The "Lancaster's Pioneer Ice Cream Maker" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Checking out the LNP Sunday newspaper when I came across a story about a company in Lancaster known as Marrow Ice Crean Company.  I have lived in the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania for 76 years now and have never heard of this company.  And, to top that off, I lived right next to it for a few years as a child when I lived on East Orange Street.  

George Brayton Marrow

The company was founded by George Brayton Marrow who opened his ice cream business in 1880 in a corner store at North Plum and East Orange Streets on the east side of the city.  When he first opened his business he would arise daily at 4:00 AM to drive his buggy team into Lancaster County so he could buy fresh milk and eggs which he used to make his ice cream.  His ice cream was known throughout the area as "Marrow's Ice Cream."  He eventually moved his business to 425 East Orange Street which was on the corner of Orange and Sherman Street, in his confectionery shop directly across the corner from my childhood home on the second floor of a corner barbershop.  George was in the ice cream manufacturing business for 74 years and was the oldest ice cream manufacturer in the state.  

425 East Orange Street was the home
of Marrow's Ice Cream Shop.

His confectionery shop became a popular spot for Sunday strollers who walked out East King Street and returned to town by way of East Orange Street.  They almost always stopped for refreshments at Marrow's Ice Cream shop.  George was also known to haul his ice cream around the city in a wagon drawn by his trusty horse Princess.   When I lived near his store as a child, he had become associated with the Hershey Creamery Co. of Harrisburg and eventually served as director and vice-president of the Hershey firm until his death.  Mr. Morrow was a big fan of the Philadelphia Athletics and at the age of 90 got to meet Connie Mack who was 85 at the time.  They met at Shibe Park for the opening of the 1948 baseball season.  

The Ice Cream Shop to the right and my home until
I was school age to the left.  We lived on the 2nd floor.

Mr. Marrow had attended A's games in Philadel- phia for about 40 years and tried to see them at least once a week.  Mr. George B. Marrow was born in Strasburg, PA on March 20, 1858 and became an apprentice as a youth in the confectionery business of Samuel Demuth.  He later worked for George Erisman on North Queen Street and East Grant Street, next to what became the Woolworth Store in downtown Lancaster.  

His home at 535 E. King Street

He loved to collect and refinish antiques in his yard at 535 E. King Street.  A few pieces which he had restored were displayed in his yard and drew the admiration of passers-by.  One piece was a fountain of a little boy and girl while the other was a wooden figurehead from a ship once owned by a local man.  He was also one of the oldest members of the Lancaster Lodge #134, BPO Elks as well as a member of the Moose, Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias and the Artisans as well a a member of the Grace Lutheran Church.  He died at the age of 96 and was considered a pioneer in the ice cream manufacturing business.  Oh yeah, he was also a neighbor of the Woods' family at one time.  I'm sure I must have eaten a few Marrow ice cream cones as a child.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
  
The following advertisements were published in Lancaster newspapers.  Click on images to enlarge.

  

The "Justice Was Swift In Colonial Lancaster, Pennsylvania" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading a Facebook page about the city of Lancaster when I came across a story written in "Uncharted Lancaster".  Story told of crime and punishment in Colonial America, specifically Lancaster County.  Found the article interesting and decided to do a bit more research so I dug out my two favorite history books on Lancaster County, Old Lancaster by Frederic Schriver Klein (Artwork by Charles X. Carlson) and The Heritage Of Lancaster by John Ward Willson Loose.  

Old Lancaster and The Heritage of Lancaster books.

Began my search and in no time found much of what I had read on the Facebook page as well as a bit more telling the history of crime and punishment in the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Law and order in Lancaster were the duty of the high constable and his assistants.  It was said that justice was swift and sure.  Didn't have to wait months behind bars waiting for a trial, just a trip to the stocks and a pillory which were kept in the north-west corner of Centre Square near the Courthouse which at the time was in the center of Downtown Lancaster near the Courthouse.  Lawbreakers were put on display in agonizing positions with bare backs displayed with dried blood and purple welts; both men and women.  One story that was told was of a woman named Anne Toews who happened to add an extra zero to a one-shilling note, therefore making it ten shillings.  She was quickly found guilty and was given a public whipping of twenty-one lashes on her bare back.  In the pillory, wrong-doers were fastened by the neck and wrists and ridiculed and at times abused by fellow townsmen or mischievous pranksters.  Seems that horse stealing was a frequent crime, much like car stealing today, which was punishable by a public whipping at the pillory.  

