York Town Square

York Township's Springwood Park dance hall: 'We would pack the place'

2009-07-05T11:11:25Z

This is one of only two photographs of old Springwood Park in York County Heritage Trust image files. (See second photo below). A York Township history places the park on the railroad bend north of Relay and Yoe. But see the existing house along Springwood Road, with the distinctive windows, in the post Springwood Pool and its sloping sides: 'I remember so well how cold it was' to gets its exact location. (But drive carefully because that stretch of road is wicked.) Background posts: 19th-century mines gave Ore Valley its name and Yo! More support for Yoe vs. Yohe and So, you want learn about your house's history?.

The post "York Town Square commenter asks about much-remembered Springwood Pool's ownership " brings forth more information about York Township's Springwood Park.

But there's not a lot on the official record about that now-abandoned spot.

The book "York Township celebrates 250 years of history" is the best resource.

It at least tells about the dance hall in the photo above:

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This Heritage Trust photo is captioned: "Orion Gesaug Verin," 1904. The group, perhaps there for a holiday excursion, is posing on the Ma & Pa Railroad tracks that ran near the park. The railroad offered transportation to the venue, which was open from the 1920s to the 1954.

"Across the street (Springwood Road) from the pool was a windowed dance hall approximately 75 feet by 100 feet. Many large bands entertained at this site. According to Mr. (James) Botterbusch, 'Saturday nights we would have square dances and we would pack the place.' James Botterbusch remarked, 'I think we had the first outdoor movies every Sunday night, which were free. We built a movie screen on the hillside and people would pull in and watch the movies.' South of Springwood Park was a small movie theatre operated by Reuben Swords."

E-mailer Lynda Stoddard is seeking for a bit more information about the park that isn't readily immediately available on the public record.

She understands the Greenawalts were the last owners of the park and wants to confirm that. And she understands that there was a shooting at the park.

Any more information out there on these queries about this almost-forgotten, but-once-popular recreational spot?

Bury's burger memories far from buried - remembered

2009-07-04T13:57:43Z

Betty Bury Harmon, here at the York Fair, looks at herself in front of her family's hamburger stand in an old fair book. "They just developed it," Harmon said about her father and his brothers. "They came up with the sauce, and it hit." Each year, York Fair offers Bury's burgers at a stand where Harmon's recipe - still secret - is served as well as at a second unrelated stand. But versions of the secret Bury's recipe are available in homes across York County and will be deployed on scores of grills today. Background posts: Lighthouse marks site of landmark Dover Township soft pretzel stand and Interstate lined out Melvin's swan song and Just try to resist this memory-tugging photo of North York's White Oak Park .

Hits on York Town Square posts for Bury's Famous Hamburger recipes escalates this time of year.

People probably around the world are looking to see whether to try out their own Bury's recipe this Fourth of July or experiment with one of the many variations in the public domain - some documented on this blog.

Joe Bury operated a chain of hamburger stands touting a secret recipe for the red sauce that covered his delicious burgers, firmly sealed into the memories of local residents.

So, to avoid all that searching, here are some leads to recipes which purport to be Bury's:

]]> - Bury's recipe as published in the York Sunday News, 2000, click here.

- That York Sunday News recipe with additional ingredient reportedly from Joe Bury himself, click here.

- A quick alternative: This Bury's burger sauce comes from a can, click here.

York Town Square posts on Bury's Famous Hamburgers:

Yet another Bury's hamburger drops into the cooker

Bury's burgers: 'You won't get that recipe'

The quest for Bury's secret hamburger recipe continues.

This Bury's recipe comes from a can,

Reader reveals Bury's secret recipe.

Is Bury's secret sauce really secret?

Bury's burgers: Nostalgia on a bun

Fair, Bury's go together like tomato sauce, burgers

Bury's burgers: ''That was it - no slaw, no relish, no pickles'

Playland plays nostalgic note for York countians

Bury's burger memories far from buried

To read stroll back memory lane, see posts in Nostalgia and Memories category.

