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BEFORE THERE WAS CHOCOLATE, THERE WAS STONE To begin the virtual audio tour for this exhibit, please click the Play button. Before There Was Chocolate (2) 00:00 / 01:12

PROGRAM TITLE January 23, 2025 | 6pm ​ Lancaster architect and author, Gregory J. Scott. FAIA, presents his new book, " Urban Alphabet", an illustrated dictionary detailing the work of architectural legend C. Emlen Urban. Discover how each letter of the alphabet connects to an architectural detail or style featured in Urban’s buildings. "Urban Alphabet", published by Egg & Dart, (released on November 7) will be available for purchase at the program. ​ Please RSVP: to info@hersheyhistory.org Kindly add [Program title] in the subject line and let us know how many will attend. Thank you. Bio Gregg has done extensive research into the fascinating life of Lancaster architect C. Emlen Urban. He serves as a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, and is co-founder and partner emeritus of RLPS Architects. Gregg contributes as architectural columnist and correspondent for LNP Media Group and NBC affiliate WGAL. He has received awards from the Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County—most recently as author of award winning: “Urban Legend: The Life & Legacy of C. Emlen Urban”. Past board & community involvement includes Samaritan Counseling Center, Hospice of Lancaster County, United Disabilities Service, Pennsylvania College of Art & Design, and Lancaster City Council. Gregg is also proud to be an Eagle Scout. DONATE Please make a donation In order to support our ongoing mission of promoting our local history in light of the costs incurred for public programming, we are asking for a suggested donation of $10 for members, $15 for nonmembers.

THEN AND NOW To begin the virtual audio tour for this exhibit, please click the Play button. Then and Now 00:00 / 00:20

VISIT CUBA Exclusive Itinerary & Unforgettable Experiences - a collaboration between ¡Vive Más! Tours and the Hershey History Center. The tours dates are from April 1-10, 2025. Please click here for itinerary details. ​ Join this all-inclusive traveling experience with people from the Hershey History Center of Hershey, PA as we connect with Cubans in Hershey, Cuba. Learn about the historical connection of these cities, Milton Hershey’s influence, and more. ​ This is a comprehensive trip with big cities and small towns, the best of Cuban architecture, food, music, bird watching, and UNESCO World Heritage sites! You’ll cover half the width of the island on this tour from Havana to Camaguey. ​ Accessibility: Please note that in Cuba, the sidewalks are often cracked and uneven, tour members must be able to handle walking on uneven terrain. You must be able to walk up to 3 miles in a day to participate in the tour. ITINERARY & TICKETING ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ What’s incl uded: This custom Hershey tour is $4,195 (market value $6,495) per person and includes almost everything! Only airfare and trip insurance are on your own. You can save $200 when you register 6+ months in advance. Also included: Bilingual Cuban Guide Travel licenses, mandatory Cuban health insurance, and visas 9 nights in Casas Particulares, Cuban Bed & Breakfasts. We have discovered the most comfortable lodging in Cuba is in these Casas, versus hotels that are government-owned and lacking in many amenities. ALL meals, almost always at paladares. The paladares of Cuba are unique in that they are privately-owned restaurants where the staff takes great pride in their delicious meals and hospitality. Private, air-conditioned ground transportation for the whole tour with our own driver Purified water included and always available (bring your favorite water bottle for refills) Curious About Cuba educational program? (There will be a two 3-hour sessions of instruction provided before the trip) ​ READY TO REGISTER To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Watch a video about the Cuba Visit - the place, the culture, and the people. Heidi K. We took a tour to Cuba with ViveMas and were delightfully impressed by the planning and organization that went into our trip. Jenny’s knowledge of the country and customs made a big difference. The accommodations in local casas and the restaurants we enjoyed were perfect. We had never traveled with a tour group and were needlessly skeptical, but happily surprised with the fun and camaraderie that developed with our small group. Having a small bus and having details taken care of in advance made the visit seamless so we could all spend our time learning about the country. ​ Ev. M "I had the most incredible time on my trip to Cuba. Roger is a very charismatic guide with knowledge for all kinds of special stops (artist galleries and a bird sanctuary)! Our Driver, Eduardo was one of our family taking very good care of us. What’s not to love?! The food was delicious, the architecture grand, the landscapes gorgeous, the music & dance devine, the cars so cool. The people were extremely gracious everywhere we went. I’m ready to go back!" Doris C. There were many unique surprises along the way, such as finding a Cuban band playing at the Al Capone House, drinking freshly ground coffee made on a wood stove by a wonderful Cuban couple in their humble home in the mountains, and seeing a student performance at an arts school. We felt completely safe everywhere we went from the city of Habana (how it is referred to in Cuba), to the mountains, to the beautiful beach town of Varadero, late at night in the old town of Trinidad.

FROM B'ARS TO BEARS To begin the virtual audio tour for this exhibit, please click the Play button. From B'ars to Bears 00:00 / 00:41

RALPH FIORE A Hershey Detective in the Early 1900s. First Installment Despite all the idyllic descriptions of Hershey offered up in local publications of the early 1900s, it would be foolhardy to think that there were no law breakers or evil forces at work in and around what some have referred to as the Sweetest Place On Earth. To that end, enter one Ralph A. Fiore. His efforts over 100 years ago brought a sense of justice and order to the local area, and documenting those efforts serves to recognize an amazing individual. As early as 1911, Milton S. Hershey understood the need for an officer of the peace. In the document below, he petitioned the Court of Common Pleas and "respectfully prays the Court" for the appointment of a police officer in Hershey Park. One such unidentified officer in uniform can be seen in this real photo postcard from as early as 1913. ​ At least two news records indicate that Ralph Fiore himself would be appointed a "special" park policeman for Hershey Park for the 1916 and 1917 seasons. He also served as a detective for the Hershey Transit Company and Hershey Chocolate Company. In the next installment, learn more about Ralph's great grandson who brought his great grandfather’s early contribution of law and order in our community to our attention.