"The Pillory" by Charles X. Carlson

At the time, Lancaster County consisted of almost 5,000 square miles and trials were held in Lancaster's Courthouse.  In 1821 Mr. John Lechler was convicted of murder and was marched through the streets of Lancaster, escorted by militia, two cavalry troops and the City Band.  At the Lancaster gallows fifteen thousand people of all ages came to witness the hanging and made a public holiday of the event.  The story went that Mr. Lechler was so fond of marching military units that he led the parade to his own scaffold.  Not only was hanging just for murderers, but was the punishment for burglary as well.  Women most often were given prison terms instead of hanging.  Public punishment was established to provide a warning to everyone what could happen to you if you break the law.  One crime that carried a sentence of whipping was counterfeiting.  Thieves were publicly whipped with twenty lashes and had both their ears cut off!  They also had to wear a large letter "T" on their coat for six months.  Those who were accused of shouting or scolding were usually gagged and made to stand in the pillory.  Most of the laws I have listed were slowly removed in the early nineteenth century.  I wonder what might have happened had the punishments been continued into today's society.  Would certainly be tough to wear hearing aides if needed!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Living Through Two Pandemics In One Lifetime" Story

Lancaster newspaper article about Emma Green

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about a woman by the name of Emma Green who lived through not one, but two pandemics.  Emma was born a month before the influenza pandemic in 1918 and is now living through the global COVID-19 pandemic.  And, you thought you had it rough.  102 year old Emma lives in nearby Columbia, Pennsylvania where she has spent all her life, short of a stint working in the suburbs of Philadelphia.  Her husband, Walter Green, died in 1979 and Emma has lived alone since that time.  She enjoys visits from friends and family as well as word puzzles and cooking pumpkin bread.  

Emma as a young girl in Columbia, PA

She is a woman who has lived through World War 1 which ran from 1914 through 1918, the Great Depression which began in 1929 and ran through the late 1930s, World War II which ran from 1939 thru 1945, the advent of color TV in the late 1960's to early 1970's, the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., the death of Elvis Presley and the breakup of the Beatles, the landing of the first man on the moon in 1959, the advent of the internet, the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 as well as the pandemics of 1918 and 2020.  Emma graduated from Columbia High School in 1936 as one of two Black students in her class.  She attended Millersville Normal School and became a teacher's aide.  She loves children and adopted two of her own; Marvin Henson who lives in nearby Harrisburg and Dorcas Green who remained in Columbia.  She has seven grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.  

Emma as a young woman.

One of her granddaughters, Alysa Poindexter, is the Vice President of the Lancaster Chapter of the NAACP who tells all that her grandma is "kindness personified."  During her 100 plus years she has lived a very special life guided by her unwavering faith in God.  She has had to endure racism most of her life and has had the heartache of outliving most of her friends and a few of her family.  This very humble lady is loved by all and is known as the "precious gem of Columbia."  The story that was featured in the newspaper recently talked of her life during the past century while living in Columbia.  She has seen much change, but also talks about the many things that haven't changed much during her life.  She tells about the influenza pandemic and going with her grandmother to the corner where she lived in Columbia to see all the boxes with bodies along the street.  They had no place to put them inside.  

Emma later in life.

As for the pandemic we are now facing, she believes all should wear a mask and stay separated.  She hasn't ventured out much except for a visit to her doctor.  She says that so many people don't obey the rules which are made for the safety of everyone.  She does miss not being able to go to St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church in Columbia.  She enjoys her church as she has all her life.  She says we should not overindulge in anything; don't drink or smoke.  She remembers washing floors as a child for 50 cents each.  While in high school she worked after school every day and all day Saturday for $3 a week.  She was required to give $1 to her family and could spend the rest on herself.  Back then an ice cream cone was 5 cents.  She tried to work at an aluminum factory in Lancaster, but wasn't even considered since she was Black.  She later worked at Armstrong Cork Company during WWII.  She then went to Millersville Normal School and got 18 credits that allowed her to become a teacher's aide.  At the age of 60 she went to work at Lancaster General Hospital in the daycare center.

Emma Green

 She ended her work career working at the local YWCA until she retired for good at the age of 72.  When asked about the use of modern technology, she says she is afraid that she will do something wrong so she doesn't use it often.  She does now have a tablet and is going to learn how to use it so she can do word puzzles on it.  During her interview for the Lancaster Newspaper she talked about life during the Depression.  She lived in a section of town that had nice houses, but yet she lived in a shack like all the Black people.  She lived in a nice area where all were treated with manners and respect.  She also spend some time in Philadelphia, since there were no dentists who would work on Black people in Columbia.  She talked about the Black Lives Matter protests and said she didn't believe in the violence, but yet did believe the demonstrations were fine.  She thought that President Obama did a good job, but didn't think he got the credit he should have received.  She was so glad that she did get to see a Black President.  This lovely lady lived a long and eventful life...one of very few who had the chance to live through to different pandemics.  What a beautiful soul!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "The Start Of The Railroad Through Lancaster, Pennsylvania" Story

It was an ordinary day.  The woodcut titled "Railroading In Old Lancaster" on page 12 of the Lancaster New Era from Monday, July 19, 1920 showed Downtown Lancaster with a railroad car from the Lancaster & Columbia Railroad coming across the bottom of the sketch.  The article was part of the "Travels In Old Lancaster" column which is a series of  historic facts and illustrated with reproductions of rare photographs, drawings and woodcuts.  Pretty neat to look South on North Queen Street toward center city and the Courthouse which at one time stood in the center of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  

A woodcut showing North Queen Street, looking South, after
the completion of the Lancaster & Columbia railroad. Click to enlarge.

