This information is for personal use only, not commercial use. It may be copied as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites or web pages, requires permission from the submitter PRIOR to uploading to any other sites.
These are biographies of some of Dover's residences
(Click on the name to go to that persons bio page, Click on "Back to Top" to return to this index)
|
This site was last updated 09/19/13 |
Born to Charles L. and Clara Elizabeth Kauffman March, Fahs, as he’s been known all is life, was the eldest of three sons. He was born May 28, 1918 in an 18th century log cabin at Locust Point, Dover Township. The house was part of a 128 acre farm located on Canal Road, near Davidsburg, York Co., PA.
His family later moved into the large farmhouse located on the property, built in 1756 by the Revolutionary War captain named Sharp, and owned by his maternal grandparents, Milton Ruby Kauffman and Anna Mariah Fahs Kauffman. Fahs’ father later died as a result of injuries suffered in an accident on this farm.
Fahs and his brothers Richard and Donald were in the 4-H baby beef club and raised champion steer, showing them at the annual Farm Show in Harrisburg. In 1935 their steer won the PA Grand Champion. They all shared farm chores and Fahs’ chores were to feed the horses and cattle and to bed down the horses. All three sons also assisted their mother with milking and milling corn.
Fahs attended Lenhart’s School and then Strayer’s School.His first grade teacher was Edna Gerber Baughman. Other teachers were Grace Stambaugh, Andrew Gerber and Monroe Bentz. At Dover High School he was taught by George Leib, Charles C. Young, Scott Knaub, Miriam Fissel and Kate, whose last name might have been Gross or Myers.
His farm chores kept Fahs from participating in most school activities although he did participate in some school plays. He played the clarinet, taught by Abraham Nace, who made his brother Richard’s violin out of wood from a maple tree on the farm. He and his brother played with the Dover Band and a church band, and played in Dillsburg, Wellsville and other areas, and in Halloween parades.
After his graduation from Dover High School in 1936, Fahs went to work for the S. Morgan Smith Company in York. He attended school there for more than four years to learn precision tool-making and stayed with that employer for twenty-six years. He also worked at York Safe and Lock Co. during WWII making machine parts for tanks.
Other employment was with York Ice Company, Shipley Oil Company and for an uncle putting up hay for fifty cents a day at a greenhouse in Manchester. Fahs’ military service during WWII included service on board the repair ship DEC699/USS Marsh, which carried a machine shop, a woodworking shop and a welding shop to repair ships damaged in battle. He also served aboard a sub-chaser and a mine sweeper. He served in the African Campaign, The Pacific Theater, and The Battle of the Atlantic. His last tour of duty was in China via the Panama Canal, Honolulu, and the Marshall Islands. The war in the Pacific ended before his ship arrived in China. He was discharged from the U. S. Navy on December 9, 1945, at Sampson Naval Base in New York.
Fahs and his wife, Verna Marie Sowers, were married June 11, 1943, before he went into the Navy. She passed away in August 1986 and is buried in Salem Church Cemetery. His daughter, Marciaann March Longenecker, was born in 1946 and lives in Lower Windsor. His only other child, son David Burnell March, was born in 1949. He’s a carpenter and lives along the Susquehanna Trail.
Fahs’ brother Donald, born in 1921, was a sargent in the U.S. Air Force and was killed in 1944 while flying a B17 Flying Fortress over Cologne, Germany. His brother Richard, born in 1919, and a colonel, also served in the U. S. Air Force. He died in 1975. Both are interred in Salem Church Cemetery. Fahs entered the Powder Mill Rd. (York, PA) nursing home in August 2004. He will be buried alongside his wife Verna after his death. His complete life history,
Dr. Robert Nebinger Lewis, son of Dr. Webster and Ann (Nebinger) Lewis, was born in Lewisberry, July 30, 1799. He attended the village school and after reading medicine with his father, went to Philadelphia, where he completed his medical education. He practiced medicine for a time at Strinestown and Lewisberry, and then located permanently in his profession in the borough of Dover. Here he became a prominent and influential citizen as well as a successful physician. Dr. Lewis was an ardent abolitionist and during the days of slavery, his home at Dover was one of the stations of the Underground Railroad. He died March 16, 1846. Clay E. Lewis his eldest son became a prominent citizen of York and was cashier of the western National Bank. He was the father of Elli Lewis, Treasurer of the York Trust Company
Born in Dover Township, in 1855, to parents who had settled there many years before, the lad grew to maturity and lived his lifetime, till 1930, in the service of others of the Dover area. He early displayed a taste for knowledge and attended schools under the instruction of his father, a teacher. He worked his way through Union Seminary, a “Select” school, and Millersville Normal School, then Jefferson Medical College and postgraduate study. He located his practice in Dover in 1883 and remained there.
