A lighthearted and loving look back at the glory days of the Shady Dell, the historic haven for teenagers in York, PA, and the magnanimous couple that created it, John & Helen Ettline.
CLOSE YOUR EYES. TAKE A DEEP BREATH. OPEN YOUR HEART.
SHADY DEL KNIGHT, ADMINISTRATOR
High School Yearbook Photo
"More than a place, the Shady Dell was and will forever remain a state of mind." - Shady Del Knight
HELLO STRANGER ... IT SEEMS LIKE A MIGHTY LONG TIME!
Battle of the Banned the series that dares to be different.
Hey, That Sounds Just Like is a simple concept.
There are two pairs of recordings. The recordings
in each pair share a similar sound, even though
they are different songs recorded by different
artists. Please vote for the sound-alike record
you prefer. There's no guess work. The two
competing recordings are clearly marked.
The contestants are ready to rock
so let the Battle of the Banned begin!
BOTB CONTESTANT #1
NANCY AMES
THAT WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS (TW3)
Here's a rare change of style for "The TW3 Girl,"
Nancy Ames, who sang on the satirical mid 60s
television show That Was The Week That Was.
Best known for her folk albums and Spanish
language recordings, Nancy surprised her
fans in 1966 when she released "Friends
and Lovers Forever," a groovy single
with a girl group sound sung to the
melody of "Hang On Sloopy," the huge
hit by the McCoys. "Friends and Lovers
Forever" was written by the composing
team of Bert Berns and Wes Farrell,
the same guys who gave us "Sloopy."
Nancy's record deserved a top 40
finish but never escaped the Bubbling Under dungeon.
Be sure to listen to the last
40 seconds of the song. When
strait-laced Nancy gets into
a shouting, call-and-response
duel with her backup singers,
this thang gets surreal!
"Friends and Lovers Forever" - Nancy Ames
(January 1966, highest chart position #123)
THE MCCOYS
Now here are Rick Derringer and the McCoys,
with their signature song and biggest hit,
the chart topping "Hang On Sloopy,"
a reworking of "My Girl Sloopy"
originally recorded in 1964
by the Vibrations.
"Hang On Sloopy" - The McCoys
(October 1965, highest chart position #1)
The McCoys are not in this contest.
Do not vote for them...or else!
BOTB CONTESTANT #2
THE STYLETTES
The Stylettes were a soulful 60s girl group that
released singles on the Philadelphia-based
Cameo label. One of the group's finest efforts
is "Packing Up My Memories," a song penned
by Ugene "Gene" Dozier (no relation to Motown
songwriter Lamont Dozier). Gene Dozier later
took his composing talents to Detroit and went
by the name Billy Jackson. The A side of this
Stylettes 45 is the frantic paced "On Fire,"
an arrangement that reminds me of "I Do"
by The Marvelows. "Packing Up My
Memories" is the superior side,
IMO, a genuine killer bee.
"Packing Up My Memories" The Stylettes (January 1965, uncharted B side of "On Fire")
JAMES BROWN
The Stylettes' "Packing Up My Memories" reminds me
of, and was perhaps inspired by, James Brown's
"Out of the Blue," a track from his Showtime
album released as the fab flipside of an
obscure, poor selling Smash single in
the summer of 1964.
"Out of the Blue" - James Brown
(July 1964, uncharted B side of
"The Things That I Used To Do")
James Brown is not in this contest.
Do not vote for him...or else!
Okay, you heard the two originals,
The McCoys and James Brown.
You also heard the two sound-alikes.
Which sound-alike do you like more?
YOUR VOTING CHOICES ARE:
NANCY AMES
"Friends and Lovers Forever"
AND
THE STYLETTES
"Packing Up My Memories."
It's not a trick question
so don't overthink it.
I am not asking which one
sounded more like the original.
I am merely asking which
one you enjoyed more.
VOTE NOW!
