Latrobe Art Center hosted its annual lamb dinner fundraiser on July 26 at Jamison Farm in Unity. Seeing guests arriving in masks reminded farm owner John Jamison of a bit of family folklore.

With Prohibition on the horizon in 1918, Jamison’s grandfather, J.C. Jamison Jr., and a partner “decided to buy a boxcar of booze from Canada,” he said.

The spirits were delivered to the Greensburg train station, and coal trucks from the Jamison Coal and Coke Co. trundled between the station and the family home all night long, ferrying the precious cargo.

“I thought the story was great, but I didn’t believe any of it,” Jamison said — until many years later when, out of boredom, he found himself nosing around an old oak desk in the house. Inside the desk was an old Sears and Roebuck bedpan box, and inside the box were six bottles of Canadian whiskey.

“So I knew it was true,” he said.

Following the welcoming anecdote and a prayer from the center’s Executive Director Lauren Buches, guest sat down to an al fresco dinner amid the farms rolling terrain, with music provided by the birds in the trees and lambs bleating in the distant field.

Though the guest list was smaller than usual to accommodate social distancing, the menu was no less sumptuous than in previous years. Prepared by Sukey Jamison and staff, entrees included braised lamb shoulder and roasted lamb rack accompanied by balsamic sweet onions, potato salad and roasted tomatoes.

Seen enjoying the feast: center staffer Joe Bellack, Bill Koker, Tom and Dana Buches, Dennis and Kathy Rafferty, Sandra Svilar, Brent Stevens, Marian Bellack, Chris and Annette Couch, Sharon and Chuck Shepard, John and Emily Smarto and Tom and Meg Grace.

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