As a lad of fifteen, Nathan Wallace began to teach at public school. He continued this during winters while attending Millersville summers. During the summers of 1880, 1881 and 1883, while studying medicine during the college year, he taught a “Select” school in Dover, and many of his students were the township’s teachers for the next twenty-five years.
As a doctor he was active in the York County Medical Society, and he served the Board of Health at county and state conventions. As a citizen he was a member of the town council, borough treasurer for five years, and postmaster for eleven years. He was president and trustee of Camp 55, P.O.S. of A., a Mason, and was considered a “conservative” in his Lutheran religion and Republican politics.
Dover Borough and Township are still benefiting from Dr. Wallace’s sense of responsibility to his fellow men through the Wallace Fund.
Anna Mae Elicker was born on December 15, 1908, in West York, PA., the daughter of John W. and Minnie A. Fortney Elicker. She attended first through eight grades in West York Schools, starting in first grade in August of 1914. She was promoted to second grade during the first year. Anna could read before she started school. At thirteen years of age, she was promoted to ninth grade. Just after starting high school, her father’s ill health caused the family to move to the country. He died several years later at the age of 54 from lead poisoning. He painted houses for a living.
Since there were no high schools available in the country, her education was curtailed. While living on the farm, Anna drove a horse and buggy. She never did learn to drive a car. She also drove the horse for corn planting, while using a hayrack, to church, to catechize class, to the store and to work. She worked in a sewing factory and a cigar factory, both in Dover, PA.
Her parents taught her to be a capable and responsible person. Her father told her to learn more than one job so she would never be out of work. Since Anna’s father died when she was only 19, he never lived to see her make cigars or saw her ability to meet new people and draw them into conversation. Her mother taught her sewing, canning, jelly making and cooking.
Anna and Bill Snelbecker were married January 31, 1931 at the Elicker home in Dover. The Reverend George Enders conducted the ceremony. They immediately became a family of four people, with Anna’s mother and her 10-year-old brother, Earl, coming to live with them.
In 1931, Anna and Bill opened a Community Pure Food store in half of their home at 59 S. Main Street, Dover, PA. With the depression looming, they borrowed money to open their business. Times were extremely tough. With long hours and hard work the store survived for 25 years, closing in 1956.
Anna started entering jellies and canned goods in the York Fair in the early 1940’s. Over the years she won hundreds of prizes and she continued this until 1996. One year she won 32 prizes out of 35 entries.
In 1933 York County had a flood. All of this along with everyday responsibilities, culminated in a nervous breakdown later that year.
She had 4 daughters, Helen, Deborah, Doris, Phyllis, and three sons, Glenn E., Leroy, and Robert. In November of 1939 she delivered Richard who lived only six hours. Anna was seriously ill with pneumonia.
Her love of writing began when she was 9 or 10 years old. Inspired by her pastor, the Reverend William Feldmann, she began writing to over 100 service men and women during World War II.
Anna was involved with the “Cheerful Greeting Club” and in the 1930’s Anna and Bill used their basement as a storage place for a clothing bank. In 1969 St. David’s Evangelical Church took over the project.
On May 1954, Anna started a new career as a free-lance newspaper reporter. She wrote for the York Dispatch, York Gazette (now Daily Record), Lancaster Sunday News (now York Sunday News), and Harrisburg Patriot. She continued writing until 1992, teaching herself to type.
Anna eventually filled 33 scrapbooks with her stories. In 1993 Dover Township published a History Book in celebration of 250 years. Twenty-eighty pages were excerpts from Anna’s scrapbooks.
In 2001 the Greater Dover Historical Society was formed. Anna’s scrapbooks are now a part of history.
Ann and Bill formed the Dover Heritage Senior Center and the Dover AARP. In 1978 Anna started working for the Community Progress Council, East College Ave., York, PA. She was also a member of Union Fire & Hose Co. No. 1 Ladies Auxiliary and a volunteer for the Salvation Army.
In 1988 she got a new job with the Community Courier, and learned to use a computer.
Ann was a member of Farm Women Group #30 and American Pen Women.
In 1990 Ann and Bill moved to Kelly Manor, in 1992 Bill had to moved to the nursing section at Kelly Manor.
Ann passed away on September 13, 2002 and burial was in Suburban Memorial Gardens.
