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One of the things I enjoy most about my job as special projects editor at The Sentinel is the interaction with readers who submit items to be used in our many special sections.
In 2009, Teresa Orr, of Lewistown, submitted this great photo to be published in a special section called "I Remember When." It became one of my all-time favorite local photos because, while it is actually meant to be a portrait of the friendly-looking gentleman who is front and center, it also shows so much more.
First, there are the signs for Tom Green's Barber Shop, which was in the lower level of the building that was once where the Juniata Valley Bank is now located on Monument Square in Lewistown.
But look beyond the barber shop sign, at the two men who appear to be having a casual conversation. Look at their clothing and their hairstyles. Then notice the cars in the background, and, beyond them, the building that is now known as the Mifflin County Historic Courthouse. Remember the lower level public restrooms that could be entered from that side of the building?
The details that can be seen beyond the main image are a snapshot in time -- an interesting look at a different era in downtown Lewistown.
Teresa did not know the gentleman in the photo, but offered this explanation: "I don't know the gentleman in the photo or even how I acquired this picture. If I had to guess, I would say it was probably among my grandmother's possessions and originally from her brother. I remember my great uncle Sam Miller lived in Lewistown and this may have been a friend of his. He is seen here along the square in downtown Lewistown in front of the barber shop where the Juniata Valley Bank is currently located. You can see the side of the courthouse on North Main Street in the background."
Because of the details that can be seen in that photo, I decided to add it to a section about downtown Lewistown in "A Look Back." I'm glad I did, because it didn't take long for the gentleman in the photograph to be identified.
Almost immediately after the book was published in November, Carl "Smitty" Smith, of Lewistown, who contributed the history of his family's Alantic service stations for publication in the book, sent me an email that solved the mystery of the gentleman in Teresa's photograph:
"On Page 35," Smitty says, "there is a pic of an unidentified gentleman. It is my uncle (my mom's brother) Carl Morgan. The cane is the result of a really bad car accident some years before, which resulted in his retirement from the railroad. Spent most of his life in the 300 block of West Fifth Street."
Thanks, Smitty (and Teresa!).