Take a look back at Franklin County’s history through news and photos that appeared in local newspapers 25, 50, and 100 years ago on Jan. 7th.
25 YEARS AGO
January 7, 1995 – Saturday
“Dreams of State Farm Show Glory Begin Anew Today”
Every winter, dozens of local people hope they get the blues. Blue ribbons, that is.
The 79th Pennsylvania State Farm Show begins today, bringing together animals, food and people from around the state.
And many of the people have visions of blue ribbons. Others look forward to the overflowing camaraderie.
“I’m hoping to do pretty good,” said Julie Ann Dyarman of Newville, who’s competing for the first time. The 17-year-old will be exhibiting three Holsteins, including two heifers.
To get them ready, Dyarman has taken the cows for walks, clipped them and washed them. “I’m kind of excited,” she said. “It’ll be fun.”
Fourteen-year-old David Day of Shippensburg will exhibit four Holsteins from his parents’ farm. His debut at the farm show last year was a success: His 5-year-old Holstein was grand champion of the junior show.
“The whole event’s kind of fun,” Day said. “Everybody who shows dairy cows just about knows everybody else.”
Day washes his cows until they are “super clean” and practices leading them. “The more you work with them, the better they act,” he said!
His neighbor, John Creek, 14, is also competing in the show, exhibiting a heifer, two breeding sheep and a market hog.
Creek said he enjoys the competition as well as the social life at the show.
Some people take the competition quite seriously.
“I hope to win, but you never can tell,” said George H. Brindle Jr. of Chambersburg, who has competed for several years in the horse pulling contests.
Two years ago, he won the heavyweight division. But last year, he finished fifth, partly because one of his Belgian draft horses slipped during the competition.
Brindle, who trains his horses in a barn beside his home, travels as far as Mississippi to compete in horse pulling.
“Once you get hooked, you’re hooked,” said Brindle, 28, a mechanic at Jennings Chevrolet.
The food at the farm show is a big attraction for many people. Creek loves the potato doughnuts.
Nibble With Gibble’s of Chambersburg will sell and provide samples of its potato chips and snack foods at the Pennsylvania Farm Market in the Farm Show Complex.
It is one of 16 Pennsylvania companies displaying products at the farm show. “It’s good exposure to people who might not be familiar with our product,” said sales manager Brooks Knight. “It gives them the opportunity to inquire about our product and even order it for their stores.”
50 Years Ago
January 7, 1970 – Wednesday
“Train Derailment”
The cabin car of the Mercersburg branch of Penn-Central Railroad derailed at 3 a.m. Tuesday on the track that bisects the Myers Metcalfe farm, R.R. 1, Mercersburg, off Route 416.
The tracks had been cleared of snow, but it is thought that snow from banks had toppled down on the tracks, causing the caboose to slip and derail.
Three carloads of coal were being delivered to Loewengart and Co. Conductor of the “Toonerville Trolley” was R, M. Gsell, Chambersburg, and engineer was O. G. Cooper, Scotland.
100 Years Ago
January 7, 1920 – Wednesday
“Cartoon – Census – Counting Noses”
Editorial Cartoon regarding the Census in 1920
Local History
Looking Back: Franklin County’s history on April 2nd