Dr. Frederick Ernst Melsheimer
Dr. Frederick Ernst Melsheimer, born 1782, was the son of a Lutheran Pastor in Hanover who had studied theology and medicine in his native Germany. The boy was exposed early, to his father’s teachings about medicine, his interest in American insects, and the publication of his book, the first American-printed work on entomology. Frederick graduated from University of Maryland, practiced in Hanover for a time, and in 1810 transferred to Davidsburg where he practiced until his death in 1873.
During these years Dr. Melsheimer studied entomology and enlarged his father’s and brother’s collection. He was visited by a distinguished scientist, Dr. Carl Zimmerman, in 1834, and some time later Dr. Zimmerman mentioned in a publication the “remarkable collection of insects” of Davidsburg’s doctor. The widely acclaimed American naturalist Louis Agassiz bought the entire collection from Dr. Melsheimer in 1864 and placed it in the museum at Harvard University. The collection contained nearly 15,000 specimens, of which 2200 species belonged to the United States, about 1900 from Europe, and more than 1000 from other parts of the world. Dr. Melsheimer was also interested in astronomy and had in front of his house a mounted telescope with which he and his visitors observed the sun, moon and stars. In 1853 he was president of the American Entomological Society, and belonged to other “learned societies” as well.
Peter Wiest, who founded the large establishment, which bears his name, Wiest Department Store, began the mercantile business in a humble way in the borough of Dover in 1841. In his youth he displayed business acumen and prospered with the store he conducted in his native village. Thinking a larger town could afford him better opportunities; he packed up his goods and prepared to move them to York. This occurred in midwinter of 1843. During the night after he had boxed up his goods, snow fell to the depth of twenty inches and a fire broke out in Dover, burning several buildings and all the goods and merchandise owned by Peter Wiest. He was then left without anything except his reputation for energy and capacity for business. He was undaunted by his misfortune so he moved to York and opened a small store on West Market Street. Here he soon built up an extensive trade, not only among his friends and neighbors in the town, but many customers from the country west and northwest of York came to buy his goods. By close application to business he built up a large trade and became one of the leading dry goods merchants of York.
In 1869, during the high water of the Codorus Creek, his store was flooded and he suffered considerable loss, but the severest trial during the successful career of Mr. Wiest was the flood of 1884, when, owing to great rainfall, the Codorus Creek passed through York like a mighty torrent. The water rose to the height of seven and one half feet in Peter Wiest's store, then situated at 218 West Market Street. He lost heavily as the result of this flood, but continued to do a large business during the remainder of his life. In 1868 he took his eldest son, Edward F Wiest, into the business; in 1871, his second son, George L Wiest, and 1883, Harry S Wiest. Peter Wiest died in 1885. In 1887 Edward F Wiest organized the firm of P Wiest’s Sons, taking in his two brothers as partners. In 1889 the firm of P Wiest’s Sons purchased the Albright property, on the south side of West Market Street, near Centre Square, immediately tore it down and erected on the site a large and commodious store building 32 x 150 feet. The store was removed to this building in 1890. In 1895 the Ebert property, 33 feet front, was purchased and in 1901 the firm erected on this site an additional building which greatly enlarged the facilities for carrying on an extensive business. P Wiest’s Sons own and occupy a building with 65 feet front, 225 feet deep and four stories high. They conduct one of the largest mercantile establishments in central and southern Pennsylvania. They have nineteen different departments to their store, and have regularly employed about 125 persons. Wiest’s store is widely known and has enjoyed a very large patronage.
Peter Wiest, the founder of this extensive business, was born in Jackson Township in 1817. His grandfather John Wiest, came to America from the Palatinate along the Rhine River in Germany in 1757 and landed in Philadelphia. Soon afterward he migrated westward and took up a tract of land within the present area of Jackson Township. He was cultivating this farm in 1775 when he entered the military service in a company commanded by Captain Jacob Ament, and served as a soldier during the American Revolution. After the war he returned to his home and at his death, his son John Wiest, succeeded as the owner of the paternal estate. It was on this farm that Peter Wiest grew to manhood, and at the age of twenty-five, went to Dover and embarked in the mercantile business in which he and his sons have prospered.
Peter Wiest was married to Catharine Lenhart, daughter of William Lenhart, descendant of a family prominent and influential in Dover Township. They had six children. Two of the sons, Charles and William, died in their youth. The other three sons are partners in the business. Miss Emma Wiest, their only daughter, resides in York. The Mother died in February 1898 at the age of seventy-six years.
