Results tagged “Glen Rock” from York Town Square

This view from the penthouse of the Glen Rock Mill Inn shows the heart of Glen Rock. It's quiet here, but the borough has played host to many newsworthy events. The borough is celebrating its 150 anniversary next year. Background posts: AMP's and AMF's alphabet soup spilled in Glen Rock and Google Images bring life and times of Glen Rock's Cliff Heathcote, a trick shot artist, other York County, Pa., memories and Parade Music Prince Roland Seitz: From Shrewsbury to Friday Night Lights.

Glen Rock is going down in history as a town with the most histories written about it.

In recent years, the Glen Rock Carolers have updated their already thorough history, which is also a history of the town.

Earlier this year, Bob Ketenheim published a postcard history book covering Glen Rock's plentiful hills and dales.

Next June, the borough will celebrate its 150th birthday, and yes, the committee heading that effort is publishing a book... .

The First National Bank of Glen Rock's building has long been an anchor in the borough's downtown. It was constructed in 1912, and this photograph was taken two years later. Bob Ketenheim nicely captures Glen Rock, Pa.'s, past in his recently published "Around Glen Rock," part of Arcadia Publishing's "Images of America" series. Background posts: Google Images bring life and times of Glen Rock's Cliff Heathcote, other York County, Pa., memories and Mystery of Glen Rock-area's Narrow Gauge Road deepens and Glen Rock hilltop farm: 'You cannot stay stressed here for long'.

Bob Ketenheim's "Around Glen Rock" contains numerous interesting photos that individually tell the story of this southern York County's borough history.

And sometimes photos in this book, working in tandem, tell perhaps unintended but rich and revealing stories.

One photo, for example, shows a proud Wesley C. Koller driving his brand new Stanhope make of automobile into Glen Rock on Manchester Street in 1900... .

Phyllis Chisler's rendition of Hametown School serves as the focal point of the cover of Joseph D. Boose's book on the one-room school. The painting was entered in the York County Painter's contest of York County one room schools in 1963. Background posts: The Outhouse Rules - York County, circa 1935 and Northeastern York County's Paddletown: Children paddled back and forth to visit grandma and One-room school reunions preserve educational culture of thousands of York countians.

Gov. Rendell has called for the state's 500 districts to implode into 100.

This is not the first time a call for school consolidation has gone out.

In post-World War II York County, 32 districts merged into 15, according to the booklet "York County: An Overview."

What actually happened in the 1950s when all this consolidation took place?

Workers are dismantling the Felton Mill after it was discovered to be unstable and concerned many in that southeastern York County borough as a fire hazard. (See additional photos below.) Background posts: Glen Rock Mill Inn: 'They are happy to see it open again' and Part of York County's past, Biesecker Mill, goes on the auction block and Pioneering sisters operated York County grist mill near Cross Roads.

The Felton Mill draws draws attention to the heyday of those water-powered buildings on nearly every stream of size in this region.

Thanks to the efforts of researcher Grant Voaden, more than 270 York County mills and 50 in Adams County are documented.

His work rests in a four-draw filing cabinet at the York County Heritage Trust archives, 250 E. Market St., York... .

This photograph shows the Codorus Creek near Richland Avenue before Depression-era flood-control efforts changed its appearance. (Courtesy of York County Heritage Trust.) Background posts: Destructive flood of 1933 struck York County 75 years ago, It couldn't happen in York County? Women were trampled in Depression-era labor unrest and Bad economy turned York Safe and Lock toward lucrative defense work .

In a previous post Great Depression not only pinched in York County, it punched, I take a poke at the notion that the county somehow escaped the very tough times of the 1930s.

That assertion has come down over the years because no bank in York failed during the Depression.

No banks apparently failed in the city.

But using Charles Bloomfield's Millersville University master's research, I point out that 17 of York County's 46 banks either failed or reorganized.

This discussion caused Warren Miller of Hanover to inquire about which banks did, indeed, fail... .

This building at East Main Street and Railroad Avenue in New Freedom will soon house a museum detailing this southern York County borough's past. Among other things, the borough, founded in 1873, can boast of resting at the highest point on the old Northern Central Railroad between Baltimore and York. Background posts: Spring Grove museum displays horse gas mask and more, Birthday borough Dillsburg: 'Seems to be York County's wild child' and The American hobo comes to York Springs.

At the current rate, every borough in York County will have a museum or an active historical group some day.

That's a good thing.

Earlier this year, Dallastown opened its museum joining Wrightsville, Red Lion, Glen Rock and many other towns that publicly display their history.

Now New Freedom, right over the Mason-Dixon Line from Maryland, is opening a place to show off its historical artifacts... .

