The "Coffee With A Bit Of A Twist: Part I" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just left the home of David and his wife who live in the 600 block of Jefferson Street in the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Spent close to half-an-hour with them, kinda by mistake.  But, before I tell you more about my visit with David, I should tell you what led up to the unexpected visit.  All began January 1st when I opened my morning newspaper to read "The Scribbler" column.  "The Scribbler" happens to be a retired newspaper columnist named Jack Brubaker.  Even thought he is retired, he still composes a weekly column of folklore and Lancaster County history while answering letters written to him about happenings and events in the Lancaster area.  

Turned onto N. Jefferson from E. Frederick in Lancaster.

I love his column of quirky information and when he retired a few years ago I feared he would stop writing the column.  Never happened, luckily.  He recently answered a question from a reader about the "Mack, the Coffee Man" who ran a business in Lancaster beginning in the late 1890s.  After a few years the company needed a larger building and moved to the 600 block of North Jefferson Street in Lancaster city.  

The "Mack, the Coffee Man" building next door to the
garage where I parked and where David and his wife live.

Just so happens that is where I met David today.  I found the building that held the "Mack, the Coffee Man" Company and pulled in front of a nearby garage to take a few photos to share.  As I pulled my camera to my face I saw another car that wanted to get into the garage I had just parked in front of a minute before.  Lowered my camera, waved to him and got back into my car to move it.  

Behind David's fireplace are rings which keep the
horses, that lived here at one time, at bay.

When I had moved the car I walked back and met David who happened to live in what at one time was the stable  where "Mack, the Coffee Man" kept their horses which pulled their coffee wagons.  What a lucky turn of events it was for me.  He offered to show me through his beautiful home and the rings on the wall where the horses were hitched at one time as well as the pulley that was used to retrieve hay from the upper floor to feed the horses.  

On the second floor, in a space that is
now his office, was a winch that at one
time was used to transport hay from
the upper floor to the horses below.

Also had many souvenirs from the "Mack, the Coffee Man" era which he shared with me.  A few I had seen in the Lancaster newspaper's archives files, but he also had a few I had not seen before.  During my search for information on "Mack, the Coffee Man", I  Googled "Mack, the Coffee Man" and found very little except the recent column written by Jack for the newspaper.  In the newspaper story, Jack suggested using the newspaper's archives.  I did just that and found quite a few stories, one dated August 18, 1910.  The story told about Wall Street paying tribute to the owner of "Mack, the Coffee Man" as being a pioneer in the coffee business in Lancaster County.  It told of the variety of brands of coffee that he had created and being an outstanding businessman.  

Hanging from a first-floor wall is this original neat sign.

Well, my visit today with David and his wife was both lucky as well as very interesting.  His house is amazing with working antique plumbing fixtures as well as a variety of fabulous guitars that he had on his wall.  Oh, yeah!  Forgot to tell you that David is a musician who still entertains in Lancaster city.  May have to take in show or two in the future to thank him once again for his hospitality.  The second half of my story will follow tomorrow, so check in to see how coffee filled the cups of Lancasterains for ages.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Large, framed sign hangs from a wall in his home.

Another sign that may have been found in an restaurant in Lancaster, PA.

Three more items from David's collection.  A small type-high engraving that may have
been used at the newspaper office for ads for the business, a large circle that is metal, but
he nor I know what it may have been used for and a 12" ruler from Mack The Coffee Man.