[1] History of York County Pennsylvania / Prowell / Volume 1 / 1907 / page 802-803
Biographical Sketch
Charles C. Drawbaugh is a graduate of Dover Area High School, Hershey Community college, and the Pennsylvania State University at which he earned a Baccalaureate, a Masters and a Doctoral Degree. He taught at Hegins and Dover High Schools in Pennsylvania and at Rutgers, The State University in New Jersey. He was a visiting Professor at the Ohio State University, Texas A & M University and the Pennsylvania State University. After serving 35 years as an educator, including 21 years at Rutgers University, he retired with the title of Professor Emeritus.
He authored a book on Methods of Teaching and Learning published by the Merrill Publishing Company and another on Time and Its Use published by Teachers College Press of Columbia University. More recently he authored A History of the Mt. Royal United Methodist Church and was a major author and Editor of A History of Dover Township, York County, Pennsylvania – 1743- 1993. He prepared A World War II History of the 506th Medical Collecting Company, a unit of the 158th Regimental Combat Team. Dr. Drawbaugh wrote chapters for several other books and had some 40 journal articles published. He was Director of more than a dozen research projects and served as Advisor or Chairman on approximately 100 doctoral dissertations.
In terms of national leadership, he served as President of the American Association of Teacher Educators in Agriculture and the New Jersey Vocational Education Association. He was both Secretary and Treasurer of the American Vocational Education Research Association and is a Life Member of the American of the American Vocational Association. Dr. Drawbaugh was elected into Gamma Sigma Delta, Omicron Tau Theta, Phi Delta Kappa, Alpha Tau Alpha, and Epsilon Pi Tau honorary societies and was Chapter Advisor to the latter three. He served as Parliamentarian for the Rutgers University Graduate School of Education, The American Vocational Association and the County Health Care System of Middlesex, New Jersey.
Among the honors awarded to him were the Honorary Keystone Farmer Degree, the Honorary Garden State Farmer Degree and the Honorary American Farmer Degree. He was recognized with Certificates of Appreciation from the U.S. Office of Education, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pennsylvania Game Commission, The General Assembly of the State of New Jersey, and New Jersey Division of Fish, Game and Shell Fisheries. He is a life member of the National FFA Alumni Association.
Dr. Drawbaugh’s travels included such countries as New Guinea, Philippine Island, Fiji Island, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Peoples Republic of China and Hong Kong in the Pacific Region. In Africa he presented an Ecological Training Proposal to the United Nations Environment Programme in Nairobi, Kenya. On another occasion he spent a summer in West African Countries as a Project Leader for the U.S. Agency for International Development.
In Europe, he vacationed in Italy, France, England, Ireland, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and the Soviet Union.
Dr. Drawbaugh is a member of the Mt. Royal United Methodist Church where he served as Sunday School Superintendent for five years. He is a Sunday school Teacher of the Adult Class, is Church Historian and is Gardener for the 5 ½ acre campus. He served numerous times as a Lay Delegate to the Central Pennsylvania United Methodist Annual Conference.
Since his retirement in 1985, he served his community as President of the Dover Area Chapter of AARP, Director and Treasurer of the Heritage Senior Center, Member and President of the Metropolitan Edison Electric Company Advisory Council, and Director of the York County Cooperative extension Advisory Board. In 1991, he was recognized for “Outstanding Extension Involvement” by the Extension Service. He completed a 5 year term as an advisory council member of York County Human Services Department. He is a Charter Member of York County Human Services Department. He is a Charter Member and Archivist of the Greater Dover Historical Society. He was granted Master Gardener Emeritus Status for invaluable long-standing service to the Penn State Master Gardeners Program (1986-2002).
Dr. Drawbaugh is a member of Zeredatha Lodge #451, Free and Accepted Masons, Scottish Rite Lodge of Harrisburg, and Zembo Temple of Harrisburg.
During World War II, he was a Combat Medic in the Southwest Pacific Area with the 506th Medical Collecting Company (Sep) which was a unit of the 158th Regimental Combat Team known as (Bushmasters). The Combat Team was involved in Combat operations military service, he was awarded a Bronze Star with commendations and a second Bronze Star for combat duty, an Asiatic-Pacific Service Ribbon with three stars, a Philippine Service Ribbon with one star, combat Medic Badge, Good Conduct Medal, and a Victory Medal. He was recognized by the U. S. Defense department with a Certificate for service during the Cold War. He was President of the Bushmaster (East) Association (1999-2002). He is a member of the American Legion, Post 791, and is a life Member of Springettsbury Memorial Veterans of Foreign Wars Post # 5868.
Dr. Drawbaugh has collected more than one hundred canes and walking sticks during his travels. The canes are catalogued with pictures, descriptions and a story for each.