Reworking the working list of U.S. presidential visits to York and Adams counties

2009-07-04T10:48:40Z

James Hayney, portraying President Abraham Lincoln, gives a speech at the Hanover Junction Train Station in 2008 as part of the remembrance of Lincoln's passing through on his way to and from Gettysburg. The station, located about 10 miles south of York, is open from 1-5 p.m. today - the Fourth of July. A complete schedule is available at York County parks site. Background posts: Jefferson borough's Center Square in the middle of history and Abe Lincoln stopped at Hanover station:"We want to preserve history ... so it doesn't disappear' and John Adams: 'Yesterday the greatest question was decided'.

I've labeled the post: "This working list details presidential visits to York and Adams counties" and you can get to it by clicking here.

Working list is right.

I keep finding times when U.S. presidents or candidates stopped or passed through York County. (And many of their visits were, well, eventful in a quirky way.)

So I've reworked the working list... .

]]> The peg to do this comes in preparation for a speech I've scheduled to give this month to the Codorus Valley Area Historical Society.

I'll be giving that illustrated talk - about the visits to York County by more than 20 U.S. presidents - around York County in the months ahead.

And if you're a following the U.S. presidency, visit these posts:

- New blog category introduced to honor Abe's 200th birthday in 2009. Click here.

- To see scores of posts detailing all presidential visits to York County, click here..

- Trivia quiz: Test your U.S. presidential smarts quiz. Click here.

York Town Square commenter asks about much-remembered Springwood Pool's ownership

2009-07-03T10:43:22Z

York Township's Springwood Pool sustained considerable damage in the flood of 1933. The pool, reachable via the Ma & Pa Railroad, was located along Springwood Road, between Yoe and Chapel Church Road. Background posts: Old Ma & Pa Railroad trestle may again carry passengers - on bicyles - some day and 19th-century mines gave Ore Valley its name and One-room schools: 'That's when things were good'.

The post - Springwood Pool and its sloping sides: 'I remember so well how cold it was' - raised questions in reader Lynda Stoddard's mind about the old pool's ownership.

"... (W)e were told our grandparents at one time owned the park, 1920 or 1930 and there was a story passed around about a shooting, which we have never been able to find anything out about, could have been a rumor ...," she commented.

She has pictures of the park, along Springwood Road, provided by her grandparents.

A York Township history says this about the ownership:

]]> - Dorothy R. Boyer's grandfather, E.B. Miller owned the park in the 1920s.
- He later sold it to Horace Spangler.
- In 1939, a new owner - unnamed in the history - acquired the property and operated it as a park until it closed in 1954.

Of course, concessionaires operated stands at Springwood, under lease from the owners.
For example, the history states that Edward M. and Edna M. Shelley operated a bingo stand at the park in the early 1940s.

That's all the ownership info contained in the history.

The old park is intriguing, and I'll post more information as it becomes available.

York columnist Jim Hubley's 'Off the Record' again on the market

2009-07-02T19:28:06Z

This photo from Jim Hubley's "Off the Record" points out an unusual cellar door in the sidewalk outside Bear's Department Store between Market and George streets. "Frequently," Hubley wrote, "pedestrians would be started by the slowly opening cellar doors and the surprising emergence of the freight elevator." Hubley's book particularly focused on downtown life in York City. Background posts: Escaped bovine makes York newspaper headline and York's first mayor Daniel K. Noell named one of his sons and Longtime York sportswriter Jacque Tracy: 'He enjoyed writing features about athletes and coaches'.

When longtime York Daily Record/Sunday News columnist Jim Hubley died a little more than a year ago, people were asking around about how to get his book "Off The Record."

The book, available at local libraries, was out of print.

You couldn't buy a copy around town.

But now you can... .

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The York County Heritage Trust recently came up with a cache of new Hubley books, courtesy of a private donor.

