Bob and Bonnie White closed the doors of the landmark Miller House in Perkinsville Aug. 17, an establishment that holds a long and storied past.
Formerly a hotel, it was first operated by John and Suzanne Miller, who allowed other businesses within it at times. Mary Smith Doherty, a half-sister, had a millinery shop, hand sewing gowns and hats for the local ladies.The post office was located there in the mid-1800s when John Miller was postmaster. It was the one and only hotel and bar remaining of the seven that were in operation from the early days of Perkinsville when it was a thriving community.
With the arrival of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad in 1882 and the Pittsburg, Shawmut and Northern Railroad in 1888 Perkinsville became a boom town with just about every service available that was needed. The hotel business was thriving with railroad men as boarders, overnight guests, serving meals and serving patrons at the taverns.
In 1923, my mother and father, William (Paddy) and Lillian (Bricks) Didas purchased it from the Miller's son Peter and sister Kate Matter who had run it from 1890. Prohibition was still in effect and a couple of years before it ended, the depression hit.
It wasn't long before Paddy and Lill updated the hotel by bringing in electricity, adding running water and installing public toilets downstairs and a bathroom upstairs. Their business was flourishing with weekly boarders, overnight guests, serving meals and occasional banquets. Most of the proprietors and their families resided in the hotels as we did because it was a 24-hour job. Mother and Dad always believed patrons wanted to see them, not a hired bar tender, and they enjoyed greeting their customers personally. Many lasting friendships were formed over the years.
Those were the days when just about everyone smoked cigarettes, cigars, a pipe or chewed tobacco. Because of the heavy smoke, the windows, mirrors and bottles had to be washed weekly. Customers used to stand at the bar that had a metal footrest rail near the floor as were several spittoons for the men to spit their tobacco juice and drop their cigar wrappers into. I remember my mother emptying those spittoons every morning then using water and an old broom to clean them out.
Proper ladies were not seen standing at the bar and Dad followed that rule, though there were several tables for ladles to sit at. They were also used for card games and hearts and pitch were popular and usually every night there would be one or two tables of guys playing cards. Losers had to buy a round of drinks.
The Miller House might have perished by fire as several of the hotels did in the 1900s. One night an ashtray containing hot embers was carelessly emptied into the trash can, by a window, where it smoldered and finally burst into flames, fortunately it was seen in time by a neighbor who was arriving home after a late date.
I can recall potato chips, pretzels and peanuts purchased in the bulk that were placed on the bar, free. What better way to get patrons to drink more beer? Every small town tavern had their regular daily patrons who after a couple of beers would often go out front to sit on the bench for awhile and banter about the news of the day. They were labeled the “Sniff and Snoop Club.”
In the 41 years Paddy and Lill operated the Miller House, they reluctantly managed many changes. Brothers, Bernard and Stanley convinced Dad It was time to make some changes. Bar stools were purchased and women were allowed at the bar, a juke box was installed, an electrified shuffle board game and a small pool table. Even an electrified hot dog roaster that sat right on the bar.
Our living room was located in the front right corner adjacent to the bar room by a door which enabled me to periodically peak through the crack to see who was in the bar and what was going on. My bedroom was directly over the bar room so that I could hear the noise and laughter and when the front door was slammed my bed would shake. The public dining room and kitchen were in the back so that the only way to access the stairs to our bedrooms was to trot through the dining room which always had customers seated when I would want to go through. I got used to it.
By the 1940s many of the local businesses closed or moved away. The Miller House no longer served dinners but offered their specialty, pickled beef tongue, pickled pig hocks pickled eggs and sausages, limburger sandwiches with special hot mustard, hamburgs, chili and homemade soup. People came from the surrounding communities for Lill's tongue and hocks. The salesman managed to arrive near noon knowing Mother would offer them dinner, whatever she had prepared for the family.
I can honestly say we had few family excursions away from home since the bar was open from 9 a.m. to midnight six days a week and 1 p.m. to midnight on Sundays. Sunday dinner at noon was our only family meal together. During the week, Mother and Dad would take turns bar tending while the other ate their meal with us.
My wedding reception in 1952 was held at the Miller House with the food served in the dining room, beverages and seating outside in the back yard under a huge tent provided by the Hornell Brewing Co. Adam and I celebrated our 40th and 50th anniversaries there as well.
Paddy and Lill finally decided to retire and in 1964 turned the keys over to Raymond and Pauline Thielges. They operated the business for three years until 1967 when Richard and Loraine Conrad took over and ran it until 1969. In November 1969, Ed Phillips from Henrietta purchased the Miller House. Ed was a former restaurant owner and was an excellent chef but didn't have the friendliness that's essential to a small town business where you cordially greet your patrons. He changed the name to Ed's Inn, refurbished the kitchen with all stainless steel equipment, built on a small alcove for small private parties, installed a new bar, floor and ceiling. Ed operated the business for seventeen years until 1987. Between that time and 1989 it was owned by Westerner Norman Scott who bought it and ran it as Scott's Montana Bar, but only until 1989.
Then Bob White, John Malter and Donald Brooks formed a partnership, bought it, remodeled much of the inside before opening for business in April of 1990 to once again include dinners. The upstairs was converted to two apartments, and the name was returned to The Miller House with Malter at the helm. In 1992 a large banquet room was built attached to the back of the building to connect with the old barn that now serves as an additional bar and restrooms.
In January 2000, John retired as manager and the partnership sold the business to Bob and Bonnie White with the partnership retaining ownership of the building.
After an auction Aug. 24 to sell off the bar and restaurant equipment, there seems little doubt the Miller House has seen its last days as Perkinsville’s community’s watering hole.
