Part II: Mount Wolf resident answers call for photos of Elm Beach, old York County swimming hole
This photograph of Elm Beach on the Conewago Creek gives a clear view of the concrete slab that was, indeed, Elm Beach. The swimming hole’s patrons included summer visitors from around York County who arrived via the trolley system that sprawled across York County. The beach’s counterpart, Cold Springs Park, across the creek was an electric park, owned and operated by the trolley company to boost off-peak ridership. (See additional photos below.) Also of interest: Part of Conewago Creek’s Elm Beach still visible and Big Conewago serves as physical, symbolic divider of York County culture and Growing off-peak trolley ridership in York County: Build a park.
In a recent blog post, Andy Blessing of Mount Wolf provided postcards that showed the relation between trolleys and Elm Beach.
He provided these photos plus a story about Victor Cocklin, whose parents owned Elm Beach at one time … .
The Elm Beach concession stand.
He told me of a story when he was a child about a pet monkey his parents had and one day he was on the creek in a canoe when the monkey flipped out and attacked him and had to be destroyed.
A monkey riding in a canoe on the Conewago.
Any other stories about the creek that can top that one?
The Elm Beach house with souvenir comb. Victor Cocklin gave this comb from an Elm Beach vendor to Andy Blessing.
Also of interest:
– Conewago crossing near Manchester hot spot for years – Part I
– Conewago crossing – Part II
– Conewago crossing – Part III
– Conewago crossing near Manchester a hot spot, literally, for years – Part IIII
