The World War II model aircraft collection of York County, Pa., aviation enthusiast and author John F. M. Wolfe will be on display at the annual York County Veterans Day breakfast Wednesday. (See event details below.) Wolfe's favorite model? A miniature of the PV-1 Lockheed "Ventura." He served as a crew member of that medium bomber in World War II. Also of interest: Where was York County's earliest documented airstrip? and York Airport memories spawn even more recollections about old York-area airfields and It's a bird. It's a plane. It's cigars with wings dropped by York-based promoters.

The player pianos produced by Weaver Organ and Pianos in the 20th century formed the home entertainment centers of that day.

We learned that last post: York, Pa.'s Weaver Organ and Piano Co.: 'Guaranteed to give permanent satisfaction'

Weaver closed in 1959, but there are successor musical instrument makers in York County today.

Bluett Brothers Violins has been making instruments for 25 years in York.

Enjoy a video, produced by York Daily Record/Sunday News photographer Paul Kuehnel, of that music maker below:

This image was used to promote Weaver Organ and Piano products made in York, Pa. This card appears to be 1920s vintage. (See sales pitch set to verse on the card's back below.) Also of interest: Junior Curators exhibit: The name of Lefty York of York, Pa., lives on and The organ: 'It is a whole orchestra in itself' and All Made in York posts from the start.

Dan Meckley III's father was an exec at Weaver Organ & Piano Co. for years before its closing in the 1950s.

So history-minded Dan III has made sure the York community has a musical legacy of that venerable's company's products at the York County Heritage Trust's Historical Society and Agricultural and Industrial museums.

Recently, Dan put forth advertising cards - actually, miniature handbills - touting the company's organ and pianos, made at its four-story factory on North Broad Street.

Some of the cards are targeted to families, who kids would make prospective users. Others were targeted to upscale market. Those in his collection addressed women suggesting that they were decision-makers on the purchase of pianos and organs... .

Spring Grove, Pa.'s, Ford dealership - then owned by Pierce Stambaugh - was a mainstay in its downtown in this 1934 photograph. Marley Gross Ford, which occupied that site for decades, just recently closed its doors. Also of interest: Spring Grove museum displays horse gas mask and more and A leading York County name: 'Keeping it in family is the Glatfelter way' and Is this a York County farm truck or is it just a wagon with a motor?.

There goes another small-town or old-time automobile dealership.

This time, it's Marley Gross Ford in Spring Grove.

The passing of these dealerships is corresponding with the growth of businesses that handle numerous brands in several towns or even across state lines. Apple Automotive Group is an example of that.

This change is not necessarily bad. It's just different... .

With a landslide win Tuesday night, Kim Bracey became York, Pa.'s first black mayor and third woman to hold that office since 1887. Also of interest: Mattie Chapman, first black elected county official profiled, Pioneering women in state politics and 10 years ago, York's exclusive Lafayette Club became less exclusive.

The election of Kim Bracey as the first black person to hold the mayoral seat in York City and Chuck Patterson as the first black person to sit on the bench in York County calls for an updating of the list of political and community firsts.

Patterson also became the second person of color - and the first male - to win countywide office. Mattie Chapman gained election to the post of prothonotary in 1975.

Here are updated lists of pioneers, plus an updated list of York mayors since 1887, when York became a city:

Amy Staub submitted this photograph for publication in the new book Capture York. It shows her grandfather, Franklin Armold, and his wife, Lillian while out for a motorcycle ride in the 1920s. Also of interest: All presidential visits from the start and Washington Township, Jefferson Borough, Madison Avenue. How about an Obama Street in York County? and Yo, Yoe never was Yohe.

Years ago, Sam Snyder, Yoe borough council president, garnered a box of letters at a York County auction.

The writer?

Chester Alan Arthur.

That turned out to be Chester A. Arthur, future president of the United States... .

This artist's rendering shows the original ACCO Chain plant in York, Pa., built in 1916 and 1917. Peerless Chain Co. in Minnesota purchased ACCO, then in York Township, in 2006. The building now housing York's Cable House apartments was part of the East Princess Street manufacturing complex. Also of interest: Jeep prototype has York County WWII roots and York-made vehicle welcome to retirement home in York, Pa. and All Made in York posts from the start.

York County - and the stuff made here - just shows up everywhere. For example, in Sevierville, Tenn., in the foothills of the Smokies.

