The "The Neat Little Church On Cabbage Hill" Story

An early 1960s black and white of Christ Lutheran.

It was an ordinary day.  Standing in the parking lot talking on my cell with Silvia who happens to be the secretary at Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  In no time Pastor Beth meets me and we head toward the side entrance to the church which is tucked into a triangular corner bordered by Strawberry St., Manor Street and King Street.  I always thought the church to be interesting ever since I went with my Grandmother as a child to her Doctor's office which was located directly across the street on Strawberry.  Christ Lutheran was founded as a mission Sunday School in 1867 for Trinity Lutheran which was located  about five blocks away on South Duke Street.  

The location of the church at the corner of King, Strawberry
and Manor.  This sketch is from 1895.

The small chapel was originally located on West King Street until 1881 when it became indepen- dent from Trinity Church.  The new congre- gation struggled at first, but eventually decided to build a new church on the site of the old chapel.  Soon a better location became available and the congregation purchased the property, where I am standing today, and made plans for its new church building.  

As seen on the 1895 drawing, this building was the Buckius
cobbler shop and residence.  Still in good shape.

Ground was broken August 18, 1890 and excavation began nine days later.  The cost of the church was more than expected so their old chapel property was sold to raise more funding.  Excavation lasted into 1891 with foundation work not completed until the summer of that year.  The cornerstone was placed in position on September 13 of 1891.  

The cornerstone was laid in 1891.

The old marble cornerstone from the West King Street Mission Chapel was taken from that building and placed on the first floor wall on the new church on the Strawberry Street side.  Due to lack of funding, it was decided to complete the new church in sections until by the spring of 1892 the exterior of the new church was complete with the brick walls and slate roof in place.  As planned, the chapel section of the church was finished first.  By April the old chapel had been vacated, but the new chapel was not complete, so the congregation held its worship services in the Girls High School until the chapel part of the new church was consecrated at 10:00 a.m. on May 29, 1892.  The Lancaster Examiner, the local newspaper at the time, described the entire building as being a "magnificent church structure" and a great improvement to the southwestern part of the city.  

This photograph shows the church as
seen today.  Manor Street is to the right
with Strawberry Street to the left.

The chapel, known as the Sunday-school chapel, had seven stained-glass windows designed and made by S.S. Marchall and Brothers of Allegheny, Pennsylvania.  Money seemed to be the biggest problem for completion of the remainder of the church which eventually was completed by October 20, 1895 when a procession was formed in the Sunday school chapel and marched from there into the main auditorium.  Today Pastor Beth escorted me through the interior of Christ Lutheran Church which has beautiful curved galleries on the upper level with a magnificent wooden facade.  The completed new church now occupies a commanding position on the northernmost point of the area in Lancaster known as Cabbage Hill.  

The 1868 Marble cornerstone from the West King Street
chapel was removed from its original place and moved to
the new Christ Lutheran Church. 

Built in thirteenth-century English Gothic style, with a red brick exterior highlighted with Hummels- town Brownstone with a sixty-foot-tall square tower standing on the northern- most corner where twin main entrances are located.  The main auditorium was built in amphitheater style which slopes downward toward the altar.  The large beams in the arched ceiling are made of cypress and are very impressive as I stand in the center of the church with my camera.  

Showing the architecture on the exterior of the main auditorium

It was back in the early 1950s that I visited my grand- mother's doctor with her across the street from the church and finally, after almost 70 years, I had the chance to step inside the neat church tucked into this little corner of Cabbage Hill off King Street in historical Lancaster, PA.  My thanks to Pastor Beth and Silvia for finally giving me the chance to view their church.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The interior of the main auditorium with curved galleries and cyprus beams.

One of the beautiful stained glass windows that can be seen from the main auditorium. 

The altar is at the bottom of sloping aisles in the church.

Another look at the tall corner steeple. 

The wrought-iron railings with decorative symbols lead to the entrance.

This view is from the Manor Street side.

The "My Wife: The Savior Of The Unwanted" Story

The little gray kitten making another visit.