They're available for $4.95 at the Trust's 250 E. Market Street gift shop or on the Web at www.yorkheritage.org.

The book, originally published by the York County Historical Society, contains a large collection of Hubley's columns.

Columns are grouped into the following chapters: "Famous Folks and Local Heroes," "Local Institutions," "Landmarks Living and Lost," "Incidents and Accidents," "Good Sports and Up Close ... And Personal."

For a flavor of his columns, access the following links that lead to his work:

- 'We would 'hex' them if they ignored us'

- Giving news, sports junkies their fix

- Bury's burgers: 'That was it -- no slaw, no relish, no pickles'.

- 'That's a stupid question;' Brooksie played second base.

- Butch Wynegar ranks bright among York's sports stars.

- York County, Pa.'s Cameron Mitchell agonized over career choice

- Playland plays nostalgic note for York countians

York's Martin Library asks community: What to do with those old doors?

2009-07-02T10:52:21Z

York's Martin Library CEO Bill Schell dates Martin Library's old doors to 1935, the year the library first opened. Here, they rest on the floor inside Martin. Background posts: York County libraries offer serendipity - and have done so for decades and Colonial York, Pa.? No, try Victorian York, Pa and York County library site brings together links for local research.

For years, some people struggled to open those weighty mahogany doors leading into Martin Library.

Their replacement with lighter doors leads to the question of what to do with the older ones.

Library officials have put that out to community.

The best answer is: Keep them. Or at least make sure they're publicly displayed somewhere.

Those are not just any doors... .

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The new, lighter doors resemble those heavy doors previously in place.

They're symbols of what books and reading and libraries mean to a community.

Open library doors represent an open mind. The more people avail themselves to the reading material - books, magazines, Web sites - the more likely they are to be self-aware. They are more likely to be open to the views of others - and occasionally, if not more often - realize that their own views need to be adjusted.

And for years, a diverse community opened those doors. The doors excluded no one, even providing a place for the homeless who found the reading room a refuge against the elements.

Historically, those doors welcomed residents during the Great Depression when they first opened. They provided a beacon for those who were without jobs, without hope. They provided free entertainment - and information for those seeking a change in occupation.

After World War II, military men and women informed themselves about the possibilities of what would be next. What they learned helped shape them into the Greatest Generation.

Those doors have been threatened over the years. Hate groups took advantage of the access they offered and met behind them. Most recently, the institution the doors led to - a free public library - have been threatened by the recession and the subsequent choke hold the downturn has placed on their funding.

But interestingly, libraries are busier during recessions, and the new lighter replacements must be allowed to open for at least another 75 years. Their light weight must not symbolize limitations placed on Martin for funding or other reasons.

Those old doors.

No, they're just not any doors.

To help
Have an idea for what to do with Martin Library's old doors? Want to donate for the replacements? Contact Karla Heberlig at kheberlig@yorklibraries.org.

Escaped bovine makes York newspaper headline

2009-07-01T11:10:02Z

York's Continental Square is shown in this undated photo from Jim Hubley's "Off the Record." This was the site that a World War II era cow toured early in World War II. Background posts: Perrydale's bovine: 'She's a wonderful, laid-back cow' and 'Boys, she's a Confederate cow' and When did York's square change from Centre to Continental?.

I've written about York's headline-grabbing cow before.

But the meat of the story is worth repeating.

Early in World War II, a runaway cow - termed a steer by a newspaper - rumbled around York's Continental Square, two men in a truck in tow.

"The steer," Police Chief C. P. Gerber told The York Dispatch, "obeyed the traffic rules."

It circled the square in the proper traffic lanes.

In that post, I drew this short conclusion to this short story: "That was post-Depression York County. Its people did their work simply, ably and followed the rules."

But there's more to the story. Where did the cow come from? ... .

]]> Scott Shewell called the other day with the answer in the form of a question.

The ad exec at York's Barry Group related a family story in which a bull escaped from the 49 N. Penn St. butcher shop operated by his grandfather Roy Shewell.