The Tennessee Museum of Aviation has acquired a World War II bomb and torpedo truck, a small bomb loading machine, that was made in York, Pa. (See photo below.)

The truck was dated 1943 and manufactured by Manley Manufacturing, a division of American Chain and Cable, widely known as ACCO.

The following is taken off the vehicle's data plate:

The New York Giants' Willie Mays makes what has become known as "The Catch" of York County native and Cleveland Indians Vic Wertz's long fly ball in the 1954 World Series. Mays amazing play overshadowed Wertz's stellar performance in that series. Background posts: Who were most prominent 20th-century sports heroes in York and Adams counties? and York County sports a miniature Cooperstown and Story answers much about great athlete Hinkey Haines, including origin of his nickname.

I've written before about York native and major league baseball player Vic Wertz.

All he did was hit .500 in the 1954 World Series in which his Cleveland Indians lost to the New York Giants.

He returned from a bout with polio to hit 32 home runs.

Late in his career, he broke his ankle and came back to play on.

But it was that World Series and Willie Mays' over-the-shoulder grab of Wertz's long fly ball that relegated Vic Wertz to baseball's "almost-great" list.

But this post really isn't about baseball.

In a York Sunday News column (11/1/09), I compare Vic Wertz to his native York County, Pa., a kind of human metaphor for this south central Pennsylvania county ... .

York Hospital started sprawling along the hillside south of York, Pa., from its earliest days after its move from West College Avenue in 1930. That move marked its 50th year of operation. Now, the hospital's parent is reaching into Harrisburg. This week, officials at WellSpan said they would explore a merger with PinnacleHealth of Harrisburg. This photograph comes from longtime York Hospital surgeon Ray Kehm's book "The Birth of a Surgeon." Also of interest: Doctor wrote about oxygen use to aid 'average country practitioners' and Spanish flu epidemic in York: 'People died one right after the other' and Civil War hospital: A master's thesis waiting to be written and West Side Sanitarium, later West Side Osteopathic and later Memorial Hospital born in The Avenues in York.

"One winter day in December 1879, a man named Small acted upon a not-so-small idea and began the serious planning that would before long culminate in a hospital for York, Pennsylvania."

So began the preface of Florence La Rose Ames' "That Sovereign Knowledge," a history of York Hospital's first 100 years.

A hospital was needed in post-Civil War York County... .

Visitors pose at York County, Pa.'s Wildcat Falls, an unsung landmark on the west bank of the Susquehanna River. Frederic H. Abendschein, in the recently published "Columbia, Marietta, and Wrightsville," wrote: "A popular summertime destination, both local and out-of-town tourists would take a ferry from Marietta to cross the Susquehanna River over to the York County side to reach the falls and the nearby hotel." This photo came from that work, from the presses of Arcadia Publishing. (See additional photos below.) Also of interest: The things you learn from reading local history and Opportunities in York County to feed your sense of discovery and Absorbing photo and overlay shows locations of six Susquehanna bridges.

For years, York County's Wildcat Falls, north of Wrightsville, was a getaway for people on both sides of the Susquehanna River.

People would arrive at the falls via ferry, crossing the river from Marietta. They would cross over the stream near the falls on a narrow wooden bridge and use stairs and handrails going up the hillside parallel to the falls.

They would dine on a nearby deck and enjoy the cool breezes... .

When this Evening Sun in Hanover, Pa., photo was produced in 2008, about 16,000 pounds of potato chips per hour rolled off the lines at Utz Quality Foods' High Street plant in Hanover. Pending approval by the Federal Trade Commission, Snyder's of Hanover will acquire cross-town snack food producer Utz Quality Foods. Also of interest: Chipmaking of the potato kind has deep roots in York County and Who makes the best potato chips in York County, Martin's or Utz? Or someone else? and York Barbell's tall, heavyweight lifter has long helped put York County on the map.

I've written previously that York County manufacturers have historically made BIG, HEAVY THINGS.

York Barbell, of course, is Exhibit A, almost by definition.

Some lines of the old Pfaltzgraff pottery were known as stoneware and plates are rock-like in weight - wonderful rocks, I might add.

York Safe & Lock made vaults and other such equipment whose bulk kept their contents safe... .

