Tranquil Berlin, PA was once a center of national protest during the 1794 Whiskey Rebellion. A chain of events that resulted in an agreement between the states and the federal government caused the rebellion. The federal government agreed it would assume debts incurred by the states after the Revolutionary War, and in return, the nation's capitol would be moved from Philadelphia to a backwoods, mosquito-infested swampland on the banks of the Potomac River between Virginia and Maryland. Alexander Hamilton, having agreed to assume the states' debts to facilitate this new city, had to find a way to pay the debts and came up with the idea of a "SIN TAX" on whiskey.
According to local historians, "Robert Philson raised a liberty pole at his log store on the square; he advised citizens to oppose U.S. laws." Troops, called out by President George Washington, arrived in October 1794 and Philson was arrested. This virtual cache is the site of the Philson house, built in 1783, and the general location of Berlin's annual Whiskey Rebellion Celebration. Philson was later commissioned Associate Judge of Somerset County in 1800 in which capacity he served for 20 years, and elected to Congress in 1819.
NOTE: A 'virtual cache' is a location (usually without a log book). 'Cache finders' wishing to claim credit for ACTUALLY VISITING THIS VIRTUAL CACHE should answer the following question: WHAT WAS THE DATE PHILSON WAS COMMISSIONED BRIGADIER GENERAL OF THE PA MILITIA? The date is on the historical marker in front of the house. Logged entries on the website should be accompanied by a separate email to the 'cache hiders', which correctly answers the question, to assure 'cache seekers' entry is not deleted.
For those interested, President George Washington's Whiskey Rebellion Proclamation of August 11, 1794 discusses the western Pennsylvanian "treason and overt acts levying war against the United States" which resulted from the "sin tax".