York Town Square

The York County religious scene in the 1850s probably was a complex and heated as anytime in its 270 years

In York County, Harriet Tubman found some like-minded county residents who were against slavery and fellow operators on the Underground Railroad, particularly among Quakers north of the Conewago Creek. But the abolitionist view was not the majority report in the county.

The best work has taken place when we break down our large problems into small pieces in our regular personal practices and community work.

George S. Schmidt penned this essay for the York Gazette on Feb. 6, 1892, urging

In history, Red Land, Redland or Redlands, home of the Little League World Series U.S.

The Creativity Unleashed logo is atop its Facebook page devoted to this idea: ‘We are America’s

The stained-art panels by noted York artist J. Horace Rudy hang in the old First National

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania’s capital city, is busy at night. This is a scene that intersects and parallels with York, Pa.’s downtown story. About a decade ago, York was betting on nightclubs to spawn rebirth to replace loss of retail and other renaissance initiatives. That had worked in Harrisburg, and York’s leaders hoped for similar results. Well, nightclubs didn’t work in York, and actually, the nightclub phase has moved through Harrisburg, too, as this FlipSidePa.com story indicates. Now it’s a place for eateries and music. ‘It has become more attractive now for date night — young professionals going out for an evening for drinks and entertainment. We’re seeing more emphasis on the dining experiences and the variety of experiences that you can have along Second Street still fun, still great nightlife but not every other door is a nightclub,’ a visitors bureau official told FlipSide. You’re seeing some of that in York, too. It’s interesting to track changes in a downtown, and it might make sense to keep an eye on Harrisburg’s transition. York might follow the same path.

James Fritz is a researcher and writer of history. And he lives in a 1700s house near the square in Adams County’s Abbottstown. ‘My new two story log and stone home was located near the town square and the stone half of the dwelling had all the hallmarks of an early structure of Pennsylvania German/Swiss heritage,’ he writes.

This might seem like an easy History Mystery quiz, but it’s been about 10 years since these big metal boxes were taken out of service in York County, Pa. Time passes fast. They were sold in 2006 after their electronic replacements successfully operated earlier that year. So a partial generation of folks never had the opportunity to use these mechanical machines. OK, what are these?