Had I heard of a story about such a runaway animal in the 1930s and 1940s? Scott wondered.

I referred him to the story on the traffic-obeying bovine, which originally appeared in my "In the thick of the fight."

Now, maybe someone will emerge with details about whether the cow was ever caught.

- For posts on other animals and pets who have made headlines in history, click here.

Full schedule of 146th anniversary events awaits Battle of Gettysburg enthusiasts

2009-06-30T11:36:19Z

Mount Wolf's Ciara Coombes danced to kick off the York County Heritage Trust's Civil War Celebrity Tea, part of Patriot Days activities in 2006. Patriot Days 2009, last weekend, kicked off this year's Civil War observances. Numerous such events today-Sunday are part of observances of the 146th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. Background posts: Site places readers in the footsteps of the Civil War in York County and beyond and Poster highlights the life of a Civil War soldier and Hanover Civil War story stop: 'Mother Loses Two Sons to War'.

The calendar this year - the 146th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg - coincides exactly with the calendar in 1863.

That means that July 1 this year is a Wednesday, and that is the day fighting began. On Saturday, July 4, 1863 - Independence Day - a defeated Confederate army retreated toward the Potomac.

So, a particularly packed lineup of events in both York and Adams counties is scheduled this weekend.

Here's the list, courtesy of the York Daily Record/Sunday News:

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North York's Brianna Forsyth, 19, spins wool into yarn and string during Patriot days in 2008.

TUESDAY, June 30

Presentation on the Battle of Gettysburg by the Rev. Doug Smith, pastor of All Saints Episcopal Church in Hanover. 1 p.m. Tuesday at John D. Bare Center of the Guthrie Memorial Library -- Hanover's Public Library, Carlisle Street in Hanover.

Dedication of five new wayside markers in Hanover depicting how local residents dealt with the Civil War as it came through the state. 5 p.m. Tuesday in the southwest quadrant of Hanover's Center Square, in front of M&T Bank.

Outdoor musical program featuring Civil-War era musical selections, and a brief talk by historian Larry Wallace. 6 p.m. Tuesday. Neas House, Chestnut and High streets in Hanover.

WEDNESDAY, July 1

"Real-Time" programs, led by Gettysburg National Military Park rangers, follow the Battle of Gettysburg in chronological order and close to the real time events took place. Programs range in length from 30 minutes to an hour. Minimal walking; short drives by vehicle between program locations.

Anniversary battlefield walks: The Attack and Defense of Oak Ridge; In the Footsteps of the 157th New York.

THURSDAY, July 2

Hunterstown Heritage Day, 11 a.m. at the Historic Tate Farm in Hunterstown. Includes "The Battle of Hunterstown," the 5th annual walking tour, and an unveiling of a historic marker.

Anniversary battlefield walks: The Attack of Maj. Gen. John B. Hood's Division on July 2, 1863; Early's Attack on East Cemetery Hill; the Struggle for Culp's Hill.

Children's battlefield walk: In the Footsteps of the 15th Alabama: A Family Program. This walk is geared toward children ages 8 to 14 with a parent or guardian. The walk begins 2:30 p.m. at the Alabama Monument on West Confederate Avenue.

"Battlecry," a new musical about the Battle of Gettysburg. 2 p.m. Sunday; 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Riegel Auditorium, 37 Lefever St., Gettysburg.

FRIDAY, July 3

Question-and-answer session with Ken Burns, the award-winning documentary maker who directed the PBS series "The Civil War." Noon Friday at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center. For other lectures, visit www.gettysburgfoundation.org/visit/sacred_trust_gettysburg_perspectives.htm.

146th annual Gettysburg Civil War Battle Re-enactment. Yingling Farm on Pumping Station Road. "Hill of Destiny" will detail the fierce struggle between the North and South for control of Culp's Hill on the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg. 6 p.m. Friday.

