Since we here at Scoop are new to the neighborhood, we have been reading up on the rich history of our new home in York, PA. Did you know that the Continental Congress spent nine months in York while the British occupied Philadelphia during the Revolutionary War? Did you know that the Articles of Confederation were signed in York? Scoop learned this, and much more, by reading Nine Months in York Town by James McClure, an editor at the York Daily Record.
Nine Months in York Town is one of those rare historical books that is informational as well as readable. McClure has managed to blend dates, places, times and other recorded facts with human interest stories. But this book is no piece of historical fiction. Using actual letters of correspondence, diary entries and other written evidence, McClure tells the story of the people involved in the American Revolution, both in York and all across the colonies. He tells the story of the Continental Congress' stay in York through the voices of these characters. On each page, McClure's text is accompanied by background information to help readers better understand the events of the revolution. He also takes time to explain "revolutionary concepts" that may seem foreign to contemporary readers. A section called "Giving his word" presents quotes from famous (or infamous) figures of the era, and "Looking ahead" gives readers a preview into life after the Revolution for those involved. For Yorkers, and Americans alike, this book is essential to truly understanding our nation's origins.
As newcomers to the York area, Nine Months in York Town was quite an enlightening read. Sure, Scoop staff members are quickly becoming familiar with the area, but this book gave a new and deeper understanding of what a historically rich past this place holds. Noted historian and collector, John K. Snyder, Jr., commented, "Being a historian is often a lonely venture because so many people around you are so preoccupied with the present. For those interested in the past, the ultimate goal is that everyone will be as enthusiastic about it as you are. Jim McClure gets high marks for the results he has acheived within the community toward this goal. After all, learning from past experiences helps us to make the right decisions for better lives today and in the future." As we here at Scoop continue to learn through our interest in collectibles, the toys and other items of the past, there is always a reason to be explained, and a story to be told. These stories are what truly make up history, and that is what McClure has been able to capture with this book.
Scoop was lucky enough to talk with Mr. McClure about his in interest in York's history.
Scoop: Are you originally from York, PA?
James McClure: No. I’ve lived here more than 18 years.
Scoop: Have you always been interested in York’s history? When did your interest begin?
JM: I specialized in York County journalism history in my masters work at Penn State York in the early 1990s. I was interested in journalism history because it dovetailed with my work as managing editor at the York Daily Record. That brought me into contact with major events and more routine but meaningful happenings from York’s past. I became more and more interested in what forces helped shape York County. It was interesting how my work as a journalist fed my work in history and vice versa. That’s why historians in many communities have been – and still are – journalists. As I studied this history, I noticed that a major community observance took place on the 150th anniversary of the county in 1899. I started assembling my research into a book that became Never to be Forgotten with publication as part of the anniversary in mind. When history-oriented communities have major observances, a necessary part is a book. Never to be Forgotten became the primary book on which the massive 250th anniversary of York County was based in 1999.
Scoop: What is your motivation for writing books like Nine Months in York Town?
JM: Nine Months in York Town was to the community celebration of the 225th anniversary of the adoption of the Articles of Confederation as Never to be Forgotten was to the 250th. I saw the approach of the anniversary and wrote the book that served as a foundation for the observance. In both cases, the book helped fuel community interest and the newspaper used content from the book to inform its readers about these key points in history. It was one seamless continuum. I should add emphatically that while I wrote and researched the books, a history team of five talented journalists at the York Daily Record helped design, edit and produce them with assistance from our partner, the York County Heritage Trust.
Scoop: Were you happy with the results of Nine Months in York Town?
JM: The committee behind the Nine Months celebration measured county literacy on key points connected with the 225th celebration and found a significant statistical increase in historical knowledge on a couple of test points.
Scoop: Do you feel that Nine Months in York Town encouraged the community of York to promote its own history?
JM: The entire campaign – book and the many other activities – helped reinforce community pride in the American Revolution era. The next phase of promoting our cultural heritage, I understand, will be based on some of the work done for the 225th celebration.
Scoop: Did it sell well?
JM: Yes, the celebration helped the book and the book helped the celebration. Also, in both the 250th of the county and the 225th of the Articles, educational videos accompanied the books. In the Nine Months project, for example, the local PBS affiliate produced an hour-long video that it still broadcasts around July 4. The books and video and curriculum developed by the York Daily Record history team and York County Heritage Trust were put into a kit that was distributed to libraries and schools throughout York and Adams counties.
