For Here's to Thee Chief Logan
February 1, 2023
That was the first phrase to my high school’s alma mater. It finishes with, “We ever will be loyal, and we’ll praise your grand old name.” So, as you may have guessed, I was and still am a Chief Logan Mingo, having graduated from Chief Logan High School (we will conveniently not mention the year). I often emphasize that fact by stating that my blood runs green, our school color, thus upholding the words of the alma matter, showing my loyalty. I thought it might be interesting to delve into just who Chief Logan was and why it was believed that he was worthy to have a high school named after him. After reading many versions and interpretations of his life, here is the best summation I could produce. His story began in the early 1700s when he was born near Lake Cayuga, which is one of the Finger Lakes located in New York. He was the second son of a chief whose tribe was one of the six tribes that made up the Iroquois nation. His given name was Talgahyeeta. His father attended many meetings in Philadelphia and was a guest of James Logan. The two became great friends and his father decided to change his son’s name to John Logan. Learn More
A Look at Christmas's Past, the 1960s Part 2
January 9, 2023
After reminiscing with many of you after my last article, I decided there just had to be a part two. As you shared with me your experiences, it shook loose a lot of memories I had forgotten so, here goes. Let’s dive even deeper into our Christmas experiences focusing specifically on the danger level of most of our Christmas presents. Many would never be allowed on the market today. I am not sure if our parents were very trusting of us, or were trying to get rid of us, but either way, let’s explore a few examples. Learn More
A Look at Christmas's Past, the 1960s
November 23, 2022
I proudly admit, I was a child of the 1960s and I thought it might be fun to look back and remember what Christmases looked like as I was growing up. The kickoff to the holiday shopping season always began with the downtown Lewistown Christmas parade. Since I grew up in the country, we didn’t often venture into town, but this was one event we never missed. Lewistown was turned into a winter wonderland with beautiful decorations and the streets and sidewalks were packed with cars and people. No parade day was ever complete without a stop at Murphy’s 5 & 10 for a free goldfish. The line was long, but worth the wait as they handed you a plastic bag filled with water and your very own goldfish (that you would be lucky if it lived to make it home.) The highlight of the parade of course was always Santa who brought up the rear, riding in a beautiful sleigh pulled by his reindeer (on the back of a flatbed truck that is). Learn More
The Champion Turkey Hunter of the Alleghenies
November 23, 2022
In 1824 a man by the name of John Jackson Gantz was born in Ferguson Valley. No one imagined that he would one day grow up to be the infamous “Daniel Boone of Mifflin County.” He also earned the title of “The Champion Turkey Hunter of the Alleghenies.” Knowing well his descendant, great-great-great grandson, Peter Ort of Lewistown, I am not surprised that this man was a colorful character in our Juniata River Valley history. Learn More
