One-room schools still fascinate York countians. Grace M. Olphin sent in this undated photograph of Down’s School in York County. The teacher, J. Milton Urey, was a relative of Grace’s. Here’s the question. The school was located in Goram. OK, where’s Goram. (See answer below.) Also of interest: One photograph teaches lesson about change in York County.
Neat stuff from all over …
Eighth-grade students from Logos Academy visited the YDR/YSN newsroom and our printing plant this week.
I showed them some posts on this blog as an example of how it’s important for editors to write and made the point that history and journalism can be fun. Or at least, I try to do that.
These classical Christian school students were particularly fascinated by the post Towered Logos building west of Codorus Creek another beacon of educational progress in York , which tells about past uses of their school’s property - particularly its use as a junkyard.
I noted that their school is an example of a giant recycling project. That property was recycled into something beautiful.
Readers were introduced to the Yingling Farm via this post about the Adams County landmark undergoing restoration. The Hanover Evening Sun has since visited the site and captured this photograph of bottles, some possibly from the 1800s. For more, check out: Gettysburg farmhouse yields relics .
Preserving York: Blake Stough of preservingyork.com is organizing a picnic for local history enthusiasts at the Shady Lane estate near Emigsville. More to come on this, but see this Preserving York post for early details.
Blog post of the day: Cannonball’s Scott Mingus has up a interesting post with equally interesting photos: Wrightsville’s African Methodist Church — did one of their men perish in a Civil War skirmish during the Gettysburg Campaign?
Forum of the day: First, the restaurant at I-83 and South Queen Street was called Donut Delight. A dozen years ago, it became South York Diner. Now,
South York Diner has closed. In York County, we remember places and things for what they used to be. Will you remember this as Donut Delight or South York Diner?
Where’s Goram? Goram is a village in Lower Chanceford Township in southeastern York County. The ‘Gazetteer of York and Adams County’ notes that this hamlet had a post office from 1891 to 1903.
With the Belmont Stakes just passed, it’s time to visit York County’s resident celebrity horse, Smarty Jones. Interestingly, the Kentucky Derby winner, now living in luxury in eastern Pennsylvania, is grazing not far from where another celebrity horse once visited. Trigger, and Roy Rogers, visited nearby Valley View Park. (OK, that’s a stretch.)
Welcome to York Town Square, 8 years of daily posts about journalism and history, topics that can easily become plodding and self important. My goal is to keep this blog fun and accessible. And I try to say something in each post. I welcome your comments and respond to every one you write. Please contact me at 
I’ll remember the restaurant at I-83 and South Queen Street as the South York Dinner; however I’m doing so by remembering places and things for what they used to be. The South York Diner became one of the favorite places that my Mom liked to be taken out to dine during the later years of her life. She liked the Pennsylvania Dutch favorites, however especially enjoyed the atmosphere, particularly the big windows all around. This was the restaurant at which Mom reminisced about the past every time we visited. Sitting in the front, Mom would look out the front windows to see where the farm of her Dad was located; the farmhouse where she was born. You could look down the street to see where the house built by my Father and Grandfather was located; the house where I was born. Sitting along a window in the main dining room, Mom would tell stories of life in the area when she grew up; always including Brenneman’s One-Room School located just up the road at Donna Lane where the Wells Fargo Bank is now located. I have to admit that I reminisced also; remembering trips through the cornfield to visit Grandpa, it was a good life for a kid. Mom would tell stories about how my Aunt Dorothy was very uncooperative with the Right-of-Way Agents in their attempts to serve the papers to take all of our properties by Eminent Domain for the construction of the I-83 Bypass. As excavation started on the I-83 Bypass, they put my Grandfathers farmhouse on wheels (I wish I had a picture) and moved it across South Queen Street; placing it on a new foundation. When we first started to dine at the South York Dinner twelve years ago, one could sit at several tables by windows in the main dinning room and see the farmhouse. At that time, the farmhouse was The Old White House, Antiques & Collectibles; it has recently been extensively remodeled and is currently the offices of Stambaugh Law.
Stephen, As usual, wonderfully informative memories. Thanks, Jim