Richard Nixon’s 1960 visit to York, No. 3: It was a homecoming of sorts
The Gazette and Daily reports on Vice-President Richard Nixon’s short visit to York in the buildup to the 1960 president election against John F. Kennedy. For a working list of past presidential visits, click here. Background posts: Richard Nixon in York, No. 1 and Richard Nixon, No. 2 and Richard Nixon’s visits seared into York countians’ minds.
When Richard Nixon campaigned in York County in the final days of the election season in 1960, some in the crowd of 5,000 had met him before.
In fact, a former Menges Mills neighbor who couldn’t make it to the York train station rally received a staged phone call from Nixon’s wife, Pat, to say hello… .
To be close to their congressman-son, Nixon’s parents had operated a farm outside Menges Mills for about six years in the 1940s. His brother, Edward, graduated from West York High School.
That started a series of contacts between Nixon and York County that culminated with supporter Bob Hoffman’s donation of land to the county for Richard M. Nixon County Park.
To read about other links between Richard Nixon and York County, read by York Sunday News column (2/8/09):. Little-known Nixon visit recalled.
