York Town Square

The Loux family met for its 200th anniversary in American in York in 1910, where industrial Israel Laucks welcomed his widespread family at a Brookside Park reunion. Just recently, the family reunited for its 300 anniversary at West Manchester Township’s Holiday Inn. The question came up at that gathering. Was the estate of Israel’s son S. Forry Laucks – Lauxmont – pronounced Loucks-Mont or Low-Mont? Background posts: With hot controversy cooled, Highpoint offers Susquehanna River view for the ages and Bad economy turned York Safe & Lock toward lucrative defense work and And now starring actor … Jakie Devers?.

A commenter on my recent column on the Laux, Loux, Laucks, Loucks etc. reunion thought the 300th gathering of the family would settle the dispute over the pronunciation of S. Forry Laucks estate, Lauxmont.
“Now, maybe people will FINALLY pronounce the name of the Lauxmont area what it is supposed to be, and always really has been called….LOUCKS-MONT….NOT LOW-MONT,” the commenter wrote.
“Some say Forry said it was an abbreviation for “Loucks’ Mountain.” …

Then he made an often overlooked point in this discussion. Many around Lauxmont – in the eastern part of Lower Windsor Township – call it Loucks-Mont.
The commenter has a point there. And the reunion crowd favored Loucks-Mont.
But Forry Laucks’ mansion in the French chateau-style at Lauxmont keeps the French pronunciation of Low-Mont into play.
A York Daily Record/Sunday News story at the time of the great land-use dispute over this valuable property seems to muddy the matter a bit:

You don’t pronounce the “x” in “faux pas” or in “Sioux.” And you don’t pronounce it in “Lauxmont.” Well, maybe you do if you live close to Lauxmont Farms, which is located in Lower Windsor Township. According to Wrightsville resident Edward Massa, 85, a lot of people in the vicinity pronounce it “Loxmont.” That might make sense, in light of the fact that the farm’s founder was York County industrialist S. Forry Laucks. Massa used to work on the farm when Laucks was in charge. Even back then, a lot of people pronounced it “Loxmont.” But the workers knew that the correct pronunciation was “Lowmont,” Massa said. And that appears to remain the official pronunciation, based on its use by Lauxmont’s owners and by county officials.

Clear as the muddy Susquehanna in high water?
Perhaps someone has a recording of York Safe & Lock’s S. Forry Laucks addressing the topic of his famous estate.
That might be the only way to settle it.
By the way, is the last part of York Safe & Lock pronounced Lock or Louk?
For my column about the Laux reunion, visit: Laux folks have deep local roots