Part 4

There is one sect of Dunkards, the Old Order River Brethren, very plain, just as plain as the Amish. These people are not a numerically large sect, for there are only approximately 12,000 of them in America. However, they deserve mention, for it was from them that President Eisenhower descended, whose grandfather, the Rev. Jacob Eisenhower, was a minister in the sect.

We, who live in Lancaster County, respect these plain folks most profoundly. They are our neighbors and we find them good neighbors. They have made a contribution to our agriculture, greater than their numbers warrant, to make our county the richest non-irrigated agricultural county in America.

They are a peace loving people whom you do not find in the courts either as prosecutors or defendants. All they ask of you and me is to be let alone to lead their lives in the light as God has given it to them to see the light.

The Pennsylvania Dutch Language

By DR. J. WILLIAM FREY _Chairman of the Department of German and Russian at Franklin and Marshall College_

We bisht? We gaits? (How are you? How goes it?) That’s the familiar greeting throughout the length and breadth of the Pennsylvania Dutch country. This is symbolic of the relative sameness of the Pennsylvania Dutch tongue no matter where you go in southeastern Pennsylvania or, in fact, anywhere else a Dutchman has happened to wander. This is linguistically and culturally a unique phenomenon. Travel in any European country—staying away from the large cities—and you will find almost mutually unintelligible dialects spoken from one community to the next, a mere dozen or so miles away. These wide language divergencies reflect vast cultural-historical differences, deep-rooted in tradition and folkways. But in the Pennsylvania Dutchland—whether you visit the Amish on their unparalleled farms of Lancaster County or whether you call on the Church groups (Lutheran and Reformed) located almost directly north of Philadelphia—you will find Pennsylvania Dutch spoken and understood with only enough differences to make it interesting. In fact, there is not nearly so much difference in the pronunciation and vocabulary and idioms of one brand of Pennsylvania Dutch from another as there is, say, between the native speech of a Bostonian and that of a Charlestonian!

The uniqueness of the situation is perhaps amazing to a European, but hardly to an American. Here in the greatest melting pot culture in the world it is no new thing to find widely diversified groups leveling off their ways and their speech to form a common American denominator. In the Pennsylvania Dutch country we have by far the most widely diversified folk culture in America and at the same time a unity of language which astounds the scholars of linguistic science. There has never really been any such thing as a ‘united front’ among the Pennsylvania Dutch people—no nationalistic-political ties, no yearning for some once-deserted-now-idealized ‘fatherland,’ no dominant (nor domineering) religious body. Hence, our language has never taken on any ‘standardizing’ regulations, has never been given a hard and fast orthography, has never been elevated to the position of a subject in the public school curriculum, has never enjoyed the so-called dignity of great oratory, classic literature or even journalism.

It has always been and always will be only FOLK SPEECH. As such it is the perfect oral expression of our Pennsylvania Dutch folk and their rich folk culture. But as such it has also suffered greatly—mocked and despised and branded as ‘only a dialect,’ ‘a corrupt form of German,’ ‘a kind of Pennsylvania hog Latin’ by all those in the past who, not appreciating nor even knowing what folk culture really is and means, could see no good in a language which according to their puny and narrow educational background ‘did not even have a grammar or a dictionary’! Only very recently have those of us who are interested in the study of folk cultures and folk linguistics seen the real and underlying values in the language—now, at a time when it is very rapidly dying out, when hardly any member of the new generation speaks anything but English (though that with often a heavy Pennsylvania Dutch savor), when the near future will witness the almost complete disappearance of this interesting, humorous, beloved folk speech except for its persistent employment by the Old Order Amish in their religious services and most of their everyday conversations.

No grammar? EVERY language has grammar—Pennsylvania Dutch has its share to be sure. There are ten parts of speech, three genders of nouns (and you can’t hang a feminine article on a masculine noun!).

‘_Outen the light_’ is our common Lancaster County way of saying ‘turn out the light,’ and it is simply a short and efficient expression for getting the deed accomplished. The same is true of the shortened form ‘_this after_’ instead of ‘this afternoon’—an expression you’ll hear from the lips of every Lancaster City and County inhabitant.

