The Railroad Across the River

The Railroad Across the River. Millerstown. , From its beginnings in the 18th century, Millerstown has been an important transportation hub for the area. By 1830 a stage road from Liverpool passed through Millerstown to points west, and the Juniata River canal connected the Borough to the Susquehanna River and Mifflintown. In 1839, John Fertig built the first bridge over the Juniata and shortly thereafter helped lay the track for the railroad. The advent of the railroad ushered in a new age for commerce and travel. Authorized by the Pennsylvania Railroad Act of 1833, the first in the nation, the Pennsylvania Railroad completed a line from Philadelphia to Lewistown in 1849, passing Millerstown on the west side of the Juniata. By 1853 trains were bringing mail and a year later residents and goods could travel by rail as far as Philadelphia or Pittsburgh., An example of the importance of the railroad and bridge comes from the letters of Charles Rippman, owner of the Rippman Tannery on Main Street in Millerstown., The tannery received its weekly paychecks from Philadelphia via the railroad. It even had a private railroad depot for receiving and sending hides and tanbark. Rippman lamented the problems created for the tannery business when the covered bridge over the Juniata burned June 10, 1902. His transportation system was disrupted, and he had to travel to Newport to ship and receive goods and payroll., Initially, three trains travelled the route weekly on a one-track line. By the early 20th century, traffic increased as the number of tracks were expanded to four. During World War II, as many as 100 trains a day passed by Millerstown moving troops and war supplies., For a century, service to Harrisburg, Pittsburgh and beyond offered residents quick access to the State Capital or far west. Today, the train station is gone, a newer bridge spans the Juniata, and two passenger trains and 35 freight trains speed by daily without stopping.