Portsmouth Herald
YORK, Maine Old York Historical Society is planning a phased reopening for the 2021 season. Outdoor walking tours will resume on May 31 (Memorial Day), and some of the historic buildings, including the popular Old Gaol, will reopen to the public on July 4.
The guided walking tours provide visitors with an opportunity to learn about historic York in a safe, outdoor setting. Tours range in topic from a general overview of the region’s history to in-depth explorations of the Old Burying Ground, York’s war memorials, and the 1692 Candlemas Raid. New this season are specialized tours focusing on slavery in York County, and the contributions of women to the local history. Held Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays throughout the summer, the tours last about an hour, and generally cover a threes-quare block area along York Street. Tickets must be purchased in advance: $10 adults / $5 children / free for members. For full descriptions of the tours, schedule, and ticket
Timeless Wisdom: Thomas Jefferson’s Rules for Life
Toward the end of his life, Thomas Jefferson wrote several letters of advice to young people, several of whom had been named after him by admiring parents.
One was a young man named Thomas Jefferson Smith, whose father had written the aged former president in the hope he’d offer his young son some life advice. His words were powerful:
“Your affectionate and excellent father has requested that I would address to you something which might possibly have a favorable influence on the course of life you have to run, and I too, as a namesake, feel an interest in that course … Adore God. Reverence and cherish your parents. Love your neighbor as yourself, and your country more than yourself. Be just. Be true. Murmur not at the ways of Providence. So shall the life into which you have entered, be the portal to one of eternal and ineffable bliss.”