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
The Hanging of Frank Lee
October 31, 2022
With Halloween quickly approaching our thoughts turn to all things grim and spooky. There is a story in Mifflin County’s past that certainly conjures up such dark thoughts. It was once described as a homicide horror! It is the sad tale of the only person ever executed in Mifflin County. The story begins in 1908. It was a fall day, not that different from this very day, when two business partners who owned and operated a horse-and-cart hauling business, one being George Porter and the other Frank Lee, got into a heated argument over money. The disagreement soon escalated to the point that a crowd gathered to see what was causing all the commotion. In the heat of the moment Lee was even heard saying, “I’ll get my revenge even if I have to hang for it.” Prophetic words to be sure! Learn More
The Best Things in Life
October 31, 2022
The Best Things in Life I recently spent a week with my family enjoying the beach one last time for the season, taking advantage of the mild fall temperatures. The group included 3 of my 4 adult children (one son stayed behind with his newborn son), their spouses, and their 6 children, all 5 years old and under. The best way to describe it would be controlled chaos. Learn More
Be Proud of Your Pearls
September 27, 2022
I had the amazing privilege of hosting a women’s G.R.I.T. conference this week through the Chamber. The acronym G.R.I.T. standing for guts, resilience, initiative, and tenacity. Little did we know when we chose that theme in 2020, not long before the pandemic arrived in the United States, just how prophetic that theme would turn out to be. None of us realized just how deep we would soon have to dig to find the courage to develop these much-needed traits. Learn More