Anniversary battlefield walks: The Pre-Dawn Engagement at McAllister Ridge; the Attack and Repulse of Pickett's Charge; Cemetery Ridge: A Visual History.

"Battlecry," a new musical about the Battle of Gettysburg. 2 p.m. Sunday; 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Riegel Auditorium, 37 Lefever St., Gettysburg.

SATURDAY, July 4

146th annual Gettysburg Civil War Battle Re-enactment. Yingling Farm on Pumping Station Road. Battles recreating both a famous cavalry clash involving Gen. J.E.B. Stuart and Brig. Gen. George Custer at the Rummel Farm and Low Dutch Road, as well as the battle for control of Little Round Top. 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., respectively, on Saturday.

Anniversary battlefield walk: To Save a Life -- The Evacuation and Treatment of the Wounded.

"Confederates take the Shriver House" -- 10th annual re-enactment of fighting on the streets during which Confederate sharpshooters huddled in an attic to attack Union soldiers from above. Every 15 minutes from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Shriver House Museum, 309 Baltimore St., Gettysburg.

Living History Programs: Confederate Military Forces, Pitzer Woods. The Mifflin Guard, Pennsylvania Memorial.

2nd Mississippi Encampment. Rupp House Side Yard, 451 Baltimore Street, Gettysburg.

"Battlecry," a new musical about the Battle of Gettysburg. 2 p.m. Sunday; 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Riegel Auditorium, 37 Lefever St., Gettysburg.

SUNDAY, July 5

146th annual Gettysburg Civil War Battle Re-enactment. Yingling Farm on Pumping Station Road. The first depicts the ill-fated charge of newly-promoted Brig. Gen. Elon Farnsworth and his men on July 3, 1883, against three lines of Confederate troops in Gen. Hood's division. The second re-creates the most famous Southern advance on Union lines, Pickett's Charge. 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday.

Civil War moonlight bike ride at Hanover Junction, York County Heritage Rail Trail. 8:30 p.m. $5 per person; Free for those 12 and under, accompanied by an adult.

Living History Programs: Confederate Military Forces, Pitzer Woods. The Mifflin Guard, Pennsylvania Memorial.

2nd Mississippi Encampment. Rupp House Side Yard, 451 Baltimore Street, Gettysburg.

Add another achiever to the list of York countians with impressive resumes

2009-06-30T10:46:32Z

Sandra Smallwood-Stockton recently retired from the U.S. Army as a lieutenant colonel. To reach that rank, she soldiered through much adversity. Background posts: Pioneering aviator Aline Rhonie another York native who made U.S. headlines and A short test of your York black history knowledge and York County WWII nurse: 'You know, it was the biggest war ever, and they needed nurses'.

In recent York Town Square posts, we've featured:

- York countians who have achieved in the military.

- York County grads who have accomplished much as civilians on the national stage.

- York's William Penn grads whose work has elevated them to that school's hall of fame.

Now comes Sandra Smallwood-Stockton - that's Lt. Col. Sandra Smallwood-Stockton - who attended William Penn but earned her high school degree in Maryland... .

]]> This recent U.S. Army retiree is now part of our growing list of York County achievers. Read Nichole Dobo's wonderful York Daily Record-Sunday News story (6/29/09) "York native soldiers through tragedy" for much more about her life.

The following chronology, which ran with the newspaper story, indicates how rare it is for a black woman to reach the rank of lieutenant colonel:

Although it's no longer rare for a woman to make the rank of lieutenant colonel, it's something that not many women with a family accomplish, a spokesman for the U.S. Army said. Sandra Smallwood-Stockton, who was, coincidentally, born on Flag Day, retired with the rank of lieutenant colonel, an achievement first earned by a black woman 45 years ago.

Firsts for black women in the military:

1948 - First Lieutenant Nancy C. Leftenant became a member of the Regular Army Nurse Corps.

1951 - Three commissioned as second lieutenants in the Air Force: Edwina Martin of Danville, Va.; Fannie Jean Cotton of Jackson, Mich.; and Evelyn M. Brown of Shreveport, La.

