Summer job sparks special bond with History Center
By Dan Fink
Editor’s note: Jonathan Stayer has been a member of the History Center for more than 40 years, going back to when he was in college. And it all started with what was supposed to be a work study job painting the ceiling in an area of what has most recently been the Library and Archives.
Fate intervened, and Jonathan never did have to pick up a paint brush. Instead, he picked up a lifelong passion for history and archiving.
We asked Jonathan if he would be willing to share his story. He graciously accepted, so here it is, in his own words.
In 1979, as a freshman history major at Messiah College (now Messiah University), I was eligible for off-campus work study financial aid during the summer. Through Messiah’s financial aid office, I was made aware of the opportunity to work at The Historical Society of York County that summer. Because I lived in Springettsbury Township at the time, I was eager to get a job close to home. Other than a field trip in elementary school, I had no previous awareness of the Historical Society.
“But what is most important to me at the History Center is the library. It is one of the best local history and genealogy libraries in Pennsylvania. It is rich in resources about York County as well as the surrounding area. One can find something on almost any aspect of York County history among its collections. The library alone is well worth the price of membership.”
In the spring of 1979, I interviewed at the Historical Society, and I was offered a job to paint the ceiling of the museum area, which was in the back of the first floor about where the library is now. Upon arrival for my first day of work, the library being overwhelmed by the burgeoning hobby of genealogy, I was directed to assist librarian Landon Reisinger because I had some experience as a student library aide in junior high school. Landon soon took me under his wing, and I worked well with him, so I never did paint a square inch of the museum ceiling. I quickly learned much about genealogy and local history from Landon.
Every summer after that during my undergraduate education, I returned on college work study to serve as “assistant librarian.” One year, with Landon’s supervision, I received credits for an independent study on archival theory and practice. That course and my summer work at the Historical Society laid the foundation for my 35-year career as an archivist, primarily at the Pennsylvania State Archives in Harrisburg. Mostly based on my work at the Historical Society, in 1984, the State Archives hired me as one of nine temporary archivists to survey all of the county records in Pennsylvania. I was assigned the counties of York, Lancaster, Adams and Fulton.
I have been a member of The Historical Society (later York County Heritage Trust, now York County History Center) ever since that formative experience. In 2020, I was honored to be asked to serve on the board of the History Center, an institution that I have long appreciated and supported.
I had one final question for Jonathan. I asked him why membership at the History Center is so important to him.
To me, membership in the York County History Center means supporting York County’s oldest and largest historical organization. It preserves a broad range of historical artifacts and materials, and it presents a multifaceted interpretation of our area’s story. The exhibits in the new building are an excellent representation of that effort.
But what is most important to me at the History Center is the library. It is one of the best local history and genealogy libraries in Pennsylvania. It is rich in resources about York County as well as the surrounding area. One can find something on almost any aspect of York County history among its collections. Personally, I mined its files and books for my master’s thesis on Lewis Miller’s Hessians, and I use it on a regular basis for my own genealogical pursuits. The library alone is well worth the price of membership.