The origin of the narrow gauge that lays behind this sign is up in the air. The term narrow gauge often refers to railroads - often branch lines - whose tracks were closer together, thus supporting smaller locomotives and reducing construction costs. Background posts: Ma & Pa rabbit trains: 'I hope they thoroughly hosed out the cars.', York County railroading: 'Something that gets into your blood' and Northern York area strawberry part of Neapolitan county.

Bob Burns (burns@nfdc.net) is 59 years old and has lived on Narrow Gauge Road in southern York County all his life. And he's not aware of a railroad ever running in that area.

An e-mailer - a railroad enthusiast - raised the prospect that the road took its name from an old railroad as described in the York Town Square post: : Is mystery railroad the old Shrewsbury narrow gauge?... .

A member of the Red Lion-Felton Band shows a Roland Seitz composition, part of the group's playlist, in 2006. Background posts: Parade Music Prince Roland Seitz: From Shrewsbury to Friday Night Lights, Spring Garden Band: 'It's like being in a room with history', Glen Rock Mill Inn: 'They are happy to see it open again'.

The small community museum is just inside the building housing the library in Glen Rock.

But an easily overlooked treasure stands outside as well... .

Roland F. Seitz (1867-1946) was a York County, Pa., native and composer of marches who is remembered today. One of the pieces he wrote and arranged, 'Grandioso March,' appears on the 'Friday Night Lights' soundtrack. Background posts: Long Level and Pleasureville fielded bands?, York County (Pa.) community bands played on and The night the furnace 'blew'.

Roland F. Seitz is internationally known as the "Parade Music Prince".

His "Grandioso," "Salutation" and "Brooke's Chicago Marine Band" are well-known pieces.

He's an achiever may be better known nationally than in his native York County, where he grew up on a Shrewsbury Township farm.

That said, local community bands continue to play his pieces... .

'Salute This Happy Morn,' is a book on the Glen Rock Carolers. But it's also a book on Glen Rock, a caption in this 1997 work surmises: 'Perhaps these rocks near his house, exposed by the construction of the Baltimore and Susquehanna Railroad, gave William Heathcote an idea for the name of the village he had so large a part in founding. These same tracks have been the site of train wrecks, excursion trains, and most recently, trains of bike riders using of the rail trail running through the borough. Background posts: 'I really like these old pictures of Glen Rock', Former CCC Camp now on the map and AMP's and AMF's alphabet soup spilled in same small town .

Fellow blogger June Lloyd tells the rivoting story of the spectacular train accident that rocked Glen Rock on Good Friday, 1920.

Glen Rock has always been a newsy town. (To provide it, search this blog for all of the posts linked to this southern York County borough.)

Here are some insights into the town, as found in George Prowell's 1907 "History of York County, Pennsylvania," with my own comments in parenthesis:

Ginger Parker is a different type of York County barn owner. She uses her barn, located on a high point near Glen Rock, to breed show horses. Here, her is the inside-out view of Parker in the barnyard. Background posts: Star Barn's relocation a plus, even if not in York County and 'An old bank barn with so much character'.

Hanover Shoe Farms put horse breeding on the map in York County.

Most recently, Donato Hanover, then stabled at his birthplace in Hanover, won harness racing's 2007 Horse of the Year honors.

And it was 16 years go that Pin Oak Lane Farm in Shrewsbury Township gained the national spotlight as birthplace of Lil E. Tee. That colt was the first Pennsylvania-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby... .

This AP photo shows Eric Volz, right, riding in an ambulance after being released from prison in Managua in December. A Nicaraguan court overturned Volz's 30-year sentence and freed him. Volz had been sentenced for his role in the death of Doris Ivania Jimenez, 25. A Diplomatic Security agent with York County roots saved Volz from a mob after unrest followed word that he had been freed. Other York County heroes: Nazis murdered downed WWII airman from York, York County Civil War hero grandmom of Gore Vidal and 'Chaplains: The Calm in the Chaos'.

All trails do, indeed, lead to York County.

Even from Nicaragua.

There, the Eric Volz case has evoked mob violence. Volz has been released from prison after being charged in the murder and rape his ex-girlfriend.

Volz was at risk of his life until Michael Poehlitz, special agent with the Bureau of Diplomatic Security and Susquehannock High School grad, stepped in.... .

American Machinery and Foundry, best known to York County as occupant of the former York Safe & Lock factory after Naval Ordnance Plant and before Harley-Davidson, started in Hanover and became an international company. Its first plant was located on East Middle Street in Hanover until it burned down in 1903, leaving a ruin shown here in this August 1967 AMF newsletter. Background post: From Bofors to bikes, Harley plant top hog, Where was the arsenal on Arsenal Road? and Glen Rock marked site of AMP/Tyco's first Pa. plant.