York County, Pa., Civil War author Scott Mingus has added another book to his growing list of titles: "The Louisiana Tigers in the Gettysburg Campaign, June-July 1863." This 315-page book covers this famous Confederate brigade during the during the Gettysburg Campaign, including its two-day stay in the York area. For locations to purchase the book, contact Mingus at scottmingus@yahoo.com. Civil War book: 'When flames brilliantly illuminated the sky over the Susquehanna River' and Books probing York County in the Civil War come in strong, sudden onslaught and The Four YorkBloggers write.

In his recently published "Louisiana Tigers," Scott Mingus tells the wonderful story of Gen. Jubal Early meeting the widow Zinn in western York County's Big Mount.

"Are you goin' to destroy us, are you going to take all that we've got?" she asked Early.

Early replied: "No madam, and to give you the best protection possible, I will stay with you, with my staff, and no one shall trouble you."

Early then visited one of his brigade commanders, John B. Gordon, at nearby Farmers.

When he returned at about 9 p.m., Mrs. Zinn had saved a supper of 15 varieties of food - meats, vegetables, coffee and milk... .

Dwight Nadig captured the ceiling in the Farquhar Park gazebo in York, Pa. This photograph was published in the just-released "Capture York," a 128-page picture book of York County. Pediment Publishing and InYork.com published this work of 173 local photographers, who submitted 3,392 photos. Web users cast 165,126 votes for their favorite photos, which ended up in the book. For details, visit Capture York. Also of interest: York County book 'All in One Room' available for readers and The Four YorkBloggers write and York Daily Record's 'Remember' oral history series recalls many topics that touched York County.

Remember S & H Green Stamps issued by Sperry & Hutchinson?

The York Daily Record/Sunday News' "Remember" oral history series explored readers recollections of those days when stamps were in great demand.

Which raised the question.

If you still have S&H Green Stamps, are they worth anything?

"Remember" gave this answer:

York, Pa.'s Martin Library honored Emanuel A. Cassimatis for library and community involvement at a recent ceremony. The event also served as a fundraiser for the library's endowment fund, used to purchased new books. (See list of past honorees and Cassimatis' favorite books below.) The Cassimatises: 'Builders and Heroes,' Part I and William Penn Senior High School Hall of Fame honors a host of York County achievers and York's Martin Library asks community: What to do with those old doors?.

Retired York County Judge Emanuel A. Cassimatis was meeting with the president of Bosnia-Herzegovina as part of the International Tribunal of Children's Rights. It was the Friday following the terrorist attack of Sept. 11, 2001.

During introductions, the president express his sympathy to Cassimatis, as a U.S. representative, for the tragedy.

"You know," he told the group, "we are all bound by a universal consciousness so that when something happens to one of us, it affects all of us."

Cassimatis told that story in receiving an award from Martin Library. This member of York's pioneering Greek family then summarized its meaning and what it says about community involvement... .

The landmark silos at the Ohio Blenders York, Pa., complex are coming down and the Northwest Triangle project's condos, shops and office will go up in their place. That's the Codorus Creek, at right.(See related photo below.) Background posts: Map explains York, Pa.'s $50 million redevelopment area and York County agrarianism vs. industrialization and All farms and fields posts from the start.

The silos that mark Ohio Blenders can be seen as symbols of York County's agriculture.

So their demolition to make way for badly needed new and rehabbed buildings can be viewed as bittersweet, another storm to wash out carefully planted seeds in a longtime farm economy.

But those tall icons are not easily plowed under... .

The York (Pa.) Daily Record/Sunday News and MediaOnePa has released a new York County area picture book, "Capture York." The book is packed with user-submitted photographs. Melanie Wallace took this cover photograph. For details, visit www.captureyork.com. (See additional photo below.) Also of interest: Horse, buggy, one-room school make York County comeback. and The Four YorkBloggers write and Postcards tell story of York County community .

Here's a chance to see an Amish school up close.

The GFWC New Holland Area Woman's Club is hosting its 11th Annual 'HOLIDAY TOUR OF HOMES' Nov. 14,10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The Lancaster County tour includes 8 homes and an Amish School. Tickets are $10 in advance; $12 on tour day.

Proceeds benefit community and charitable organizations including ELANCO Library, Liberty Fire Co., New Holland Recreation Center, New Holland Park Summer Arts Program and the park playground, New Holland Rescue Squad, Garden Spot Soccer League, and Garden Spot Little League. For tickets and further information, call 717-351-9995.

- More neat stuff below. -