The next old tavern stand on the westward tramp is Brubaker's, a fine brick building on the north side near Brownsville. Daniel Brubaker purchased this property from David Auld, and went into possession in the year 1826, and from that date until his death was its constant occupant, with the exception of a very brief period that it was occupied and kept as a tavern by Alexander R. Watson. Mr. Brubaker survived the business era of the road, and died in his old tavern. He was a Pennsylvania Dutchman, born in Somerset county, and possessed the thrift characteristic of his race. Although economical and saving, he was not stinted in providing for the comfortable entertainment of his guests, and enjoyed a large patronage, especially in the line of wagon custom. After ascending the long hill out from Brownsville, going east, old wagoners found a pleasant resting place at Brubaker's. Alex. R. Watson will be remembered by the old folks of the road as a man of small stature, but considerable energy, who, about forty-five years ago, ran an omnibus line between Brownsville and Uniontown for the conveyance of passengers. The next point is Brownsville, for many years the head of steamboat navigation on the Monongahela river. Here many passengers were transferred from the stage lines to the steamboats plying between this point and Pittsburg. It is shown by official figures that from 1844, the date at which the slack water improvement was completed to Brownsville, to 1852, when through business ceased on the National Road, covering a period of eight years, more than two hundred thousand passengers left the stage lines at Brownsville and took passage on the Monongahela steamers. West-going passengers were "ticketed through" from Cumberland, Baltimore and other points east, to Pittsburg and other points west, _via_ the National Road, and the Monongahela river route. A movement was set on foot as early as the year 1814, looking to the improvement of the navigation of the Monongahela river, by means of locks and dams, followed by later spasmodic efforts, but nothing of a practical nature was accomplished in this direction until 1836, when a company was incorporated to carry forward and complete the work. The act of incorporation designated a number of prominent citizens to solicit and receive subscriptions of stock, among whom were Ephraim L. Blaine, father of James G. Blaine, of Washington county; William Hopkins, of the same county, and Andrew Stewart and Samuel Evans, of Fayette county. Of all the gentlemen designated for this purpose, and there was quite a large number, not one is living at this day. There were no wagon stand taverns in Brownsville. Wagoners "put up" at the old Riley and Bar houses in Bridgeport, and at Brubaker's, east of town. The old Workman House, at the upper end of Market street, was a famous stage house. It had the patronage of the Stockton line. This house is a stone structure,