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A Note from Our President By Anne Allison It is with great pleasure that I accept my appointment to the presidency of The Yorkville Historical Society. I look forward to the work that is yet to be accomplished by this outstanding organization in the year ahead. It will be a challenge to continue the work of our past president and our officers, but with the more-than-capable help of each and every member, we shall continue with all the fine projects that we have already begun. Plans for the New Year will include: Enlarging our present active membership. Dedicating the Mel Ebersold Memorial Town Clock on March 22, 2004. Becoming better informed and more knowledgeable of York’s fascinating history. Learning and helping with the many projects presently planned for the City of York. Adding new signs that will help make our beautiful historic areas among the most visible in the Piedmont (and more helpful to our visitors). Continuing the work that is presently in progress to identify and enlarge our present historic district. Listening to the plans and ideas of our members and their helpful suggestions and/or projects that could be beneficial to our community. Appointing each and every member as a committee of one to keep me focused on helping us promote York’s past and present - for the future-generations, that is. Programs are already being planned to help us accomplish all of the above. These are all things that we can and certainly will accomplish by working together. We need everyone’s help, prayers, and support. Thank you! Anne T. Allison |
| Editor’s Note. When I was growing up I always wanted to become a writer. I never dreamed it would only be real estate ads and marketing or working with this newsletter. I was looking for a different poem I wrote years ago but came across this and decided to run it instead. The poem is dated November 19, 1972. I was 19 at the time. Enjoy… Great Aunt Sophie’s Loveseat I park my car outside your door; your sister lets me in Your granny glares, your mother stares and your father face just grins. Your family bids me welcome and our fingertips do meet As you lead me to the parlor and Aunt Sophie Jane’s loveseat. You nestle close beside me and granny knits not far away We try to court as lovers courted in Great Aunt Sophie’s day. We talk of dogs and weather and tests you took in school.. (Your mother stands outside the door and wonders what’s a do) Your ancestors stare from out their frames and granny drops a stitch As I pull you closer to me and give your cheek a gentle kiss… The clocks chime, the dogs bark and granny stares in her dismay Your cheeks turn scarlet rosy and your heart beat runs away! So I slither cross the horsehair and grasp the cherry arm Of Great Aunt Sophie’s loveseat (as though I’d done great harm!) Your sister enters with the tea dressed in her very best, She sidles in between us…the loveseat stands the test! Your father comes to join us and granny says goodbye She pecks your cheek with withered lips giving me the evil eye! Your mother comes to take her place the Great Book in her hand She reads the whole Beatitudes with accent on the damned. (Sissy hides her giggles and you try not to laugh Cat crouches on my lap and ‘sharpens’ on my pants!) I clench the arm in anguish, the cherry lumber cracks: We tumble to the oaken floor, the loveseat on our backs! You try not to giggle, Aunt Sophie’s portrait cries One hundred years of courting and a loveless loveseat dies! So now I want to marry you and take that loveseat home We’ll cherish it for this our sin that it can ne’er atone! Written using the pseudonym Mitchie Faith |
| A Special Note From Your Editor By Ken Spaulding Shall we talk about the clock??? What an exciting time to live in York and be a member of the YHS Clock Committee! I received word from the Verdin Clock Company in early January that our clock will be completed by the end of January. It will be shipped to us shortly thereafter. It is time for our clock! The clock festivities and dedication will take place as originally scheduled on Monday, March 22, Mel Ebersold’s birth date. At 6 PM we will gather at the clock site on North Congress Street in front of First Citizens Bank and meet with local, religious, political, and community leaders for a very fitting formal dedication. Grace Ebersold Ulbricht and her children have graciously agreed to host, plan, and oversee and this portion of the festivities. At 6:30 PM we will proceed to the Family Life Center of the First Presbyterian Church for a special reception and live and silent auction registration. Jan Ramsey is looking for volunteers to assist her in planning, preparing, and serving our members, visitors and guests At 7 PM the live auction will begin. Ken Spaulding will once again serve as head auctioneer and auction liaison. The clock committee has been gathering and storing items for this auction since early last summer. York Mini Warehouses has generously donated a large storage unit for our use, and you’ll be overwhelmed and pleasantly surprised at the beautiful furniture, china, glass, and collectibles, plus the unique and everyday items we have already collected. We still need many more items to sell at the live and silent auctions. If you have something to donate, please contact a committee member. Pick up services will be graciously provided. We are also in need of gift certificates, sports tickets or memorabilia, and other goods and personal services to round out the auctions. If you missed last year’s auction, you missed out on a wonderful evening of fun, fellowship, and exceptional values. Mark your calendars now to attend these awesome events. This dream would not be the reality that it