The story that went with the sketch talked of the large eight-wheel train car that passengers can now take via the Lancaster & Columbia Railroad.  The fast and comfortable rail car is not excelled by any other in the United States.  It now takes only two days to make the journey from Lancaster to Pittsburgh, PA.  But, after reading the next sentence of the story, I realized it wasn't meant to be for 1920.  The story about the new train was from an advertisement in the Lancaster Examiner of eighty years before that, in 1840.  "Back in those days Lancaster was the most important inland city in the Union and had a population of 8,000.  The rail line was said to be the most costly and valuable public line ever made in the United States.  The city of Lancaster paid for most of the construction of the part that ran from the bridge on the Big Conestoga through the city along the right of way now used by the Pennsylvania Railroad (as of 1840).  In the woodcut that was featured in the article, the station would have been found in the North American Hotel, where the Brunswick now stands (in reference to 1920).  Close by the locomotive in the woodcut stood the "Pioneer Hotel" and directly south where the drug store looms up, once the Museum, was the car office.  It was in 1831 that the railroad was brought to Lancaster after several meetings yielded a petition to the Pennsylvania Legislature for and on behalf of the citizens of Lancaster, to alter the present route of the railroad so as to make the City of Lancaster a point according to the directions of he act of General Assembly.  It was in 1934 that the fight was won and at a council meeting on October 3, 1834, 'it was resolved by both councils that a committee be appointed to wait on the governor at Columbia and invite him to the hotpitalities of the city.'  According to the files of the Lancaster Examiner the Governor was 'waited on' and the whole party took a trip to Philadelphia on a car drawn by one of the old engines, 'John Bull.' It was during the World's Fair in 1893 that the 'John Bull' passed through Lancaster once again under its own power to Chicago where it made one of the most interesting of the exhibits."  In the same newspaper of July 19, 1920 was an article by "The Scribbler."  Many of my stories in the past have referenced Jack Brubaker who is today's "The Scribbler" in the Lancaster Newspaper.  The 1920 Scribbler wrote of "Getting Up" in the morning and how aggravating it can be.  "But, it's nicer to lie in bed" he tells his readers.  He then goes on to tell of Samuel Clemens and how he wrote of rising early to see the sun rise.  He also said that if Samuel Clemens would have had the chance to rise early in Lancaster County, he would have made the Garden Spot his permanent residence.  "He would have enjoyed the rattle of wagon taking the milk to the creamery, the crowing of the roosters, the lowing of the cows, the barking of the dogs, the crying of the baby in the next house, the scream of the whistle of a distant locomotive, the jolting racket of the heavy team taking the grain to the mill for chopping, the morning songs of the birds and the laughter and chatter of the children would have banished sleep from the city dweller no matter how drowsy.  And, once awake the sting in the nostrils from the smoke of the fresh-made fire in the kitchen and the appetizing odor of the morning meal would have spurred even the lazy Mark Twain into dressing.  Samuel Clemens would have loved the Red Rose county had he been able to visit our town."  "The Scribbler" has been a part of our newspaper since the early 1900s and the stories of today are just as intresting as they were back then.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "The Edison Of Lancaster" Story

It was and ordinary day.  Reading an article that had been recently posted to the "SoWe Lancaster" website by Jim Gerhart who has written several very interesting and informative stories that deal with the South Western area of the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania known as Cabbage Hill.  The post I was visiting was titled "Lancaster's Edison: Anthony Iske of Cabbage Hill."  He begins with asking his readers "What do an extension table, a dumping coal wagon, a hospital bed, a meat slicer, a reclining chair, a burglar alarm, and a fire ladder have in common?  They are all patented right here in Lancaster, on Cabbage Hill."  I knew right away I was going to enjoy Jim's story since I have enjoyed just about every other story he has written about Cabbage Hill.  

Mr. Anthony Iske

Seems that Mr. Anthony Iske invented each of the items I just listed.  Mr. Iske held close to 200 patents for a wide variety of devices beginning in 1860 and for the next 50 years.  His contributions to the Cabbage Hill community as well as the city of Lancaster are immense for an industrious immigrant who was born in Alsace, France in 1831.  At the age of 14 he became an apprentice at his grandfather's cabinetmaking business.  Four years later he was in charge of the shop.  In 1853 he had an invitation to build an altar for a new church in Lancaster, New York.  When he arrived in New York City he hopped on the wrong train and landed in Lancaster, Pennsylvania instead.  Just so happened that St. Joseph Catholic Church was building a new church and needed to build a main altar, two side altars and a pulpit.  A year later he completed the task as well as marrying one Felicite Ruhlman who had also immigrated to the United States from Alsace, France on the same ship.  Wasn't long before they had a child who died four days later.  But, over the next 10 years they had five more children, but only three survived to adulthood.  The family lived in the middle of the 400 block of High Street and Anthony had set up a furniture business there.  When the Civil War broke out he added coffins and an undertaking business to his workload.  With all that going on, he still was sought after to build church furnishings.  

