressing to multiple locations in the City of York, and finally in Springettsbury Township; where he added an office during the 1940s, to his farmhouse along Mt. Zion Road. I had been helping Verna unravel Dr. Louis V. Williams’ connection to General Edward C. Williams, when she discovered the photo of the sign.

A question from Tim Ritter, caused his dad, Glenn, to reminisce about a 1960s go-kart track in Hellam Township; along the Lincoln Highway east of Hallam, located behind Wagner’s Diner. Glenn ended up sharing stories about go-kart racing and recreational go-karting in York County. Tim decided to share them with YorksPast, while inquiring about several facts his dad was not sure about.

During 1926, five hospitals were in York, PA; from the most beds to the least: York Hospital, 125 beds; West Side Sanitarium, 42 beds; York County Almshouse Hospital, 28 beds; Polyclinic Hospital, 10 beds; and Church View Sanatorium, 6 beds. The building, in Doctors Row at 409 West Market Street, was the site of Church View Sanitarium; containing an operating room primarily utilized by Dr. Samuel E. Ensminger from June of 1916 into the 1920s. Learn how that Sanatorium had an impact on the establishment of the Polyclinic Hospital in York.

The expansion of the Springettsbury Township municipal complex closer to the southeast corner of Mount Zion Road and Pleasant Valley Road is imminent. A fire in the existing Police Station a year ago was the final straw in a string of significant issues within what is the original municipal building for Springettsbury Township. A year-long planning effort during 2020 will likely result in a groundbreaking during the first half of 2021.

Dr. Louis V. Williams was a Christmas baby, born December 25, 1884. His farm, along Mount Zion Road, in Springettsbury Township became the township complex that we enjoy today. Prior to his death in 1968, he created a trust, the Springettsbury Township Library Fund, which continues to fund library services in the township. The photo of Dr. Williams is from his 1911 graduation from The College of Physicians and Surgeons in Baltimore, Maryland.

Rick van Vliet shared a 1946 letter his father received from Frank Zercher, the father of Sgt. Robert W. Zercher of York, PA; a downed American WWII airman who was aided by the Dutch Resistance. Rick’s father, Willem F. van Vliet, was a member of the Dutch Resistance, which aided downed Allied airmen by keeping them out of harms way in Holland; not easy, as Dutch civilians were being subjected to the terror of forced labor by the German military.

Sam Leitz submitted a site plan of a proposed building slated to succeed Bendix and Fincor at 3750 East Market Street in Springettsbury Township. Sam questioned: “Is this the so called Amazon Hub planned for Stony Brook, which is creating a buzz on Facebook?” Sam searched the Internet after hearing the Amazon rumor. He did not find anything to back up the rumor, until he discovered the site plan.

Friday November 18, 1955, marked the grand opening of New Eastern Market at 201 Memory Lane in Springettsbury Township. On Friday, November 13, 2020, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., the 65th Anniversary of this market house will be celebrated with drawings for prizes throughout the day.

In 1872, the Northern Central Railway established a picnic area near Howard Tunnel. During summer seasons, scheduled and special steam trains transported organizations to and from these Tunnel Grounds; which were improved year-after-year into a first-class one-day destination for groups with a minimum of 20, however up to as many as 600.

Jim Hansen of Helena, Montana, inquired about a product I was not immediately aware of in the A. B. Farquhar Company history. However, research reveals conveyors have a notable place in the Farquhar story and were some of the final products manufactured at the massive Farquhar complex of factory buildings in downtown York.