James A. Beaver
Millerstown, Perry County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Civil War hero; Governor of Pennsylvania, 1897-91; a Superior Court judge, 1895-1905, was born in Millerstown Oct. 21, 1837. Site is marked by a plaque. His adult life was spent at Bellefonte where he died on January 31, 1914.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
James A. Beaver was born in this Perry County town in 1837 and rose to become one of Pennsylvania's most distinguished public men. He won fame as a Civil War officer, later served as governor of the commonwealth, and finished his career on the state's Superior Court bench. He spent his adult years in Bellefonte, where he died in 1914.
Why it matters
Beaver's path from battlefield soldier to governor and judge reflects how the Civil War generation went on to shape the politics and institutions of the Gilded Age.
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