Extraordinary Stories From An Ordinary Guy: The "Home Town Boy" Story

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

The "Home Town Boy" Story

It was an ordinary day. A Lancaster day. County where I was born and raised. County that I am proud to call home and love to talk about. Therefore, the following are some bits of information that you may not know, and so of course I am going to tell you about them. So here goes: County that was part of William Penn's 1681 charter and where the first settler was Matthias Kreider in 1710, although it was first inhabited by the Susquehannocks (people of the muddy river) who were a friendly tribe who converted to Christianity. County that was the fourth county in the state of Pennsylvania and now is the 99th largest in the USA. County that is a popular tourist destination, due mostly to the Amish. County whose native son, James Buchanan, was the 15th President of the United States in 1856, even though he was a Democrat! County's oldest surviving dwelling is that of Mennonite Bishop Hans Herr which was built in 1719. County where one of the earliest communities of Moravians in the USA was established in Lititz in the 1740s. County where the Republicans outnumber the Democrats 1.8 to 1. Hey, I think I know quite a few of those .8 Republicans. Not quite all there! County that has a total area of 984 square miles. County that falls along the general track of the Appalachian Mountains and as such, residual seismic activity from ancient faulting occasionally produces minor earthquakes of magnitudes from 3 to 4. County that is part of the Keystone Corridor with a mainline train stop in Lancaster. County where approximately half a million people call home. County that has more females than males. County where some people still speak Pennsylvania Dutch. Visit one of the county's markets and just listen. County that has almost 20% of the workforce employed in manufacturing. County that is home to MapQuest. Always thought that was neat, since it is within walking distance of my house, according to MapQuest. County that is home to Auntie Anne's, Turkey Hill Dairy, Clair Brothers Audio, Wilbur Chocolate, Pepperidge Farm, Armstrong World Industries and tiny Bollman Hat. County with the most non-irrigated soil in the United States. County that is home to the "World's Largest Chicken BBQ." County that has over 29 covered bridges. County that has many famous tourist attractions such as the Strasburg Railroad, American Music Theatre and Sight & Sound Theatre, Fulton Opera House, Dutch Wonderland, Ephrata Cloister, Sturgis Pretzel House, Robert Fulton birthplace, Landis Valley Museum, PA Renaissance Faire (one of the largest in the world), Rock Ford Plantation and the historic downtown area of Lancaster which has one of the oldest working farmer's markets in the USA. County that is famous for Fraktur (the artistic and elaborate 18th century hand-illuminated folk art), the first battery-powered watch from Hamilton Watch Co., the Pennsylvania Long Rifle, the Conestoga Wagon, the Amish Quilt and the Stogie cigar (shortened form of Conestoga). County that has 1 city, 18 Boroughs, 41 Townships, 10 Census-designated places (whatever they may be), and 52 communities. County with places with names such as Bird-in-Hand, Intercourse, Paradise, Blue Ball, Leacock and Eden. County with 9 colleges and 16 public school districts. County with professional or semi-pro teams in baseball, football, woman's soccer and woman's roller derby. Now that wasn't so bad, was it? Oh yeah, the county is also home to LDub's "Painting with Light" altered Polaroids, which a few follow to illustrate my story. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Hans Herr House, the oldest remaining house in Lancaster County