After voting here, please visit
my partner in grime
'Bama Born and Nashville raised Sharon Ilo Hershiser
started singing at age four. In the 1950s, the little girl
with powerful pipes had the opportunity to work with
country crooner Eddy Arnold. Arnold's manager, Dick
Linke, took Sharon under his wing, changed her name
to Robin Clark, and helped her land a contract with
Capitol Records. Robin was just turning age 11 at
the time and became the youngest artist signed to
a major label in the U.S. Recording in a country -
pop - rock 'n' roll style inspired by Brenda Lee,
Robin released four Capitol singles in the early
60s. One of her records reached the national
chart and all of them were regional hits
in the East South Central states, the
Mid-Atlantic and New England.
At the start of 1961 Capitol released Robin Clark's
debut single, "Daddy, Daddy (Gotta Get a Phone
in My Room)," a cover of a 1959 novelty record
released by Betsy Brye (singer Bette Anne Steele).
Backing vocals on Robin's rendition were provided
by the Jordanaires, the famous background singers
heard on the recordings of Elvis Presley, Ricky
Nelson and other major artists. "Daddy, Daddy"
was a huge hit in several radio markets. It shot
to #1 in Springfield, Massachusetts, reached
#2 in Worcester, #5 in Syracuse and Boston,
made the top 10 in Hartford and Bubbled Under nationally.
"Daddy, Daddy (Gotta Get a Phone in My Room)"
(March 1961, highest chart position #120)
"Daddy, Daddy (Gotta Get a Phone in My Room)" also
received heavy radio play in the Nashville market.
However, it was the B side, "Love Has Come My Way,"
that took off in Music City, USA, making its debut at #34
on rock 'n' roll station WKDA, home of The Good Guys.
"Love Has Come My Way"
(Released Jan. 1961 on B side of "Daddy, Daddy")
In June of '61, Robin Clark released her second single,
"Billy." The A side missed the chart but that summer the
fab flipside, "For Your Sake," went top 20 in Springfield,
Massachusetts, and top 30 in Beantown and in Nashville.
This one's a killer bee and my Pick To Click!
"For Your Sake"
(June, July, Aug. 1961, B side of "Billy")
In the fall of 1961 Capitol issued the third single by
Robin Clark, "It's Love," a song written by Nashville
brothers Jan and Jerry Crutchfield.
"It's Love" failed to make the Billboard chart but
went top 30 in Springfield Mass and made the
prestigious top tunes survey on Wibbage,
WIBG in Philadelphia.
"It's Love" (October, November, December 1961,
uncharted, reached #67 on WIBG Philadelphia)
Robin Clark's 4th and final single, "Tellin' Myself"
backed with "I Gotta Be Sure," was released the
following June. First, let's hear the A side.
"Tellin' Myself"
(June 1962, uncharted)
Neither side of this single charted
but "I Gotta Be Sure" should have!
This wonderful Brenda Lee style country pop ballad
is my second Pick To Click! (Yessum, under special
circumstances, two Picks to Click are permitted in
Hi, I'm Shawn Spencer, psychic sleuth and boy toy to the stars...
and this is my partner, Nosferatu Smithers,
world's leading authority on whimsical wind socks.
Not true, Shawn!
Recently, Gus and I were celebrity contestants
on the new TV game show Rock Jeopardy
and it went something like this.....
I'll take Pop Princess Potpourri for 200, Alex.
ALEX J. CAVANAUGH TREBEK: The answer is...
This Chino, California, indie pop band, formed in 2009,
consists of four siblings: Graham, Sydney, Noah and
Jamie Sierota. (DING) Shawn...
It's coming to me! I'm having a vision! I see it in my mind's eye! What is S Club 7 Minus 3?
ALEX J. CAVANAUGH TREBEK:
No... that's incorrect. (DING) Gus...
Echosmith
ALEX J. CAVANAUGH TREBEK:
Needs to be in the form of a question, Gus.
Sorry. What is Echosmith?
ALEX J. CAVANAUGH TREBEK:
Yes..."What is Echosmith?" is correct.
