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October 7, 2008

One-room school reunions preserve educational culture of thousands of York countians

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This Newberry Township home, seen in a 2004 photo, was once a one-room school. A sampling of those gathering at a Newberry Township one-room school reunion over the weekend could not identify the building. Can you? The stonework suggests the red sandstone of that region. This photograph appeared in the York Daily Record/Sunday News book "All in One Room." Background posts: Solo teachers in York County one-room schools assigned lots of assistants, 18th-century mines gave Ore Valley its name and Can you identify this mystery school, believed to be in York County?.

"You kind of feel sorry for those who didn't attend," a seasoned citizen commented at Newberry Township one-room school reunion on Sunday.

The sentiment that nothing can really better the education received in the 300 one-room schools in York County is part of the discourse at such reunions.

I spoke at the reunion of those attending Cly, River, Hay Run and Pleasant Grove schools in the Newberrytown region north of the Conewago Creek on Sunday. The afternoon brought forth revealing information about this educational culture that fell to jointures in the post-World War II years: ...

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October 6, 2008

Bright color replaced gritty gray at former Borg-Warner site

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The colorful former York Corporation/Borg-Warner plant on West Philadelphia Street in York is home to Buchart Horn/Basco Associates. (See how that crane or a similar overhead crane was operated in photo below.) Background posts: York, Pa. made big, heavy things - and was immensely proud of it, Carriage house dome: 'What's there will last for 100 years ... 200 years' and 'Little Johnny' called for Allies in World War II.

The 445 W. Philadelphia Street complex often just referred to as Borg-Warner was in severe disrepair in the 1990s.

Long ago, the two air conditioning/refrigeration plants known as "The Yorks" consolidated at the Grantley site, best known today as York International and Johnson Controls... .

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October 5, 2008

York College prof to speak about York's 'Voices from the Past'

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This painting, owned by the York County Heritage Trust, was one of 16 that became part of the 1927 celebration marking the 150th anniversary of the adoption of the Articles of Confederation in York County. Given the war conditions, scarce food and high costs might have meant that the woman and toddler were not as nourished as they appear in the painting. An upcoming York College class will study food, disease and their impact on early York County. Background posts: "York's Central Market sells steak ... and sizzle,", Demolished Red Lion Grange Hall still tells tale of changing York County, Lighthouse marks site of landmark Dover Township soft pretzel stand.


York College is offering a course on how food, health, disease and accidents affected the life span of York countians.

The course, titled "Voices from the Past: A History of York County, 1730 - 1930," picks up pioneers as they first legally settled west of the Susquehanna River and follows their ancestors until just before the Great Depression... .

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October 4, 2008

Delta's Welsh mining cottages: 'Some day they'll be in good repair'

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This is a clear shot of one of the four remaining original Welsh cottages just north of the Mason-Dixon Line in the Delta/Peach Bottom Township area. The Old Line Museum has begun to restore two of these cottages, built for workers of the slate quarries in the 1850s. Background posts: Coulsontown's Welsh miners' cottages: 'Once they're gone, there's nothing else like them', Digging Coulsontown: 'This is not Indiana Jones' and Time almost forgot Welsh miner's hamlet of Coulsontown.

Ruth Ann Robinson, Old Line Museum, has given a heads up about public tours of Welsh cottages in the Delta area in southeastern York County Saturday.

The tours are set for 2-4 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 11.

The day before, a class of anthropology students from Harford Community College will gain training on the ins and outs of professional digs... .

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October 3, 2008

Stewartstown Railroad: 'Truly a unique entity in the state, and possibly, the nation'

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The Stewartstown Railroad Co. and preservationists Friends of the Stewartstown Railroad are seeking to raise funds and preserve the historic southeastern York County rail lines and station. Here, Don Matthews of Stewartstown Railroad walks through a rail car earlier this year. Background posts: Freight locomotive 'telescoped' runaway railroad car, Ma & Pa Railroad, Muddy Creek Forks draw fans and Mystery of Glen Rock-area's Narrow Gauge Road deepens.

Preservationists seeking to return the Stewartstown Railroad to excursion service are continuing their work. (See: Stewartstown's historic rail station: 'Hopefully, we get things going soon')

The historical society in the Stewartstown area is presenting a program on the railroad that served Stewartstown, New Park and Fawn Grove to the east and linked to the Northern Central Railroad to the west.

Kurt Bell from the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania will speak at the event set for Nov. 19 at the Stewartstown Presbyterian Church... .

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October 2, 2008

Pennsylvania Dutch-speaking York County residents often conversed with German POWs

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Ron Trout was just a kid when Camp Stewartstown, next to the Presbyterian Church in that southeastern York County community, operated in the summers of 1944 and 1945. The camp formerly stood in and around the park's ballfield, in background. Background posts: Jamaican fruit pickers worked York County orchards in World War II , Story revives memories of oft-forgotten York County POW camp and German POWs: 'They worked cheaper than We did'.

Clifton Kehr (clkehr@juno.com) persisted through my World War II talk at York's Lutheran Village/Sprenkle recently.