1964 - Margaret E. Bailey, Army Nurse Corps, was promoted to lieutenant colonel.

1970 - Bailey achieved the rank of colonel.

1972 - Mildred C. Kelly became a sergeant major in the Army.

1979 - Brigadier General Hazel W. Johnson-Brown became a general officer and a chief of the Army Nurse Corps.

1995 - Brigadier General Marcelite Harris was promoted to major general in the Air Force.

1997 - U.S. Army Sgt. Danyell Wilson earns the prestigious job of guarding the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery. Source: Judith Bellafaire, Ph.D., curator of Women In Military Service For America Memorial Foundation, Inc.

William Penn Senior High School Hall of Fame honors a host of York County achievers

2009-06-29T11:15:01Z

Judge Emanuel A. Cassimatis, William Penn Senior High School class of 1944, is a member of the William Penn Hall of Fame. The retired president judge of York County Court is among an elite group of achievers who are members of the hall. Background posts: York County sports a miniature Cooperstown and York County high school grads teach lessons in achievement on national stage and York County native Maj. Gen. David F. Wherley Jr. assumed major role in guarding post-9/11 D.C.

A recent post about an upcoming Smithsonian exhibit honoring pioneering Appalachian Trail through-hiker Earl Shaffer included an interesting fact

The most famous trail hiker in the world had to wait three years to be inducted into the William Penn Hall of Fame.

The hall takes one person a year and equally deserving candidates had been nominated before him.

That should show the quality of those who are members of the hall.

Who are others who have been so honored? ... .

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Chris Doleman, former NFL player, graduated from William Penn in 1980, and is a member of the school's hall of fame.

Here's a sampling of William Penn Senior High School Hall of Fame inductees, with the year they graduated, according to York Daily Record/Sunday News files:

- Dave Bupp, 1960, and Buddy King,1965, members of the The Magnificent Men

- Jacob Devers, 1905, four-star World War II general

- George M. Leader, 1934, former Pennsylvania governor

- Herbert B. Cohen, 1918, state Supreme Court justice

- Henry L. Yeagly, 1918, professor

- William C. Decker, 1918, industrialist, Corning Glass Co.

- Julius H. Comroe, 1927, educator

- O. Meridith Parry, 1968, assistant superintendent, York City School District

- Emanuel R. Freedman, 1927, former New York Times foreign editor

- Fred Link, 1922, inventor of the two-way radio

- Francis McCord, 1946, sports trivia expert

- John B. Terpak, 1956, U.S. Marines, served in Middle East and Vietnam

- Dominick Argento, 1945, symphonic composer

- Dr. M. Elaine Eyster, 1952, director of hematology, Hershey Medical Center

- Charles Ruby, 1923, sculptor

- John Rauhauser, 1978, former York County district attorney, judge

- William F. Goodling, 1945, U.S. Congressman

- Marie White Bell, 1954, attorney and politician

- Emanuel A. Cassimatis, 1944, retired president judge

- Donald Neff, 1982, author and former York Dispatch reporter

- Theodore Holmes, 1958, businessman, restaurant owner

- Woodrow Bennett, 1974, football player

- William J. Althaus, 1965, former York mayor, lobbyist

- Dr. Reuben Washington, 1961, general orthopedics

- Kenneth Potter, 1957, owner, Martin Potato Chips

- Dr. Jeter J. Jannetta, 1949, brain surgeon, state Secretary of Health

- Dorothy M. Di Orio, 1950, educator

- Ernest E. Hartzog, 1946, educator

- James I. Tarman, 1946, retired director of athletics, Penn State University

- Loretta Claiborne, 1972, Special Olympic gold medal winner

- Maulana Karenga, 1958, founder of Kwaanza

- Edward E. Grimm, 1928, retired U.S. Navy rear admiral

- Dr. Guy Leader Hovis, 1960, physicist

- Arthur Glatfelter, 1942, Glatfelter Insurance Co., philanthropist

- Christopher Rojahn, civil engineer, earthquake expert

- Frederick Miesterfeld, 1955, inventor, electrical engineer

- Dr. Wendell M. McMillan, 1941, agricultural economist, formerly assistant director in the U.S. Department of Agriculture

