It was 1908. Although their families had been immigrants only a hundred years or so before, some York County people weren't too sure about the new immigrants coming in to work at plants, mills and quarries or to build roads.

These new arrivals weren't of German, English and Scots-Irish stock like them. They were Slavs, Poles, Italians and who knew what.

In the incident below, from the April 30, 1908 York Gazette, York Haven found out that not all foreigners were troublemakers.

Posted in 1900s Newberry Township Universal York York Haven crime immigrants industry manufacturing mills police

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Every since humans discovered fire, we have been relying on it for cooking our food, keeping us warm, and lighting our way.

We also know the destruction and tragedy accidental fires can cause. Three items, datelined Hanover, from the April 25, 1908 York Gazette illustrate why fire needs to be treated with respect.

Posted in 1900s Carroll Co., MD Hanover Universal York York County accidents fires inventions

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Welsh's Store in 1902 With Dollar Bible Sign.

I still don't understand why some people get upset when notices are published or signs posted in English and another language, usually Spanish nowadays. They seem to think that English is the only language all of us should use. If public notices hadn't been bilingual in Pennsylvania in the past, the ancestors of a great many of the people complaining wouldn't have known what was going on.

A few months ago I listed the publishers of York newspapers in 1837, with more German than English editions. Click here to read that post.

Below are a few more examples, illustrating the prevalence of the German language in York County for over 150 years.

Posted in 1700s 1830s 1840s 1870s 1900s Bibles German language Manheim Twp. Spanish Universal York York County education schools

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Wall Street, 1903

A colleague recently asked me where Wall Street used to be in York. It doesn't appear on present-day maps. A search through old maps with a magnifying glass located a tiny little Wall Street in the 1903 Atlas of York published by Frederick B. Roe.

Posted in 1800s 1850s 1860s 1900s Secret Societies Universal York York maps organizations streets

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Part of Freystown, 1876

Maps are fascinating. They document the charges in communities over the years. You can see how residential, social, and industrial patterns evolve as an area grows, or in some cases, retracts.

I recently looked at the when and where of North, South, East, and West streets in York, Pennsylvania. Click here to read that post.

Another look at 1836, 1850, 1876, and 1903 maps of York show changes in street names as well as disappearances of whole villages as they were absorbed into the city. The southeast side of town illustrates that well:

Posted in 1830s 1850s 1870s 1900s Freystown Spring Garden Twp. Universal York York maps roads streets

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After recently posting the article on the 20 horse power York-made Pullman’s win in a 1908 hill climb, I was curious to see what the car looked like.

Click here to read about the hill climb.

The newspaper article didn’t say if the winning auto was a 1907 or 1908 model. Since the race was in early 1908, I went to a 1907 Pullman catalog in the York County Heritage Trust Library/Archives.

The factory turned out three 20 horse power models that year. I’m including illustrations below from the catalog of all three models, along with specs and price. Which do you think beat the competitors up the hill?

Posted in 1900s Universal York York advertising automobiles contests industry manufacturing

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Automobile manufacturing was booming in York a hundred years ago. One of the most successful was the Pullman automobile, made by the York Motor Car Company. Manufacturers entered the cars in all kinds of races and competition to capture the attention of the public, and the results were duly reported in the sports pages.

One such competition was a hill climb in New York. The account in the April 11, 1908 York Gazette reads:

Posted in 1900s New York Universal York York automobiles competitions manufacturing

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I keep harping away that the “good old days” often weren’t as good as they are remembered to be. One thing that is certainly better now than it was then is medical knowledge and technology.

The article below, from the April 30, 1908 York Gazette, certainly points out how lucky we are to have the x-rays, MRIs, and various scans now, so that the surgeons can see where the problem is before they cut.

Posted in 1900s Baltimore Hanover Universal York hospitals medicine

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That was the headline above the Hanover news section of the York Gazette on April 30, 1908.

Why did Civil War veteran George M. Prince write to Hanover, Pennsylvania Postmaster Hostetter asking for names of widows?

Posted in 1860s 1900s Civil War Hanover Universal York veterans widows

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Weaver Factory on Broad Street

Renowned composer and orchestra leader Victor Herbert was in the prime of his career when he came to York in May of 1908.

Posted in 1900s Universal York York celebrities entertainment manufacturing music pianos

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