Gettysburg 100: Wrightsville observes Civil War battle in its streets – Linked in to York County history, June 13, 2013
Gettysburg 100/Local ties to U.S. Open/York County’s Smoketown
Wrightsville, Pa., observes Gettysburg 100 in 1963 with a parade down its main street, old Route 30 or the Lincoln Highway. This was the same path that Union defenders took in an orderly retreat to the covered bridge spanning the Susquehanna in late-June 1863. And Confederate invaders followed that path in racing to the bridgehead, only to find the bridge aflame. The defenders had torched the bridge to stop the Confederate advance to the east. The first prize winners in the parade wee the York VFW Kiltie Band (top photo from The Gazette and Daily) and the Rangers of York Forest 30, Tall Cedars of Lebanon, bottom. Also of interest: Battle of Wrightsville – Rare photograph of the battlefield.
Neat stuff from all over … .
Viewers over at the YDR’s Facebook page love history mystery photos, mostly photos from this blog.
Here’s one about Smoketown that received good response:
FB post: These horseshoe pitchers come from Smoketown, one of several towns with that name in York County. Lake waters have snuffed out this particular Smoketown. Can you name the lake? (Answer is here.)
Allyson Samantha responded: “Lake Redman?”
My response: “You’re right. Lake Redman. Those pitchers would have their feet wet, if there today. Redman dam went up after drought of 1966. That was the drought in which York city officials brought in a rainmaker. Really. Check out: /yorktownsquare/2006/09/19/rainmakers-visit-indicated-muc/.
Hy Peskin made this famous photograph of Ben Hogan’s 1-iron shot to the 18th green during the final round of the 1950 United State Open at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore. York countian Charlie Strack witnessed the shot: A local’s iconic connection to the U.S. Open at Merion.
Charlie Strack, today, pointing to his image in 1950.
