York: December 2007 Archives

Smart marketing isn’t a recent innovation. Merchants were just as eager to get the customer’s attention 160 years ago as today. The top news story of that day was the Mexican War (1846-1848).

Local African American businessman William Goodridge used the interest in the war as the “hook” in the ad he ran in the Gazette during the winter of 1847-1848 to entice customers to check out his wares:

The image of Liberty is very familiar to present-day U.S. Mint sculptor and engraver Don Everhart, whose Statue of Liberty design graces the back of the mint’s presidential dollar coins.

We also recently learned that Everhart, a York County native, had the honor of meeting the Dalai Lama. Everhart was selected to create the Dalai Lama’s likeness on the face of a gold medal, authorized by an Act of Congress and presented to the Tibetan leader in recognition of his work for world peace.

Everhart has sculpted and engraved many coins, calling to mind Hanover native Christian Gobrecht, who was also employed in a similar capacity by the U.S. mint and created the famous Seated Liberty image used on several coins, starting with the dollar in 1836.

See below for my 2005 York Sunday News column on Gobrecht:

Lewis Miller Drawing of a York County Pennsylvania German Christmas Tree

In December 1867, the Gazette reported:

"FESTIVAL-- The Moravians are now holding a festival at Washington Hall for the benefit of their new church. They have the largest and finest assortment of fancy articles and toys ever offered at any similar enterprise in this place. Among the attractions is a large Christmas tree, illuminated by hundreds of jets of light, which is well worthy of a visit. A trifling fee only is charged admittance--ten cents, we believe. Give them a call."

A related item reported progress on:

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: