The "Kissing Banned!" Story

 It was an ordinary day.  Searching the archives of the Lancaster Newspaper for a story I was writing about the COVID Virus when I came across an news article titled, "Ban On Kissing? Not In Lancaster Stations."  Just had to take the time to read the article that appeared on the front page of the "Examiner-New Era" on Tuesday, January 31, 1922.  

Article in Lancaster Newspaper (click to enlarge)

So...what was this all about.  Well, the story said we were supposed to stop kissing in the railroad station in Lancaster.  Seems that a police officer who was on duty at the train station had just been asked that question by a newspaper reporter.  "Got enough trouble!" he told the reporter.  Seems there must have been a bad snowfall and many of the patrons at the train station were stranded due to the trains being held up by the bad weather.  He also said, "Seems to me that it isn't within the jurisdiction of anyone to stop orderly kissing.  If they want to spread germs, let 'em spread it. It's none of our business."  Seems that isn't so in other parts of the country, according to the article.  In Chicago kissing is such a menace that train schedules were affected by it and therefore banned in Chicago train station.  But, in Philadelphia, as in Lancaster, officials can't see how a kiss can interfere with the train schedule.  They said that if a train needs to leave on time, someone late getting on the train due to kissing will just have to miss the train.  They'll have to remain clinched until the next train arrives.  The final sentence in the story seems to tell it all: "So along with Lancaster, Philadelphia, too, remains an open port for those not given to saying it merely with flowers and candy."  Don't you just love it?  The house where I grew up was the house closest to the railroad station on North Queen Street.  I spent many hours at the station watching the trains and perhaps a kiss or two during my youth.  Guys in uniform were known for missing their girlfriends from time to time.  My friends and I would get a chance to watch them smooch a bit more when that happened.  Never remember a policeman telling them to knock it off.  But, kissing was banned quite a few times in history.  A ban on kissing was enacted on July 16, 1439 in England due to the Plague in England and Europe.  It was enacted by Henry VI as a precaution to prevent its deadly trail.  A few months later Italy was considering a ban on kissing and closed all schools and Universities to help tackle the epidemic as the virus death toll in the country continued to rise.  But, along comes the Pope and is seen kissing and embracing the faithful in St. Peter's Square and in no time the Vatican announced he had fallen ill with a cold.  He did test negative for the virus, but it could have been worse.  Then came French President Emmanuel Macron who greeted Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte with a double cheek kiss in Naples.  He too was lucky, but France then told citizens to avoid the rational greeting to help contain the disease.  In the Catholic Church, the "kiss of peace" is a traditional Christian greeting which most Protestant churches have done away with.  For now, it was reported that the ritualistic "kiss of peace" has ben replaced by the handshake.  But, is that as safe as it might appear to be?  In the Middle Ages in England, most Catholics kissed; men kissed men, women kissed women and men and servants kissed the rings and feet of their lords.  The "Kiss of Peace" which is a greeting in the Christian religion, still remains, but is now banned in many European nations.  Kissing has been a big deal for years, but the kiss that went viral was the one taken in Times Square, New York  on August 14, 1945 when Life photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt captured one of the greatest photographs in history.  

Eisenstaedt's famous kiss.

A young woman named Greta Zimmer stood motionless in Times Square.  With the 44th Street sign and the Astor Hotel to her back, she looked up at the tall triangular building that divided the two. The message running across the Times Building read, "VJ, VJ, VJ. . . .  As she gazed at the moving type a smile widened her lips.  At about the same time George Mendonsa, dressed in his navy uniform, saw this young nurse dressed in her uniform and grabbed Greta, bending her backwards and to her right.  Their lips locked as his left arm supported her neck.  Eisenstaedt spun around at the right moment and snapped the photo that will forever define the ending of WWII in New York.  The shot of the kiss was on the cover of Life and was Life's most reproduced image as well as one of history's most popular.  That photo of the couple kissing is on the same scale as Joe Rosenthal's photo of the flag raising at Iwo Jima.  Now I ask you, would that kiss had taken place in Times Square if it was a week or even a month ago?  I doubt it!!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.   

The "Talking Classics: Part II - The 1939 Ford 1/2 Ton Panel Delivery Truck" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Standing next to Dave in the showroom of what at one time was Mohn Bros. Buick on North Prince Street in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  I grew up in the neighborhood, living a block away from the Buick dealership for close to 20 years of my lifetime.  Even had my 1955 pink and white '55 Ford painted in the paintshop at Mohn Bros.  Today the building houses Horsepower Enterprises LLC which restores and repairs classic as well as late model cars and trucks.  

Old art-deco facade that is now
Horsepower Enterprises in Lancaster, PA

For the past few months I have driven past the showroom on my way into the city of Lancaster and saw this really neat Ford panel truck in the showroom window.  Thought it would be interesting to see it a bit closer so I finally took the time to stop today to see the truck as well as visit with Dave, one of my students whom I had in class over 30 years ago and now works at the place.  I told the pretty lady at the front desk why I had stopped and asked if Dave was working today.  Within a few minutes Dave was standing by my side answering questions about the 1939 Ford 1/2-Ton Panel Delivery Truck.  The truck had a piece of paper in the front window telling the VIN#, type of engine, type of transmission and the price that the owner was asking.  Seems that he acquired too many vehicles and had decided to part with this beautiful truck.  

Magazine laying in the bed of the truck.

Laying in the rear bed of the truck was a magazine titled "V8 TIMES" from late 2014 and displayed a photo of the truck on the front cover.  Opened the magazine and began reading about the vehicle.  Owners are Richard and Mary who began a love affair withy vintage Fords early in their married lives.  They had purchased a '31 Model A Rumble Seat Coupe at a county fair to start their collection.  The next purchase was a '40 Ford Tudor DeLuxe Sedan.  But, a job change caused them to sell both cars.  Getting the itch once again, in 2010 they purchased a '40 Ford DeLuxe Sedan and a year later bought a 1938 Ford Standard Five-Window Coupe.  But, they had always liked the look of the Ford Panel Delivery trucks so in 2012 they found the 1939 Panel Truck near Atlanta.  

Front of the truck

Truck was in good condition, but the seller said he wouldn't sell it to them if they had plans to make it into a street rod.  They assured the seller that they were purists, not rodders.  They found the truck began its life as a coffee delivery vehicle, delivering Maxwell House from a central warehouse to small grocery stores in and around Atlanta.  After about 35 years of delivering coffee, the deliveryman retired and as was the custom in that era, the truck was retired with him.  He eventually gave it to his grandson who changed the color from the Dark Green to black in his high school shop.  In 1990 the new buyer began a restoration of the truck, but eventually advertised it "For Sale" in 2010.  So, Richard and Mary bought the truck.  The truck had the original 85 HP engine and drive train and, according to the serial number, was built in 1939.  1939 was the first year for hydraulic brakes and the last year for the floor shift and roll-out windshield.  

Side view of the Ford Panel Truck.

They found that one of the owners along the line added the second windshield wiper to the windshield.  This model also has two matching seats, two sun visors, an optional rear-view mirror and horizontal slats along the sides of the cargo area.  In 1939, 6,686 panel trucks such as the one I am taking photos of were made.  The '39 model was identical in appearance to the '38 model except for the hood ornament and grille center strip.  About a year after Richard and Mary bought the truck, they began a total restoration of the truck.  They did a body-off restoration with the restoration being finished in 2014.  

Rear of the truck.

They did add a special one-inch tongue and groove White oak cargo floor and had a local artist pin strip and hand letter the panels and rear doors in period-correct lettering and striped the body line and wheel rims.  The color is 1931 Ford Balsam Green.  The name of the company on the sides of the truck is Mary's maiden name and is a fictious company.  They finished the restoration on June 18, 2014, in time for the trip to the Eastern National Meet in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.  Only thing missing from their story is whether they won any trophies for their fine craftsmanship (craftswomanship).  As you can see from the photographs, the truck is beautiful.  I'm sure someone will want to purchase it with an asking price of only $40,000 (obo).  Well, I thanked Dave for his hospitality and headed out the door.  Had a great time talking with Dave about years past and all the neat restorations that are in process at Horsepower Enterprises.  I'll return sometime in the near future.  And, I'll share my stop with you.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

Interior of the truck.  Notice the oak floor and side strips.

Twin bullet headlamps, with right and left windshield wipers, mirrors and fog lights.

Fan to the left of the steering wheel was to Cool the driver.  Notice the floor shifter and the huge steering wheel.

You can see the V8 logo on the horn cover.  I didn't notice turn signals in the truck.

Very simple speedometer.  Trip window at the bottom. 

Notice the beautiful lettering.  Click on photos to enlarge and you will be able to see the pin-striping on the wheel.

Side panel in the rear of the truck.

The "Talking Classics: Part I: The 1954 Corvette Stingray" Story

 It was an ordinary day.  Standing in the showroom of John Sauder Chevrolet near Akron, Pennsylvania looking at a 1954 Corvette, one of the most beautiful classic cars in history.  

1954 Chevrolet Corvette.  The fancy grille
is a signature part of the car as are the
wire-mesh covers over the headlights.

It was in 1953 that Chevrolet began to manufacture and market the sports car known as the Corvette.  It was a front-engine, two-door sports car that served as Chevrolet's halo vehicle and is widely noted for its performance and distinctive plastic - either fiberglass or composite - bodywork.  It was given the name of Corvette, since at the time the United States' small maneuverable warship was known by the same name.  

Notice the exhaust pipes are part of the rear
design and the bullet tail-lights are classy!

The first model, a convertible, was introduced at the General Motors Motorama as a concept car and was followed ten years later by the 1963 second generation, in coupe and convertible styles.  It was close to 30 years ago that I purchased a bright red 1987 4th generation Corvette which was produced from 1984 to 1996.  

The dash carries dials for oil pressure, water temperature,
clock and a variety of other dials.  The crossed racing flags
are in the center of the steering wheel.  The rear-view mirror
is found in the center of the dash-board.

As I stood in front of the 1954 Polo White Vette, I couldn't help but wonder if there was ever an American car quite as cool or historic as the Corvette.  I know...those of you who are Ford fans will argue the Thunderbird was better, but why isn't it still manufactured today?  Recently a 1955 Thunderbird sold for $43,000 while a similar 1954 Corvette sold for $259,995.  The car in front of me isn't for sale and when I asked the salesman if I could take a few photos he told me as long as I don't touch the car.  

The rear-view mirror is mounted on the door of the
car.  Notice there is no door handle and the gas cap
is located directly behind the door.

The 1953 Corvette only came in Polo White while the 1954 Corvette came in Polo White, Black, Sportsman Red and Pennant Blue.  The 1953 and '54 models were the only model years of the Corvette sold with an engine that wasn't a V8.  The engine used in these two model years was a 235 Cu. In. (3.9 Liter) version of the second-generation Blue Flame inline-six generating 150 horsepower.  The 1955 year model offered a 265 cubic-inch (4.34 L) V8 engine as an option.  

One of the 1953 Vettes on display at Motorama.

With a large inventory of unsold 1954 models, GM limited production to 700 for 1955.  With the new V8, the 0-60 mph time improved by 1.5 seconds.  It was in this year that the Thunderbird and the Studebaker Speedster were introduced.  In 1953 the Polo White Corvette with a red interior and a black canvas top sold for $3,498.00, including the federal excise tax and $248.00 for shipping and handling.  In comparison, today's 2020 Corvette sells for $58,900 to $77,950 depending upon what options you may want on the car.  Check out the photos and see the details that were included in the 1954 Corvette.  I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and was so glad I had a chance to visit and view this piece of automobile history.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The cover of Vette Magazine showing my 1987 Vette.

Another photo of my '87 Corvette Coupe.

The "Lancaster's First Retail Giant" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading the 1976 edition of the "Watt & Shand/Hager's" Employee Handbook."  The department store, Watt & Shand, was founded March 9, 1878 by mercantile apprentices Peter T. Watt, Gilbert Thompson and James Shand of Hartford Connecticut.  

Employee Handbook

The nearby Hager & Bros. store was founded in 1821 by Christopher Hager.  Both stores evidently used the same employee handbook.  The New York Store featured lines of foreign and domestic dry goods as well as upscale merchandise.  The first item sold in the new store was a 100% wool plaid shawl for $5.00.  The store was, throughout it's lifetime, one of the best known and respected department stores in the city of Lancaster.  During the first year of business, partner Gilbert Thompson died.  Shortly the name of the business was changed to Watt, Shand and Company.  In 1880 the business moved into a building located at 8-10 East King Street.  Five years later the name was changed to Watt & Shand and was expanded to include space at 6 E. King Street.  Then in 1905 the store added three adjoining buildings and in 1959 added adjoining Apple & Webber jewelry store.  Watt & Shand was on the southeast corner of Penn Square in downtown Lancaster.  

The beautiful Watt & Shand Building.

The beautiful redesigned building was designed by C. Emlen Urban in 1898.  Major additions in 1916 and 1925 added more floor space on the southeast corner of Penn Square.  The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.   In 1970 a second Watt & Shand store was opened at Lancaster's Park City Center and in 1995 the downtown store was closed. Then in 1992 Watt & Shand was bought by The Bon-Ton and ended business in the city of Lancaster.  Then in 2006 the downtown building was demolished except for the Beaux Arts facade which was preserved and incorporated into the Lancaster Marriott Hotel which now stands at the same location as Watt & Shand.  I enjoyed many a trip to the downtown store as a child as well as an adult.  

 Santa heading to the top of Watt & Shand.

I can still remember my visits to see Santa during Christmas season as a child and as an adult, taking my children to see Santa at the store. My wife, Carol, still remembers playing in her high school marching band and escorting Santa up West King Steet to Watt & Shand where he would climb Lancaster's hook and ladder firetruck to the top of the store and disappear after a wave to the crowd below.  He would take the elevator to the basement and await for the children to make visits.  For many years it was the Go-To Store of the city of Lancaster.  The facade still remains and looks just about as it did years ago, but it just isn't the same beyond the facade.  While reading the employee handbook I came across many very interesting items in the book.  A few of the items were:   

1. New employees must serve a previsionary period of up to 90 days before becoming a regular member.

2. Reporting for work onetime and continuing to work to the end of the work period is expected.

3. Time cards are used and should not be bent or marked.

4. A five day week is maintained for all employees.

5. Overtime pay at the rate of one and one half times the hourly rate will be paid in excess of 40 hours.

6. A 15 minuet break may be granted in the afternoon.

7. If the store is closed due to weather conditions, employees will still be paid for the day.

There was Group Life and Hospitalization and Medical Insurance offered if you cared to partake of it.  There was also a pension plan if you cared to join that.  Discounts on items sold was also offered.   After 90 days of working at Watt & Shand, you could apply for a charge account and products were discounted for employees.  One week paid vacation was granted to workers after one year.  After two years working, 2 weeks vacation was paid.  After ten years you could get 3 weeks paid vacation.  There were 6 paid holidays.  Promotions are based on knowledge of the department, skill, ability and interest.  There was a 90 leave of absence for good cause such as hospitalization, child-birth, death in the family, marriage and honeymoon, court day and military need.  There were many rules and regulations such as being tardy, smoking in unspecified locations, being under the influence, disorderly conduct, falsification of time card, destroying store property, and various other rules.  There was also a specific conduct expected such as women had to wear stockings at all times, no smoking or chew of gum was allowed, men must wear suit or sport jackets at all times and snow boots were not allowed.  The store was a popular place to work in the city with many benefits and allowances that could not be found working in other jobs.  If you told people you worked at Watt & Shand you were envied.  When Watt & Shand moved to Park City it was hoped that both locations would be successful, but the big draw of a huge shopping mall was the death of the Watt & Shand in downtown Lancaster.  And, when many other top name department stores opened at Park City, it was the death of Watt & Shand.  What at one time was the best department store in Lancaster was no more.  A sad day for the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Watt & Shand housewares department.

The Emerald Room - Ladies Fashions

Men's, women's and children's clothing and an automobile.

Window display circa 1928 entitled "The Engagement."

Window display showing travel wear and luggage.

China display.

Shoe Department

The "His Passion Always Was Climbing" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Walked out the drive to the curb and picked up my Sunday LNP Newspaper.  The Sunday paper is always the thickest paper of the week, since it has  several additional sections to it.  As I walked back toward the house I took a quick look at the front page and across the top of the national section was a small photo of Lancaster's longtime local meteorologist, Eric Horst.  One short sentence told me that he is putting his forecasting aside to pursue another lifelong passion.  Without even having to look at the "Local" section of the paper I knew exactly what the passion was.  

Eric Horst, renounced meteorologist and rock climber

It was close to 40 years ago that I had Eric in my photography class at Manheim Township High School.  Eric was one of my favorite students who seemed to excel at everything he did.  During his High School career he was a member of the Boy's Gymnastic team which perhaps unknowingly saved his life his senior year.  Eric was scheduled to go rock climbing with two friends on Mount Washington in New Hampshire on a weekend in January, but since he was scheduled to participate in a gymnastic meet, he opted out of the rock climbing trip.  His decision perhaps saved his life, since both of his friends, Jeff Batzer and Hugh Herr, became lost on the mountain and almost lost their lives.  Both lost multiple body parts due to the climb.  

Eric displays his skill

Eric's longtime passion is rock climbing and he has passed that along to both his sons who both are world-class climbers.  So, it's pretty easy to see why Eric plans to continue his passion upon retirement from his 32 year job as being Lancaster County's most accessible, trusted and straight-shooting meteorologists.  Eric will be retiring as director of Millersville University's Weather Information Center to go rock climbing!  He loved his job and was the best at what he did, but rock climbing is in his blood and he evidently misses it too much.  He will no longer have to endure all-night vigils of watching winter storms unfold, posting tweets and mentoring college students.  Eric was considered a "Superhero" to many people due to his very reliable weather predictions.  One such person is Warwick Superintendent April Hershey who counted on Eric for his predictions to see if she should cancel school during bad weather.  Many of Lancaster, Pennsylvania's emergency management coordinators also relied on Eric's long-range winter predictions to plan their budgets for the winter.  The eight counties in Pennsylvania Dept. of Transportation also counted on Eric's forecasting so much that they hired him to do weather forecasts tailored for each county.  For 26 years Eric helped PennDOT which brought in money for Millersville's meteorology department and gave hands-on training for Millersville' students.  I remember Eric as a perfectionist as a student who strived to make his photographic prints as perfect as he could.  He was the same way with his weather forecasting.  His online forecasts were viewed by close to 1.5 million website views a month.  The general public relied on his forecasts as did I.  Tune in to Eric's site and you knew exactly what to expect.  He had a special talent that many meteorologists just don't have.  He almost always had perfect predictions.  As a professor at Millersville, Eric had 20 students his first year in 1988.  When he retired last month it had increased to over 120 each year.  Boy will they miss him.   Eric does admit that his obsession to get his predictions right carried tremendous pressure.  At times it drove him crazy knowing he had to have a perfect prediction.  He seemed to have a second sense which went way back to his senior year when he missed that trip to Mount Washington.  Joe Calhoun, Lancaster's Channel 8 television station's meteorologist said he too is impressed with Eric's talent in forecasting.  He calls Eric a forecaster's forecaster!  He says, "You need to be a scientist first and be able to see when the data supports or doesn't support the model output."  Eric fits the mold perfectly.  

One of Eric's many books he has written.

Another one of Eric's strong points is he never made predictions before he felt enough was known about a storm.  We who live in Lancaster County know Eric best for his weather predictions, but in other parts of the country, and even the world, he is best known for his rock-climbing abilities.  Eric has written eight books and has a website titled, 

"Training for climbing.com", which gets more that 100,000 visits a month.  He hopes to have a chance to climb with his two sons, Cameron who is a professional climber and Jonathan who also climbs.   I have written blog stories about both in the past.  Although he will no longer be predicting weather for a profession, he more than likely will predict it for his climbing adventures he will have in the future.  I wish him the best in the future. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Mayer-Hess Farmhouse Is Brought Back To Life" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Loading a new batch of photographs I had just taken with my Nikon D-3400 camera to my desktop.  

Artist drawing of original 1870 farmhouse.

Photographs were of the old Belmont Farmhouse along the Fruitville Pike in Lancaster, Pennsyl- vania.  Over the years I have written several times about the farm and its main house as well as its barns.  Even wrote about my friend Jere who would ride a wooden skid in the waters to the west of the farm in hopes of catching a snapping turtle so he could take it to a local fish store and sell it to them.

Photo of the south side of the farm from 2005.

According to the Pennsyl- vania Historical Resource Survey, the large farmhouse is probably one of the largest surviving symmetrical Italianate Houses in Lancaster County.  So when the majority of the farm's out buildings were dismantled and either moved or destroyed, the large farmhouse remained on the property and was purchased by Gary Langmuir, President and CEO of Wohlsen Construction Company.  

Recent photograph of the same side of farmhouse.

It is now the Lancaster offices of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services which leased the farmhouse from Mr. Langmuir.  It recently was renovated to the tune of $1.1 million and the 150-year old farm house looks beautiful.  My photos that I took today are testament to that fact.  The farmhouse is now home to about 30 realtors.  

Closer view. of the farmhouse.

The old farmhouse, known as the Mayer-Hess farmhouse, due to the latest families who inhabited the place, is located at 1850 Fruitville Pike and stands out in Lancaster County for its unusual, but elegant, style.  It is a three story brick building that is capped with a cupola.  As I stood in front of the newly renovated farmhouse, I tried to imagine what it must have been like to live in the huge farmhouse 150 years ago.  I had heard many stories about the farmhouse over the years, one being that a child could be seen from time to time in the windows of the cupola.  The child was alleged to have been ill and was quarantined in the cupola.  True or not, it was still an interesting story.  

All new walkways and new paint.

There was also a barn on the property at one time that was disassembled and moved to the Ironstone Ranch in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania.  The restoration of the farmhouse took about $100,000 to clean, paint and restore the exterior which was about four times the cost of construction of the farmhouse in 1870.  Today the Belmont Farmhouse is registered on the National Register of Historic Places and will forever be preserved. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "Lancaster's First Public Drinking Fountain" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Checking out an online story in the March 19, 1873 Lancaster Examiner & Herald.  The semi-weekly newspaper's story told of Lancaster's first public drinking fountain that was located in the center of Lancaster at the B. Frank Eshleman & Samuel F. Rathvon's Banking House that stood where the current Fulton Bank building is located on the north-east corner of Lancaster's Penn Square.  The custom-made fountain was made by the Robert Wood & Company from Philadelphia and was made from cast-iron which was bronzed.  The fountain was a 4 foot high ornamental pedestal topped with a golden ball which stood on a square base and supplied thirsty people with a drink of cool water.  The fountain also supplied two large pools of water that were used for watering patron's horses.  Lower on the fountain was a smaller basin that could be used by pets.  Must have been a sight to see with people, horses and dogs all drinking out of the fountain at the same time.  Mr. Eshelman and Mr. Rathvon were praised for erecting the first ever drinking fountain in front of their bank for all to use on hot days.  In order to use the fountain, there were tin cups hanging along the side that anyone could use to get a drink of water.  Not quite sure how sanitary that may have been for all who used the tin cups.  At the time, a story circulated that said one of the local brewers might run a pipe from his beer vault to the fountain the following Friday which was Election Day where one item being voted upon was the availability of alcohol to residents of Lancaster.  Seems it wasn't really true.   Messrs. Eshelman and Rathvon, out of curiosity, hired a person to report to the drinking fountain one morning at 7:00 AM and count how many people drank at the fountain until 7:00 PM.  The young man was busy all day taking a head count for by the end of the day he had counted 1,481 men, women and children who had taken a tin cup full of water from the fountain.  Not sure how many dogs and horses may have made a visit to the fountain also.  You may be aware that many schools in Lancaster County have recently removed their traditional push-button water fountains that have been in use for years for drinking in all buildings in each district.  How sanitary they might have been is now been being questioned due to the COVID-19 virus.  These traditional water fountains are now being replaced by no-touch dispensers that will fill a student's personal water bottle when held underneath it.  How different it is today as compared to the drinking fountain in Lancaster's Square in 1873.  Well, the residents of Lancaster who had a need to visit the city and were given a chance to drink from the first ever water fountain in front of the Eshelman & Rathvon's Banking House are thankful for the refreshment they had.  Also thankful were the many horses and small animals that also had a drink of the cold water on a hot day.  They will forever be part of the history of the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - I searched high and low for a photo or sketch of the fountain, but was unable to locate one.  Your imagination will have to on this story.

The "Life In The 1770s In Nearby Manheim, Pennsylvania" Story

It was an ordinary day. Beautiful fall morning and the sun was high in the sky as I arrived in the middle of the town of Manheim, Pennsylvania in search of two of the earliest log cabins to have been built in Manheim which was founded in 1762 by Henry William Stiegel on a tract of land in Rapho Township. Mr. Stiegel set out to build an industrial empire and founded the Manheim Glassworks. His empire was a failure and he was forced to sell the development in 1775 and in 1780 the glassworks closed. On January 1, 1862 the first railroad came through Manheim when the Columbia and Reading Railroad made a trip through town. In 1884 water pipes were laid and the beginning of service by the Manheim Electric Company began in a plant at Bomberger's Mill at the end of Mill Street in Manheim.

Newspaper photo showing the Fasig House
being moved on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 1995

Well, I located the two log cabins along East High Street in the middle of town. It was back on Wednesday, September 20, 1995 that an article appeared in the Lancaster New Era telling about the home of the Fasig family being moved from the corner of Main and Colebrook Streets to its new location four blocks away on High Street. The log cabin was a 20 foot X 25 foot Germanic home and it was bing placed next to another such home closer to the center of town. Both homes would eventually be opened as museums for the public to see what life might have been like in the 1700s in Manheim. The house was donated to the city by real estate broker Herb Hess who had purchased the home at auction. He thought it would be just natural to have an old-town Manheim once again. The log cabin that was moved was known as the Keith house which got its name from one of the first families to live in the cabin.

Map showing location of log homes.

Mr. William Ross, an expert in log cabin construc- tion, said the home was more than likely built in the early 1770s. The people who built the home would have been from Germany or of German ancestry. The original Fasig house probably would have consisted of a kitchen (kuche), living room (stube) and a bedroom (kammer). The cabin that the Fasig cabin was placed next to along High Street was known as the Keith House which got its name from the first family to inhabit that cabin.

Flag of Manheim shows date of 1762.

Seems that just about every log cabin built at that time was built by people of Germanic ancestry and it seems that they all used the same blueprints for the construction. Well, I parked my car to the rear of the Fasig House and grabbed my Nikon camera. Directly in front of me was the Fasig House so I snapped a few photos. Walked around to the front and found a sign telling the history of both houses which sit next to one another. Neither one was what I had expected which would have shown logs joined at the corners with special joints to lock them together. Both cabins had weather boards on them which made them look much like a frame house built today. Both log cabins were small in size compared with homes of today. To the rear of them sat a wooden outhouse which looked a bit to "modern" to be an original to the homes. The town of Manheim should be proud of the fact that they are retaining their heritage for all to see. Check out the photographs I have taken so you too can see what housing in the mid-1700s might have looked like. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The Fasig House has gray siding on it.  Roof has new wooden shingles and the stepping stones in front of the cabin are to help those arriving in different sized wagons to exit the wagon easier.  

This is the back door which has a lantern above it for lighting.

View looking east along High Street in Manheim.  Light post sits near the cabin.

Sitting near the rear of the cabin is a pump with water trough.  Now sure if it is functional or not.

This sits behind the Keath House.  Not sure if it is usable or just for show.

The rear of the Keath House.

The one window and shutter on the rear of the Keath House.

Plaque on the front of the home.

Looks as if this door hasn't been used recently.  I'm not sure if either house is open at this time due to the COVID-19 virus.

Neat 6 over 6 window with shutters and hardware.

Front of the home with a bright red door.  This house also has a stone in front of the house to make getting out of your wagon or off of your horse easier.