York County marks its 275th anniversary with ceremony and bell ringing

Elected officials, preschoolers and members of the public rang bells and sang "Happy Birthday" to mark York County's 275th anniversary on Monday.

It culminated three days of festivities to celebrate the county's history, including a block party, a parade, a ballgame, the painting of a mural and a conversation about the county's history.

It serves as a kickoff for other upcoming celebrations, such as America's 250th birthday and the anniversary of the Articles of Confederation being signed in York, said Bryan Tate, chairman of History Made Here – York County.

"It also symbolizes when York County was created 275 years ago today, it was a new venture into the future," Tate said. "Our nation had not yet become a nation. It hadn't declared freedom. It hadn't organized its government.

"That all happened after York County was created," he said.

York County's past and future highlighted in ceremony

A ceremony on Monday morning at the administrative center included a reading of the Charter of York County, history about the courthouse over the years, and sharing a new county logo.

Former and current elected officials gathered in the ceremonial courtroom for it.

Chris Quigley portrayed Lieutenant Governor James Hamilton in reading the county's charter. Deb Miehl of Lancaster County depicted Susanna Wright whose family was prominent in transporting people across the Susquehanna River to York County. Wrightsville is named after the family.

During the ceremony, President Commissioner Julie Wheeler reflected on county's history as well as its future.

"York County is a special place with truly historical significance, serving as our fledgling nation's capital during the Revolutionary War, growing to become an agricultural and industrial powerhouse and evolving into the diverse and thriving community we have today," she said.

Commissioner Doug Hoke said after the ceremony that it's a great day for the county. York County offers a lot of history and has many great amenities, such as its park system. The architecture in the city is "unbelievable."

"This is a great place to be from," he said.

Students from York Academy attended the ceremony. Ninth-graders Jayne Kleinfeld and Yuleidi Garcia said it was a new experience for them.

"I've never been in a courthouse, and it was really nice to see everybody get together and share new things," Garcia said.

Mike Lowe, the CEO of York Academy, said it's nice to have the students experience this for themselves and to make connections back at the school.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: York County marks its 275th anniversary with ceremony and bell ringing