Take Five: Jim McClure, journalist, historian, author and blogger

Today I have the pleasure of introducing Jim McClure, editor of the York Daily Record/Sunday News in York, Pa. Jim has penned numerous history books, including the recently released “East of Gettysburg” on Kindle (previously available in hardback). I’ve worked with Jim for more than a decade, and he’s one of my heroes. Not only is he a terrific journalist and author, but the best mentor I’ve ever had.

He’s agreed to kick off my Take Five series. If you’re a published author and would liked to be featured, email me at Buffy@ydr.com and put “Take Five” in the subject line. And now, meet Jim.

Jim McClure

Editor of York Daily Record/Sunday News and author

Historian and author

Connect: Facebook, Twiitter

Books: All available here

“Never to be Forgotten, A Year-By-Year Look at York County’s Past”

“Nine Months in York Town, American Revolutionaries Labor on Pennsylvania’s Frontier”

“Almost Forgotten, A Glimpse at Black History in York County, Pa.”

“East of Gettysburg, A Gray Shadow Crosses York County, Pa.”

“In the Thick of the Fight, York County, Pa., Counters the Axis Threat in WWII.”

“Civil War Voices From York County, Pa” (co-authored with Scott Mingus)

“Echoing Still: More Civil War Voices from York County, Pa.” (co-authored with Scott Mingus)

Blog: York Town Square

Questions

Q. If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would it be and what would you ask?

A. Jonathan Edwards was a 18th-century theologian and philosopher, a leading New England intellectual of his day. He produced a body of work so large that scholars at Yale and elsewhere have spent years preparing it for publication and still have a way to go. I would ask him simply: “How did you do so much, so provocatively, so well?

StoryPress app records history for future generations

Check out this StoryPress app, spoken history recording application.

From its Kickstarter page:

"StoryPress believes that everyone has an important story to tell, and our app lets you easily save these stories to share with future generations. We launched the 1st generation of our product in December 2012 and have already had an overwhelming response, with thousands of downloads from around the world."

A bit of history: York Fair auction

I found this piece of yellowed paper in a box of things from my in-laws, the late Harold and Ethel Gross. The top reads: List of baby beeves to be sold at public auction at the York Fair Grounds, Friday, October. 7, 1932. Sale begins at 2:00 P.M.
From left, the columns are: Sale place, Club member, Address, Tag No. of calf, Weight, Price per Lb., Total value, Buyer.
Here are some of the club members listed: Harold Gross (my father-n-law), Nellie Gross (my husband's aunt), Dwight Kohr, Roy Rentzel, Clara Krone, Esther Brillhart, Linden Garber, Luther Garber, Clair Deisinger, Crist Musser, Paul Altland, Dorothy Martin, Verda Adams, George Shenberger, John King, Clair Stambaugh, Raymond Adams, Janet Kohr, Howard Shenberger, Crist Lamparter, Morgan Spahr, Ruth Lauer, Grayson Decker.

The price per pound and the buyer were written in pencil. Some of the buyers appear to be meat markets. They include: Fisher, L.M.M., Yost, Myers N.Y., Seachrist, M R Meat M, Winegar, May Brothers, H. Bros, etc.
I wonder if any of these club members are still living?

In October 1932,  gas cost 10 cents a gallon, a loaf of bread cost 7 cents and a pound of hamburger meat cost 10 cents.
Also in 1932:

• In United States Presidential Election, Franklin D. Roosevelt (Democratic) Defeats Herbert Hoover (Republican) and Norman Thomas (Socialist)
• New York Radio City Music Hall opens
• Charles Lindbergh son is kidnapped
• 13 million Americans are unemployed
• World War I vets march to Washington D.C. demanding early payments of cash bonuses to help survive the Great Depression.

Another blast from the past, don't miss these two posts:   Autograph books part 1 and  Autograph books part 2