The streets of York, Pa.: Drovers herded cattle in city within memory of people living today
York, Pa.’s Terrence Downs is running an errand for a former neighbor.
Or rather, he’s emailed a query on her behalf:
“I recently spoke with a woman who was my neighbor in my growing up, she’s 91 years old now and asked of something in her growing up in York,” he wrote.
As a girl, he explained, she lived the 400 block of Prospect Street in York. Her grandfather was a policeman in York who lived at the corner of Prospect and Vander Avenue.
A ‘barnrow’ stands next to a church across the street from the Vandersloot mansion on Vander Avenue. She has recollections of this place but was curious about its function and purpose… .
The 1903 Atlas shows that a structure at that location was owned by Fred Flinchbaugh.
“I mentioned it may have been a livery, as the former Grothe Brickyard was near in the early century but housing had developed on the former brick yard tract (this is east of Pine Street),” he wrote.
And for her interest, Terry showed her that a toll house was within proximity of where her house stood but preceded her time, according to the the atlas.
She also recalled cattle coming from the stock yards – Ahren’s yards off of the 200 block of West King Street. They were herded via College Avenue and at the point where it intersected Edgar Street heading east.
Drovers directed the cattle to the area near the Mount Rose Meat Market. Terry knew of livestock being driven out West York (Roosevelt) Avenue, as well.
“These are her recollections,” Terry wrote, “and she’s rather sharp.”
Imagine that, drovers operating on the streets of York, Pa., in the lifetimes of residents living here today.
If you have information on these memories, contact Terry or comment below.
Also of interest:
Independent York gas pumper celebrates 50th and Just try to resist this memory-tugging aerial photograph of York’s Roosevelt Avenue Airport and Memorial Stadium, now Bob Hoffman Stadium, built to keep professional baseball in York.
Archives:
– All York Town Square posts from the start. (Key word search by using “find” on browser.)
– Of course, you can always search for York Town Square posts on Google. For example, when you search for yorktownsquare and Roosevelt Avenue, you get this.