ECHOSMITH
"Vindicated" (2010 cover of recording by
Dashboard Confessional used in 2004 movie
Spider-Man 2 and 2006 album Dusk and Summer)
ALEX J. CAVANAUGH TREBEK:
Gus, you have control of the board.
Select a category and amount.
Pop Princess Potpourri
for 400, Alex.
ALEX J. CAVANAUGH TREBEK:
This pop song by Echosmith, co-written by the Sierota
siblings and their father, Jeffery David, released in
2015 as the latest single from their hit 2013 debut
album Talking Dreams, was promoted by a video
in which a now fully grown 18 year old Sydney
performed with her band of brothers in an
empty ballroom. (DING) Shawn...
What is... "In Them Old Cotton Fields Back Home"?
ALEX J. CAVANAUGH TREBEK:
No. (DING) Gus...
What is "Let's Love"?
ALEX J. CAVANAUGH TREBEK:
"Let's Love"... correct.
ECHOSMITH
"Let's Love" (2015 single
from album Talking Dreams,
highest chart pos. #36, Adult Top 40)
ALEX J. CAVANAUGH TREBEK:
Gus, you're on a roll. Pick again.
Give me Female-Fronted
Hard Rock Bands for 200.
ALEX J. CAVANAUGH TREBEK:
Led by actress/musician/singer Taylor Momsen,
this band drew praise for their chart-topping Mainstream Rock single "Heaven Knows,"
Chris Payne of Billboard describing the
record as "Queen's 'We Will Rock You'
with Joan Jett vocals." (DING) Shawn...
The spirits are near, heaven knows.
Love grows where my Rosemary goes. I've got it! Gladys Knight and the Pips!
ALEX J. CAVANAUGH TREBEK:
NO! Led by Taylor Momsen? Get real! (DING) Gus...
Who are The Pretty Reckless?
ALEX J. CAVANAUGH TREBEK:
Yes indeed! The Pretty Reckless!
THE PRETTY RECKLESS
"Heaven Knows" (Dec. 2013/Jan. 2014,
highest chart pos. #1 U.S. Mainstream Rock,
from March 2014 album Going To Hell)
ALEX J. CAVANAUGH TREBEK:
Gus, the board is still yours.
Alex, I'll take All-Female
Heavy Metal Bands for 200.
ALEX J. CAVANAUGH TREBEK:
This all female Canadian alternative rock
and heavy metal band (DING) Shawn...
The Mills Brothers! I mean...what is the Mills Brothers? I mean, who are the Mills Brothers?
ALEX J. CAVANAUGH TREBEK:
Gus, I'll start over and read the answer in its entirety
for your benefit. This all female Canadian alternative rock
and heavy metal band has released six studio albums in
the new millennium with titles that include Spit, Oracle, Until the End and Funeral For Yesterday.
What is Kittie?
ALEX J. CAVANAUGH TREBEK:
Kittie, you betcha!
KITTIE
"What I Always Wanted" (uncharted single
from October 2001 album Oracle)
ALEX J. CAVANAUGH TREBEK:
Gus, I know I sound like a broken record,
but you still own the board. Choose a category.
I think I'll take Female-Fronted
European Metal Bands for 200.
ALEX J. CAVANAUGH TREBEK:
This blues song, first written and recorded by husband
and wife Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie in 1929,
was later reworked by the English rock band Led Zeppelin
as the last track on their 1971 album Led Zeppelin IV and,
35 years later, performed by Mexican lead singer/violinist
Marcela Bovio and her Dutch progressive metal band
Stream of Passion on their 2006 album and video Live in the Real World. (DING) Shawn...
What is "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah"?
ALEX J. CAVANAUGH TREBEK:
No...no, I'm sorry. Well, not really. (DING) Gus?
What is "When the Levee Breaks"?
ALEX J. CAVANAUGH TREBEK:
Yes, that's what we were looking for,
"When the Levee Breaks."
STREAM OF PASSION
"When the Levee Breaks" (from 2006 album
and video Live in the Real World)
ALEX J. CAVANAUGH TREBEK:
Okay, it's time to take a break. Checking the score,
we see that Gus is our leader with $1,200 while
Shawn has yet to get on the board. We'll see if
he can do better in the next round.
