The Old Pike: A History of the National Road, with Incidents, Accidents, and Anecdotes ThereonSearight, Thomas B. (Thomas Brownfield)
History
The Old Pike: A History of the National Road, with Incidents, Accidents, and Anecdotes Thereon
Searight, Thomas B. (Thomas Brownfield)
Cumberland Road; Pennsylvania -- Biography
John Bradley, brother of Daniel, of Jockey Hollow, is an old wagoner. He
drove a team for Benjamin Brownfield, Jr., now residing near Newark,
Ohio., son of Col. Ben., the centennarian of South Union township, and
grand marshal of Democratic processions of the olden time. John Bradley
also worked on the construction of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad in
1839, near Oldtown, Md., fifteen miles east of Cumberland. His employer
on this work was the late Zalmon Ludington, of Uniontown, who had a
contract at the point mentioned. John Bradley is now living in the city
of Pittsburg.
Robert Carter was a well known old wagoner, a native of Washington
county, Pa., a "regular," and a very energetic, persevering and keen
sighted man. He took a prominent part in many of the festivities of the
old road, but never lost his head. He was a money maker, and unlike most
of that class, kind hearted and generous. He married the eldest daughter
of Thomas Moxley, the old tavern keeper, whose house was three miles
west of Uniontown. After his marriage he bought a small farm, known as
the Solomon Colley farm, near Hatfield's, in Redstone township, Fayette
county, Pa., subsequently merged in the Hatfield estate. He operated
this farm for a short time, but while engaged as a farmer, kept his team
on the road in charge of a hired driver. He sold his farm and leased the
Bar house in Bridgeport, and kept tavern there for some time. When
business ceased on the road, he gave up his team and his tavern, and
moved with his family to Iowa, where he engaged extensively in farming
and stock raising.
R. D. Kerfoot, the well known miner and labor leader of Everson, was at
one time a wagoner on the National Road. He was born in Lancaster
county, Pa., and before reaching the full stature of manhood in point of
age, went to Washington county, Md., where he engaged as a driver for
one J. B. Bear, a farmer of that county and State, and was put in charge
of a fine six-horse team, and a broad wheeled wagon, with which he
hauled goods, wares and merchandise to and from Baltimore and Wheeling.
He enjoyed the stirring scenes of the old road, and recalls with a keen
relish the bounteous tables of the old taverns.
Jacob F. Longanecker, who served as county commissioner of Fayette
county, Pa., from 1854 to 1857, was an old wagoner. He owned a farm in
German township, and was a good practical farmer, but spent much of his
time, for many years, on the road with his team. He enjoyed life on the
road, and seemed loath to relinquish the occupation of a wagoner.
[Illustration: ELLIS B. WOODWARD.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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