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: April 2006
Soy now part of printing ink recipe
Newspaper editors receive all kinds of questions from readers. Here was one that required me to seek help: Do we use soy-based ink in the York Daily Record/Sunday News? The reader posed that question before making seed-starting pots from recycled … Continue reading
York Market House No. 5 – Carlisle Avenue Market, revisited
The turn-of-the-century Carlisle Avenue Market represents the last of the great indoor market houses to be built. And it’s the most recent one to make the news, as the soon-to-be-renovated home of Dreamwrights, a local theater group. So, the scorecard … Continue reading
Market House No. 4 – Central Market, York’s most popular
Several years ago, I wrote a short history of York’s Central Market for its Web site. The most surprising fact I learned was that more than 20,000 people a week shopped at the downtown market at peak points in its … Continue reading
York Market House No. 3 – The first Eastern Market
In 1889, the Eastern Market walls took a tumble. With it came near disaster, as described in this excerpt from “Never to be Forgotten”: A little boy and his dog play in the Eastern Market yard. The dog runs toward … Continue reading
York Market House No. 2 – The architecturally striking City Market
The now-demolished York City Market would have taken top prize for beauty if ranked among York’s five indoor market houses. The market, sporting a Gothic design by York’s famed Dempwolf architectural firm, featured a 140-foot-high tower… .
York Market House No. 1 – Penn Street Farmers Market
In 1866, farmers routinely took their goods to market in York — York County’s primary market center. That’s how they gained liquidity and disposed of excess produce, fruit and meat. In those post-Civil War Days, the most popular places in … Continue reading
The forgotten fifth York market house
A former York market house is hidden in plain view. Dreamwrights, a local theater group, is quite correctly touting rehab plans for their large brick playhouse on Carlisle Avenue. For years, I’ve wondered about the original use of that beautiful … Continue reading
The day Jumbo screamed in North York – Elephant story Part II
York County resident Dave Yates read my blog-entry-turned-column in the York Sunday News and e-mailed his own elephant story. But Dave’s story is heart-breaking so read on with caution … .
York County elephant stories, Part III: The case of the panicky pachyderms
Ok, one more elephant story to complement two previous posts. Again, one that can bring a tear to the eye, from the York Daily Record, 1995:
Pastors denounce first Sunday newspaper publication
Popular Sunday trolley excursions to Highland Park were not the only activity that drew the ire of pastors at the turn of the 20th century. (See “Red Lion’s towering Fairmont Park off the beaten track” post below or in York … Continue reading
