Weeter's Photography Studio

By Melanie, class of 2004

Mark Weeter is the owner and operator of Weeter’s Photography Studio located on Main Street, Knox.  When you first step into the studio, you see on display some of the many works that he has done.  They range from family portraits to senior pictures to weddings.  He is a talented photographer whose reputation draws business from cities hours away from here. 

Mark is the original owner of the photography studio which he started 18 years ago in 1984.  He employs 5 full time workers and 2 part time workers.  The studio provides imaging services, like portraits for families, children, weddings, senior pictures, etc.  They also do copying and photo restoration.  You can take them old photos and Weeter's will scan them into their computer, recreate them, restructure the images, and provide copies that are better than the originals. 

I asked Mark how long it took him to get his business started.  He said, “Well, a number of years ago, before 1984, I was in [photography] part time, while I had another job in construction……I built the business photographing in the basement of our house before I was married.  In ’84, I was 24 years old.  I had been trying to build the business from a part time standpoint for probably 4 or 5 years prior to that.” 

            I also asked Mark what made him decide to start his business in Knox.  He replied, “….I didn’t move here from anywhere.  This was always my home.  That’s why I’m here.  The same reason you’re here.”

            Next, I moved on to questions that were about the community itself.  I asked what came to mind when I said. “Knox."  Mark said that the first thing he thinks of is home.  It’s a place for families.  “A place for my family,” Mark said. 

I also asked him what characteristics he thought make a good community.  He said that good neighbors are what make  a good community. 

I asked Mark what he thought was the best aspect of Knox.  Mark replied, “I think for the most part, Knox has a small town mind set which works well for raising a family--a place to call home--the fact that we feel safe here.  These are the things I think you trade off as you begin to consider where you’re going.  I could go anywhere in America and make a hundred times more money than I’m making here, but is it worth giving up what we’ve got here in a small town?....This community’s doing okay.  We’ve got a good baseball association, things for kids to do.  I think the small town mindset is more laid back.  But as much as I think that is a benefit, it can be liability, also”

After that, I asked, "Do you think Knox is a safe community for the most part?”  Mark said that he thought we had a low crime rate and that the new cop was doing a good job…”he seems to be doing a really good job from what I hear...I feel safe here.  I am more concerned now probably than I ever have been because the transient turnover in Knox residents is higher than it’s ever been, so we’re getting a lot of people in here that are short term that we don’t know who they are or who their families are, like we did when I was a kid.  But I still feel safe.” 

One of the other things I asked him about was what changes he thought the Knox community could use.  Mark mainly said that we could use some technological changes.  Weeter’s Photography Studio is a very high tech business for the Knox area.  He said he is handcuffed by the poor infrastructure here.  “We think we’re going at great speeds on the internet at 28.8, binary cable, etc., When I was your age, the cable system was already in.  It can’t even begin to comprehend Broad Band, DSL, ISDN, etc. for the phone company.  “Other than that, I think we’re not doing that bad.”

I also asked him if he thought these changes would ever come about.  Mark actually called the phone company and cable company and asked them if they were going to make any changes and this is what he found.  The cable company said that we were not even on the list for rewiring.  They said maybe 3 – 5 years if even at all.  The telephone company said that we would never have a router in Knox because we have one in Clarion so that we can connect to the internet.  “Maybe—someday. Wal-mart comes to every small town.”

Mark Weeter is going to start a new branch of his business in Grove City where they will be able to fly customers in on their own plane.  It will be a big step for this small town business.  As you can see, even though Knox is a rather small town, big things can come from it.  Mark is one of the many business owners of Knox that is glad that he built his business here.

Page by Shannon, class of 2004

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This is the 
Photography Studio 
located on Main Street, Knox