He then via e-mail shared some insight about German prisoners of war, housed in Camp Stewartstown to pick fruit for two summers... .

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October 1, 2008

Wheatland Mansion tour: 'We don't know if President Buchanan used the tub'

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This 1840s zinc tub is a memorable part of the tour of Wheatland, James Buchanan's Lancaster County home. It's not known if the president ever used the tub. (See additional photo below). These photos will appear in an upcoming edition of Spaces magazine. Background posts: Columbia's clock museum set presidential timepiece exhibit opening, President Buchanan's fall reflected his presidency; other chief exec visits and York's Jeremiah Black, former U.S. attorney general, among Democrats resorting to racism.

James Buchanan's Wheatland home falls several bricks short of modern presidential libraries.

The predecessor to Abraham Lincoln in the White House is often rated in the lower tier of U.S. presidents. And the nation mostly fell apart under his watch. And he served before presidential libraries were bestowed to even undistiguished presidents.

Despite these shortcomings, a visit to Wheatland is an interesting and informative way to spend a Saturday morning... .

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September 30, 2008

PS Harrisburg grad school: 'Set my feet even more firmly on the path into the world of Fraktur'

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June Lloyd's "Faith and Famiy," informed readers about a type of Fraktur known as Taufscheine, ornately drawn Pennsylvania Dutch certificates of birth and baptism. The York County Heritage Trust converted her master's thesis at Penn State Harrisburg into this colorful 132-page book. Background posts: The four York County bloggers write; Noted Pennsylvania art historian dies and Want to know more about York County history?

For years, York countians have made the 45-minute trip to Penn State Harrisburg's campus to take American Studies master's courses.

June Lloyd, fellow blogger and former head of York County Heritage Trust's archives, did so. She turned her master's work into "Faith and Famiy," a book on a particular type of Fraktur.

Tom Schaefer, a local historical consultant, made the trip and later wrote "Patterns of Our Past," in connection with York County's 250th anniversary in 1999.

I earned a master's there and turned my work into "Never to be Forgotten," which also was released as part of 250th anniversary festivities.

Ted Sickler, former York Daily Record/Sunday News assistant managing editor, earned his master's and is an ABD student in history at the University of Delaware.

And there have been many more traveling the American studies road.

Now, graduate students can continue graduate work toward their doctorate in American Studies at Penn State Harrisburg. An American Studies doctoral program information night is set for 6 p.m., Oct. 6, in the Morrison Gallery of the college library.

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Yet another Bury's hamburger recipe drops into the cooker

She looked skeptically at the best, publicly known recipe for Bury's hamburger sauce - a recipe that reportedly passed muster with Joe Bury himself.

I'll get the real recipe, she said, one that appeared in your newspaper... .

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September 29, 2008

York newspaperman's bio: 'Superb in every respect and difficult to put down'

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Mary Allienne Hamilton spent many hours in J.W. Gitt's library, pictured here, in researching her Gitt biography "Rising from the Wilderness," published by the York County Heritage Trust (see additional photo below). Background posts: Cuban expert Jim Higgins: 'He was just another journalist ... with opinions', York newspaperman J.W. Gitt rejected Barry Goldwater's ad money and McCarthy probe could not corral York County's Gitt.


Mary Hamilton's "J.W. Gitt and His Legendary Newspaper: 'The Gazette and Daily' of York, Pa." has captured a major national award.

Her biography of this maverick newspaper owner won "Best Book in Media History" in

American Journalism Historians Association judging.

It was up against Harry Reasoner's biography, the press and the early abolition movement and the origins of mass culture, among other entries.

Judges comments follow:

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September 28, 2008

Gettysburg Cyclorama critics: Reviews ranged from 'huge dinosaur' to 'I was captivated'

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Tourists visited the rehabbed Cyclorama on the weekend of its grand opening.

Background posts: Half dozen groups probe acquisition of Gettysburg's retired Electric Map, York newspaper about Gettysburg Address: 'Mr. Lincoln made a joke or two ...' and New visitors center gets buzz, but court to rule on old Cyclorama site


The Cyclorama painting is open for a much-anticipated public viewing at the Gettysburg National Military Park.

But early visitors received a special treat in addition to the revamped, round painting.

The visitors center charged $7.50 to see a 22-minute orientation firm and to view the Cyclorama, according to the York Daily Record/Sunday News... .

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September 27, 2008

How Sam Lewis State Park sightseers view Highpoint's dome

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That's local conservationist Michael Helfrich arriving at the top of the hill at Samuel S. Lewis State Park in 2006. The dome-like elevation in the background is Highpoint, now a York County Park. At that time, its fate as a development site was up in the air. Sam Lewis park was named after the former Pennsylvania lieutenant governor from York County. Background posts: Where exactly is the York/Lancaster border?, Absorbing photo and overlay shows locations of six Susquehanna bridges and Lauxmont breeds queries of great import - or little.

A recent York Town Square post showed the view from Highpoint now that the controverted piece of land has become a York County park.

Now, we see the view of Highpoint from Samuel S. Lewis State Park.

But wait... .

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