A TOWN CALLED HERSHEY To begin the virtual audio tour for this exhibit, please click the Play button. A Town Called Hershey 00:00 / 01:13

HOW THE WORK WAS DONE To begin the virtual audio tour for this exhibit, please click the Play button. How the Work Was Done 00:00 / 00:32

FRIENDS OF THE HERSHEY TROLLEY abouT us The Friends of the Hershey Trolley (FOHT) is a committee of the Hershey History Center. MISSION & HISTORY Friends of the Hershey Trolley's mission is the education and preservation of the Hershey Transit trolley system that ran from 1904 to 1946. The committee is comprised of community members and volunteers, including Hershey History Center, HE&R, Hershey Museum, Milton Hershey School, and the MS Hershey Foundation. ​ On December 21, 1946 , at midnight, Cars No. 17, No. 21, and No. 23 rolled out of the square in Hershey on their last run, ending the almost half-century era of Milton Hershey’s trolley line. Regardless of inclement weather, "Hersheyites" rode the cars for the last time, carrying receipts showing a thirty-five percent increase on that day. As the chocolate company took off, Milton Hershey saw a need for transportation, not only to bring milk from the fields on surrounding farms, but also to bring his workers into Hershey. 1903 saw the formation of the Hummelstown & Campbellstown Street Railway, sponsored by Mr. Hershey, to operate an electric railway from Hummelstown through Derry Church to Palmyra to Palmyra and Campbelltown. Three Brill trolley cars were ordered, one straight passenger and the other two combination freight and passenger. On October 15, 1904, the first trolley left Hummelstown for Derry Church. 1907 saw additional cars and companies added to accommodate the increased number of passengers and freight. Additional trolley lines sprung up; Deodate & Hershey Street Railway, Elizabethtown & Deodate Street Railway, Conestoga Traction Co. and the Lebanon and Campbelltown Street Railway were formed, extending service and adjoining existing service to outlying communities. On December 13, 1913, the Hershey Transit Company was formed, merging all the surrounding trolley lines and subsidiaries. Hershey officials kept their trolleys and the 35 miles of line in first-class condition. Cars were clean and brightly painted in deep green with yellow trim. The Hershey Transit car roster numbered 1 through 30, although with some of the cars being replaced through the years, the total number of cars that ran during the company’s 42 year history is 34. ​ STEERING COMMITTEE: Neil Fasnacht, Brad Ginder, Lisa Ginder, MattLoser, Lisa Maloy, and Todd Pagliarulo. EXHIBITIONS & COLLECTIONS Currently our restoration projects are only open to the public for select events in a private facility. Please visit our museum displays at the Hershey History Center. For information on the No. 7 and No. 3 trolleys, and on the Hershey Electric Railway, please visit the links below. HERSHEY TRANSIT NO. 7 Click for information HERSHEY TRANSIT NO. 3 Click for information THE HERSHEY ELECTRIC RAILWAY Click for information CAR BARNS Read about Hershey Transit Car Barns HERSHEY HISTORY CENTER'S PHOTO ARCHIVE Hershey Transit Trolleys Car Barns Explore the general collection PURCHASE AT THE GIFT SHOP Wood collectible block of the West Car Barn ​ Produced by Hometown Designs, approximately 10″ x 2.5″, all proceeds go to Friends of the Hershey Trolley. The West Car Barn was the last standing car barn in Hershey that housed the street cars for the Hershey Transit Company. Depicted here, with No. 3 and No. 7 at the east end of the barn. One of three interurban cars built by the Cincinnati Car Company in 1913, No. 7 ran on the Hershey line between 1930 and 1946. Originally part of the Ephrata and Lebanon Street Railway Co., No. 7 was a full passenger car and one of the more ornate streetcars on the transit system. It was a popular car used to transport patrons to the Hotel Hershey and Milton Hershey School’s Senior Hall. Buy it today and help us restore Trolley No7. Available at the Hershey History Center's gift shop for $5.00. (Sorry, no shipping available. ) "Hershey Transit: Images of Rail" by Friends of the Hershey Trolley When Milton S. Hershey broke ground to construct his new chocolate factory in 1903, many questioned the wisdom of building in the middle of a cornfield. With his factory wedged between the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad tracks and the Berks & Dauphin Turnpike, Hershey set out to create a first-rate street railway system. The Hershey Transit Company existed many years after the trolley industry declined in most areas of the United States. It was the chief mode of travel for the chocolate factory workers, vital to dairy farmers for transport of fresh milk to the factory, and essential to students of the Hershey Industrial School housed in surrounding farms. On the weekends, the transit system brought people from outlying areas into Hershey, Pennsylvania, to enjoy the theater or the famous Hershey Park for employee picnics, family outings, or special occasions. Hershey Transit documents one of the best-known and well-kept streetcar systems, started by Milton S. Hershey and operated from 1904 to 1946. ​ But it today. Available at the Hershey History Center's gift shop for $21.99. (Sorry, no shipping available.) SUPPORT THE FRIENDS OF THE HERSHEY TROLLEY Please donate to the Friends of the Hershey Trolley (FOHT) at the "Donate" button. Your contributions help to restore the No. 7 trolley. Follow the FOHT on Facebook for the latest news. f you would like to be a FOHT volunteer, we would love to hear from you. Please contact us by email at trollies@hersheyhistory.org