Lewis Miller drawing of himself and friends admiring 1868 Wrightsville bridge.

Bridges make our lives so much more convenient.

We have recently been hearing about the high cost of maintaining bridges. They are, of course, much more expensive to build from scratch.

Where would we be if we didn't have the four bridges (Norman Wood in the south, two at Wrightsville in the middle, and Route 76 in the extreme north) that cross the Susquehanna River from York County?

Posted in 1860s Baltimore Civil War Columbia, PA Lewis Miller Susquehanna River Universal York Wrightsville York County transportation

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The Prince family, that is. A few days ago I wrote and that I thought there were two contemporary David Princes in York. I based that assumption on that two different women married David Prince, and that one David Prince moved to Baltimore and another taught at the York County Academy for around forty-five years.

Click here to read the previous Prince post.

A further search at the York County Heritage Trust Library/Archives of transcribed original records shows that they were indeed the same person, and he did all the things listed above.

Posted in 1820s 1830s 1860s Baltimore Universal York York genealogy teachers

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I was asked, in response to my recent post about the Barnitz brewers of York, if they were related to brewer J. C. Barnitz of Harrisburg. Click here to read about the York brewers.

Good question, and the answer is Yes. It turns out that brewing was a traditional occupation in the Barnitz family during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Posted in 1700s 1850s Baltimore Hanover Universal York York brewers genealogy

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Lotteries have always been alluring--wager a little for the chance to win a lot. Continental Congress attempted to raise funds to finance the Revolutionary War through a lottery, with a one of the drawings held in York in May 1778. From colonial times lotteries were conducted to raise money for public works, for churches and for colleges.

Two advertisements in a December 1826 York Recorder show that even out-of-state lotteries competed for Yorkers’ cash:

Posted in 1770s 1820s Baltimore Continental Congress Delaware Revolutionary War Universal York fundraisers lotteries universities

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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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York Chief of Detectives Charles S. White celebrated Lincoln’s Birthday a hundred years ago by jailing a jewel thief named Harry St. Clair. White went to Baltimore to pick up the 16-year-old criminal, who had been arrested there.

The Gazette reports that St. Clair was charged with:

Posted in 1900s Baltimore Universal York York burglary crime detectives jewelry

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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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