Historical Society of East Pennsboro

Mail The three Wheaties box tops and a quarter had been sent out four weeks ago, and every day the arrival of the mailman was greatly anticipated. Thousands of young Baby Boomers checked their mail boxes and mail slots for that Big as Life Lone Ranger or Tonto poster. That was many children’s first experience with the United States Postal Service. The US Postal System began in 1775 when Benjamin Franklin was asked to create the service by the new Continental Congress. L...ater, the Constitution gave Congress the authority to establish Post Offices and Postal Routes. The new nation insured that correspondence could be sent between people everywhere. Mail was the key to communication in the days when a message was only as fast as a horse or a man’s legs. Here in East Pennsboro, the first Post Office was established at West Fairview, it being the oldest village. Others would be established at Enola and at Summerdale as the Railroad built the Enola Yards. In the early days, a Post Office was often found in or adjoining a general store where the storekeeper was the local Postmaster. Email, and internet commerce has greatly impacted mail service, but the need for mail delivery continues. The Mailman has always been a reliable, trustworthy member of the community and the unbiased deliverer of personal letters, bills, paychecks and the occasional cereal box premium. Pictures of an old West Fairview Post Office on 2nd Street and Enola Post Office on Enola Drive that opened in 1968 and has since been replaced.

Women Win the Vote 100 years ago, the 19th Amendment was ratified by two thirds of the states in August of 1920. The Amendment gave women the right to vote across America. It had been a hard fought battle with its rumblings starting early in American history and gaining steam during the Civil War era. Susan B Anthony along with Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Sojourner Truth pushed for the right of women to vote for decades. The important role that women played during the Firs...t World War would provide the push that powered the amendment. Women’s Suffrage (the right for women to vote) was a hugely divisive issue, with Suffrage and Anti-Suffrage groups engaged in political efforts. Pennsylvania had been one of the original 36 states that ratified the 19th Amendment in June of 1919. The 1920 Presidential Election would be the first time that women in every state would be eligible to vote for a President. The picture is from the 1915 West Fairview Centennial Parade and depicts a group of women in colonial dress riding in a wagon of the 1815 period. Proudly, forcefully, they smile behind their banner, Suffrage, Vote for Women. Vote, it’s a privilege we thank our ancestors for. The Central Park Suffragette Monument recently celebrated is pictured too.

Following up. This will be for 2020-21’

The Flying Horses of Highland Park On the hill above the railroad yards there was once a park. It was known at times as Mann’s Woods and as Highland Park and served as a gathering place for people on their days off. An interesting feature in the early days of Enola was the Flying Horses carrousel built and operated by William Fake in the years around 1911. The horses appear to be hand made without the intricate carvings of famous carrousels like the one at Hershey Park, ...and it would be interesting to see the powering mechanism. Pictures cannot tell us if background music was part of the riding experience. Mann’s Woods hosted revival camp meetings and other events. Photos show an ice cream stand, a large carnival face, advertising benches and tents in the background. Looks like a festive place. The Enola High School (now Township offices) was built on the site of the park in 1919. There is still a small park behind the (now) Township Building called Midway Park that preserves the legacy of Mann’s Woods.

Someone has hacked into our email and sending emails asking for a favor. Mark them as spam and disregard. WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR GIFT CARDS!!!! Jim Leonard Director