A first-class postage stamp -- 2 cents.

A loaf of bread -- a nickel.

A gallon of gasoline -- one quarter.

A car to drive it all home in -- $750.

One century worth of memories -- priceless.

George Hostetter, 100, of Sharon, has a recollection that most younger people would envy and hometown pride that any Mercer County enthusiast would be proud of.

And he invites anyone interested to pull up a chair and share his nostalgia.

He remembers the influenza outbreak in 1918, a major snowfall in 1950 and buying ice cream with dimes given to him by Frank Buhl, Shenango Valley industrialist and benefactor.

Can't remember what year Lindbergh flew solo over the Atlantic? Hostetter will not only tell you what year the pilot made the historic flight, he'll also show you pictures, circa 1928, of two aviators who made the second trip.

Hostetter proudly lets you know that he met those men when they passed through the county on their way to Detroit. He also remembers riding up State Street in a trolley car.

And his daughter, Betsy Gargano, says he's always been patriotic. In fact, she says, Hostetter proudly flew Old Glory every day.

This former waterboy for the paving of State Street cast his very first vote for Calvin Coolidge in 1924 at age 21, he says.

Since then, he has cast ballots in every election, and until the last election when he was hospitalized and had to vote by absentee ballot, Hostetter made his way to the polls.

That earned him an induction into the Pennsylvania Voter's Hall of Fame in 1986.

"I always did vote," Hostetter says. "It's a good country to live in."

He keeps his mind sharp by telling young people stories from his life through Joe Shafran's Oral History Project. Shafran, a former local broadcaster who now lives near Washington, D.C., has been taping area residents' memories for the last several years.

From 1976 until 2000, Hostetter lived on his own, driving his "little red" American Motors Sportabout until he was in his 90s.

Ms. Gargano remembers her father's strong work ethic.

"He was never not working," she says. "He's just a strong-willed person."

Over his lifetime, Hostetter has worked as a steelworker, a meter reader and a florist.

In 1929, Hostetter reached the level of Noble Grand at the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Lodge 347 in Sharon, an accomplishment he is proud of; he explains that the rank is akin to president of the organization.

After he retired at age 65, Ms. Gargano says her father kept himself busy by taking care of his home, driving and staying active in his lodge.

"All the hard work he put into taking care of his own place," she says, "that's what kept him going all those years."

She adds that her father has always enjoyed traveling, even taking her and her sister on trips to places like Chicago and Geneva-on-the-Lake.

"He would say, 'Come on. Let's go for a ride.' We thought we were going for ice cream down the street ... and we would end up in Geneva-on-the-Lake," she says. "Going for a ride with dad could take us many miles away."

When he turned 80, his daughters returned the favor by whisking him off to Las Vegas for a birthday celebration.

Ms. Gargano says now that she's older and has children of her own, she can better cherish the youthful memories of her father.

"When you're younger, you don't appreciate what your parents are all about," she says. "We feel so fortunate that we've had him all these years and he still has good health and a good mind."

Though Hostetter now resides in Clepper Manor, he still likes to go out for a drive now and then to see how much the county has changed.

"In 1930, they changed the name from South Sharon to Farrell," he says. "I remember when there were nothing but farms."

His allegiance is to his daughters, his six grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, his lodge and his country, he says.

Some may say the key to Hostetter's longevity lies in the fact that he stayed physically fit. Hostetter says that over the years, he's clocked 10,540 miles on his stationary bike.

Others may say it has to do with his faith, since he's owned the same Bible since the 1940s.

If either of those is among his secrets, Hostetter isn't telling.

He just says, with a slight smile, "The Lord just wasn't ready for me."

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Patrecka F. Adams at padams@sharonherald.com

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