It was an ordinary day.  Carol is standing by the rear door of our Beach House in Lancaster County, PA looking at the little ball of gray fur that is looking in the door at her.  She opened the door, but the furry creature, one of God's own creations, was frightened off.  Day after day the little kitten arrived, ate the dish of food she would put out for it, and went back into hiding.  The fall air began to get a chill to it and then the cold days arrived.  The kitten began to grow as Carol watched on a daily basis.  And then one day another kitten arrived to eat with the gray one.  This beautiful kitten looked like royalty with it's beautiful stripes, head held high and sleek posture.  Then one day as Carol was baking Christmas cookies she looked at the bowl of food on the rear stoop.

The handsome one, Mr. Snickerdoodle!

There stood royalty by the dish.  She opened the door and picked up the new breakfast attendee before it knew what had happened and brought it into the house as the little gray ball of fur stood by and watched.  The squirmy kitten escaped from her grasp and ran for the nearest door.  Shortly we had a new addition to our home who we kept in our office a few weeks until it became accustomed to us and its new surroundings.  All the while the little ball of gray fur made visits to the rear door.  And then one day it stepped into the house when she opened the door with the morning breakfast, curious as to what had happened to her royal friend.  The gray kitten rubbed against Carol and curled into her lap when she sat on the floor by the rear door.  Wasn't long before we took her to have her spayed.  

The Gray Lady napping in Carol's lap.  What a trusting little soul!

Then we took the sleek one, now named Snicker- doodle after the batch of cookies Carol had been baking when he arrived, to have him neutered.  Before long we had two new additions scurrying about the house to replace our recently departed friend, Creamsicle, who was an orange and white stray who happened to jump a snowdrift after a winter storm a few years ago and land in our hearts.  Many do not believe in feeding the feral or stray cats that wander the neighborhoods of every community in the world, but we cannot bear to see them die for reasons they cannot help.  

The sign says it all!

Both Snickerdoodle as well as now named "The Gray Lady" are growing and thriving in their new environ- ment.  They are a treat to watch them interact with each other.  The Gray Lady still sits on Carol's lap as she did that one day in January when the temperature hovered near zero.  Even finds her way to my lap from time to time.  Snickerdoodle is getting more handsome everyday as he grows.  A truly gentle giant!  But, the hero of the house is my wife who has been the savior of those that have come across her path while searching for a free meal when no one else will serve them.  It's just as the sign says that stands by our rear door: "Strays Gather Here!"  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "Life's A Beach! What Will You Find On Yours" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Looking at a few of the seashell frames we have in our house that hold past memories of trips to the beach.  Frames from beaches along the New Jersey coast as well as beaches in various locations in the Caribbean.  

This frame has a few hundred shells on it.

A trip to the beach wouldn't be a success if we didn't find a few seashells that we could bring home with us for our collection.  I finally got my brother and sister-in-law to take a trip to a beach with the intent of collecting sea shells.  They picked one of the best beaches in the world for hunting seashells.  They left Lancaster County, PA and traveled to the Philadelphia airport for a two-hour plane ride to Florida for a visit to Sanibel Island.  

The beaches of Sanibel, Florida.

Carol and I have had the chance to travel to Sanibel a few times and told of having to wear shoes on the beach due to the large amount of shells that cover the beach.  Also told them the would have to master the "Sanibel Stoop" which you acquire after a few hours of picking up shells.  Sanibel is a small island on the gulf coast side of Florida that is shaped like a curve so the shells are funneled onto its beaches which make it a premier spot for collecting shells.  

Book and flyer showing the shells of Florida.

They had a great time and may return once again.  If you too would like to find a beach for shelling, there is actually a list of the "World's Best Beaches for Hunting Seashells."  Sanibel naturally is one of the best in the world for shelling, but there are a few others that are in the United States.  Calvert Cliffs State Park in nearby Maryland.  The state park is located on the Chesapeake Bay with cliffs that were formed 10 to 20 million years ago and once covered with water.  Today you might be able to find shark teeth and other fossils on the sandy beach beneath the cliffs.  Calvert also a great spot for hunting scallop, clam and oyster shells as well as beach glass.  

Calvert Cliffs State Park in Maryland.

