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
The inevitable company store was connected with the stage yard, but it
was not so odious then as now. It was located on Morgantown street, in
the building now occupied by the Ellis music store, and managed by John
Keffer, who is well remembered by all the old citizens of Uniontown.
George Martin was a clerk in the company store. Coaches were all named
after the manner of steamboats, and more recently, sleeping cars on the
leading railroads. The name of every State of the Union was utilized for
this purpose, and the realms of fancy were likewise explored. The coach
named for Pennsylvania bore the legend Keystone State; Ohio was honored
under the name Buckeye State, New Hampshire, the Granite State,
Massachusetts, the Bay State, and so on. Among the fancy names employed,
the old pike boy will readily recall the following: Fashion, Palmetto,
Central Route, Jewess, Beauty, Pathfinder, Samaratan, Highlander,
Ivanhoe, Herald, Industry, National, Republic, Protection, Brilliant,
Atlas, Sultana, Clarendon, Chancellor, Moravian, Miantonoma, Loch
Lomond. Warriors, statesmen and old stagers were remembered and honored
in the names following: Washington, Lafayette, General Wayne, General
St. Clair, General Jackson, General Harrison, Rough and Ready, meaning
General Taylor, General Worth, General Cass, Colonel Benton, Madison,
Monroe, Henry Clay, The President, James K. Polk, Purviance, Daniel
Moore, L. W. Stockton, General Moorehead, David Shriver, William H.
Stelle, James C. Acheson, Columbus, Pocahontas, Santa Anna. Countries
and cities were honored in the names that follow: Yucatan, Green Bay,
Oronoco, Tampico, Bangor, Mexico, Buena Vista, New Orleans, Erie,
Lexington, Vicksburg, Natchez, Trenton, San Francisco, Mobile, Troy,
Wyandott, Idaho, Ashland, Westmoreland, Allegany, Raritan,
Youghiogheny, Gautemala, Panama, Hungarian, Montgomery, Paoli,
Tuscaloosa. One coach took in a hemisphere, and was called America.
Another was named Queen Victoria in the old stage days, as now, the
reigning sovereign of England, while another rendered homage to dear old
Ireland, by bearing the legend, Erin Go Bragh. When Harrison, the first,
Polk and Taylor passed over the road to the capital, to be installed in
the presidential office, a splendid new coach was provided for each
occasion, called the President, in which the President-elect and his
immediate family were conveyed. The presidential parties did not travel
in the night time, but rested at stations along the road until morning.
At Uniontown, President Harrison and party stopped over night at the
Walker house, now called the Central. Polk lodged at the National and
Taylor at the Clinton. The Walker and Clinton were not stage houses, but
the distinguished passengers were quartered therein, respectively, for
the purpose, probably, of conciliating some local political influences.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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