We now pause for a word from our sponsor, Shady Del Knight's Fake Mustache Boutique. "Men...if your fake mustache isn't becoming to you...then you should be coming to me. I’m not only the Fake Mustache Boutique president,
I’m also a client.” - Shady Del Knight
“Words and photographs could never do those dancers justice because you had to be there - in a club with great music, like minded people and loads of atmosphere.” David Meikle of Glasgow, Scotland wrote those words in an article remembering the Twisted Wheel, the legendary northern soul club in Manchester, England. Yet, Mr. Meikle could just as easily have been describing the scene at my favorite "in" spot of the 1960s, the Shady Dell in York (Pennsylvania, not England).
THE SHADY DELL
YORK, PENNSYLVANIA
The Shady Dell: Part of York County's Colorful History
What began as a home based restaurant and bakery in 1945 evolved over the next two decades into the hottest teen nightspot in York county complete with indoor and outdoor dance floors. It went beyond that. Shady Dell owner John Ettline and his wife Helen put out the welcome mat offering hospitality, comfort, support, and encouragement to generations of young people. During its impressive 45-year life span the Dell became a home away from home for countless area youth from a variety of backgrounds.
At the height of its popularity in the early and mid 60s the Dell, located on the southern outskirts of the White Rose city, was as widely known as North York’s White Oak Park ("the Oaks"), Harrisburg's Raven club or any other youth-oriented venue in central Pennsylvania. The Dell attracted crowds from all over the region. It brought together under one roof kids from middle class families and kids from working class families - city kids, suburban kids, small town kids and farm kids.
The diverse cast of characters that constituted the Shady Dell family was a potentially volatile mix. Each of us had to find a way to fit in and get along (or risk being voted off the island). In the end, in spite of our differences, most of us learned to dance together without stepping on each other’s toes.
Shady Dell regulars were nicknamed Dell rats and we had at least two things in common: a love of the music that played on the Dell’s jukebox and a genuine respect for John and Helen Ettline who graciously made their home our home.
GREATER THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS
The Dell was a unique, magical coming of age experience - a proving ground - a secluded hideaway where adolescents could develop social skills, learn to handle responsibility and test the waters of adulthood free from the hassles of ubiquitous adult micromanagement.
SHOCKING TRUE CONFESSION: I WAS A TEENAGE DELL RAT! by Shady Del Knight
I became a Dell rat in 1965 at the age of fifteen. Disparaging rumors about the place had been circulating for years. If you were to believe the gossip the Dell was a snake pit where bad boys and bad girls went to do bad things. Some people, including my mother, referred to the Dell as a “den of iniquity.” Intrigued by the horror stories, I was determined to get there and see for myself what all the fuss was about.
In preparation for my grand entrance, I subjected myself to weeks of rigorous training at a Shady Dell boot camp of my own devise. I grew my hair longer and took up the smoking habit. I practiced in front of a mirror until I was convinced that my stance, walk, and dancing style were all cool.
To complete my extreme makeover, I went shopping for my 'uniform' which consisted of a tapered shirt from the Hub, slacks by H.I.S. and two wardrobe essentials: a pair of blue Jack Purcell sneakers and the all-important Baracuta jacket "Made in England." Wearing my 'Cuta' made me feel so terribly, terribly British, you know. Spot on for us bird watchin' blokes, right gov'na?
'JACKS'
AN ABSOLUTE MUST...FOR DANCIN' ON DELL DUST!
THE CLASSIC NATURAL COLOUR BARACUTA
STRICTLY CONTINENTAL, MATE!
Moment of Truth: Boy Meets Dell
Too young to drive, I made my first Dell visit happen by bumming a ride one night with my college-age cousin and two of his buddies. Clearly, none of the above was thrilled to be babysitting.
