A heartfelt thank you to everyone who attended our presentation of “The History of Silver Lake As Told Through Its Deeds.” Special thanks to our moderator and videographer, Dominish Marie Miller, for recording and sharing the presentation, which received over 1.4K views in the “Preserving the History of Newberrytown” Facebook group. We also extend our gratitude to the Red Land Senior Center for graciously hosting the event.
Consider this: in its 238-year existence, Silver Lake, just outside Lewisberry, York County, had no documented history. In its place, erroneous—though often entertaining—lake-ore took hold, which needed to be corrected. To create an accurate account, we relied on definitive sources of data, including U.S. Census records, York County Government deed archives, vital records such as birth, marriage, and death certificates from genealogy websites, and carefully preserved newspapers from reputable news organizations and libraries. These trusted sources helped us craft the true story of Silver Lake.
In some cases, we had multiple sources to draw from. Take, for example, the tragic death of Guy Stonesifer, age 27, who had already proven to be a “key man” in his father William Grant Stonesifer’s business venture to develop Silver Lake into a seasonal resort. His untimely death shattered that vision, though the Silver Lake properties would later evolve into a summer colony. Guy’s death left his young wife, Mabel Heiges Stonesifer, a widow and their 3-year-old son, Bobby, fatherless.
While many young couples are unprepared for the sudden loss of a spouse, Mabel was more prepared than most. She understood firsthand the difficulties of growing up without a father—her own father, John Heiges, had died in a mining accident when she was just four years old. Her mother’s experience of becoming a widow with young children gave Mabel, at 23, an early glimpse into the challenges she would now face herself.
While John Heiges is not directly part of Silver Lake’s history, his death profoundly shaped Mabel Stonesifer’s ability to navigate life as a single mother after losing her husband. To tell this story, we pieced together the genealogies of Mabel Heiges Stonesifer and her father, John Heiges, using vital records and U.S. Census data—each worthy of citation. Although John Heiges’ name did not appear on the Pennsylvania mining disaster website, which lists miners’ deaths, the cause of his death was confirmed through his death certificate. We chose to cite just one source to document his death and its impact on his family: the report in York Daily from Friday, April 7, 1911. The article, which recounts the tragic events of his final day at work, leaves readers reflecting on the uncertain future of his young family with its closing line: “He is survived by his widow and four small children.”
Bringing these stories and voices of the peoples of Silver Lake to today’s audience has been an unexpected pleasure and surprise of this inaugural voyage into book writing.
The Preserving the History of Newberrytown Facebook group has shared the presentation video HERE.