Hospital Bed Mr. Iske invented. (Click on images to enlarge them.

At this time in his life he began to invent a variety of wood and metal devices such as an extension table, a dumping coal wagon, a fire escape and a hospital bed.  By 1860 he had moved into a home he built at 452 High Street.  Six years later he moved to 412 High Street where his family lived for the next 15 years.  In his backyard he built a workshop for making furniture and working on his inventions.  That house still stands today.  Patents followed for several dozen items such as a cigar press, a meat slicer and a reclining chair.  His son Albert joined him in the shop and gaining patents of his own.  In 1879 Anthony was forced to sell his house and property as well as his workshop to pay off lawsuits that occurred due to his patent and payment disputes.  He lost his workshop at 412 High,  

A Cork Driver invented by Anthony
and his son Albert.

but his resilience came through and two years later he had purchased a property in the first block of West Strawberry Street.  His new house was across from the Plow Tavern.  Within a year Anthony and his son Albert had built two additional buildings on the new lot.  Albert and his new family moved into one of the houses while Anthony and his wife moved into the house on the other end of the lot.  The building in the middle was their workshop.  They worked together on a fire ladder, a hay rake and various other items.  Then in 1889 they sold the property where Albert's family was living to the Christ Lutheran Church for its new building.  Albert and his family moved to the upper floors of the workshop at 12 West Strawberry Street.  

An invention for a door bell.

Not only did the inventions continue with an elevator, doorbell and trolley repair wagon, but Albert's family continued to grow.  So much so that they had to enlarge the upper floors of the workshop.  But, all wasn't good at the time.  They ran into financial problems and had to sell part of their property.  Luckily the new buyer rented the property back to them.  Anthony's wife, Felicite, died in 1898 and his daughter Emma married George Heim in 1900.  

Anthony Iske invention of a vegetable slicer.

The newly married couple purchased back the former Iske house on West Strawberry and Anthony was able to stay with them.  Even in his 70s and 80s he continued to tinker with perpetual-motion machines.  In early January of 1920 Anthony fell down the basement stairs at 20 West Strawberry and died from internal injuries 10 days later.  Anthony's life was a treasure chest of church, family and community.  After arriving in Lancaster by mistake, he sure made a remarkable life for himself.  Although he never became rich money wise, he became rich in many other ways and was an important part of the SoWe community.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "You Had To See It To Believe It!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Traveling on Pennsylvania Route 324, south of Lancaster, looking for a building that is known as the "mosaic building."  I have read about the building a few times in the Lancaster Newspaper and even talked about it with friends a few times, but never once did I see the building that is on RT. 324 on the way to a small area known as Marticville, PA.  The air temperature had hit 100 degrees about an hour ago, so my windows are closed and the air conditioner is on full force.  I rounded a turn in the 100 block of Marticville Road and in the center of the road were bright red cones.  In a few seconds I saw a sign for a car show and thought of stopping when I saw an entire row of Vettes, but I continued on my way.  By now a few drops of rain were falling from the sky and I wondered if the convertibles at the car show were putting their tops in place.  About two minutes later I rounded a curve in the 200 block of Marticville Road and there to my left was the building for which I was searching.  

The front of the garage along Marticville Road. Click to enlarge.

Looked to be perhaps a gas station at one time, but without the pumps.  Or maybe it was just a resident's large garage with parking in front of it.  I pulled to the side of the building and grabbed my camera.  I did remember reading that the garage is on private property, so I looked for someone I could ask if they would mind if I could take photographs of the very unusual tiles on the front of about half of the building.  

A closer view of a section of the building.

It was then that I recalled the story in the newspaper written by Jack Brubaker, known to most of us as "The Scribbler." He said visitors should please look and then leave.  I called out my "Hello" with no response.  "The Scribbler" reported that about 90 years ago a Mr. George Johnson took up an unusual hobby.  The Lancaster man surrounded cement blocks with molded ceramic pieces and glass fragments.  

Another view of the garage wall.

Throughout these concrete blocks he would post what appeared to be postcards of United States Capitol buildings.  A few blocks were also said to have included money.  Then in the summer of 1958 Mr. Johnson gave many of these cement blocks to a Mr. James Booth who used them to build the front of his garage along Route 324.  They still remain just about the same, but for the money taken from the blocks that at one time had coins and bills on them.  When nobody replied to my calls I admired the concrete blocks, snapped a few photos to share and got back in my car to heading North on Marticville Road.  I wish to thank "The Scribbler" for the information he  wrote in his weekly column which drew my attention to the point that I had to see the place for myself.  And, I wasn't disappointed.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Photo of what I assume to be a U.S. President, but I'm not sure which one.

The Arkansas Capitol Building in Little Rock.

North Dakota Capitol Building in Bismarck.

Portraiture of President George Washington.

Wisconsin Capitol Building in Madison.