AMP, now Tyco, opened its first Pennsylvania factory in Glen Rock.

AMF started in Hanover. It became best-known as the owner of the former York Safe & Lock plant, which later became Naval Ordnance Plant. Among other products that AMF made at its new plant after 1974 were Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

And AMF had a plant in Glen Rock, too

AMF and AMP in the same town.

Imagine trying to explain to relatives a change in job from one to the other... .

The lobby of the Arthur Hufnagel Public Library of Glen Rock plays host to an unsung, off-the-beaten-path museum. Local collectors John 'Otts' Hufnagel, Terry McFatridge and Roger Butz and historian Don Swartz created an exhibit that displays letters, bills of sale, calendars and items from former businesses. 'I really like these old pictures of Glen Rock. I grew up in New Freedom so I don't remember a lot of these buildings, but I think it's neat to look at them and figure out where they were,' Lee Cook said. Cook, at left, and Jay Miller look at the display in 2005. Background posts: Former York County CCC camp now on map and The unsolved mystery of locomotive No. 1689.

Everyone in Glen Rock knew Willis Rohrbaugh.

The handyman at the Glen Rock post office carried bags from the train station to the post office starting in 1955.

Sometimes the train didn't even stop but slowed enough for someone to throw the mailbags in Willis' direction. And occasionally, two trains would stop at once, giving Willis double the work.

When the Sears & Roebuck catalog came in, he would haul up to 12 bags at once.

All this for $15 a week... .

Terry Cox leads other members of the Glen Rock Carol Singers in their annual Christmas stroll around the streets of Glen Rock in 2004. Background posts: Legendary Glen Rock Carolers to publish history and Glen Rock singers salute English caroling custom.

The revised edition of the history of the Glen Rock Carol Singers bears all kinds of interesting information.

And it answers a question I've long wondered.... .

Connecticut head coach Randy Edsall awaits his helmet before riding in a NASCAR race car at the Richard Petty Driving Experience before taking laps at the Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. in this Associated Press photograph. Edsall and his brother, Duke, a former Atlantic Coast Conference basketball referee, graduated from Susquehannock High School. Background posts about other York sports achievers: Butch Wynegar ranks bright among York's sports stars and Lenny Moore has strong links to York.

Two brothers from Glen Rock have made it big on the national sports scene.

Duke Edsall has called 20 NCAA tournaments, including one Final Four, as a basketball referee.

His younger brother and fellow Susquehannock High School grad has just coached University of Connecticut's football team to its best Division I season.

There just seems to be no end to people with York County roots making national headlines ... .

The Glen Rock Carol Singers, from left, Jim Kroh, Rodger Smith and Paul Shepperd, sing at the South Central York County Senior Center in New Freedom. The trio collectively has more than 200 years of experience as members of the group. But reinforcements are on the way. (See photograph below). Legendery Glen Rock Carolers to publish history.

For years, the Glen Rock Carol Singers celebrate Christmas Eve with an 11 p.m. concert, then take to the streets of town in song.

That's happening again this year - the top-hatted group's 160th anniversary - and they'll be armed this year with more than a songbook... .

William Hinton, left, and Vincent Quinn, former Civilian Conservation Corps workers in the late 1930s, mark the site of Glen Rock's CCC camp. The site was dedicated recently on Glen Avenue. When it operated, its official name was Glenview Camp, Co. 2318, Camp SCS-7. Franklin D. Roosevelt established the CCC during the Depression to create jobs and protect natural resources, particularly to combat soil erosion.

A recent York Daily Record story commemorating the former Civilian Conservative Corps camp in Glen Rock contained an intriguing sentence.

The story noted that a number of men married local girls while working at the Glen Rock area.

"Men with such surnames as VanMeter, Nicklow, Casper, Ballard, Clouser, McKnight, Fullerton and Quinn became a part of the local population," the story stated. Those names stuck out in the heavily German area... .

Eighty-nine years later, people still talk about the fruit train wreck on the Northern Central Railroad in Seven Valleys.

It was 8 p.m. on a war-weary July night in 1918.

Seven Valleys was the place. Specifically, at the railroad cut in this southcentral York County hamlet.

A northbound train laden with fruit - York County's orchards and gardens and canneries were in full production - stopped near the borough's station.

Air brake problems.

A second fruit train rolled along at an unsuspecting pace a few minutes later.

The engineer slowed down but didn't put enough pressure on the brakes. The locomotive plowed into back of the stationary train... .