We know York County had a lot of different mills. Click here to read about the many mills of York County.

Sawmills sawed trees into boards, and grist mills ground grain. What purpose did a fulling mill serve?

In a recent post about York County runaways in the 18th century, I mentioned that it was pretty easy to describe what the person who ran away was wearing. They probably only had one or two sets of clothing. Click here to read about the runaway blacksmith apprentice.

Even well-to-do people didn’t have that many clothes. You have toured historic houses--how many closets do they have? A few pegs on the bedroom wall would do nicely. Why?

Posted in 1820s Universal York Windsor Township agriculture clothing manufacturing mills textiles wool

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You have probably noticed your bread costs more lately. The rise in the price of flour has been blamed on several factors.

Posted in 1820s Universal York York County agriculture commerce farming mills

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“ARREST MAN AFTER TEN MILE CHASE--FIND HATCHET AND SEARCHLIGHT.” So screamed front page headlines in the April 20, 1908 York Gazette.

What was the crime?

Posted in 1900s Red Lion Universal York York agriculture burglary chickens crime farming police

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George Anstine's Patented Threshing Machine, 1843.

I recently wrote about the blossoming of York County inventors in the mid- nineteenth century.

Click here to read previous post on inventions.

Read the 1843 ad below to find out just how George Anstine's threshing machine worked.

Posted in 1840s Universal York York County advertising agriculture farm machinery grain inventions mills

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Prosperity seems to have come to the York County of 140 years ago, if the ads in the December 31, 1867 issue of the York Gazette are any indication.

Entrepreneurs and agents from New York, Philadelphia, Maryland, and Adams County were offering investment opportunities.

Real estate was enticingly offered by New Oxford Agent J. C. Zouck as an appeal to:

“CAPITALISTS
LOOK TO YOUR INTEREST!”

Posted in 1860s Adams County Frederick Co., MD New Oxford Universal York York Springs advertising agriculture architecture business commerce farming merchants prices railroads real estate

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The Lewis Miller drawing above shows a busy King’s Mill in 1799.

In a previous post I mentioned that, now and in the past, we are impressed by the biggest and the best. Sometimes, though, we must stop and wonder if figures have been exaggerated or misreported.

The following small item caught my eye while reading the York Gazette microfilm at York County Heritage Trust. The newspaper was from the fall of 1877.

Posted in 1870s East Hopewell Twp. Universal York York County agriculture farming grain industry maps mills water power

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I guess it is human nature to want to have the biggest and the best. We are always impressed by the tallest buildings and the most gigantic pumpkins.

Our forebears were no different, as we can see by the Lewis Miller drawing above of a huge pumpkin. Miller captioned it: “1809. Christian Leaman, big and large pumpkin grown in his garden. It was as large as a barrel and more in circumference around. Old Dr. John Fisher bought it and sent it to Baltimore to let them see what old York can raise and examine it. No man could lift it from the ground.”

The citizens often made sure the local newspapers knew about their accomplishments. Short items from all over the county in the York Gazette in the autumn of 1877 list several examples:

Posted in 1800s 1870s Baltimore Chanceford Twp. Hanover Hopewell Twp. Lewis Miller Manheim Twp. Spring Garden Twp. Universal York W. Manheim Twp. York York Township agriculture animals contests farming food history hunting prices railroads transportation

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One hundred and ten years ago, most folks, especially in rural areas didn’t have telephones. That wonderous invention was only 21 years old in 1897. As far as other media, Heinrich Hertz has only discovered radio waves ten years before and television was way in the future.

The way to keep up with news of your neighbors was to read the newspaper. Each small community had a stringer, and no event was too small to report, especially since those free-lance reporters were reportedly paid according to the length of their column. This practice continued well into the mid-twentieth century. I remember, when I was a child, reading in the Gazette & Daily that my parents, grandparents, and I were entertained by my aunt and uncle for Christmas dinner. (My aunt happened to be the stringer for the New Bridgeville area.)

In early December, 1897 the Special Correspondence of the Gazette “Jacobus Notes” column reported that:

Posted in 1890s Jacobus Springfield Twp. Universal York York County agriculture business churches cigars farming history medicine people schools

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One hundred and twenty-five years ago there was excitement in Glen Rock, according to an article in the Glen Rock Item, which was reprinted in the York Gazette of November 28, 1882.

A new steam engine had arrived to bring York County agriculture into the automated age. According to the tone of awe in which the article is written, this might have been one of the first steam engines in that area. It certainly seems to have been the first traction steam engine, one that could move under its own power, ever seen climbing the hills of Glen Rock, as the following description attests:

Posted in 1880s Glen Rock Universal York agriculture industry manufacturing steam power transportation

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