York

Georg R. Sheets

• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Year: 2015
• Print ISBN: 9781467134057
• eBook ISBN: 9781439653722
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: 20th Century History
• Index: History

York experienced great changes following World War II. People began moving from the city to the suburbs, and many department stores, like Bear's, Wiest's, Jack's, and Gregory's, closed. Long-standing companies such as AMF and York Air Conditioning were sold or moved, while banks, industries, and businesses merged. The York County Shopping Center opened on the East End, attracting customers who had formerly shopped downtown. WSBA TV went on the air in 1952, starting a new era in communication and a business empire that still has a strong presence today. The band Live grew from a group of local high school students to well-known musicians that graced the cover of Rolling Stone. Jeff Koons became one of the most celebrated artists in the world, Kim Bracey became the first African American mayor, and York businessman Tom Wolf became governor. York continues to celebrate its rich heritage as the "Factory Capital of the World."

One

LIFE IN THE CITY

The reproduction of the first York County Courthouse is the setting in this photograph for a rally to send men off to the Persian Gulf. Even in the rain, the crowd is emotional and the mood is celebratory but sober as York sends more of its young men to war. York has a long history of supporting the nation’s troops in spirit and in actual production. It is said, for example, that a World War II soldier could be fully equipped with York-made products from his boots and T-shirt to his parachute and rations. The courthouse was re-created for the bicentennial of the United States two blocks from where the original structure entertained congressmen in 1777 and 1778. (Courtesy of Bill Schintz.)

This photograph of York in the early era, the 1950s and 1960s, will bring back memories for many old-timers who knew downtown when it was a busy, vibrant shopping destination. The Wiest’s Department Store, Bear’s, and numerous other stores either closed or moved out of town during the coming rush to suburbia. (Author’s collection.)

York’s Colonial buildings are the setting for the spring fair pictured here. The Golden Plough Tavern, the building to the right, or west, was built in a German style in 1741, and the General Gates House next door was built of stone by an Englishman in 1751. Fully furnished with period antiques, these buildings continue to be popular tourist destinations. Note the handmade roof shingles of the Golden Plough Tavern. (Courtesy of Bill Schintz.)

Charles X. Carlson painted these scenes on the walls of a well-known York men’s club in 1960. He used the drawings of 19th-century engraver and artist William Wagner to show the original courthouse where Congress met for nine months in 1777 and 1778 to pass the Articles of Confederation, called the first Constitution of the United States of America. Named for Lafayette, the French marquis who became a close friend of George Washington and his defender in York at a famous banquet, the club was known as a professional place to conduct important business affairs. Club members eventually admitted women when federal rules dictated, and recently, it closed, leaving the Carlson paintings in jeopardy and the men and women in York one less place to gather. (Both, courtesy of Bill Schintz.)

The Hebrew Reformed congregation Temple Beth Israel was formed in 1877. The first Temple Beth Israel building, pictured here, was erected on South Beaver Street in 1907. During World War II, Rabbi Alexander D. Goode left Temple Beth Israel and became a chaplain. He and three Christian chaplains became American heroes known as the Four Chaplains when they chose to remain aboard the troopship Dorchester after a Nazi torpedo had sunk it. With continued growth, Temple Beth Israel constructed a school wing and auditorium on Hollywood Drive in 1962, and the Samuel and Clara Lebovitz sanctuary was added in 1966. This building became home to Adas Israel, an Orthodox Jewish congregation. (Author’s collection.)

This summer view of the Barnett Log House, which once contained living quarters, a fish house, and other businesses, shows the architecture of York in the early 1800s. The log house was moved two blocks north, near other buildings of historic value, to make room for expansion of the high school. (Courtesy of Bill Schintz.)

Max Grumbacher opened the Bon-Ton department store in a one-room shop on West Market Street in early 1898. The store expanded quickly and moved into this building at the corner of East Market and South Beaver Streets in 1912. The store’s first floor was fully renovated, and in 1941, air-conditioning and York’s first escalator were added. Many Yorkers remember visits with Santa Claus as well as the Bon-Ton tearoom. Today, Bon-Ton Stores, Inc., is a regional chain with 275 stores in 26 states throughout the North. Stores operated by the Bon-Ton include Bergner’s, Boston Store, Carson Pirie Scott, Elder-Beerman, Herbergers, and Younkers. The Bon-Ton maintains three corporate offices—East York; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Dayton, Ohio. (Courtesy of Bill Schintz.)

The Codorus Creek that runs through the center of York was the scene of a race for homemade boats during one of the downtown festivals. The rules were strict, and no commercially made vessels could be entered. (Courtesy of Bill Schintz.)

The Yorktowne Hotel lobby is a familiar meeting place for visitors and residents. In this photograph, it is decorated for the Christmas season. (Courtesy of Bill Schintz.)

The men and women who helped in the early days of York are saluted in this outdoor mural, one of 19 such paintings located throughout the city that tell the history of York. In 1996, this painting was completed on the side of the Yorktowne Hotel, next door to the old courthouse. The mural is a salute to the 100-year-old downtown York Rotary Club, the slogan of which, “Service Above Self,” is seen at the bottom of the mural. (Author’s collection.)

Children from the First Presbyterian school on East Market Street play in front of the church, erected on land given by the grandson of William Penn. The eastern portion of this plot is home to an old cemetery where many of York’s early leaders are interred, including James Smith, York’s own signer of the Declaration of Independence. In the background is the Martin Library, opened in 1935 with arched windows that the public library has used as its logo. (Co...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• 1. Life in the City
• 2. Visitors and Famous Locals
• 3. A Sense of Belonging and Industrial Might
• 4. Suburban and Rural
• 5. Fairs, Festivals, and Parades
• Index