York Town Square

Part of the USAToday Network

Mayor of York, Pa.: ‘We are no longer unprotected’ – 15/31 iconic images


Re-enactors re-create the surrender of York, Pa., in 1988, the 125th anniversary of the town’s occupation to the invading rebels in late June 1863. Background posts: Invaders put off by earthy Pennsylvania women, Owner seeks info on old toll house and York County Civil War, by the numbers.

Continuing the series of telling York County, Pa.’s, history through images: … .


In plain view: When confronted with the surrender demand by Confederate Gen. Jubal Early, played here by Richard Knapp of Red Lion, center, York Mayor William Althaus, left, declined. ‘We are no longer unprotected, having the finest police department in the country,’ Althaus said.
Behind the scene: This good-natured mock surrender ceremony in 1988 served as a symbolic point of change in York’s official view of the town’s solemn surrender to the Confederates 125 years earlier. Should York’s leaders have caved upon the Confederate approach in the days before the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863? That question was controverted from the moment the last gray-clad soldier left York. As the decades passed, it has been met mostly with silence. Some have denied that a surrender had even taken place. But Mayor Althaus’ anniversary moment seemed to break the ice, and a downtown York display on the rebel occupation followed a couple of years later. Since then, the surrender re-enactment has been regularly staged, a York County Heritage Trust Civil War exhibit has been erected and several books have been written that have focused on York County and the Civil War. York County residents are increasingly recognizing that few towns this far north can boast of a role in both the American Revolution and Civil War – and World War II.
Further details: Scott Mingus’ blog Cannonball regularly explores the Civil War in York County.
Posts in this series:
400 years ago, John Smith explored Chesapeake Bay – 1/31 iconic images
Declaration signer James Smith tops York County patriot list – 2/31 iconic images
Going to market a longtime York County pastime – 3/31 iconic images
William C. Goodridge: From slavery to success story – 4/31 iconic images

Rebs’ short York visit creates long memories – 5/31 iconic images
Artist Horace Bonham captured everyday life – 6/31 iconic images
York County farm vs. factory tension relieved in overnight raid – 7/31 iconic images
York County stood firmly behind Allies on all fronts in WW II – 8/31 iconic images
Downtown thrived in post-WW II York – 9/31 iconic images
After WWII success, Farquhar sells assets to out-of-town outfit – 10/31 iconic images.
Sears, York County Shopping Center in the middle of things – 11/31 iconic images
Three Mile Island emergency indelibly written into memories – 12/2 iconic images.
People of varying religious groups founded York County – 13/31 iconic images
President Reagan: ‘Harley is back and standing tall’ – 14/31 iconic images
York’s mayor: ‘We are no longer unprotected’ – 15/31 iconic images
Grange Hall represented past way of York County life – 16/31 iconic images.
York County Honors Choir product of proud moment – 17/31 iconic images.
Meeting of riot victims brought hope for racial accord – 18/31 iconic images.
Property rights foundational factor in Lauxmont dispute – 19/31 iconic images.
New baseball diamond serves as York cornerstone – 20/31 iconic images
Season 2 of York’s campaign to come back – 21-23 of 31 iconic images
York on knees as its men storm Normandy beaches – 24-25 of 31 iconic images
One image illustrates two long-neglected subjects in York area – 26-27 of 31 iconic images
Images explain changes in York County factories, farms – 28-29 of 31 iconic images
York County still home to unvarnished beauty – 30/31 iconic images
Latinos most recent migrant group to call York County home – 31/31 iconic images
For additional iconic photos of York County, see this blog’s iconic photo category.
To see the full series of iconic photos in a special York Daily Record/Sunday News publication, click here.