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Another part of
my childhood has closed its doors (Zimmerman's closed this
past April) as Lancaster counties tourist area's continue to change in
today's economy and ever changing consumer taste. I pretty much grew-up going to
Zimmerman's grocery store located in the small town of Intercourse (Lancaster
county), and I hate to give my age but I remember when Zimmerman's had gas pumps
in front of its store ( late 1960s).
My dad would sometimes get gas there for
his 1968 Ford Fairlane which was new at the time, and pumping gas was always an
odd sort of thing because your car would be basically half sticking out almost
into the street.
I first found out that Zimmerman's was closing by reading the
local newspaper here in Lancaster county, so I was saddened but not shocked
because this area is going through adjustments and changes as locals and tourist
adjust how their money is spent and where its spent. People are just not staying
as long in the county as they used to, with weekends being the extent of how
long an average family stays here.
I have been living in the Lancaster area what
will be 4 years now, and in those short years I have seen restaurants like the
Family Cupboard (was the Amish Barn) and other restaurants and motels change
hands or close for good.
Zimmerman's served both the Amish and locals as well as
the tourist that had flocked here for many years, and the store front was also
used in the 1985 movie "Witness" staring Harrison
Ford as the tough Philadelphia cop that
must hide out with an Amish family in Lancaster while recovering from an
accident.
So Zimmerman's for me was much more than being part of a movie, and is another victim of the changing times that’s now taking place in Lancaster county. Richard |
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| All Image's taken on 5-25-2014 |
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An empty store for
the first time since 1909
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where the cash
registers were along with Zimmerman's friendly staff to check you
out.
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The phone both that
Harrison Ford used for the movie
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Zimmerman's- 1909-2014
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