Font ResizeThe markers in the past motivated some people to visit the York County Heritage Trust and learn more about significant historical sites, she said.
“I know different people have come in . . . (and) mentioned reading the markers,” said Fourhman-Shaull, the librarian and archivist for the York County Heritage Trust.
“They provide a nice little snapshot,” she said. “It's a wonderful way to learn.”
But many of those little snapshots are gone.
Of about 2,200 sites across the state that have received the historic markers, about 200 of the signs are missing. At least nine of those were in York County, said Karen Galle, Historical Marker Program Coordinator for the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.
“It's hard to know exactly how many are missing,” she said. New signs are routinely added while others disappear, Galle said.
“We accept nominations on an annual basis that are voted on every year,” she said.
Most of the markers consist of a sign that is mounted with
“So we've continued to go with the set screws method,” Galle said.
It's easy to speculate about why people take the signs, Galle said.
But whether the markers end up as decor in someone's recreation room, are scrapped for the value of the metal or are simply vandalized, once the signs are gone, they are usually gone for good, she said.
If a marker is knocked down in a vehicular crash, the driver's insurance usually pays to replace the repair or replacement of the sign, Galle said.
Otherwise, a nonprofit organization must pay to replace the marker, then the commission can usually reimburse half of that money, she said.
“Often they go missing and there's no perpetrator identified,” Galle said. “We are unable to completely fund the replacement of missing markers.”
The markers are owned by the state - which is appropriated about $30,000 to spend on the signs every year, Galle said.
“It is state property, and theft of state property is a punishable offense,” she said.
The commission welcomes any information about a missing marker, Galle said.
“Of course, we're not going to prosecute someone who . . . volunteers the information.”
YORK COUNTY'S MISSING MARKERS
According to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, the following markers are among about 200 across the state that are missing. York County
Camp Security Dedicated: July 17, 1947 Location: state Route 462 (old U.S. 30), 3 miles east of York at Stonybrook
Colonel Thomas Hartley Dedicated: Dec. 14, 1949 Location: West Market Street, between Beaver and George streets, York (destroyed in car crash in April 2004)
Penn Common Dedicated: Dec. 6, 1949 Location: College Avenue at Penn Park, York
Gettysburg Campaign Dedicated: Nov. 12, 1947 Location: Weiglestown near state Route 74
Gettysburg Campaign Dedicated: Nov. 12, 1947 Location: state Route 462 (old U.S. 30) at Susquehanna River Bridge, Wrightsville
Susquehanna Canal Dedicated: April 5, 1948 Location: state Route 624, .1 mile south of Wrightsville
York Dedicated: July 17, 1947 Location: 1415 E Market St. (state Route 462), just W of I-83, York
York Dedicated: July 17, 1947 Location: state Route 462 (West Market Street), west of York
York County Academy Dedicated: Nov. 16, 1949 Location: North Beaver Street at building
To learn more, visit http://www.phmc.state.pa.us
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