Valley View Park was a stage in Hellam Township, Pa., that drew Earl Scruggs, Johnny Cash and other country acts. Here, a York County Heritage Trust display in 2006s features a photo of the 101 Ranch Boys. The venue featured local talents like the boys. Developers purchased the park in the 1980, and Jehovah Witnesses church is the featured occupant there today. (See additional photo below) Also of interest: Roy Rogers took York County stage, but not alone.
Joshua Fincher is related to Shorty Fincher, longtime operator of entertainment venue Valley View Park in eastern York County.
He’s doing research on his relative, as the following email tells:
I found your blog post about Shorty Fincher and his Prairie Pals on the
York Blog.
I’ve been trying to do some research to find out more about Shorty and
Hamilton “Raw Hide” as Shorty is my father’s great uncle and Hamilton
his grand father.
I saw in the comments section of that post that you pointed (commenter on the past) Angela in the direction of (York County Heritage Trust’s) Lila Fourhman-Shaull; I will definitely be contacting her. I was hoping you could also put me in contact with Angela as I’d love to share information/photos with her.
I’d also be very willing to share this with you in more detail once it
arrives in the mail. I just won this on eBay today.
I emailed Angela asking her to get in contact with Joshua.
Valley View Park today is an interesting place. You go out to this remote locale, and you’d never think that hundreds of cars and thousands of folks gathered there for events.
If you have information on Shorty and Raw Hide, please comment below.
Also of interest
101 Ranch Boys play on in York County memories
The ‘Uncle Jack Singers,’ past performers at Valley View Park, were featured in the York County Heritage Trust exhibit. They’re seen in a 1935 photo.
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I remember going to Valley View park on Sundays when I was a kid. I saw Marvin Rainwater there more than once. There were picnic tables and we used to take a picnic lunch with us, mostly fried chicken and potato salad and baked beans. I’m related to the Inners of Inners Amusements, and they had cotton candy, candy apples, and such for sale.
I remember one time in particular that it rained cats n dogs, but mom and dad wouldn’t leave. We were soked clear thru, but when the entertainment finally got there, he came out on stage and said that if we waited all that time to hear him sing, then by God he was gonna give us a show. And he did. I was only about 4 or 5 years old, so I wasn’t really impressed. As I got older, I found pictures we had taken and what a surprise!!!! I had seen Hank Williams Sr. and he was great, (as great as a 4-5 year old could think, anyway). I wish I could see him now. What a memory.
Linda, thanks for sharing. I put your comments in my 4/10/12 blog post.
Jim