Blue Ball Tavern

Blue Ball Tavern. Perry County Bicentennial. , This tavern operated as early as 1798. The tavern's name refers to a large blue ball suspended from a pole; when raised, it announced to travelers and teamsters that overnight accommodations were available. Blue Ball Tavern played an important role in keeping the local community informed of political and social events occurring throughout our growing nation., Community Center , Taverns were post offices for the early rural mail service. Mail brought city newspapers with the latest national events. Taverns gave people access to information and anyone could freely discuss and debate the issues no matter their standing in society. Because of this tavern's prominence, candidate nominations for elected offices in the newly formed Perry County were held here in 1820. The Blue Ball Tavern also served as a voting pole for Juniata Township., The Kough (Cook) Family , Peter Kough, purchased land in 1790. Peter's son, John, purchased his father's estate and took over the tavern in 1811. Perhaps due to national religious awakening, which included early temperance leanings, John stopped selling alcohol in 1841. He donated land for the Sulphur Spring Church, named for the spring at the tavern. In the late 1850s, John removed the wooden portion of the old tavern and built a farmhouse facing the new road, which had been relocated behind the old tavern several years earlier.