I did read that you may not walk beneath the cliffs due to danger of landslides.  Another east coast beach is Ocracoke Island at the tip of North Carolina's Outer Banks.  The beachcomber's paradise yields queen helmet conchs, Scotch bonnets, clams, olives, periwinkles, moon snail shells and sundials.  Some visitors have even found giant whelks.  Galveston, Texas has Sea Shell Beach Pocket Park where during the winter or after a storm you maybe able to find murex, marsh snail shells, shark's eyes, zebra periwindles, clams and scallops.  

Galveston, Texas beach for finding shells.

Another US beach is Shipwreck Beach on Hawaii's Lanai Island.  The beach isn't for swimmers, but the currents and winds are great for beach- combers since they drive ashore violet snails, imperial cones and textile cones.  Visit the beach and you might also find bottles, sea glass, drfftwood and even a rare Japanese glass float.  If you care to travel outside the US you can head to the Bahamas where you can find great shelling on Somerset Creek Beach on Andros Island.  Make sure you take beach shoes since the beach is paved with millions of tiny shells in all colors, sand dollars, queen conchs and king and queen and emperor helmets.  

Hawaii shells

On Eleuthera Isalnd you might find netted olives, tulips, conches, murex, West Indian top shells and moon snails.  I have only listed beaches that are fairly close to my home in Lancaster PA, but there are places to hunt shells all over the world.  Search online if you care to travel greater distances.  No matter where you hunt for seashells, remember that some locations do not allow taking shells of a certain variety.  I remember snorkeling and shelling on the island of St. John in the Caribbean and visiting Trunk Bay.  I was stopped when I tried to remove a large shell from the beach.  Another location that may not allow you to take shells is the Turks and Caicos Islands.  We visited the island of Provenciales with traveling friends Jere and Just Sue and the first visit came home with several large conch shells that we found right off shore, but were told on our next visit that we may not be able to take them home with us.  Do some research before you have a problem at the airport when leaving.  Shelling is so much fun and a great hobby.  Type "sea shells" in the little white box at the top of this blog to see some of the many shells Carol and I have been collecting over the past 20 years.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "The Incomparable Miss Potts" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting in the waiting room of Lancaster Neuroscience & Spine Associates with my wife, waiting for a few shots of steroids in my back.  Saw an interesting magazine on the endless pile of glossy paper on the table in front of me and took a look at it.  As I leafed through the magazine called Fig Lancaster I found a page marked Lancaster Landmarks.  Story about a building at 43-47 West King Street in downtown Lancaster known as the Miss Jennie Potts' Building.  Jennie S. Potts was way ahead of her time for a female in the 1800s.  She owned extensive properties in Lancaster and acquired the property at 43-47 from the estate of her father in October of 1890.  

Jennie Potts' building at 43-47 W. King St.

There was a structure on the site which I assume was removed when she hired renowned architect C. Emlen Urban to design a commercial structure.  It was one of Urban's  earliest commercial structures to employ light-colored brick and stone using the French Renaissance style.  The structure was divided into two wide bays, the facade features paired second-floor windows topped by flat stone arches with high-relief carvings, and paired third-floor windows with rounded stone arches and anthemion keystones.  There are three round stone medallions below the elaborate stone cornice which includes scroll work across the fascia and small masks with human-lion faces along the rim.  The top two floors were rental living units with commercial property on the first floor.  

Closer view of the architecture on the upper floors.

She eventually sold the building in June of 1922, but the building still bears her name.  Miss Potts also owned a historic property along the Philadelphia-Lancaster Turnpike which was located between Rising Sun and Mount Vernon as well as other properties in Lancaster city, Christiana, Gap, Salisbury and East Lampeter Township in Lancaster County.  She lived at 126 East Chestnut Street in Lancaster as well as had a home in Philadelphia.  She died in 1923, single and without heirs to her reported multi-million dollar estate.  The 43-47 West King Street property was sold once again to a local Lancaster executive.  On either side of it were parking lots and it was assumed he bought the property to raze it for more parking.  But, he kept it as retail and housing as it had been in the past.  The Jennie Potts building is still a beautiful building on the north side of West King Street in downtown Lancaster.  A few days after my shots and reading the magazine story, I made a visit to take a photo of Miss Potts' building.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Township Horn Sisters Lead The Way" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Propped against the goalpost on the football field with my camera, waiting for a chance to take a few photos of the Horn sisters who are two of the best pole vaulters in the Lancaster-Lebanon League.  