The "Life & Times of Abraham de Peyster" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just got back from a drive through the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania with my wife.  At times we just hop in the car and begin driving through different parts of one of the most beautiful as well as historical cities in the United States.  Our ride this evening took us throughout the western end of town as well as along and through the campus of Franklin & Marshall College.  While driving past the new art building on campus, we passed a 15 foot tall bronze statue of a fellow by the name of Abraham de Peyster.  I told Carol that I had just read an article about the statue written by Lancaster Newspaper's "The Scribbler," Jack Brubaker.  So...I stopped to take few photographs of the statue for myself...just in case!  In case of what you are probably wondering... or maybe you have a good guess what I mean.  

Abraham de Peyster

Well, it seems that Mr. Abraham de Peyster was a fairly important person who lived in New York City and was their Mayor from 1691 to 1694.  He also served as Governor of New York from 1700-1701.   Mr. De Peyster was from a wealthy family and served in a number of public roles during his life, including stints as an alderman, Associate Judge and later Chief Justice on the province's Supreme Court.  He was also the President of the King's Council and the Treasurer for New York and New Jersey provinces.  He also served as a Colonel in the militia.    

Statue in the City of New York

He became one of early Manhattan's wealthiest merchants and philan- thropists.  He built a three-story mansion on Queen Street opposite Pine Street.  Around 1699 he donated some of his land holdings and part of his garden for the construction of a new city hall that was later renamed Federal Hall which at one time was the first capitol of the United States as well as the site of the first inauguration of George Washington as President.  A bit more about Mr. Peyster would be he married his second cousin on April 5, 1684 while visiting in Amsterdam.  His new wife was Catharina de Peyster and was the daughter of Pierre de Peyster and Gertrude Van Dyke.  He had four children and lived in the mansion he built in 1695.  Before his death in 1728 he commissioned the creation of a bell to be placed in the Middle Dutch Church, then under construction.  Cast in Amsterdam in 1731, the bell is known today as the "Liberty Bell" and is located at the Middle Collegiate Church.  

The sculpture on the campus of F&M

In the late 1890s a statue of Mr. de Peyster was sculptured by George Edwin Bissell and was placed in Bowling Green Park in Manhattan.  A duplicate of the statue was also donated by John Watts de Peyster to Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Mr. de Peyster's association with F&M began when the college's Diagnoithian Literary Society made him an honorary member in 1885.  He then gave the society part of his library and eventually donated $25,000 to the college to build the Watts-de Peyster Library, where Shadek-Frackenthal Library now stands.  That is the statue I took photographs of today.  Now, for one more bit of information that I suspect you knew was coming.  Mr. de Peyster employed 16 household servants, including nine slaves, to operate the house and its ample grounds.  

A closer view of the sculpture

The New York Salvery Records Index reported that he owned 13 slaves as well as co-owning ships that carried even more slaves from the Caribbean to New York. And, "The Scribbler" discovered that Mr. de Peyster and his son imported at least 85 slaves from 1717 to 1740 according to the Donnan Table of Slaveships and Slave Voyages.  And, that is what may become a major problem in the near future.  Lancaster is in the midst of changing the names of several schools and buildings in the city due to the "Black Lives Matter" initiative.  Will the Abraham de Peyster sculpture survive the outcry that has become the news of the day?  Lancaster has a small statue of Christopher Columbus that was spray painted, but later cleaned and is still standing next to the Lancaster Country Court House.  Will that also be removed since he had slaves in the past?  In today's newspaper there was a story about a panel of historians that met in Lancaster to talk about what should be done to right the wrong that has affected  blacks in the city of Lancaster for years.  Members of the panel, which was divided between different races, will talk about what should be done with renaming buildings and removing or keeping statues that have stood for years in the city.  It will be interesting to see what happens in the future of historic Lancaster.  Will the statue of Abraham de Peyster be removed?  I have no idea and I'm not sure how I feel about it.  I'm anxious to find out what will happen.  Only time will tell.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "The Home For Friendless Children" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Searching the LancasterOnline archives to find out a bit more about what was at one time the Home for Friendless Children.  It allegedly opened in 1860, but the first trace I can find of the home is on February 19, 1861 in a story titled "Sons of Temperance Exhibition".  The newspaper article talks about an exhibition given by the Sons of Temperance which gave such satisfaction that they have been requested by a number of Lancaster citizens to hold one for the home for Friendless Children.  The next story I can find is from April 18, 1861 in an article which says the last Legislature of the State of Pennsylvania passed an act incorporating a Home for Friendless Children for the city and county of Lancaster.  It has since received the approval of the governor and is therefore a law.  It goes on to say that the affairs and concerns of the Home are to be conducted by a Board of managers, consisting of twenty-four ladies, and Board of Trustees, consisting of sixteen gentlemen.  The members are to meet in May and elect the Managers and Trustees, according to its provisions.  These managers and trustees, thus elected, may in their discretion, take under their guardianship, all children to be placed under their management as follows:  First: White children under 12 years of age will be committed to the care of the managers and trustees by the Judges of the county or by the Mayor of the city.  Second: White children under 12 years of age will be committed to the care of the managers and trustees by the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas or by the Mayor of the city.  As you may notice, only White children were allowed to live in the Home.  Was this the start of discrimination in the city of Lancaster?  Probably not, but it certainly was discimatory.  The Daily Evening Express on Saturday, July 7 said The Home for Friendless Children of the City of Lancaster will be opened for the reception of children on Monday next, so evidently the home opened on July 9 of 1860.  One of the larger contributors to the home was Thaddeus Stevens.  And, when the Honorable Thaddeus Stevens died on August 12, 1868 his will provided for the sum of $50,000 for the orphans of Lancaster.  I found in an article on February 28, 1880 in the Semi-Weekly New Era that the home colored line was then abolished.  Appropriations to the Children's Home is to be contingent on receiving children without regard to sex, race or color.  Changing the guidelines took place on January 23 when the Board of Trustees voted to admit all children.  A petition stated that The Home was incorporated on March 29, 1860 with only white children under 12 to be admitted.  These provisions have been changed to all children without regard for sex, race or color.  

