Today’s letter comes from Wayne Breighner, who says, “A suggestion for future stories: Butcher shops.”
His memories included: “The old days butcher shops were found in and around York city and County. A few had trucks that traveled neighborhoods in the city on scheduled days. We lived on W. King St. and I remember my grandma and mom going to the truck and getting meats twice a week. Budisheim (not sure of spelling) butchers were in Seven Valleys, Eberly’s in Yoe, and Sechrists in Dallastown (they are still there a great place to buy great tasting hot dogs as well as a full line of meats.) to name a few..I know Spring Grove had some on Water Street (no name recalled).”
Charles R. and Naomi Nell work at Stoney Point Farmers Market when they opened the Littlestown location in 1980. Their family has been in the butcher shop business since the late 1920s, when Eugene Nell opened a small butcher shop, in Kralltown. Eugene's sons Charles and Wayne Nell moved the business to East Berlin before moving to Littlestown.
Wayne continues, “The one I am more familiar with is Eberly’s in Yoe, this was owned and operated by Jim and Flora Eberly. I moved my family to Yoe in 1966. We lived across the street from the retail store on E. Penna. Ave. Jim was a butcher ‘extraordinaire.’ He slaughtered, processed and retailed home cured meats and meat products, using proprietary recipes for bologna and other products produced on site. The abattoir was on Wilson court. Jim would pick up and deliver or farmers would bring there livestock to him. Holding pens kept the process in full swing. One rare occasions an animal would temporally escape, Jim Eberly was also the Yoe VFD chief, one day a bull escaped about the same time the fire dept. was dispatched by county control. That bull had the longest bout of reprieve, however after the fire company returned to station the firemen assisted their chief in retrieving the bull from a wooded area nearby.”
He concludes, “A local sharpshooter (Robert ‘Bobby’ Strobeck) assisted and dispatched the bull, in the woods, now the problem was getting a large dead carcass back to the shop for processing. A tow-truck was used and all ended well, the bull was transported back to the shop and all but the bull lived happily after.”
Jim and Flora operated a small neighborhood grocery store and they had the local post office sub-station. (Their) store was also the local gossip depot. Most any time you could catch up on local news and see your friends and share hunting and fishing adventures. Their homemade bologna and home smoked meats were widely acclaimed. They operated their store like many a small town business and extended credit as needed. No one ever needed to go hungry if they knew the Eberlys, of this I can attest as I worked construction and was seasonally challenged for a steady income. We were blessed to know the Eberlys as neighbors and as good friends. Like a lot of the old day memories butcher shops … are no longer stand alone enterprises, how sad the next generations will only hear how it was way back then. Facebook is just not even close.”
Wayne, I’m so glad you brought up this fun topic for memories. Anyone else recall the local butcher shops?
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 remember Fisher’s Butchers that was located in the 300 block of South George St. It is currently housed by Our Daily Bread! My mother used to go there to get our meats for the week. I lived on South St, so it was very close. The neighboorhood kids used to play in the alley behind Fisher’s and we could smell the butchering of the cows. It was a smell I will never forget. Thanks for the memories!!
also about Fishers meats. They also had a stand in the Central Market where my mother would by the familys meats every saturday morning. She would not think of going anyplace else.
In Dover in the 50′s two butchers ran their trucks through town. “Butch” Gentzler and “Butch” Weaver. These were the only sources my mother used for all our meats. Weavers is still in business just off the square on East Canal St. Gentzlers was located on North Main St at what is now Herrold St. This is right across the street from where Doc Herrold’s home and office was located. I believe Weavers also had a stand at the Eastern Market at one time.
I lived in the 400 block of Prospect as a kid in the 50′s and I remember going out to the curb with my mother to buy meat off the butcher’s panel truck. I don’t remember the butcher’s name but I do remember getting a free hot dog handed to me. To this day I like eating uncooked hot dogs.
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One meat market I never see mentioned anyplace. My Mother’s Father &
Mother (and Grandfather, I think) had the Wagman’s Meat Market at the
corner of N. High St. and E. Main St. in Red Lion. Now this was about 100
years ago! (Edward H. Wagman) Mother and her sisters were born there.
Seems Mother said PawPaw would go down toward Windsor to get live
hogs, cattle, etc. to butcher and sell. Mother loved bologna! She said she would be found sitting on the floor behind the meat counter, eating bologna.
PawPaw gave up the butcher shop. Mother always thought it had a connection with the Swine ( Asian) Flu of 1918. They later moved to Dallastown, where PawPaw bought the Commercial Hotel on the Square.
One ironic, yet not funny, thing: Mother was born with three kidneys. It
was not found out till she was in her late 20′s or so. They were not in good
condition.
PawPaw said that, in all his years of butchering animals, he never
saw one like that. Strange things can happen in this world.
Incidentally, PawPaw’s father was first Chief Burgess of Red Lion.
Betsy Baird
I forgot to mention that I have a pictore of the meat market with Pawpaw
and Mawmaw standing in it. No big freezers in those days. They relied
I think, on dry ice.
Betsy Baird