is without the help, enthusiasm, and, most of all, the participation of each and every one of you, The York Chamber Of Commerce, The York Downtown Business Association, and The Verdin Clock Company. The clock committee extends a very special, heartfelt thank you to everyone else that generously donated things to sell, made monetary contributions, and selflessly purchased auction and garage sale items and Christmas ornaments. Many, many people have dedicated countless hours to the achievement of this once lofty goal and we cannot begin to thank them enough. I was not fortunate enough to meet, know, or work with Mel Ebersold. I’m sure he would be honored and delighted at the way this little community has worked together to achieve this goal. This clock will be dedicated not only to Mel Ebersold’s memory for his love, dedication, and leadership, but also to the countless other individuals who have exhibited the same generous attributes since the early founding of Fergus Crossroads, Yorkville, and York. The Clock Committee has been blessed to work for and with each and every one of you and looks forward to continuing fellowship, friendship and service. |
| 2003 Christmas Tour By Jan Ramsey In 2002 we had to deal with the aftermath of an ice storm that struck our area a few days before the tour, creating power outages and near panic for the homeowners and committee members. Seven apartments and a church were waiting for their decorations, and numerous other duties had to be completed. The loose ends were finally tied up when the power was restored and the weather cleared. The tour proceeded as scheduled. This year’s tour was not plagued with ice but had to contend with a steady drizzle of rain. People entered the houses on Kings Mountain Street with an assortment of raingear. The tour participants were very gracious and the weekend was a success in spite of the weather. Approximately $4000 was raised and after deducting expenses, there will be a decent profit. Many thanks to the homeowners, the staff of York Place, the volunteers, Jeanne Ferguson (who secured some of the houses), Paul Finnican (who allowed us to use the Sylvia Theater), the people who decorated the houses, and anyone else who helped in any way. A special thanks goes to Anne Allison, Russell Propst, Deborah Wood, and Betty Sawyer. This tour certainly could not have happened without you. I do not know what the second weekend in December of 2004 will bring, but I am already praying for good weather! |
| Gathering Greenery 2003 By Jan Ramsey Wednesday afternoon, December 10, Russell Propst, Deborah Wood, and I met at the holly trees beside City Hall. Permission had been granted by City Manager Trey Eubanks to cut all we needed for the Christmas Tour. The sky was threatening, and it wasn’t long before the rain was coming down so hard that we had to get back into the truck to “wait it out.” After cutting and loading the holly, we headed to Iris Goins’s and Helen Scott’s houses on North Congress Street. Helen’s yard has an array of greenery, and it is always exciting to see what we can find there. The truck was filling up and there was one more stop to make. At Charles and Mary Medlin’s house, we gathered some of their beautiful cedar. Darkness was rapidly approaching, and we still had to deliver the greenery to each home on the tour. By the time we reached York Place Chapel, all three of us were soaked to the skin and chilled to the bone due to the constant rain. I walked into my house at 6:05 and had to be at choir practice by 6:30. This was a “must practice” for our Christmas Cantata. I had to go…I changed out of the wet clothes and went to church with mascara running, makeup streaking, and wet hair plastered to my head. The other choir members just looked at me and didn’t ask questions. They are no longer surprised at anything I do. After returning home, it was such a pleasure to take a hot shower, wash my hair, and look forward to 2004. |
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“It’s TIME for OUR CLOCK…” Benefit
Auction Monday
March 22nd Dedication at 6 pm (at the clock site) Reception and Auction Registration at 6:30 pm Live
and Silent Auctions at 7pm York’s
First Presbyterian Church Family
Life Center 10
West Liberty St.,York S.C. Thanks
to each and every one of you our beautiful town clock will be ON
TIME for Mel Ebersold’s birthday celebration and dedication! Over
75% of the nearly $20,000 needed to bring this timeless masterpiece to
York has already been raised through last year’s auction, a
yard sale, a Christmas ornament invitational and your
generous personal financial contributions. The
Yorkville Historical Society, the York Chamber of Commerce, The
York Downtown Business Association, the City of York, and Mel’s
family and friends have all combined forces to make this evening an event
to remember. This
clock will stand as a true testimony to Mel's vision, personal public
dedication, leadership, and love for his adopted hometown. Financial
donations, antiques, collectibles, furniture, gifts, works
of art, and personal goods and services are still needed to
bring the clock funding campaign to a grand finale. All
donations are tax-deductible. Please
call Charles Boyd (803) 684-6003, Ken
Spaulding (803) 628-1818 or (803) 417-0552, Or
Jan Ramsey after 6pm (803) 684-3844 if
you have items to donate that you would like us to pick up prior to the
auction. We have ample storage, courtesy of York Mini Warehouses. Kenneth
E. (Ken) Spaulding(SCAL 3303r& NCAL 27320) will once again donate his
professional auction services and serve as lead auctioneer. Last
year’s auction was INCREDIBLE! This
year it promises to be even better! Plan
now to attend!
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