York Town Square

Valley View Park was a stage in Hellam Township, Pa., that drew Earl Scruggs, Johnny Cash and other country acts. Here, a York County Heritage Trust display in 2006 features a photo of the 101 Ranch Boys. The venue featured local talents like the boys.  Developers purchased the park in the 1980, and Jehovah Witnesses church is the featured occupant there today. (See additional photo below)  Also of interest: Roy Rogers took York County stage, but not alone.

Joshua Fincher is related to Shorty Fincher, longtime operator of entertainment venue Valley View Park in eastern York County.

He’s doing research on his relative, as the following email tells:

I found your blog post about Shorty Fincher and his Prairie Pals on the
York Blog.

I’ve been trying to do some research to find out more about Shorty and
Hamilton “Raw Hide” as Shorty is my father’s great uncle and Hamilton
his grand father.

I saw in the comments section of that post that you pointed (commenter on the past) Angela in the direction of (York County Heritage Trust’s) Lila Fourhman-Shaull; I will definitely be contacting her.  I was hoping you could also put me in contact with Angela as I’d love to share information/photos with her.

I’d also be very willing to share this with you in more detail once it
arrives in the mail.  I just won this on eBay today.

I emailed Angela asking her to get in contact with Joshua.

Valley View Park today is an interesting place. You go out to this remote locale, and you’d never think that hundreds of cars and thousands of folks gathered there for events.

If you have information on Shorty and Raw Hide, please comment below.

Also of interest

101 Ranch Boys play on in York County memories

The ‘Uncle Jack Singers,’ past performers at Valley View Park, were featured in the York County Heritage Trust exhibit. They’re seen in a 1935 photo.