Poles sit in wait for competition.

Sydney is a sophomore while Mackenzie is a senior who are both part of the Manheim Township High School Track & Field Team in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  Sydney is becoming an accomplished vaulter having cleared 11'8" already in her career, but the star for the Township team is sister Mackenzie who is not only one of the best pole vaulters in the L-L League, but also the state as well as the USA.  Mackenzie became the fifth girl in Pennsylvania to clear 13 feet when she won the VaultWorX meet in Camp Hill, Pa. this past January 13th.  A week later she cleared the same distance at the Douglas W. Wenser Memorial Invitational in Kutztown, Pa., but then cleared 13-3 on her final attempt which was the best height in Pennsylvania as well as the fourth-best in the United States.  She also won the 55-meter hurdles at the meet crossing the finish line in 8.98 seconds.  Quite an accomplishment for a young girl who spent most of her junior year sidelined by a pair of stress-fractures in her left foot which happens to be her "plant" foot.  

Mackenzie prepares herself for the runway.

She did recover enough by the end of the season to finish third at the PA District III meet, clearing 11'6" which qualified her for the PA State Meet where she finished third at 12'0".  She then entered the New Balance Nationals where she placed 26th with a vault of 11'10".  She then began her recovery while training at VaultWorX in Camp Hill, PA a few times a week.  This all began when she was a sophomore and her assistant track coach, Jason Lyons, a former student of mine and now a Tech-Ed teacher at the Middle School, suggested to her that she give pole vaulting a try.  She now plans to continue her pole vaulting career next fall at North Carolina at High Point University.  Her goal before she enters college is to hit 14 feet.  Her method of purging her mind, shutting out the scene around her and staring down the pole vault runway seems to be working.  My guess is she will reach her goal!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Sydney Horn on the way to the top.  Click on images to enlarge.

She clears the height.

Mackenzie Horn begins her approach down the runway.

Perfect form on her way to the top.

Clearing her height by plenty.

Preparing for her landing while pushing the pole away from the bar.

PS - Today's story was written a few days before the Manheim Township "Blue Streaks Relays" which were held on Saturday, May 5.  During the meet the Horn sisters teamed to win the pole vault event with a meet-record when Mackenzie cleared 12 feet and Sydney cleared 11-6.  They also were part of the winning 400-meter shuttle hurdles along with Leah Sassaman and Delaney McKnight in a winning time of 1:05.32.  Their performances helped the "Blue Streaks" win the girls' championship as their counterparts in the boys' division also won giving the school the team championship.

