About this blog
I've been editor of the York (Pa.) Daily Record/Sunday News for 8 years and managing editor of the newspaper for 15 years before that. So, York Town Square explores the rapidly changing world of journalism. And I studied York/Adams' history in graduate school, have written six books about these fascinating southcentral Pennsylvania counties and serve on the York County (Pa.) Heritage Trust board. So, this blog deals with regional history. Often, journalism and history meet here. They're part of a continuum anyway. My hope is that this site intrigues readers on both accounts in giving a daily dose of journalism/history. Or history/journalism. Contact me at jem@ydr.com or become friends on Facebook or follower on Twitter, @JamesMcClure.
Monthly Archives: March 2006
World War II-era Yorkers welcomed nondescript housing
Just off York’s Roosevelt Avenue at Fahs Street, people today reside in two-story government-type housing. The houses clash with the style of their single-unit neighbors in the Fireside area, but motorists passing by have probably grown accustomed to them. But … Continue reading
Newspaper’s history team plans series on Crispus Attucks Center
The Crispus Attucks Association was formed in 1931 as a social and recreational center for black people in segregated York. Today, its $6 million budget covers education, recreation and employment programs for a diverse community. We’ll tell CA’s story, these … Continue reading
Posted in Local journalism & Web
Leave a comment
York City directory first step in finding history of a house
An e-mailer was curious about the history of a friend’s house. How could she determine who previously lived in the house? she wondered. …
Mason-Dixon markers generate interest
A reader pointed out an intriguing Web site http://www.eawebview.com/masondixon/StoneMarkerSearch.cfm detailing extensive research on extant Mason-Dixon Line markers. Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon undertook their famous survey between 1763-1767. They worked on the section near Delta, in southeast York County, in … Continue reading
Of elephants, Nessie, Luther and Hannibal
I had one of those magic moments when everything I was reading converged. Within a short period, I read about swimming elephants in two far different types of writing. A York Daily Record article reported speculations that the Loch Ness … Continue reading
Helen Reeves Thackston’s name lives on in York, Pa.
Helen Thackston Memorial Park sits obscurely between West Princess and West College near the Codorus Creek in York. Not many people know where the park is, much less the woman whose name is on its sign. But even a cursory … Continue reading
Dover intelligent design trials not over yet
The aftermath of the Dover intelligent design trial continues to create issues that demand news coverage. This week, the Christian group Repent America is handing out fliers advertising an upcoming creationism vs. evolution event at Dover’s high school. http://www.ydr.com/doverbiology/ci_3557843 And … Continue reading
Where exactly is the Susquehanna River’s Holtwood Dam?
A story on some rehab work planned for Holtwood Dam in the Susquehanna River sparked discussion in our afternoon news meeting Monday. Where exactly is Holtwood Dam (and Safe Harbor, York Haven and other dams) in relation to the other … Continue reading
York’s Crispus Attucks Center had intriguing start
I’ve run across some interesting stuff in preparing a series of vignettes telling the larger story of York’s Crispus Attucks Association. First, I didn’t know other Crispus Attucks groups existed at the time of the local center’s founding. Lancaster, for … Continue reading
An evening well spent in Hanover, Pa.
Back on the Lions Club beat. (See Feb. 24 post, “Susquehanna Lions fight to keep streak going in Mount Wolf.”) This time, I traveled to Hanover to present York County’s World War II story to members. Hanover is an appropriate … Continue reading