As we drove past York Hospital on South George and headed toward Violet Hill, what began as giddy anticipation was turning to apprehension. Fear of the unknown started creeping into my brain. What if the rumors turned out to be true? Would I soon be sharing a needle with a gang of rowdy bikers?
At Violet Hill, we made a dogleg turn to the right and began to climb the narrow, winding, bumpy Starcross Road. By this time my breathing had become labored and I felt queasy. It was as if, on a foolish dare, I had agreed to spend the night with Vincent Price in his House on Haunted Hill. Was it too late to leap from the car and bolt?
"I See the Lights... I See the Party Lights..."
We rounded a bend and I caught my first glimpse of her a short distance up the road. Perched on the hillside was a three-story brick house. Down to the left stood a barn. The festive glow of colored lights rose skyward from an area behind the house. As I would soon learn, the atmospheric illumination originated from strings of lanterns hanging above a patio rigged with remote speakers for outdoor dancing.
As we banked to make our final approach I detected the percussive beat of uptempo music emanating from the barn. We turned left into a gravel parking lot overflowing with vehicles. Here, in all of her rustic splendor, stood the infamous Shady Dell, my destination for the evening and my obsession for years to come!
I Found My Thrill on Violet Hill
My heart was thumping as we climbed the steps that led to the entrance and approached the admission booth. Following my cousin’s lead, I slid a quarter through the window and looked up to see a balding, bespectacled old man grinning back at me. Old? John Ettline would have been 59 at the time. I'm older than that now. Yikes!
“Good evening, gentlemen!” John delivered his cheerful salutation in a booming baritone. Immediately, my anxiety vanished. John’s warm welcome made me feel right at home. It made me feel like I belonged. I didn’t get it at the time but later came to realize that John’s presupposition that we were "gentlemen" was a clever and tactful way of admonishing us to behave accordingly.
Toto, I've a Feeling We're Not in Kansas Anymore!
From the moment I entered the compound I was hooked. The Shady Dell was a private playground for teenagers - a candy land - a fun factory - a safe haven where kids could congregate and blow off steam without having to worry about parents and teachers giving them the evil eye. Instantly I became intoxicated - not by alcohol - but by a sense of total freedom. The place gave off a vibe that was completely new to me – an exhilarating blend of romance, adventure and danger!
Instead of placing a ton of restrictions on their young patrons, John and Helen granted them the independence they craved. The Ettlines were willing to take a step back and trust our judgment. It was okay for us to party as long as things didn’t get out of hand. Most of us eagerly embraced that arrangement. If and when we screwed up, the Ettlines gave us another chance. John and Helen cut you plenty of slack, but if you disrespected them or trashed their establishment both were capable of unleashing a fiery temper.
Of Rats and Men
Contrary to popular belief, the Dell did not harbor gangs of juvenile delinquents eager to conceal their wicked deeds from law enforcement. Sorry, Mom - there weren’t any guns, switchblades or brass knuckles - no gangs, career criminals or prostitutes - just a bunch of ordinary teenagers who loved to meet, mix and mingle, dance and have fun.
Fights were few and far between. There was tacit agreement that it was our duty to preserve and protect the unique setting that the Ettlines had created for us. It required us to police ourselves to prevent incidents that would generate negative publicity or hassles with the law. Scuffles were settled quickly, often through John’s bold intervention. The first lesson a guy learned at the Dell was as follows. Don’t let the gray hair fool you. Nobody messes with John. He’s the boss!
A Special Welcome to All Incoming Freshmen!
I was punched in the face three times during my first year of matriculation on the campus of the Shady Dell School of Hard Knocks. Apparently a few of the guys were determined to teach me a lesson. Yet, getting socked in the kisser did not dampen my enthusiasm or scare me away from the place. In fact they had the opposite effect. They whet my appetite for more! As a Dell newbie desperate to break free of mom’s apron strings and earn respect and acceptance, I wasn’t about to let a bloody nose deter me. For the first time in my life I felt like a man instead of a boy and I loved it. Like Secret Agent Man I was living a life of danger. I was addicted to the rush!