The Home for Friendless Children in Lancaster, PA

The four-story brick children's home sat on an 8-acre lot bounded by Ann St., East End Ave., Marshal St. and Dauphin St.  Another champion of the Home for Friendless Children was the Honorable Frank B. McClain, the Republican member of the State Legislature who constantly proposed money for the Home for Friendless Children. Then on Wednesday, December 12, 1923 I found a heartwarming story in the Lancaster New Era that said a Christmas Party at the Home for Friendless children will be given by Mr. Frank McClain.  He continued the party for many years and played Santa at each party he sponsored.  In the article he told the citizens of Lancaster that in the year 1910 we started having a Christmas Party at the Home for Friendless Children and we will have one every year as long as I am on earth and able to dress up as Santa Claus.  He said the children are already sending letters to Santa telling him what they want and are getting their stockings ready by darning all the holes in them to be hung up the night before Christmas.  He knew what each Child wanted and he was getting ready to fill his pack.  He said his headquarters, until Christmas, will be at 628 Woolworth Building and you can send your contribution by mail or bring it in person.  He went on to say that he would rather have 10 cents from a child's toy bank than ten dollars from a grown up's fat wallet.  I'm sure he would have taken the ten dollars if it was given.  He had plans to buy toys to break, drums to burst, dolls to nurse and candies and cakes and turkey and cream, too.  

He wished that all could be there when he opened his sack to see the expressions on the faces of the children?  I also found an article from the Sunday News on July 24, 1927 that said in big letters, "Oliver Twist Would Not Tremble To Ask For Second Helpings Here" meaning The Home for Friendless Children.  Photographs of the children accompanied the article. Then in 1941 the home stopped serving its original purpose and the state abandoned its operation.  In 1955 the county sold the children's home to the state who in turn sold the property to developers who demolished it in 1966 and built the Garden Court Apartments complex on the site of the original Home for Friendless Children.  A piece of history that was lost forever.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Did George Washington Sleep Here?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Driving back and forth on SR462 in the little town of Mountville, Pennsylvania looking for two different locations that I had read about in the Sunday, February 22, 1981 Lancaster Sunday News.  Story was written by staff writer Dick Wanner and was titled "Did George Washington Sleep Here?"  

Photo from the 1981 Sunday News of the log house.

Pretty neat article telling about one of Lancaster's oldest homes, a log cabin which was built sometime around 1734 and another place known as the Blue and Gray Hotel allegedly located at 14 W. Main Street (SR 462).  Seems that Al Trimble, who owned and lived at the Blue and Gray Hotel down the road from the log house, bought, along with friend KenLaukhuff, the log house.  

Photo of the log house taken recently.

They had planned to remodel the log house and stay at the hotel during the process.  The log house and a few out buildings, one which may have been a blacksmith shop, sits on a property that is halfway between Lancaster and the town of Columbia which is located along the Susquehanna River.  The log house is on the road that Columbia founder John Wright created between Lancaster and his plantation along the Susquehanna River.  

Closer view of the squared logs and old hardware on the doors.

The old log cabin was thought to have served as an inn and tavern at one time in history and might have been a stopping off place for horses and riders traveling from Philadelphia, west to Wight's home along the Susquehanna.  Among those riders who may have spent a night or two at the log cabin were Benjamin Franklin, Dr. Benjamin Rush and possibly George Washington.  

The 1981 photo showing the Roman numerals on the corners.

George may have stabled his famous white horse and had new horseshoes put on while at the log cabin.  The fellow who owned the log cabin back then, Jacob Klugh, also was the town smithy.  As I took a few photos today I had to admire the old log cabin that now has siding on all sides except the front which faces SR462.  

As you can see, the numbers are now
covered by aluminum siding on the corners.

Most cabins of the time used round hemlock logs, while this home had logs that had been squared off and had been joined in the corners with dovetails.  Even thought the corners were covered with siding, I could still see a hint of the dove tails that held the corners together.  But, what I didn't get to see were the Chiseled Roman numerals that were cut into the ends of the logs.  It was thought that they were chiseled into the corners to help in the placement of the logs when the home was built.  I would have loved to have seen the interior, especially the top floor or attic which was said to have been a smokehouse.  The floors on the second  level were planks about two feet in width and supposedly the same as when the house was built.   