The "Email Friends And Cousins Forever!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Standing in line at the Reynolds Funeral Home in Quarryville, Pennsylvania waiting to talk with my cousin, Susan, whose husband Gary had recently passed away.  For the past few years Carol and I have been closer to Susan and her family than we have been to other relatives.  I have nine cousins who I have known for close to three-quarter of a century.  My father's sister Lillian had two children who our family vacationed with for years along the rivers that fed into the Chesapeake Bay.  Cousins Judy and George were close in age to my brother and I, so we had a great time together every time we vacationed.  But, time moves on and though we still talk and see each other from time to time, its not very often.  My mother had two sisters and the older of the two, Virginia, thought she was a few years younger than my mom, had three girls.  Aunt Virginia, Uncle Bob, Lynn, Susan and Amy lived in Strasburg, PA which is about 15 miles from Lancaster.  My brother and I visited with our cousins, but usually only a few times a year for summer picnics and during holidays.  My mother's youngest sister, Lois, was only a year or so older than me and I think of her almost as much a cousin as an aunt.  She has two sons, Johnny and Michael, who are cousins who we also see maybe once a year.  About 20 years ago Carol and I decided to move from our home in Grandview Heights, where we had lived for 29 years, to a place that reminded us of a beach house.  I gave cousin Susan a call and asked if she could handle the sale of our house and the purchase of our new home.  She had been a realtor for a few years and was the perfect choice.  She sold our place the first day it was on the market and helped us land our beach house for what today seems like a steal.  We got to know Susan once again, as well as her husband Gary, during the next few years since she also helped both our sons buy houses for themselves.  Gary worked for a heating and cooling company and he helped when we needed to replace those systems in our beach house.  A shared meal or two along the Chesapeake helped us get to know the two of them even better.  Susan no longer sells real estate, but for many years now we have been internet friends with constant emails back and forth, primarily about our families.  I helped her a few years ago when her older sister and my cousin, Lynn, needed the use of a computer.  I happened to have one that fitted the needs of her sister, so she mailed it to her sister.   Our shared emails were about just about everything from grandkids, other relatives, time she and Gary spent at their hunting cabin as well as illnesses that affect just about everyone our age.  But, a few months ago that all changed when she began to tell me about Gary and his health struggles.  Some things reminded me of what I was going through while others sounded much more serious.  Well, one email led to another and finally she broke the news to me of Gary's illness.  Sounded very serious and I was at a loss for words to type back to her to make her feel better.  Then the email came telling me about Gary being taken to Hospice to help manage his pain.  What can I type back to her that will mean anything and make her feel better?  NOTHING!  Then Carol told me of the Facebook post by one of Susan and Gary's daughters telling of her father's passing.  I quickly wrote a note telling Susan to let me know what we could do to help.  A day later I got an email that told the entire story.  As I read it I could see that she was using our email friendship to help her talk to someone about what she was feeling.  The tears began to flow as I read more and more of her story.  I could almost see her tears on the keys of her computer as she was typing her story to me.  It's a few days later now and I can give her a hug and tell her how sorry I am for her and her family as I stand in front of her at the funeral parlor.  Her daughters, Gary's daughters, stand nearby also greeting visitors.  Carol and I haven't seen the girls in some time and I asked Susan if they will recognize us.  She bet me $20 that they will remember us.  As Carol and I walked away after our visit she looked my way and asks if they remembered us.  I shake my head yes.  She says, "You own me $20."  I can see the pain beginning to ease.  I walked into the next room, took $20 from my wallet and folded it.  Walked back to Susan with my hand out as if to shake it and when she reached for me I put the $20 in her hand and said, "Now, we're even!"  Actually brought a smile and a laugh covered her face.  Her loss will never go away, but she will survive if she can laugh and smile and remember all the wonderful moments she and Gary had together in their lives.  No one is immortal!  We will all face the same end.  But, with help it may be easier to handle.  I will be on my computer tomorrow telling her how nice it was to see her again.  And, I just know she will be typing back to me.  After all, we are email friends and cousins forever!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.   

The "If Only The Old Sycamore Could Talk!" Story

Preface:  I've lived my entire life in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  As a youth I managed to travel to a few eastern States for vacation.  After marriage I traveled up and down the eastern coast of the United States.  After retirement from a career in education, I was lucky enough to have traveled to Europe, over two dozen Caribbean islands, a few locations in Central America as well as a few more U.S. states including Hawaii.  But, the longer I live, the more I realize I don't know as much about Lancaster County as I thought I did.  Simple 20-30 minute trips from home have proven interesting with learning experiences I didn't know or think possible.  Today and tomorrow are two of those experiences.

It was an ordinary day.  The fellow next to me with the camera looked at me and asked if I had seen the tree on TV today.  We talked a bit and then he said, "I've lived only five minutes away from here for over 20 years now and never knew about this tree."  I returned with, "I've lived only ten minutes away from here for over 70 years now and didn't know about it either."  Knew he couldn't top me with another comment, so he headed to his car.  