Scoop: Do you feel that York does a good job of educating its citizens about the history of the area?
JM: Yes, I’d like to find a county York’s size that has produced more books in the past 25 years. I doubt one exists. And the community has rallied around at least three major anniversary observances during that time frame: the 250th anniversaries of York and York County and the 225th anniversary of the adoption of the Articles of Confederation. All of these observances had a strong educational component.
Scoop: Who was the distributor of your book?
JM: The York Daily Record and the York County Heritage Trust coordinated publication and distribution of Nine Months.
Scoop: Are there any plans for an update of the book?
JM: I’m always looking for a local community observance or historic anniversary, and any future update of Nine Months or my other books would come in conjunction with that. However, no matter what, we do plan to keep them in print.
Scoop: How many printings of the book have there been? We understand it was extremely popular in local bookstores.
JM: We’ve had one large printing and that has held us in the sales to regional bookstores as well as online sales at places such as https://secure.inyork.com/cgi-ync/YCHT/books.html.
Scoop: Tell us about the other books you have written, such as Never to Be Forgotten.
JM: I have written five books covering or touching on York/Adams history: Never to be Forgotten, A Year-by-Year Look at York County’s Past; Nine Months in York Town, America’s Revolutionaries Labor on Pennsylvania’s Frontier; Almost Forgotten, A Glimpse at Black History in York County, Pennsylvania; East of Gettysburg, A Gray Shadow Crosses York County, Pennsylvania; and In the Thick of the Fight, York County, Pennsylvania Counters the Axis Threat in WWII. I should point out that Almost Forgotten was published in conjunction with the 25th Anniversary Conference on Black History in Pennsylvania, and East of Gettysburg was part of a community rediscovery of its Civil War past that linked to the 140th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg and the Confederate invasion of York. In the Thick of the Fight was linked to the 60th anniversary of the end of the World War II and efforts by the York County Heritage Trust to observe WWII history.
Scoop: Any new plans for more books?
JM: My current emphasis is on my local history blog, www.yorktownsquare.com, the local history section of www.ydr.com, and my weekly column in the York Daily Record/Sunday news, found at www.ydr.com/opinion. I guess you could say that I’m writing my next book a post at a time.
Scoop: Are there any committees related to York history that we could serve on?
JM: The York County Heritage Trust has several committees that welcome community members. For example, it is developing a committee to work on its Web site. It has active education and publication committees. The Trust seeks volunteers to staff its sites. Of course, many communities in York County have historical societies that welcome volunteers.
Scoop: Are there any projects that you would like to see happen that we can help with? JM: With the help of Ken Burns’ “The War,” the community is discovering that its World War II past is as illustrious as its Revolutionary War involvement. As a community, we need to keep up the momentum in helping future generations understand the level of local sacrifice that took place in World War II. York County has yet to discover its World War II connections.
Scoop: Do you have a favorite story about York’s history? A favorite character?
JM: My favorite story came in June 1887 when a self-appointed contingent pulled down the crumbling and controverted market sheds in York Centre Square in the middle of the night. No courts were in session then. It’s one of those moments that is pregnant with meaning. For example, it marked the decline of York’s agrarian way of life and the advent of the Industrial Revolution, which spawned the factories that York is so proud of. You see, people in trolleys moving to factories and the things they made needed to move through that square. The market sheds, representing an agrarian market center, stood in the way. So, in the heart of York in the heart of York County, the tumbling of the market sheds symbolically marked a change in York’s way of life.
Scoop: We are especially interested in what you said about York’s past "being a way to promote what it is today", because that is really one of our main goals at Scoop – to use the rich history of American pop culture to promote today’s collectibles. Do you have any further comments on this topic?
JM: The past does, indeed, help define the present. That nine-month period remains York's proudest moment, despite numerous other high points. The longtime emphasis on this Revolutionary War past has eclipsed study of Civil War and WWII history, for example. That’s speaks to the importance of the American Revolution in the York County heart and is not meant to poke holes in that. It’s just that there are many other moments to ponder, particularly WWII accomplishments and exploration of the way race has shaped the county. I’m not stuck just on war history either. But it so happens that York County was in the thick of the fight in all three, so there’s a lot of ground to cover.
Thank you, Mr. McClure.
To find out more about York history, visit McClure's history blog at www.yorktownsquare.com or the history section of www.ydr.com.
