YorksPast

I volunteered to assist Tom Davidson in researching several of the Lincoln Highway sites where 27 troops of York County Boy Scouts placed 7 new signs and installed 26 concrete posts on September 1st, 1928. I’ll concentrate on the sites in Eastern York County. The goal is to create stories associated with each of those sites.

Close-ups of the still standing Lincoln Highway concrete post in Hellam Township, across from Kreutz Creek Library and just east of Ducktown Road, were taken for a 2013 post I did on the 100th Anniversary Lincoln Highway Auto Tour.

[Post numbers] for the concrete posts are numbered sequentially from the border of eastern Pennsylvania with New Jersey, to the border of western Pennsylvania with West Virginia. York County has post numbers [75 to 100]. The still standing concrete marker across the Lincoln Highway from Kreutz Creek Library is Number [77]. The nearby Ducktown Road was originally known as Stoner Station Road when the posts were installed; because it led to Stoner Station on the railroad, which ran between York and Wrightsville.

I’ve pinpointed the ten locations, in eastern York County, where I’m researching, on a March 1926 York County road map produced by the Pennsylvania State Highway Department. If anybody has old site location photos of these Lincoln Highway signs or concrete posts, or have a story of a scout that helped install them, please share.

To help with the discovery of Boy Scout stories, associated with the September 1st, 1928 project marking the Lincoln Highway, the following article provides the Boy Scout troops that did the work. This article refers to the 20 troops in the York Council of Boy Scouts. Additional concrete posts in western York County were installed by 7 troops in the Conewago Council of Boy Scouts; whose territory encompassed Hanover and that vicinity of western York County.

An article in The Gazette and Daily on Friday August 31st, 1928 (page 14) reported on the placement of the “New Markers for Lincoln Highway.” The sub-title proclaimed “Will Be Erected On Saturday Along Its 3,000-Mile Route;” i.e. on Saturday September 1st.

Quoting the entire article: “Special markers will be placed along the route of the Lincoln Highway from Wrightsville to the Adams County line by twenty York County Boy Scout troops on Saturday, when markers will be placed simultaneously along the entire 3,000-mile route of this highway by boy scouts, it was announced yesterday.”

“E. K. Longstreet, division engineer of State Highway Department, and Chief Scout Executive, Ray F. Zaner, of the local council, will start from Wrightsville tomorrow morning at 11 o’clock and will traverse the length of the highway in this county to designate the location of the markers.”

“The markers are of two kinds. One is a concrete post on which is a medallion of Abraham Lincoln. The posts stand about four feet high (above ground level and are buried about three feet deep) and will be placed at the side of the road. The form of the (sign) marker to be placed in York County is a metal sign. The posts and signs will be delivered to the designated places by trucks on Friday.”

“The points at which markers will be placed and the troops which will place them are as follows:” (additional location details per Original Locations of the Markers and Signs of the Lincoln Highway 1928, as prepared by Gael Hoag, Field Secretary)

“Troop 26, on state post in front of Hotel Wilson, Wrightsville, and opposite rear door of Grace Evangelical Church, Wrightsville;” (Sign on state post and Concrete Post [75] at Church)

“Troop 32, opposite end of Round Top Road, and Southeast corner opposite Stoner Station;” (Concrete Posts [76 & 77]) The former Round Top Road is now Blessing Lane. The former Stoner’s Station Road is now Ducktown Road, and Concrete Post 77 still stands across the Lincoln Highway from Kreutz Creek Library.

“Troop 15, replacing wood post opposite A. R. Gross store, Hallam, and near West corner of Dr. Crandall’s resort;” (Concrete Posts [78, 79 & 80]; with [79] between the two listed in news article, with it on South side between curb and walk near west limits of Hallam)

“Troop 17, at new viaduct over R. R. and at end of road to Big Hand Tourist Camp, 1/4-mile West;” (Concrete Post [81] defined as at end of road to Big Hand Tourist Camp, 1/4-mile west of new viaduct over Railroad)

“Troop 36, East limits of York;” (Concrete Post [82]) Suspect this is East limits of East York; i.e. just east of Market and Royal Streets in Springettsbury Township.

“Troop 2, replacing old one at Market and Ogontz Streets, York;” (Concrete Post [83]) A Concrete Lincoln Highway Post was at northeast corner of Market and Ogontz Streets up until about ten years ago.

“Troop 11, Northwest corner of Harrison and Market Streets, York;” (Concrete Post [84])

“Troop 8, Southeast corner Market and Albemarle Streets, York;” (Sign)

“Troop 14, Northwest corner Market and Tremont Streets, York;” (Sign)

“Troop 3, Southeast corner Market and Sherman Streets, York;” (Sign)

“Troop 10, Market, front of 526;” (Sign)

“Troop 1, Southeast corner Queen and Market Streets;” (Sign)

“Troop 7, Northwest corner Carlisle and Market Streets;” (Sign)

“Troop 6, replacing wood post R. R. X corner of Fair Grounds;” (Concrete Post [85])

“Troop 5, replacing wood post opposite Vedder Oil Station;” (Concrete Post [86])

“Troop 13, Northeast corner Clinton and West Market Street;” (Concrete Post [87])

“Troop 42, replacing and back of wood post opposite 2403 West Market Street;” (Concrete Post [88])

“Troop 12, replacing wood post top of hill, East of Top of Hill refreshment stand;” (Concrete Post [89])

“Troop 9, opposite concrete road to New Salem;” (Concrete Post [90])

“Troop 19, 150 feet East of Hanover Road. This is territory of H. P. Weidner.” (Concrete Post [91])

I believe that is a newspaper typo for H. S. Weidner, who is the Boy Scout executive of the Conewago Council; whose territory encompasses Hanover and that vicinity of western York County. He is in charge of seven Boy Scout troops placing the remaining concrete posts [91 to 100] to reach the Adams County line.

Click on this LINK for a yorkblog.com Full View of the photos in this post.

Links to related posts include:

The Big Hand Tourist Camp in Stony Brook

Roundtop and the Lincoln Highway

Eccentric Authors Colony at Round Top

A Lincoln Highway marker was at Dr. Crandall’s

Lincoln Highway marker placement in Hallam

Lincoln Highway Marker near Ducktown Road

Lincoln Highway Centennial Auto Tour at Haines Shoe House

Earliest Lincoln Highway Garage was in Wrightsville