The old American Sycamore tree in front of the original farm-
house that stands on a property that was part of Penn's Woods

The tree in question is an American Sycamore tree located off of RT.30 to the west of Lancaster in the Old Sycamore Industrial Park.  The address where the tree is located is 265 Plane Tree Drive.  On the local NBC Sunday morning news I caught a story about the history of the tree and the fact that it was dedicated by AKA Worldwide on Arbor Day, April 27, 2018.  As you read this you more than likely assume the tree has just been planted, but in reality the tree is older than both you and I combined.  Add in my wife and the other guy that I just spoke to and the tree is still older.  

This photograph shows part of base of the tree
that still stands.  It is almost as tall as I am.

Actually the old American Sycamore was on this spot when the colony of Pennsylvania was know as "Penn's Woods" with the tree being situated on land that was part of a 1718 Penn Grant deeded by William Penn to the early settlers in the area.  In 1982 the Pennsylvania Forestry Association recognized it as over 300 years old.  Topping that is the fact that the Pennsylvania State Forestry Department in nearby Harrisburg estimated the tree to be over 250 years old in 1900.  That would make it over 365 years old.  Guess you could say it is older than dirt, but then that would be impossible.  The tree nearly met it's death in 1957 when lightning struck it and destroyed quite a bit of it.  

This shows a section where branches
ran from parts of the tree.

Even thought most of the tree is gone, two branches remain with each being as large as an unusually large sycamore tree.  The girth of the tree as it now stands is 7.62 meters (25 feet), but its height can't be determined due to not knowing how tall it was before the lightning struck.  A sawed off telephone pole holds one of the branches off the ground.  Next to the tree is an old farmhouse that dates to the mid-18th century which is younger than the tree.  As I stood next to the tree, I thought of how it must feel; part of it resting on a crutch, fewer leaves sprouting from its branches, older than most around it with aging lines dug deep in its skin. Wow, just like me!  This tree more than likely saw Native Americans hunting under its branches, wild animals scratching their butts against it and European settlers resting under its shady branches.  A true witness tree.  If only the old Sycamore could talk!  Oh, the tales it could tell.  I know just how you feel, old guy!!  And, to think I never knew it was here!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

This branch is held in place with part of a telephone pole.

Another view of this beautiful old tree which is still living.

  

The "My Ancestors Lived In The Woods. So What!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Finally received the results from the AncestryDNA kit my wife gave me for Christmas this past year.  I posted a story a few months ago telling about the kit and what you had to do to take the test.  After mailing my kit, I waited and waited.  I asked my wife for the gift so I could see where and when my surname may have come from or began years ago.  My parents had told me at one time that the Woods name was Scotch-Irish, but they had no proof to share with me.  I was hoping the test would give me answers.  Well, I did find that the meaning of the surname "Woods" was: English and Scottish -  topographic name for someone who lived in the woods and Irish - English name adopted as a translation of O Cuill or a descendant of Coll' (Quill).  It was also a personal name meaning 'hound of the wood'.  Maps were provided to show how "Woods" families moved over time by selecting different census years.  The "Woods" family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada and Scotland between 1840 and 1920.  The most "Woods" families were found in the USA in 1880.  In 1840 there were 215 "Woods" families living in Ohio.  That was about 13% of all the recorded "Woods" in the USA.  Ohio had the highest population of "Woods" families in 1840.  As far as what types of occupations the "Woods" family members had, 37% were listed as farmers, 10% were laborers and 7% were keeping house.  As for the other 46%, there was no mention of them.   Another report I received told of migrations of "Woods" families from regions in England and Wales as well as Ireland and Scotland to Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana.  

One of many charts telling of my ancestry.  Click to enlarge.

And yet another graph showed Ethnicity Estimates of England and Wales of 46%, Germanic Europe of 20%, Ireland and Scotland of 12%, France of 12%, Norway of 4%, European Jewish of 3%, Sweden of 2% and Italy of 1%.  All these groups were also said to have migrated to Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana settlements.  The final series of maps showed how the original settlers that arrived from Europe spread westward across the United States up until the 1950s.  So, what do I do with all this knowledge I'm supposed to have accumulated?  What I was hoping for was that maybe my Great, Great, Great Grandfather arrived at Plymouth Rock on the Mayflower.  Now that would have been exciting!  Do I look further into my family name?  What for!  I guess I learned something from all of this, but I kind of knew all this from what my parents told me years ago.  And, I didn't have to waste an expensive Christmas gift on what they told me.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.    