- Chris Doleman, 1980, All-Star pass rusher for the Minnesota Vikings

York should have lost rebel Gen. John B. Gordon and his 'Last Days of Confederacy' talk

2009-06-27T12:46:04Z

This newspaper advertisement touts Gen. John B. Gordon's return to York to deliver a speech. The friendly, enthusiastic crowd welcomed the general-turned-politician. (See photo of Gordon below.) Background posts: York County Civil War hero grandmom of Gore Vidal and Civil War affected women in York County - and vice versa and Years after Civil War, (a) Longstreet steps onto York County soil .

Imagine if a Pancho Villa-type invader from Mexico had penetrated into the United States as far as the west bank of the Susquehanna River maybe 30 years ago.

The head of this hypothetical invading force was gentlemanly, but this did not keep his men from stealing the cars and other property from many York countians. Further, he damaged other property - catalyzing the destruction of an expensive Susquehanna River bridge and trampling valuable crops in fields. He killed at least two defenders of the county and shaped the way York viewed itself for years.

Would we welcome him back as a hero? ... .

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John B. Gordon

That's exactly what York did with John B. Gordon, who was on the lecture circuit in his later years. In late-June 1863, then-Gen. John B. Gordon had been in the vanguard of the Confederate Army's invasion of York County.

Some might argue that the older John B. Gordon was a fellow American, and the nation was still trying to regroup as a nation.

But it shows again that York countians did not have fire in their bellies against those grayclad horse thieves (back to the car analogy) who terrorized most of their county in those days before the Battle of Gettysburg. And they could not muster resolve against an enemy that was protecting the enslavement of an entire race of people.

They should have disinvited Gordon and his Lost Cause ideas.

June Lloyd blogs with much more on his appearance in York. (Her Universal York post really got me thinking about this.)

State historic preservation specialist to lead tour of Red Lion's architecture

2009-06-27T12:19:35Z

Red Lion's new year is traditionally ushered in with the raising of a huge cigar, reminding folks of the area's past might as a cigar manufacturer. The fiberglass cigar, held by a lion character, weighs 100 pounds and is 8 feet, 3 inches long. The borough's cigarmaking history is certain to be a topic of discussion in a tour of its streets on Tuesday, June 30. (See photos below of Red Lion's cigarmaking culture of the past.) Background posts: It couldn't happen in York County? Women were trampled in Depression-era labor unrest and York County cigars: 'They contained a vast amount of nicotine' and Red Lion's Ebert Furniture: From bedroom suites to gunstocks.

A guided walking tour through Red Lion, sponsored by the Kaltreider-Benfer Library, is set for 6:30 p.m. June 30... .

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For oral histories on Red Lion's - and York County's cigarmaking past, click here to see the York Daily Record/Sunday News' online "Remember" series. (Submitted photo.)

Bryan Van Sweden, a historic preservation specialist from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, will lead participants through "Architectural Clues to Your Community's Past."

The program includes a demonstration on how to interpret building by spotting their architectural clues.

To read past York Town Square posts on cigarmaking, click here. (Submitted photo.)

From the mailbag: Compared to the days of Agnes, 'The street scapes of York are greatly different than today'

2009-06-27T09:09:26Z

A reader has noticed changes in Downtown York's look over the years. (See photo of same scene, with floodwaters, below.) Background posts: Reader searching for Tropical Storm Agnes photos to use in children's tour and Author: 'York's streetscape features almost every style and era of American architecture' and At one time, York's five-and-dimes lived up to their names York County ... 'A smorgasbord of architectural styles'.