Some expressions in our quaint English here are actually direct translations from the Pennsylvania Dutch language, but they have become such common property that many a Lancastrian uses them even though his background is anything but Dutch. For example, a beautiful little phrase to indicate that you ‘live next door’ to someone is the very warm idiom: ‘_they live neighbors to us_’ or ‘_we live neighbors to them_.’ Now isn’t that a real friendly way of putting it?

Actually, then, the impress of Pennsylvania Dutch upon the Nation linguistically has been negligible. It is not enough to boast about the Pennsylvania Dutch ancestry of the Hoovers, the Earharts, and the Eisenhowers when the Nation as a whole has not been conscious of the existence of our deep-rooted folk culture over some nine generations. Meanwhile, however, we bid farewell to the visitor in the Dutch country with those familiar words heard in Lancaster County: _koom boll widder!_ (come soon again)—or, better, the idiom as it is used in the more eastern counties: _koom ols widder_ (keep coming, and coming, and coming, and coming to see us ...).

Cultural Assets of Lancaster

By PROF. FREDERIC S. KLEIN _Member of the Department of History at Franklin and Marshall College_

The Lancaster community has inherited a rich tradition of cultural activity and interest since colonial days, and offers a wide variety of opportunity for enjoyment, appreciation and participation in the fields of music, the arts, the theatre, and educational facilities.

Music has a prominent part in the life of Lancaster. The Lancaster Symphony Orchestra, composed of professional and non-professional musicians in the community, presents a series of concerts throughout the season, including classical, popular and youth concerts, and presenting guest artists of high calibre. Its fine musical standards have given it recognition as one of the outstanding community orchestras in the State, and it provides opportunities for young musicians and music students in the area to develop their musical talents. Another musical group, the Vivaldi Chamber Orchestra, is composed entirely of girls, and presents regular concerts sponsored by the Y.W.C.A., with special emphasis on classical music and the use of rare musical instruments. Many church and choral groups present formal concerts throughout the year, and a regular series of concert programs is sponsored by a local committee of the Community Concert Association, which brings artists and musical groups to the city.

One of the most recent additions to the musical life of Lancaster is the unique Amphitheatre in Long Park, about one mile west of the city on the old Harrisburg Pike. Located in a beautiful natural setting for open-air concerts, ceremonies or community gatherings, the attractive structure provides stage accommodations for full-size orchestras and seating capacity on the lawn for approximately 10,000 persons. It was constructed through community contributions and civic club interest.

Several theatre groups are active in Lancaster. Foremost among them is the Green Room Theatre of Franklin and Marshall College, which presents a regular series of plays of professional quality. Dramatic productions are also presented regularly by community organizations such as the Lancaster Theatre Arts Association, the Musicomedy Guild, and the Opera Workshop. All of these groups offer opportunities to persons interested in theatrical production, for participation or for training and experience on the stage. A number of summer theatre programs are presented in the Lancaster area, such as the Gretna Playhouse and the Ephrata Legion Star Playhouse.

The restoration and preservation of the Fulton Opera House on North Prince Street has provided the community with a beautiful and historic theatre in central Lancaster, completely equipped for the presentation of plays, concerts and special attractions. One of the oldest original theatres in the country, the Fulton stage has presented almost all of the great personalities of the theatrical and concert world since it was built in 1852, and today, its red, white and gold décor and its excellent acoustics have made it an attractive center of cultural activities.

Artists have found Lancaster County to be an inspiring atmosphere for expression through paint and canvas. A number of art clubs and associations provide opportunities for study under professional art teachers, for sketching and painting groups and for exhibitions. Two such groups are Lancaster County Art Association and Echo Valley Art Association. The picturesque qualities of the Lancaster countryside, with its covered bridges, quaint barns and rural scenery provide unusual subject matter.

The library facilities of the Lancaster community are excellent. The new building of the Lancaster Free Public Library contains almost 100,000 volumes, and the library provides many services for the community. The Fackenthal Library of Franklin and Marshall College is available for public use, with a collection of 172,000 volumes, modern facilities for periodicals, reference works, a browsing room and many special collections of Lincoln and Napoleon.

The Fackenthal Library is also the headquarters of the Pennsylvania-German Society, which is concerned with preserving material pertaining to the history and culture of the Pennsylvania-Germans. It has published more than sixty volumes and has deposited the Bassler Collection in the Fackenthal Library for research purposes.