Determined to create an image that would allow me to blend in, appeal to the ladies and avoid becoming a frequent target of the tribe's dominant males, I did a lot of posing, posturing and pretending. I decided that it would be advantageous for me to look tough even though I wasn't. Whenever I strolled into the dance hall, I made sure that my hair was messed up, my shirt tail was hanging out, a lit cigarette was dangling from my lips and my game face was on.
One afternoon before anybody else arrived, my best friend and I rolled around on the dance floor of the barn so that we could properly break-in our new Baracuta jackets by getting them coated with Dell dust. This drove my mother crazy. She kept asking me how I got my jacket so badly soiled. She was even more perplexed when I forbade her to get it cleaned. How could I explain to her that I didn’t want to risk weakening my status with the other guys by wearing a clean jacket?
In my mom’s day the ideal guy wore a white sport coat and a pink carnation. His hair was neatly cropped, oiled down and slicked back off his forehead. That look would have spelled social suicide at the Dell in the mid 60s. My goal was to look like I had just been in a fight at reform school, and if I got my uniform dirty or bloodied in combat, it was a GOOD thing.
Helen & John Ettline
Shady Dell Owners
Helen and John: Not Your Typical Mom and Pop
Even by mid 60s standards, John Ettline seemed part of a vanishing breed of men. John never called me by my first name. He always chose to address me as “Mr. Knight." John maintained that friendly formality through all the years I knew him. I’m very glad he did. John always made me feel important when he added the title “Mr.” to my name. Making insecure teenagers feel good about themselves was John’s greatest gift. He always treated young people with dignity and respect and that made them want to return it.
Along with his outstanding people skills, John possessed a photographic memory. He could always match a face with a name. He seemed to know a lot about anything or anybody that you happened to be discussing. John Ettline had a million stories to tell - all of them interesting.
Although old enough to be our grandparents, there was no generation gap between the Ettlines and their teenage guests. They seemed to remember better than other grown-ups what it was like to be young. John and Helen stayed in touch and in tune with the youth culture. Never was that more in evidence than one day at the York Fair in September, 1968. I was sitting in the grandstand awaiting the start of the James Brown concert. I turned around to search the crowd for familiar faces and there, a few rows behind me, sat Helen and John. In a year when racial tension was running high in York and elsewhere, it was remarkable to see a white couple in their 60s at a James Brown concert, chanting along with the rest of us, “Say It Loud: I’m Black and I’m Proud!”
John and Helen were cool. Young people felt at ease talking with them. Unlike many adults, John and Helen listened to us. They cared without preaching or judging. The Ettlines treated their teen visitors like extended family. They believed in the potential of every young person, including troubled youth from broken homes. They spoke to us about the value of an education and honest hard work. They sponsored athletic programs and honored America’s armed forces. They shaped young lives by instilling a sense of pride and self esteem. John and Helen went out of their way to make all of their kids feel like somebody - even those whose families were telling them they were nobody.
The Dell Jukebox: ALL KILLER AND NO FILLER!
Upon arriving on the Dell scene I soon realized that the jukebox in the dance hall was loaded with the greatest, most danceable records to be found anywhere. There were quite a few songs that I had never heard before and would never hear anywhere else. The music mix that played nightly at the Dell was consistently better than what I was hearing on the radio. In the mid 60s the Dell's musical menu was an exciting blend of Motown, Chi-town, New York and Philly soul, Memphis, southern R&B, blue-eyed soul, Brit beat, sunshine pop, garage, psych and folk-rock plus a few do-wop favorites held over from the 50s.
Shady Dell regulars, the gang I now refer to as the Rodentia Intelligentsia, prided themselves on having radar for cool. Year in and year out they discovered and popularized songs that radio stations across the country overlooked. Records that lingered near the bottom of the national chart often became cherished classics at the Dell. Forgotten flips were elevated to mega-hit status by Dell rats unfettered by the limitations of radio play lists.
