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
Two miles west from Pratt's Hollow, John S. Miller conducted an old
tavern, and a good one. His house was a frame building, and stood on the
north side of the road. It was a popular stopping place for wagoners.
Miller kept this house as early as 1836, and subsequently became the
proprietor of the old tavern, five miles west of Washington,
Pennsylvania, where he died.
"Polish Mountain" is reached next, one mile west of the old Miller
stand. On the summit of this little, but picturesque mountain, Philip
Fletcher kept an old tavern, and greeted and treated thousands of old
wagoners and other travelers. His house stood on the north side of the
road, and was made of logs, but the table it furnished was equal to the
best on the road.
And next comes Flintstone, four miles west of Fletcher's. All old pike
boys remember Flintstone. The name has a familiar ring. The stages
stopped at Flintstone, and Thomas Robinson kept the leading tavern
there, in the olden time. His house was a stage station, and a wagon
stand as well. Robinson, the good old landlord, got into a difficulty,
many years ago, with one Silas Twigg, and was killed outright by his
assailant. As early as 1835 Jonathan Huddleson kept a tavern in
Flintstone, and had the patronage of one of the stage lines. He
subsequently kept the old Tomlinson tavern at the Little Meadows. John
Piper was an old tavern keeper at Flintstone. His house was a favorite
summer resort, and also enjoyed the patronage of old wagoners. The Piper
house is a large brick building, and stands on the north side of the
road. John Piper died about the year 1872. The house is continued as a
tavern under the joint management of John Howard, a son-in-law, and an
unmarried daughter of the old proprietor. Henry B. Elbon also kept a
tavern in Flintstone for many years, but his career began after that of
the old road ended. Elbon died about four or five years ago. Fairweather
and Ladew, of New York, own and operate a large tannery at Flintstone.
Two miles west of Flintstone, Martin's Mountain is encountered, at the
foot of which, on the east, Thomas Streets presided over an old tavern,
and welcomed and cared for many a guest. His house was a frame
structure, on the south side of the road.
Two miles further on the westward tramp the widow Osford kept a regular
old wagon stand. She was assisted by her son, Joseph. It is needless to
state that her house was popular. She was a widow. Her house was a log
building, on the south side of the road, with a large wagon yard
attached. Her dining room occupied the greater portion of the ground
floor of her house, and her table was always crowded with hungry guests.
Kitchen and bar room made up the remainder of the first story, and
wagoners' beds covered every inch of the bar room floor at night. Mrs.
Osford retired from this house after a long season of prosperity, and
was succeeded by Peter Hager, an old wagoner, who at one time drove a
team for William Searight.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account