Carroll Swam of New Park is helping disassemble an old log house in the southern York County borough of Shrewsbury, one historic piece at a time. Background posts: York County's landscape, buildings, landmarks can serve as a classroom, How to accurately restore a historic home and Facts don't support wide house door to admit coffins.

A landmark Shrewsbury log house is slowly coming down.

That is the third option involving such a historic log home, disassembler Carroll Swam says. Carefully dismantle it and recycle the parts.

The first and preferred option, the York countian says, is to restore a home. The second is to move it.

This particular 200-plus-year-old structure could not be saved... .

Posted in Events Explanations/controversy For photo fans Genealogy/research Local journalism & Web Local landmarks Nostalgia & memories People Small-town life York Town Square

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York County produced several Civil War generals, including at least one for the South. Johnson Kelly Duncan of York County finished fifth in his West Point class of 1849. Background posts: York has produced its share of high-ranking naval officers, Naval Reserve officer, a York High grad, to become admiral, York native to captain new carrier USS Bush and Gitmo second in command hails from York County.

Fellow blogger Scott Mingus has uncovered a little-known Union general with York County links - Brig. Gen. Jacob G. Lauman.

Lauman's lack of local acclaim may result from his undistinguished war record fighting in the Union Army in the West... .

Posted in Books & reading Civil War Explanations/controversy Genealogy/research Local journalism & Web People War York Town Square

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This box set features star and former York countian John Baer, top right. Background posts: East Yorker David Levin became exemplary elder, Actor John Baer among achievers in York High's Class of 1941 and Pearl survivor: 'We need to prevent attacks of that nature'.

The York County Heritage Trust will soon receive an unusual artifact - a box set of the early TV series "Terry & the Pirates."

John Baer, William Penn High School Class of 1941, starred in the series.

In addition to the local connection, the series played on a historical theme.

Here's what the jacket to the box set says: ...

Posted in Explanations/controversy For photo fans Genealogy/research Mail bag Nostalgia & memories People School days War World War II York Town Square York celebrities

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York countian L.O. Buckner took a 35mm slide of a January 1959 ice breakup along the Susquehanna in the Wrightsville area. (More photos below.) Background posts:
Readers tell about those blizzards of 1993, 1996, Temporary river art collection may find permanent home along Susquehanna and Long Level and Pleasureville fielded bands?.

Jim Buckner of New Canaan, Conn., passed along photos of massive ice piles along the Susquehanna River. He gleaned them from his father's collection of York County scenes.

"Although I'm a native Yorker, I've been away from the city for a half century and don't know whether changes in the climate cycle have deleted this spectacular, albeit destructive, event from the county almanac or not," he wrote... .

Posted in Events Explanations/controversy For photo fans Genealogy/research Mail bag Nostalgia & memories People Wheels of York York Town Square

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A large crowd listens to big band music over the weekend at Dills Tavern, part of Dillsburg's175th anniversary festivities. The tavern serviced the plentiful passengers on the Harrisburg and Baltimore Turnpike, as they passed through the notch in the mountains. Background posts: Franklintown second cousin to neighboring Dillsburg, Flag expert: 'I was interested in my nation's heritage', Dillsburg's Jane Alexander pioneering county woman in state politics

The York Daily Record/Sunday News story (8/23/08) called Dillsburg York County's
"wild child."

The 175th-anniversary celebration over the weekend was, indeed, a bright moment in the northwest York County borough.

The wild child comment brings to mind the most celebrated wedding of a townsman - or townswoman.

Anne Dill, 24 years old and the beautiful widow of a descendant of the town's founder, married the distinguished clergyman and Declaration of Independence signer John Witherspoon... .

Posted in American Revolution Events Explanations/controversy Famous York visitors For photo fans Genealogy/research God & York County Local journalism & Web People Small-town life War Women's history York Town Square

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David Kline works around his Red Lion-area Family Heir-Loom Weavers. He will demonstrate the use of old looms to OLLI Brown-Bag Lunch participants on Oct. 27, one of several such sessions that are part of Osher Lifelong Learning Institute classes this fall. Background posts: York County's landscape, buildings, landmarks can serve as a classroom,
OLLI's theme song: 'Don't stop thinking about learning' and Iron-mine-turned-into-party-spot turned into York County park.

That machinery has produced costumes for actors in the films "Amistad," "Gods and Generals," "Gettysburg" and "Cold Mountain."

His Family Heir-Loom Weavers have produced items for nine presidential homes. That resume includes carpets at Abraham Lincoln's home in Springfield, Ill., and George Washington's Mount Vernon home.

But he'll leave the big machinery behind in a Brown Bag Lunch and Learn program in October, part of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute fall lineup... ... .

Posted in Civil War Events Explanations/controversy For photo fans Genealogy/research Local journalism & Web Made in York People Small-town life War York Town Square

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Tommy Kono, Coach Tommy Kono at work. The location is unclear but those are York Barbells waiting to go airborne. Background posts: Olympian/lawyer Whitney Metzler comes home to York County, Who were most prominent 20th-century sports heroes in York and Adams counties? and York Barbell blog category.

Who was the greatest weightlifter in York's storied past?

Many believe it was three-time Olympian Tommy Kono.

And make that the greatest in America's past ... .

Posted in Explanations/controversy For photo fans Genealogy/research Local journalism & Web Made in York Nostalgia & memories People War World War II York Barbell York Town Square York celebrities York sports

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Jen German heads the list of all-time best Dallastown Area High School athletes. Where does she rank on list of greatest York County prep athletes? Background posts: Who is rightful owner of area boys' basketball scoring record?, Northeastern last York/Adams public school to field football team and 'When people are looking back into Pa. basketball history ... it's great'.

A current 22-week York Daily Record/Sunday News series story opines about Shannon Bortner Werner, Dallastown Area High School class of 1998: "She is arguably the best girls' volleyball player the area has ever seen." ...

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This mansion and its neighborhood share the name Elmwood. This area is known for its diverse architecture. Scott Butcher writes about the mansion, the Spring Garden neighborhood and the Hobbit House in his recently published "York's Historic Architecture." (See interior view of mansion below.) Background posts: '... A shadowy figure of a hoop-skirted woman...',
Elmwood Mansion book more than history of a house and When mules moved a York County mansion.

A photograph and information about Elmwood's Hobbit House in my recent York Sunday News column drew a response from a former resident. (See Hobbit House photo at Author: 'York's streetscape features almost every style and era of American architecture'.

Ohioans Kate and Damian Kotecki lived in the architectually unique house, profiled in Scott Butcher's "York's Historic Architecture," from 1974 to 1989... .

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The stand with the lighthouse is the new home of Smittie's Soft Pretzels. It replaces the shack that was home of the York County delicacy for decades. The location is the same: Route 74, north of Dover. (See photo of shack below.) Background posts: York area full of memory-spawning landmarks, Interstate lined out Melvin's swan song and Before Geno's made news in Philly, Gino's headlined in York.

Smittie's Soft Pretzel's shack never offered the dramatic visual treat put forth by the Lincoln Highway's Shoe House, east of York, or the windmill restaurant, east of Lancaster.

But the old structure was an local icon, and its culinary offering delighted motorists along another old highway - Route 74 - for generations.

The shack is now gone, replaced by a small structure marked by a lighthouse.

Why a lighthouse in the landlocked Dover area?

Brent Burkey's York Daily Record/Sunday News story (8/17/08) explains:

Posted in Explanations/controversy For photo fans Genealogy/research Local journalism & Web Local landmarks Nostalgia & memories People Small-town life York Town Square

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