Time has done no favors for many local buildings and businesses that once held the threads of this community together. Some businesses are now but distant memories that hearken back to those simpler times. Many older buildings still stand but have changed drastically with the advent of vinyl siding and tin roofing. Though not all have been so lucky, some buildings that once graced this town are lost forever. This article will detail several of these forgotten businesses and buildings that helped to grow Millerstown, as well as detail their importance to the community.
Commerce in the Millerstown Town Square
The building JoJo’s Pizza now resides in hasn't always been a pizza shop, as many know. The building has been a staple in Millerstown’s relatively small skyline for well over 100 years. On the plot of land was a dry goods and grocery store, built sometime before 1878. It was affectionately nicknamed Cluck’s Corner and was run by Mr. Thomas Cluck. It was a popular shop for any early Millerstown resident to buy their groceries and supplies. So when fire ravaged the building in 1878, it was immediately rebuilt. Cluck operated the business for several more years before eventually selling the property to T.P. Cathcart, who then sold the business to D.W. Heefner. Afterward, it followed another maze of owners until the business was sold in 1946 to Roy and Harold Gelnett. They operated the business for several years before selling the market in 1963 to the Swegers. By the time of the store's closure, it had been the longest continuously operated market in town. Eventually, the property became what we now know as JoJo’s Pizza.
On the corner of Millerstown where the Juniata Valley Bank now resides, a Gulf station sat on the lot before the bank. More importantly, even before the Gulf station sat a hotel. The hotel was named the Ward House. The Ward house was a grand hotel and offered travelers a quiet and nice rest. You would be glad to park your early Ford model T or A in front of the establishment. The hotel was of timber frame design and had a large front porch that faced the town square. It had a large grand wooden staircase and mahogany banister. The hotel got its name from the original owner Huffer Ward. Ward later sold the business to George Rebok. Rebok grew the hotel into a well-established business. The business was later sold to Peter Shenk who also ran a bottling works and movie theatre along with the hotel. Throughout the hotel's operation, there have been numerous famous guests. One famous customer that was widely talked about was Alexander Graham Bell who was traveling to Canada with his wife. Governor Gifford Pinchot of Pennsylvania also spent time at the hotel while he was chasing votes. Sadly, the hotel caught fire in 1941. The historic building was a total loss.
On the northernmost corner of Millerstown, across from the present-day Firehall, sits the remains of Rickabaugh’s Dry Goods Store. The building was very spacious and had large aisles stocked full of merchandise. David Rickabaugh, the original owner, had a large coffee grinder in the store where townspeople could get any number of their preferred coffee grounds. When Rickabaugh built his store, there was a large second story that was built as well. This was rarely used by David, so he rented it out for many community groups and town council meetings.
Directly across from the Rickabaugh store there was another dry goods store operated by the Brandt family. Eventually, the store was purchased by the popular franchise Atlantic and Pacific Food
Markets, or just A&P for short. A glass-front faced the square for all to see the many wares they sold. One popular deal was a small barrel of pickles for 3 cents.
Directly beside the Millerstown Firehall to the left was the Millerstown Hardware Store. The store operated until 1906. Ralph Thompson started the business until he sold the operation in 1925 to Ralph Beaver. The business then passed through a myriad of owners until the hardware store's eventual closure. In its heyday, kids were rumored to think of the place as spooky, so they kept their distance from the store. In the same building, a laundromat was also available for townspeople. Strangely, the post office was housed in the laundromat. In the spring when the hatcheries shipped chicks by rail car, the laundromat would be full of tiny chirps from the birds. All those chickens in the laundromat, even if they were in a box, would be a dirty operation.
The Tannery
One of the most famous and well-known businesses in the Millerstown area was the Rippman Tannery. The Tannery was built in 1800 by Joshua North, it was constructed near the Savercool home across the street and down from Stitch in Time. The property passed through a series of owners until 1849. This time it was sold to Henry Hopple for $2,500, roughly $80,000 when adjusted for inflation. It wouldn't be long before it was sold again, but Mr. Hopple brought about new innovations. One major change was the introduction of steam to the tanning operation. The company was in Joseph Howell’s name until 1882 when he was forced to sell the property due to financial issues.
Charles A. Rippman purchased the property after Hopple and made the business boom. Rippman, like others, brought modern practices to the hide tanning operation and received great accolades. At the 1893 Chicago World’s fair Rippman was recognized for his oak tanned foot sole leather. The Rippmans became very affluent thanks to their tanning success. They were the first to bring a bathtub to their home. It was connected to the steam machines at the tannery and was manufactured by local tinsmiths. In 1945, the property was sold to R.C. Savercool. A portion of the facilities were also sold to Precisionware, later named Triangle Pacific. Triangle Pacific later moved to Thompsontown after a fire in the old tannery buildings in 1954. There, they were later bought out and restructured several times. Now the company is currently operating under the name ACPI Cabinetworks Group. Only a handful of buildings from the original tannery still remain. One notable structure is the tall smokestack which still towers over the property.
Millerstown was once a great economical hub in the county. While Millerstown still may be an economic hub, it, unfortunately, has lost many companies and operations that put the “town” in Millerstown. Every business mentioned above, whether big or small, has led to some change in the town and brought Millerstown through every challenge and endeavor it may have been faced with. When one business door closed, another opened. Much like the many owners of the Rippman tannery and their entrepreneurial spirit that guided their business to great success. Even though the tannery and many other businesses have ceased operations, Millerstown will always retain its ability to persevere and it's history that brought it where it is today.
Works Cited:
Millerstown and Area, 200 Years along the Juniata. Millerstown Bicentennial Committee, 1980.
Taylor, Janet. African Americans in Perry County: 1820-1925. Huggins Printing Co., 2011.
Gilmore, Linda Martin. Celebrating 200 Years of History in Perry County, Pennsylvania. Linda Martin Gilmore, 2019.