Dr. Drawbaugh and his wife Ruth are the parents of a daughter, Patsy, a son, Dean, and two grandchildren, Graeme and Kerry Hartnett.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
Career Background
Founded and published the Dover Times and Manchester Times, which were
combined in 1989 with the Five Star News to become the Community Courier.
Previously a staff writer for The York Daily Record, York Gazette & Daily,
Harrisburg Patriot, Williamsport Sun-Gazette and the Jacksonville
Journal-Courier. First “paid” job as a writer – correspondent at three cents per
column inch for Munch Luminary, age 14. Those still were Depression days and the
pay seemed so wonderful that I decided then and there to seek my fortune in this
profession. In due time - now some 50 years in this kind of work – I found the
fortune not in salary but in spinning out words that help other people.
Related Experience
Approximately ten years in public relations. Fulltime department director in
this field for Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission and York Hospital,
plus several years in private practice with a variety of accounts. These
included fund raising drives for non-profit organizations, some commercial and
political endeavor. In the mid 1960’s was press secretary to U. S.
Representative Neiman Craley.
Editor and/or publishing shepherd for several historical books, among them facsimile reproductions of the Lewis Miller sketches done for the Historical Society of York County, facsimile reproductions of Huddy & Duval’s U.S. Military Magazine of 1840-41 produced for American History Publications, reprint editions of the Long Lost Friend, and early 1800s collection of Pow Wow practices, plus a number of soft-cover booklets having to do with Pennsylvania folklore and folksongs. A vocational interest here, past vice president of the Pennsylvania Folklore Society.
Family
Married to Jean Ann Stevens Myers, who is a retired director of elementary
education for West York Area School District. We have two daughters, one son and
two grandsons.
Education
Lifelong student. Attended Elmhurst and Illinois Colleges majoring in
English and history before and after World War II during which I served some
three years in the U.S. Navy, mostly in the Pacific theater. Non-dramatic
military career primarily as an aerial photographer for reasons I’ll never
understand, the Navy trained me. After hostilities ended, assigned to a
photographic color research team until discharge. Continuing serious interest.
In time accepted for membership in the American Society for Professional
Photographic Scientists and Engineers. Specialty – use of various radiation
bands for non-destructive reproduction needs, most particularly problems having
to do with faded and strained historic documents.
Other Vocational Interests, Hobbies
Amateur blue water sailor, gardening, aquaculture in ponds on my northern
Dover Township farm, plus writing whimsical verse and folksongish lyrics.
Special fondness for tersely written wry humor. Helps to lighten heavy loads and
sometimes makes truth shine more brightly.
Retirement
Tried this three times since mid-1980. Gave up rocking chairs within a few
weeks after each attempt. Happiest when life has a dedicated purpose.
Note
Richard F. Myers was born in Muncy, Lycoming County, March 21, 1928, the
son of the late Foster H. & Lillian H. Myers. Died in 1995.
Thursday, September 22, 2005. Interview by Kay Stitley and Joyce Law
Greater
Ruth Malehorn was born in
Ruth was the youngest of eight children including five sisters and two brothers.
The four sisters were born first, then the brothers, and she was last. Her
father was born in the
Ruth attended the three-room school that was located on
After completing school and one day after her 14th
birthday, Ruth went to work at the Dover Cigar factory located at *
Ruth did not recall a fire engine house on
Ruth remembered that at Christmas the children received oranges
and candy. She thought that was the only time oranges were available. Sometimes
they got shoes and stockings but very few toys. She said she and her siblings
didn’t play games together as she was too young, and the others were working.
They had electricity installed in their home when she was eight years old
(1919), and they then played cards in the evening. She thought perhaps that was
where she picked up her love for Bingo which she used to play five times a week
until she was ninety-one.
Ruth mentioned that everyone had large gardens when she was
young. She had to help pick beans, peas, and “bugs.” They took a can with
kerosene in it and dropped the bugs in there. Her mother canned or dried all the
vegetables. She recalled dried applies used for Schnitz Pie.
She did not have any pets, but her brother Pat had a dog. He paid
her ten cents a week to feed it, and she promptly bought a big bag of candy with
the money. She bought the candy at Bertha Linebaugh’s store on the Square. She
did not remember the alligator that was in a large tank in the window.
Ruth married in 1935. After a short time in
When her husband died, she kept his 1973 Chevrolet automobile, and she drove it
until she was ninety-three years old, then sold it as she was afraid she was
getting too old and would hit someone.
She mentioned that she could tell you almost everyone who lived on
Ruth mentioned that she had a penmanship class when she was in school taught by Mr. Gladfelter and Allen Zinn. She said when she worked at the courthouse there were deeds written by people with beautiful handwriting.
* House numbers shown above are present day numbers.