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Across Front Street from the Norfolk Southern (nee Reading Lines) tracks in the Borough of Alburtis, Penna, there sits a three-story, Mansard-roofed brick building which began life in 1860 as the American House Hotel, but functioned for more than thirty years as the Iron Horse Inn, under the stewarship of a septugenarian, Austrian-born proprietor, whom I'll reference solely by his first name -- Herman.
The place had its share of characters among the local patrons, but what set it apart was its attraction for those who, like myself, earned some of their living on the road, and wanted something with more substance than a stale franchise; every day at the Iron Horse was like a page out of Steinbeck, and other than a certain fraternity house in State College, I can't think of a place that was more of a home, while away from home.
But "progress" happens, and the high-placed of the community decided they'd like to see something more along the lines of artsy New Hope, and finally succeded in shutting the place down. Whether the building can survive remains to be determined.
Herman's jukebox was anabsolute Cadillac -- heavy on 60's-70's progressive rock, but with two notable exceptions -- the German bilingual "Wooden Heart" from the early 1960's (for Herman) and Randy Travis "I Love This Bar" (for all of us). Looks like Mr. Travis should have taken his own advice and slept it off in the parking lot.
Can we dig up either of those two as a tribute to a piece of real-world Americana?
Last edited by 2nd trick op; 09-01-2012 at 08:44 PM..
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