The "Health Care At It's Best" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Driving past Franklin & Marshall College's new athletic stadium in the north-east section of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Directly next to it is what at one time was Lancaster's biggest employer, Armstrong Cork Company.  It later was known as Armstrong World Industries which was still one of Lancaster's biggest employers.  But, today that is no longer the case, since Lancaster General Hospital (Lancaster General Health) now employs more than double the next largest employer in Lancaster.  Lancaster General Health is a health system in Lancaster, Pennsylvania which was founded in 1893 in a home on

First home of Lancaster General Hospital.

Queen Street in the city.  The hospital now is a 590-bed facility located at 555 North Duke Street in Lancaster.  Lancaster General Health encompasses the main facility on North Duke Street as well as two smaller centers: The Woman & Babies Hospital at 690 Good Drive and the Lancaster Rehabilitation Hospital at 675 Good Drive.  And, Carol and I have made good use of the buildings.  We, at times, talk about moving to a warmer climate, or even an island in the Caribbean, but the medical care we get right here in Lancaster is remarkable and when you have reached the downside instead of the upside of your life, medical care is important.  Lancaster is a relatively small city of about seven square miles with under 70,000 residents.  It is within driving distance of New Jersey shore points as well as big cities such as Baltimore, Philadelphia and even New York.  

Lime Street site of Lancaster General Hospital.

Lancaster is one of our nation's most historical towns as I have talked about on this blog for years now.  And, medical care in the city is next to none.  Lancaster General is on the list of top 100 hospitals in the nation and is a magnet facility for nursing excellence.  U.S. News & World Report has named Lancaster's hospital as one of the best for heart surgery, orthopedics, urology, hormonal disorders and ear, nose & throat.  The only thing they lack as far as Carol and I are concerned is a white sand beach with turquoise waters.  Lancaster General began December of 1893 in a three-story brick residence at 322 N. Queen Street in downtown Lancaster.  Three years later they relocated to a nearby private mansion at 530-532 North Lime Street.  

The main entrance of the new location
at 528 North LIme Street.  

They celebrated their first hospital birth on January 9, 1897.  In 1903 they established a formal nurses' training school.  In 1912 the first Cesarean section was performed and the following year they added their first motorized ambulance.  Sounds rather mundane to list all these accomplishments, but Lancaster had no hospital at all before that.  Then in 1918 a flu epidemic hit and The Moose Hall on East King Street was converted to an emergency hospital.  On October 7th of that year 2,516 flu cases were reported in a single day.  Lancaster General began to expand and in 1929 undertook its last major expansion before WWII by adding a new maternity building, a new administration wing and acquisition of private homes for their nurses.   

Sample of private room when hospital first opened.

In 1935 President Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law and three years later the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act was signed.  In 1938 the hospital got its first iron lung.  President Truman signed the National Mental Health Act of 1946 which provided funding for research and treatment of mental illness.  Computerized accounting and billing began the same year with technology finding its way into hospital business.  

After the war ended in 1946, 448 babies were born at the hospital.  Three years later that number had doubled.  

First ambulance at Lancaster General Hospital.

In the early 1950s the department of Physical Therapy was established and a new wing was dedicated with 156 new beds as well as a heart clinic.  In 1957 the polio unit was phased out after polio vaccine was licensed.  A new LGH School of Nursing was completed with student residence that can house 234 nurses.  In 1967 residential properties near the hospital were demolished for a new parking garage.  

One of first babies born at the hospital.

Ten years later the hospital had their first CAT scanner with an MRI scanner soon after.  1981 saw the first cardiac catheter- ization lab with Lancaster's first open heart surgery being performed two years later.  The Womans's Health Pavilion was established in 1986 and the following year the trauma center is named a regional trauma center.  All along, the hospital hired many new employees to help staff their growing hospital.  In 1994 the Suburban Outpatient Pavilion was finished and six years later the Woman & Babies Hospital opened.  

Iron lung that was at Lancaster General Hospital.

