Part II: Is York County’s Lauxmont pronounced Loucks-mont or Low-mont?
This view of Lauxmont, originally developed as York County, Pa., industrialist S. Forry Laucks’ summer estate, came from the camera of Ted Taylor, as part of York County Camera Club competition in 2009. Also of interest: Bad economy turned York Safe & Lock toward lucrative defense work and Century-old Laux family member from York County had expensive first date .
A relative of S. Forry Laucks seems to have settled a discussion on the variations in pronouncing of S. Forry Laucks-built Lauxmont in Lower Windsor Township.
That variation usually runs along the lines of Loucks-mont, after the family name, or Low-mont, with a decided French feel.
Karl Katz met Forry Laucks before the captain of York Safe & Lock died in 1942.
So he heard the pronounciation first hand from the guy who built Lauxmont… .
He wrote:
Here’s the official FAMILY pronunciation for Lauxmont. It is “LOW-Mont”. My
grandmother was the sister of S. Forry Laucks. Both of these individuals were
living in my lifetime, and I visited the estate while (great) Uncle Forry was in
residence. He also had a yacht which was named – you guessed it – “Lauxmont” as
in “LOW-Mont.”
That about decides it.
Right?
Also of interest:
For more on the Laux family, see my York Sunday News column: Laux folks have deep local roots.
Selected York Safe & Lock links:
– New Freedom station houses alien safe
– York Safe & Lock worker recalls chat with Hedy Lamarr
– Hedy Lamarr’s visit to York long remembered
– From Bofors to Bikes, Harley plant top hog
– Forry Laucks, Lauxmont sparked debates
– York-made safes spotted in post-war Tokyo
– York Safe restoration ‘once in a lifetime’ project.
– York Safe faltered after owner’s death
