The 4 Yorkbloggers still writing about history. But make that 5.
Readers discovered the old York, Pa., Hiway Theater in June 2013 when Yorkblogger Joan Concilio compiled memories of this long-gone moviehouse and others. This is one way that Yorkbloggers ply their craft: They ask for – and receive – information and memories from others. That practice is called crowd sourcing. They bring it all together and redistribute this content in a winsome way so that others might enjoy the moments from history. In the case of the Hiway, Allida Carroll offered the photo atop Joan’s Only in York County post: More memories of York County movie theaters. And Bill Schmeer provided these memories: ‘The other thought about the picture is that kids can no longer leave their bikes unchained and protected and find them still there when they came out of the movie. I think the theater was located where the Olde Country (pewter) Reproductions is now, at 722 West Market, next to Helf the Carpetman.’ Also of interest: The 4 Yorkbloggers write about history and The 4 Yorkbloggers speak about history.
Next year, Yorkbloggers will observe 10 years of writing about York County history.
The Yorkblog.com team started with June Lloyd, Scott Mingus, Scott Butcher and me.
Some names have changed.
Scott Butcher is still engaged in history writing projects, but not in the Yorkblog.com forum (although we hope he returns some day). Stephen H. Smith is now the fourth history blogger.
But actually there are now five.
Joan Concilio’s Only in York County blog is back and active, giving folks a forum to share about – and learn about – York County, Pa.
I like this YDR journo’s blog description:
“My name is Joan and I’m a lifelong Yorker. Throughout high school and college, I swore I was getting out of here as soon as possible. Now, a few years later, I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be. I love my town. And, as a local editor, I hear every day how much you love your towns, too. So please, connect with me and let’s share what makes life in York County great. I’m here to help you enjoy this place as much as I do!”
I think I’ve said before that more is being written today about York County history than ever before. York County enjoys Preserving York and other history-oriented Facebook sites. A growing Web presence is the host of helpful and informative “You’re Probably From (name the town) if …” community sites.
And Yorkbloggers continue to regularly tell about our past – and often tie it into current events. In any given month, readers of the five Yorkblog history sites view about 80,000 pages of words, photos, graphics and videos. These stories and photos are multiplied through the increasing use of social media by the Yorkbloggers. One can safely say that more people are reading the extensive offerings about York County history each day than, well, ever before in York County history.
And not only reading about it. Engaging with it – answering questions and providing insights of their own. The digital world, in a significant way, is making this happen. And the York Daily Record is increasingly “repurposing” this digital content into print. Coming out of all this is the goal that a shared history adds to community, and this shared understanding allows people to get things done in a democracy.
I just wanted to take a moment here to say thank you to our four other history bloggers – and our editor, Scott Fisher!
Samples of their work:
You saw above the hiway theater post that was an example of Joan’s handiwork over at Only in York County.
And you’re reading a sample from my blog, York Town Square.
Here are sample posts from the other three history bloggers:
– June Lloyd’s Universal York: One of the York USO hostesses shares memories.
– Scott Mingus’ Cannonball: Jubal Early’s rebels raided York merchant P.A. Small.
– Stephen H. Smith: Susquehanna Trail WWI Memorial Sycamores.
As for York Town Square:
Videos have been an important addition to York Town Square in the past few years, particularly short-form videos. Here, blog readers get a view of York from a vantage point not commonly seen. Atop a ladder truck at West Philadelphia and Belvidere streets.
An additional feature I’ve added to my posts are the history mystery questions I post twice-a-day on YDR.com’s Facebook page, which passed 25,000 fans long ago. Here’s a sample – and always feel free to join in the commenting:
