During York visit, former President Taft glad to be in ‘this great hive of industry’
The York Gazette’s front page on Dec. 4, 1915, shows William Howard Taft and the principals behind the former president’s visit to York the previous day. He spent time in the West York Avenue, later Roosevelt Avenue, home of Thomas Shipley of York Manufacturing Co. (To see a list of other visits by presidents or presidental candidates, click here.) Background posts: Ted Kennedy’s visit to York comes almost 50 years after JFK’s and Local man tells about goofy encounter with Gerald Ford and Carnegie to Farquhar: ‘… I am ready to go out and enjoy myself’ .
William Howard Taft outlined his previous contacts with York County during a December 1915 visit to York as guest of the York Manufacturers Association at the York Country Club.
He had passed through by train several times, and in fact, spoke to a York audience for a few minutes from the back of a train on one occasion… .
“Next, he expressed great satisfaction in being able to actually be in this great hive of industry as York has long been considered,” The York Gazette reported.
Taft, who lost his bid for re-election to Democrat Woodrow Wilson three years earlier, spoke on the powers of the presidency in a manner that “not a man stirred rom his seat.”
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