 The attic was said to be pitch black and on one side was the chimney that had a wall of bricsk and had a hole in it on the attic level so the smoke could enter the attic.  On the walls of the attic are supposed to be S-hooks that are blackened by hickory smoke with a layer of fat from the hogs that hung on them.  

Here you can see the second floor windows.

The second floor ceiling, or attic level floor is said to look like packed earth, but may be a type of mortar made from clay and horsehair.  I wonder how much of the smoked odor escaped into the lower floors.  The story I had read in the newspaper was written 39 years ago and much may have changed since then in the house, but standing in front of the home today, I imagined all sorts of things such as horses coming around the path to the right as well as perhaps Ben Franklin walking out the front door, ready to head back to Philadelphia.  Some photos I have posted are from the newspaper and may be hard to view, but at least you may be able to see some of what the place looked like in 1981.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "Bringin' In The Troops...Who Were Those Guys?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  June 6, 2020 in the small town known as Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania and the troops have arrived!  A local group had organized a "Black Lives Matter" rally in the center of town.  As people began to assemble about lunchtime for the rally, someone noticed a fellow up on the roof of a nearby business carrying semi-automatic weapons as well as a sidearm.  Very well equipped to go to war!  And, he wasn't the only one!  So, who invited these guys and who are they, anyway.  It was insane and dangerous, to say the least.  The Elizabethtown Police Chief was notified and he said he had been notified the night before that a few of the local businesses planned to have security inside their shops.  But, evidently it is not unlawful to carry a weapon if you have a permit to do so.  

A lone gunman stands watch on a rooftop in Elizabethtown.

Then it was noticed that store owners were wearing a piece of green tape on the front of them.  Why?  They did not say if they had, or had not, invited these armed men to town, but the green tape telling the gunmen who they were not to harm made them look pretty suspicious.  A Lancaster Newspaper reporter asked one of the gunmen, who was recognized as an Elizabethtown resident, what group it was that he belonged to and why where they at the rally.  The guy, who refused to give the reporter his name, said he belonged to a group called the Domestic Terrorism Response Organization.  The group has about 300 members in central Pennsylvania and is dedicated to protecting businesses, citizens and homes.  So, who are they protecting, and from whom?  All rally participants were marching peacefully along the sidewalks.  One black man, Alaak Deu, a 21-year-old walked up to a white policeman who was standing along the street, and asked him, "Is being Black a crime in Elizabethtown?"  Policeman Dustin Ryan replied, "Absolutely not!"  And then the two hugged!!  Well, it turned out that there were two militia groups in attendance on June 6.  One of the groups was known as the Carlisle Light Infantry and are a direct descendent of the Carlisle Light Infantry that marched with George Washington against the Whiskey Rebellion in western Pennsylvania and fought for the Union in the Civil War.  The other group, now calling itself the Domestic Terrorism Response Organization, identified itself as "Anti-ANTIFA" on a newly created Facebook page June 1, but changed it to Domestic Terrorism Response Organization shortly after President Trump declared the loosely organized American anti-faxcist movement to be a domestic terror group.  One of the gunmen told a newspaper reporter he was there to protect everybody...store owners, police and protesters.  The newly incarnated Carlisle Light Infantry, in its modern incarnation, now describes itself on its website as the "living, breathing, operational element of the 2nd Amendment as defined by the signers of the constitution of the United States as 'a well regulated militia.'"  On their website they say: "We live in a time where we as citizens are apprehensive, even afraid of our uniformed officers.  We're doubtful and suspicious of our local elected officials.  Our leaders do not have our best interests, our families and our livelihoods in mind as they make decisions that effect every aspect of our daily lives.  We therefore live in a time where it's our personal and civic duty to stand up for what's right and protect what matters most."  Wow! They claim to not discriminate against anyone, but there isn't a single black or brown face in any of the photos posted on the website.  Many members say they have lost faith in this country and its institutions, including the political system, the police and the military.  But, they also have a fear of people of color, immigrants, diversity and a world not dominated by white people.  And, could it be, just maybe, that they did show up in Elizabethtown just in case the Black Lives Matter rally got out of control so they could step in with their weapons and quell the situation?  Well, another rally is scheduled at Elizabethtown's Borough Park for today at 1:00 PM.  They claim they haven't been requested by any business for assistance, so they won't be here.  We will see!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Are You In Need Of Some Help?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Driving through the area of Lancaster City known as Cabbage Hill on my way home.  A few months ago I wrote a few stories telling of the people and events that make Cabbage Hill so interesting an area in which to live.  Well, today is another example.  

An intersection near the Prayer Request Box in Lancaster, PA.