2002 saw the former nursing school become Lancaster General College of Nursing & Health Sciences.  The following year LGH opened an expanded Trauma and Emergency Department while a year later they opened an Orthopedic Center.  In 2007 the Lancaster Rehabilitation Hospital opened.  

This view shows the Duke Street entrance to the hospital.

In 2010 President Obama signed the Patient Protection Care Act saying that every citizen should have access to basic health care.  What has happened since then would take a book to finish my story.  As you see, Lancaster has many, many workers in the health care industry and that is why it is so hard for Carol and I to think of moving from our safety blanket of medical care.  We'll have to just plan on a few weeks at a time in the sun and stay put where we have some of the best health care in the world.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Entrance as it was for years at the hospital.  This entrance has now been changed.

This is the Lime and Frederick Street side of the hospital.  Notice the helicopter pad on the roof of the hospital.

The Suburban Outpatient Pavilion.

Another view of the Outpatient Pavilion.

One of Lancaster General's newest additions, The Ann Barshinger Cancer Institute.  

The "Our Clerk Was A Sweetheart, And She Had A Smile, Too!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just walked into the Comcast Xfinity store on Route 30E in Lancaster County, PA to buy a new phone for Carol and obtain a mobile phone plan from Comcast for both she and I.  Spent most of yesterday afternoon with a young man from Xfinity who upgraded our home television coverage, changed our internet service and added Comcast as our home phone carrier.  For years I have been thinking of changing our service from Verizon to Comcast to save money, but never did.  Then about a year ago I got a new internet router from Verizon and began to have multiple problems.  The internet signal was spotty and I had to turn the router off and on a few times a week to get it to work.  Finally had enough and called Comcast and found I can get internet, home phone, television as well as wireless service for about half of what I pay for all those services I presently have.  So, after the young guy made all the changes to our home services yesterday, Carol and I headed to the Comcast store today to change our wireless service.  Carol's flip-top phone is so old we needed to buy a new one for her.  Her choice was based on size rather than what the phone could do.  She chose the largest one they had so she would no problem finding it in her handbag.  My iPhone was compatible with their service so all I had to do was change from Verizon to Comcast.  Sounds easy, but what I thought was my account number and pin number with Verizon must have been for something else I own, for neither one worked.  So the female clerk, in order to remove Verizon as my carrier and add Comcast, had me dial Verizon on my iPhone to get both my account number and my pin number.  I called and was asked for my account number which I didn't know.  They told me they would send me a text in a few seconds with a number and all I had to do was return that number to obtain a new pin number.  Went well until I had to talk to someone on the phone and the noise level was so great on the phone I couldn't hear it.  Asked the clerk helping us to try to listen to what they were telling me, and she actually had a hard time, but did manage to help.  Finally got a new pin number and thought I was in good shape until Verizon wanted my account number.  Went through the same procedure once again and finally, I had my account number.  By now several clerks were gathering to hear what I would do next.  Why I needed my account number and pin number I'm still not sure, since I planned to cancel their service anyway.  Now, if you're having a hard time figuring all this out, you have no idea how hard it was for me.  After two hours Carol and I left the store with the same wireless phone numbers and my phone now changed to Comcast.  The phone that Carol had wanted they didn't have, since no one wanted that model anymore except Carol, so it will be mailed to us.  I need to call Verizon myself to cancel my service, but will wait until Carol gets her phone so I can do both at the same time.  Heaven knows what numbers I will need for that call.  We asked the clerk if we could come back in once again to get help with Carol's phone if she couldn't figure it out.  She checked her schedule and told us when to return.  My guess is it is on a day she is off.  The end result:  Comcast television, internet, home phone and wireless service for about half the cost we paid for all of that through Comcast and Verizon combined.  The biggest discount was with wireless where we went from close to $110 a month with Verizon to $12 a month with Comcast.  I know we don't have tons of data on our new plan, but we don't spend all day on our phone as many people do.  Having everything from one service really does cut the cost down.  I even figured out where the SIM card is located on my phone and how to remove it.  Hey, we just might take another vacation on the money we will save over a year's time.  All in all it was a successful day for all but our dear clerk.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.