Joe Stein (jstein3@comcast.net) has a wonderful curiosity about his hometown of York.

He noticed changes in York's streetscapes over the years, specifically the addition of trees.

Here's a recent e-mail from Joe:

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The same scene as above, but with the addition of the watery product of Tropical Storm Agnes' wrath.

"I wanted to get your thoughts on something that for some reason has stuck out in my mind many times and I'm not quite sure why.

"In looking at old street level photographs of York, most recently the photo's of the Agnes flood in your blog, the street scapes of York are greatly different than today! The major difference is the lack of trees back then. I'm not sure how far back that goes.

"Having only been born in 1981, my memory of the downtown past the mid-80's doesn't exist. However, for as far back as I can remember, there have always been trees lining the streets, and nowadays it's required per ordinances.

"In many historic photos on your blog or in books I've read by Scott Butcher, the streets seem barren. Today, as nice as it is to see the trees, especially in the spring with the pear blossoms, it's a shame how much architectural beauty they hide.

"So I guess my question is, was there any reason streets were void of trees years ago, and was there a movement to line the streets with trees. If so, when? I know that the main stretch of Market St. was re-done, I believe, in the late 70's. And maybe there is no real reason!"

Can anyone respond to Joe's query out there?

For all York Town Square mailbag posts from the start, click here.

Public to receive rare opportunity to view Springettsbury's Camp Security buttons, coins

2009-06-26T12:42:55Z

This 2004 aerial view of the undeveloped Camp Security site shows the encroachment of development on every side. Friends of Camp Security and other groups are trying to raise support for site preservation. Background posts: Camp Security memories tucked inside memoir and Story revives memories of oft-forgotten York County POW camp in World War II and York-area developer: 'I think we have gone way above and beyond to preserve Camp Security'.

The public will get a rare opportunity to view artifacts Saturday (6/27/09) from a past archaeological dig at Camp Security, the Revolutionary War POW camp site that might be covered over with houses.

A limited dig in 1979 uncovered pottery shards, buttons and gold coins... .

]]> The artifacts have not been available for display in York County since 1991.

The event is set from noon to 3 p.m. at the Schultz House, 580 Locust Grove Road.

Archeologist Steve Warfel will give a presentation at 1 p.m.

People also can learn about volunteering for an upcoming dig at the POW site.

But here's why I really put up the post:

June Lloyd has posted an interesting map of the POW site on her Universal York blog. She also has links there to detailed research.

Definitely worth a virtual visit there before making an actual visit to the Schultz House Saturday.

'Bubbles': Linking world-renowned York countian Jeff Koons and the world's Michael Jackson

2009-06-26T11:02:44Z

York County's Jeff Koons' statue of Michael Jackson and his pet chimp Bubbles is among Koons best known. Background posts: List of luminaries with Dover links lengthens and Proposed 'Creation of a Nation' museum name glib, but lacks grounding and All York County celebrities posts from the start and Othmar Carli: 'Restoration is much better than selling shoes to make a living'.

And here's more proof that when something happens in the world, there's always a York County tie-in.

Pop icon Michael Jackson, dead at the age of 50, has never been to York County. But there's always a York link to such a captivating/controversial person as Jackson.

Jeff Koons, who grew up in Dover, brings that link.

Koons, world-renowned pop artist, created the life-size, white porcelain "Michael Jackson and Bubbles.' It's owned by the San Franciso Museum of Modern Art, and one reviewer who saw it there called it "memorably creepy."

Here are some links for "Bubbles" and Jeff Koons:

]]> Bubbles
- Facts about Bubbles: Please click here.

- Jackson inspired Koons: Click here.

- Jeff Koons and Bubbles at Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. Click here.

York Town Square posts about Jeff Koons

- York County native Jeff Koons' work raises question: But is it art? Part I

- York County native Jeff Koons' work raises question: But is it art? Part II.

- Artist Jeff Koons came back to York for a show.

- Jeff Koons' sculpture brings record for a living artist's work.