The borough of Shippensburg is like many others throughout Pennsylvania and is the oldest community in the Cumberland Valley. A small town that was first settled nearly 300 years ago, Shippensburg has changed drastically over the course of time.
Recently, one area resident has made it his personal goal to share a little bit of that history. Richard Guyer, who has lived in Shippensburg for most of his life, has seen firsthand how the area has evolved over his lifetime.
Similar to Shippensburg University’s 150th anniversary timeline that was created last year, Guyer posts news articles and photographs from throughout Shippensburg’s history to the Shippensburg Community Facebook page.
Guyer, a member of the that Facebook page, first started on his journey last May. Posting a photo of downtown Shippensburg from the early 1900s, he never anticipated the positive response he would receive from it.
After that, with his trusty tablet charged and ready, he started researching. Using online resources, he thinks back to his time growing up and starts his search from there. The names of businesses, people or events he can remember help him to piece together the borough’s life.
Guyer, who also worked at Shippensburg University for 35 years, watched as the campus formed into what it is today. He watched the construction of Heiges Field House, Grove Hall and the whole recreation area.
As he posts more, other members of the community chime in with their memories and experiences, providing more leads for Guyer to research. When asked why he spends so much time researching, he had a very simple answer — this is what he enjoys doing.
“The main drag had department stores, shoe stores, hardware stores, you name it. And it’s all gone,” Guyer said while discussing his own personal memories of the borough. “Doing this we have a chance to relive it. We can never go back to it, but we got memories.”
He also stressed how important history is, especially for small communities such as Shippensburg.
“Never let history disappear,” Guyer said. “Without history, we have nothing.”
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