As I was heading East on West Vine Street, I came upon a black metal mailbox that had white, hand-painted letters on the sides that read: PRAYER REQUEST BOX.  The house is in great shape with a brick facade, light-brown wooden trim and a very interesting stained-glass front door.  A wrought-iron railing went across the small concrete porch and down the few steps to the pavement in front of the home.  I found that the Fisher family live in the home and it is Brittany and Bert Fisher who are responsible for the mailbox.  Inside the mailbox are note cards, pencil, Bible verses and brochures for the Journey Church in nearby Ronks, Pennsylvania.  That is where the Fisher's are members.  Brittany really cares about her neighbors and their spiritual lives.  So, when someone leaves a request for a prayer in her mailbox, she tries to offer a prayer for the person who left it.  Doesn't have to be signed, just has to have a request for a prayer.  According to a recent Lancaster Newspaper article, the majority of the requests deal with health issues.  One recent prayer request told of a person who was living with their father who was retired and in his 70s.  Seems the father had a medical problem, but the prayer request was also meant for the writer of the request who is the caregiver who also has medical problems.  They reported that they really need many prayers.  

The Prayer Request Box at 645 West Vine Street.

The prayer mailbox is a way for the Fisher's to offer help to others.  They lived in Brickerville for many years before moving to the city six years ago.  They did so believing that they were needed in the city to do God's work.  They also believe that God helped them find the house at 645 West Vine Street, since when they visited the home for the first time, the current owner's hit it off with Bert's grandson.  A call from the realtor, after they had left the home, told them that the owners had just taken it off the market, since they felt the Fisher's were the proper family to live there.  Bert and his wife are care team leaders at Journey Church and provide meals for people who are sick or who have had a baby or may need help moving.  The program is known as the "Hands and Feet of Jesus."  Many people use the black prayer box in front of their home to send "Thank You" notes to them for help they may have given them.  Mr. Fisher and his wife both lived in Lancaster County before their move to 645 West Vine Street.  They now feel that this is where they are supposed to be.  One neighbor placed a card in the box saying that they were praying for the Fishers.  And, the neighborhood, which is known as the "SoWe" neighborhood due to being in the South-West of downtown Lancaster, is a  beautiful place to live.  I will keep a note in the back of my head about this place I happened upon this morning.  Never know when a note in the box may help me!   It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Spooks And Goblins Of Gable Park Hotel" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Riding around the area of Lancaster, Pennsylvania known as Quaker Hills and Gable Park Woods with my wife, trying to find the location of what at one time was known as Gables Park Hotel.  

Post Card of the hotel at Gable's Woods.

The Hotel was along Wabank Road which I traveled over for four years while a student at Millersville State Teacher's College.  Little did I know at the time, but I was driving past a haunted house all those years.  Some people in the area believed the hotel was haunted for years.  Seems that the family who lived in the hotel in the 1950s would see white footprints crossing the floor from the window.  They were white footsteps from the limestone quarry across the road. The residents also said they would hear a door slamming shut every night at midnight and an old bloodstain that could not be removed from the wood floor of the bedroom.  

After supper at Gable's Woods, August 8, 1902

Another neighbor reported looking up at the old abandoned hotel on the hill and thinking that witches could have lived there.  The history of the house is interesting.  A local real estate entrepreneur by the name of Jacob Gable Jr. built the hotel in the 19th century.  He died in 1903 and was buried with his wife Alice in the cemetery between what are now the Quaker Hills and Gable Park Woods developments.  

Taking a walk near Gable's Woods, August 8, 1902

The large residence served as both the Gable family house as well as a hotel after being built.  The Betz family purchased the building from the Gable family and later rented it to Richard and Pauline Miller.  Patricia Miller Pabon, daughter of the Miller's, grew up in the building in the 1950s.  She said that there were so many rooms in the house and was told that it was a hotel at one time.  

Gable's Park Lake, August 8, 1902

Yvonne Riggs grew up in a house next to the hotel.  She remembers the ghostly cemetery stories as well as a story about her brother who was 12 years old at the time.  He used to walk around the house and would hear a woman screaming even thought the house was vacant and run down.  Bernadine Lucas remembers visiting a friend who lived near the hotel and stopping to look at the abandoned house on top of the steep hill.  It looked like witches could have lived there.  

Near Gable's Woods - August 8, 1902

The photograph I have of the residence/ hotel shows an impressive building with three floors with a wrap-around balcony on the second floor.  On either side of the residence were steps leading from the ground level to the balcony on the first floor.  The house/hotel was eventually torn down in the 1970s, a few years after I had graduated from Millersville.  The photographs I have found of the place show an exceptional house/hotel on a incline near what appears to be the Little Conestoga Creek which flows nearby.  The history of Lancaster County is very interesting, and from time to time stories arise that make it even more interesting.  I recently read a story titled "50 YEARS AGO (1906) that was published in the Thursday, May 3, 1956 Lancaster New Era and told of a group of teenagers who hid in the woods at Gable Park in hopes of breaking up parties in the woods.  The constable descended on the park and fired shots into the air.  I imagine the group disappeared rather quickly.  Can you imagine doing that today.  The constable would lose his job instantly.  Such were the goings-on around Gable Park Hotel.   Oh, for the good old days!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Another view of the Gable's Wood Hotel

This is what I believe to be the waterway near the Hotel.