Certain songs resonated with the Dell crowd to such an extent that they stayed on the jukebox for years. The best example of this phenomenon is the record ranked #1 on my survey of the 200 Greatest Hits Of The Shady Dell. It remained one of the most popular jukebox selections a dozen years after its initial release in the 50s. That very special song, the greatest and longest lasting Shady Dell hit of all time, was "Close Your Eyes" by the Five Keys.
THE FIVE KEYS
"Close Your Eyes" Ranked #1
Del-Chords & Magnificent Men
Another mighty evergreen at the Shady Dell was "Everybody’s Gotta Lose Someday," an intense, power-packed r&b/soul ballad by the Del-Chords, a racially mixed group from York. Released in 1964, the record was still being played heavily two years later, jamming the floor with slow dancers several times a night. Dave Bupp and Buddy King, lead vocalists from the Del-Chords, eventually merged with band members of Harrisburg’s Endells to form a blue-eyed soul group called the Magnificent Men. The “Mag Men,” as we called them, were white guys who had a passion for black music and the vocal talent and musicianship to authentically perform it. Their inspiring ballad "Peace of Mind" was the first in an impressive string of Dell hits for our hometown heroes.
Magnificent Men
HEAVY HITTERS AT THE DELL!
The Emperors of Harrisburg
Records by the Emperors, another home-grown act, were also enormously popular with Dell dancers. A black group from the state capital, the Emperors were exponents of the “Harrisburg sound,” a blend of r&b, soul, garage and Latin influences. "Karate," the Emperors’ best known recording, was the first of eight raw, funky, organ-driven numbers to achieve hit status at the Dell in 1966 and 1967.
THE EMPERORS
DELL ROYALTY - THEY RULED!
End of an Era
Once addicted to the Dell, I pretty much lived there until the fall of 1967 when I left York to attend an institution of higher learning. Over the next four years I visited my Dell family whenever possible during holidays, spring breaks, and summer vacations. My stint as a Dell rat officially ended in 1971 when I found a job in another city and moved away from York for good.
My final visit to the Dell came in March of 1984 when my career took me out of state. My last piece of business before leaving was to drop in at the Dell and say a final goodbye. I entered the house to find John sitting on a stool at the lunch counter reading the newspaper. “Well, hello stranger!” John bellowed, rising to his feet and extending his hand. “Long time no see, Mr. Knight!" After shaking hands with John and exchanging a few pleasantries, I inquired about Helen. I was stunned to learn that she had passed away a few weeks earlier. I never got the news! John and I stood alone in Helen’s snack bar, reminiscing about the good old days and lamenting how much things had changed since the Dell’s golden era.
After a brief chat with John I excused myself and walked down the sidewalk to check out the barn. The old dance hall was dimly lit and nearly vacant. The only customers were two boys with shoulder length hair standing by the jukebox with a couple of girls. No music was playing. The place was dead or, more accurately, in the final lonely stages of life. If it had been twenty years earlier, the joint would have been jumpin’. The four young people eyed me suspiciously. Is this guy a narc? I put myself in their combat boots and realized that the sight of a stranger in his mid thirties was probably making this new generation of Dell rats uncomfortable. I promptly exited the barn and returned to the house to bid farewell to John.
That night marked the last time I ever saw John or entered the Shady Dell. I made one final pilgrimage in 1988 when I returned to Pennsylvania to visit my parents. I drove up to the Dell one afternoon with every intention of going inside. I’m sure I would have encountered a smiling John Ettline and that he would have immediately remembered my name. Yet, I never got out of the car. I chose not to enter because I didn’t want to further contaminate my memories by seeing how much older John looked and how much more dilapidated the Dell had become. All I could do was sit there in the parking lot gazing at the barn, the house, the bench and the steps to the admission booth where the whole journey started. My mind flooded with a thousand memories of the people, the place, and the time of my life.
John Ettline closed the Dell in the fall of 1991. He died at the beginning of 1993. John’s family auctioned off the restaurant equipment, signage and other Dell paraphernalia in the spring of that year.
(Mike Argento's 1993 article in the York Daily Record was used as a reference source for portions of this cover story.)