Historical Tidbits At one time there were 17 hotels in Millerstown, mainly during the digging of the canal. The bridge crossing the Juniata River between Millerstown and Tuscarora Township was at one time a covered bridge and required a toll to cross. One of the first businesses in town was a tannery built by Joshua North in 1800. It eventually became the Rippman Tannery. The first bathtub in Perry County was a large tub made by a tinsmith and was placed in a boiler house between the Rippman home and the tannery. Today, this is the beautiful stone home of Mr.& Mrs. Ray Savercool, III. The Rippman Tannery won the highest award for its product - oak tanned sole leather - at the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago. James A. Beaver, 20th Governor of the State of Pennsylvania, was born in Millerstown. Beaver Stadium, on the campus of Penn State University, was named after Governor James A. Beaver. Two Presidents of the United States, Chester A. Arthur and Grover Cleveland, stayed overnight at Martin's Hotel in the Millerstown Square, now occupied by Choc O Latte Cafe. A movie theatre once operated in the street behind the Juniata Valley Bank. Millerstown once had its own railroad station. Millerstown residents were able to take a special Juniata Valley Excursion Train to the New York World's Fair in 1939, leaving the Millerstown station at 3:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m., and returned from the fair at 10:30 p.m. The only mineral of value ever mined in the vicinity of Millerstown was iron ore. In the mid-1800's, there was a settlement of African- Americans located near the present day site of Swegers' Garage. The settlement was known as either 'Little Washington' or 'Washington City', named after one of the inhabitants. At one time, Millerstown had at least two newspapers. There was once a small park at the west end of town called Glen Adams Park. A huge wooden slide was erected, and residents using wet burlap bags would slide into the Juniata River. A motel called 'Colonial Village' once operated on a site next to Jim and Angie Russell. A 'medicine show' was once based in Millerstown. The Spanglers even had a 'talking horse' and produced medicines to cure everyone's illnesses.