The Lancaster County Historical Society, located adjacent to Wheatland, home of President Buchanan on Marietta Avenue, also possesses a fine library which is widely used for historical and genealogical reference work in connection with Lancaster County history. The Willson Memorial Building, one of the finest historical society buildings in the state, contains an auditorium, reference-reading rooms, and an excellent museum where exhibits of unusual documents and articles associated with Lancaster County history are on display. The facilities of the Society are open to the public without charge, and the publications of the Society, containing special articles on many phases of local history, are available for purchase.

Much of the cultural life of Lancaster has been influenced by its educational institutions. Franklin and Marshall College, established in 1787, is one of the outstanding liberal arts colleges in the East, and provides many educational opportunities to the community in addition to its regular program of studies. Lectures, musical programs, and the facilities of the North Museum and Planetarium are available for the public. Other colleges in the area include Millersville State College, one of the state’s finest teacher training institutions; Elizabethtown College; and the Linden Hall Junior College for Girls.

Lancaster is unusually fortunate in the fact that as it has grown from a small community into a modern and prosperous Pennsylvania city, its cultural assets and facilities have kept pace with its rapid economic and industrial growth, and its citizens have provided the music, the arts and the educational facilities which have made it a wholesome and progressive community.

Beautiful Lancaster county offers superior accommodations for visitors in its many first class hotels, motels, campgrounds, tourist and farm homes. Here one may discover the ideal type of lodging for every individual taste.

Enjoy this gracious country atmosphere while planning day trips to surrounding points of historic and cultural interests.

Lancaster Dutch Area HARRISBURG _1 hour U.S. 230_ State Capitol CARLISLE _1½ hours Turnpike_ Home of Molly Pitcher Pine Grove Furnace State Park Carlisle Barracks GETTYSBURG _1½ hours U.S. 30_ Civil War Battlefield Museums Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address YORK _¾ hour U.S. 30_ First Capitol of The United States BALTIMORE WASHINGTON, D. C. _2¼ hours_ HERSHEY _¾ hour State Route 72_ Amusement Park Gardens, Zoo Sports Arena Cornwall Iron Works FRENCH CREEK _1 hour State Route 23_ Hopewell Village State Park WASHINGTON CROSSING _2¼ hours Turnpike_ State Park VALLEY FORGE _1¼ hours Turnpike_ State Park Washington’s Headquarters PHILADELPHIA _1½ hours Turnpike_ Liberty Bell Independence Hall KENNETT SQUARE _1 hour U.S. 41_ Longwood Gardens WILMINGTON _1¼ hours U.S. 41_ Hagley Museum Old Powder Mills Winterthur Museum

Hershey, Pennsylvania

_The Chocolate Town is less than an hour’s drive from Lancaster._

Center of an industry, world famous resort and tourist attraction, haven for orphaned boys, sports and recreation center, this prosperous community welcomes an ever-increasing number of visitors annually.

Certainly no one could deny that to millions the world over the name Hershey is synonymous with chocolate. However, a visit to the unique town of Hershey will convince you that the name of one of America’s great industrial geniuses stands for many other things—and not the least of these is charity.

There is much to see and do in The Chocolate Town. One can enjoy a guided tour of the Hershey factory, a visit to the Museum, the facilities of the Amusement Park, a swim in the pool or the animals in The Zoo. He can golf, go boating, listen to the free concerts or stroll in the gardens.

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

_Just fifty miles west of Lancaster, on Route 30, this historic college town is visited by some 800,000 people each year._

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the place where one President spoke and another resided, represents many things to many people. To some there is the thrill of identification, as they view the 2300 markers and monuments on the Battlefield, where men from 25 states reached heights of bravery that have seldom been equalled.

For many, Gettysburg’s fine museums hold great attraction. The National Museum, with the world’s largest collection of Civil War articles, houses the famed electric map. The Hall of Presidents depicts the history of the nation “as told by the Presidents themselves.”

“Colonial” York, Pennsylvania

“Colonial” York, centrally located in the rich southeastern part of Pennsylvania, is a progressive city, rich in history and an important industrial center.

