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: July 2009
Old York Airport: ‘I never knew we had an airport on Roosevelt Ave.’
A World War II B-17 bomber sits at the York Airport in Thomasville in October 2001. Andy Rusnack, seen here, a World War II veteran, flew in a B-17 exactly like this one shortly before he was sent overseas in … Continue reading
Where was the site of Camp Betty Washington, along the road so named?
A fun thread under way on The Exchange, a York Daily Record/Sunday News community bulletin board, is exploring topics relating to Springwood Park and Pool and Camp Betty Washington. The conversation is exploring the old Springwood pool, which operated along … Continue reading
Helping to sort it out in York, Part II: Equations explain causes of late 1960s race riots
This is perhaps the photograph used most often to illustrate stories on the York race riots of 1968-69. The National Guard was called in to York to supplement local and state police forces that were seeking to quell rioting in … Continue reading
Walter Cronkite spoke here: Among celebs Junior League brought to York
Walter Cronkite, who died last week speaks on April 21, 1998, in York. He appeared at the Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center as part of the Junior League’s “In The Spotlight” series. Background posts: Hedy Lamarr’s visit to York long remembered … Continue reading
Helping to sort it out in York: Timeline of 1969 race riots, court cases
This AP photo from June 2001 shows the media besieging the then-York County Courthouse during the trial of defendants in the slaying of Lillie Belle Allen and Henry C. Schaad during race rioting 32 years before. Background posts: For years, … Continue reading
‘Remember’ series recalls moon landing and rocket scientist who helped make it so
York Daily Record/Sunday News journalist Melissa Nann Burke captured former rocket scientist and now Hanover resident George Hubbard in writing – and on video. He worked on Apollo 11. Posts on other topics in the ‘Remember’ series: Tropical Storm Agnes … Continue reading
York Township’s long-closed Springwood Park spawns memories
York Township’s Springwood Park and pool complex is seen in this undated York County Heritage Trust photo. Background: York Township’s Springwood Park dance hall: ‘We would pack the place’ and York Town Square commenter asks about much-remembered Springwood Pool’s ownership … Continue reading
‘Tweeting’ helps disseminate neat stuff on the regional, York County history front
Scott Blanchard, Sunday editor at the York Daily Record/Sunday News, e-mailed me this week that someone was “tweeting” from a Civil War conference in Gettysburg. (S)ome interesting stuff on there,” he wrote. Indeed. I checked out the link he sent … Continue reading
Nurses and their work appear again and again in York County’s past
In this 2004 York Daily Record file photo, Nellie Scott of York Township goes through a scrapbook from her service overseas as nurse in World War II. Background posts: Women’s history posts from the start and World War II posts … Continue reading
