Marietta

After closing the executive hotel where I'd lived for several years, I rented an apartment in a c. 1880 flour mill in the village of Rowenna, (rural Marietta, PA).

I liked the idea of learning about a part of the county that I had yet to experience, (having relocated from Nebraska in 2004, while in my late 20s). I understand I'm on property once owned by Hans Graf, (a Swiss immigrant and Lancaster County BMOC who hung-out with Hans Herr). The Graf family cemetery famously sits in the backyard.

I often hike a trail into town that parallels the Susquehanna River. It's a few miles of easy hiking with a pleasant view. I travel light, (sometimes I've speculated whether I could get one of the riverfront taverns to give me a cheeseburger for my wristwatch).

I've heard about the local, (pre-Detroit) iron production, and noticed the remnants of furnaces. A step-up from coal mining, it made a few individuals very wealthy in a very short time.

(The attached photo depicts the often-creative Marietta quickie mart billboard.)