There are many things to see and do in York. Be sure to visit the “Weight Lifters Hall of Fame” and see the athletes train for Olympic teams. Also see covered bridges, log house, York’s Liberty Bell, Codorus Furnace, The Historical Society, Laucks Museum, Quaker Meeting houses, The Little Red School House, Wills School, brick end barns, Gates House, Plough Tavern, James Smith grave, farmers’ markets, Sam Lewis and Pinchot State Parks—and photograph the frisky colts at Hanover Farms.

Carlisle, Pennsylvania

Carlisle, in Cumberland County, played an important part in the early history of the United States. The first white man in the Cumberland Valley established a trading post at Carlisle in 1720.

On property now known as Carlisle Barracks, a munitions works supplied the Revolutionary Army. At the time of the Whiskey Rebellion in 1794, President Washington assembled his army at Carlisle. During the Civil War the Confederate Army reached its northernmost point at Carlisle.

Hopewell Village

Hopewell Village of the National Park Service is representative of every pre-1840 iron community of the United States. These furnaces were necessarily “in the woods” because of the need for 5,000 cords of wood annually, required as charcoal fuel. A visit to the Village and the Park’s museum enables visitors to better understand early industrial history. Open daily (except Christmas) 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. except 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays from May 30 to Labor Day, inclusive.

Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

Valley Forge, the Winter Encampment of Washington’s Continental Army, from December 19, 1777 to June 19, 1778, is one of the most sacred spots in American history. The reservation now embraces over 2,000 acres and is a historic shrine owned and maintained by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The area includes the original building used by General George Washington at Headquarters the entire 6-month period during that memorable winter, outline of original entrenchments and other restored fortifications.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia is the city which belongs to every American as part of the great heritage left him by the Founding Fathers. Here are Independence Hall, Carpenters Hall, the Betsy Ross House and many very old houses of worship. A green Mall sets off the State House, home of the famed Liberty Bell.

William Penn’s original “greene, countrie towne” has risen again, not as an open air museum of antiquity alone, but as a living center of one of the world’s greatest cities.

Kennett Square, Pennsylvania

Longwood Gardens, located at Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, ranks as one of the outstanding display gardens in America. The Gardens have been under development since 1906.

Longwood Gardens is open to the public every day of the year without charge or advance reservations. Outdoor gardens may be visited from 8 a.m. to sunset. Conservatories are open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Obtain additional information from Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pa. Telephone 628-6741.

Winterthur, Delaware

Winterthur Museum was begun in 1927 by Henry Francis duPont. Woodwork from old houses from New Hampshire to North Carolina was acquired and installed in his family home, which remained his residence until 1951.

The house at Winterthur was built in 1839 and additions have been made until today it contains 100 period rooms. It is believed to be the largest and richest assemblage of American decorative arts, especially furniture, ever brought together. (Closed Sundays and Mondays)

Wilmington, Delaware

The Hagley Museum portrays early American industrial history by showing the industries which flourished along the banks of a single stream—the Brandywine. This stream with its varied enterprises was representative of America’s early industrial effort, and it played an important part in the growth of the nation.

The Museum building was constructed in 1814. Exhibits open to the public carry the story of the Brandywine from the days of Indian culture through the du Pont family’s first powdermaking operations. (Closed Mondays)

Footnotes

[1]Sometimes referred to as Dunkards.

Notes

THE PLACE TO BEGIN YOUR DUTCH COUNTRY VISIT

Make your Dutch County visit more meaningful. Friendly receptionists will help plan your visit, provide you with factual information, directions, brochures and literature on all attractions and points of interest ... plus free maps of Lancaster and surrounding areas. View 27-minute color/sound motion pictures in our modern theater ... examine the lighted dioramas in our large display room.

—Information, Maps and Guide Books of the area.

—Sound & Color movies of the Dutch Country.

—Brochures of Attractions and Accommodations.

—Clean, Comfortable Rest Room Facilities.

—Lighted display case exhibits of tourist attractions and local industry.

BUSES BY RESERVATION ONLY Write for visitors’ kit Please Send 25¢ to Cover Postage & Handling

PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH TOURIST BUREAU 1800 Hempstead Road, Lancaster, Pa. 17601 • Phone: 717 393-9705

Transcriber’s Notes

—Silently corrected a few typos.

—Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook is public-domain in the country of publication.

—In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by _underscores_.