National Pike, Road of History, Romance

(Continued From Yesterday)

Wilson Tavern.
     In a large brick house still standing on the south side of the pike, 
Scenery Hill, opposite Huffman's garage, John Wilson kept a tavern at 
an early date. He was succeeded by Stephen Phelps, and after him came David 
Powell, the last proprietor. Searight says that its career was not as 
long as some of the other old taverns, but it enjoyed a large patronage 
and was a lively place. It has been a private residence since the pike 
days, and is now owned by Howard Wonsettler.

Beck Ringland Tavern. BECK TAVERN. Picture
     James Beck of the old road and bridge building firm of the pike known 
as Kinkead, Beck & Evans, kept a tavern in the two-story brick house near 
the post office and a hardware store on the south side of the pike in 
the old days. Searight says that after one year Beck turned the business 
over to George Ringland, who remained until David Railly took charge 
about 1840. After Railly's death James Noble, another Pike Boy and stage 
driver, married his widow. Noble did not remain long for he returned 
to his favorite occupation of driving a stage coach, which furnished 
more excitement than keeping a tavern. He
was succeeded 
in turn by John Taylor, Henry Taylor, Jesse Core, and William Robinson, 
another stage driver turned tavern keeper. During his career as a stage 
driver, Robinson had hauled many statesmen over the old road. This  
tavern was primarily a stage house, but it did a general business. 
After Robinson retired his old stand became a private residence.
     At the west end of the village the pike crosses over a hill with an 
elevation of 1486 feet above sea level, the highest point on the National 
Pike between the Allegheny Mountains and the Mississippi River. On the 
summit is the old cemetery in which Colonel Dix was buried 105 years ago.

Needmore. 
     A short distance west of Scenery Hill are a few houses  known years 
ago as Needmore. I asked Jess Miller why it was given that name, and his 
answer was to the point. He guessed it was because it "needed more houses." 
A post office called Needmore was located here at one time.

Miller Tavern. 
     Just beyond Needmore, and 1.2 miles west of Scenery Hill, is a large 
brick house on the south side of the road that was Charley Miller's 
Tavern for many years during the flourishing era of the pike. Built at 
an early date it was first kept by Henry Taylor. He was succeeded 
by Miller, under whose management it became very popular and enjoyed a 
large trade.
     Searight says that Charley Miller had that rare quality of being able 
to adapt himself to the whims of his customers, no matter who they were, 
and his table was unsurpassed. He kept a bar, for no tavern was complete 
in those days without one, and he was noted for his fine peach brandy. 
His whisky must have been popular, for he was accustomed to say, when recommending 
it to his guests: "I know it is a hundred years old. I helped make it."
     Back in those long ago years parties of young people drove from Washington 
to Charley Millers', where they knew a good meal awaited them. Then they 
danced until after midnight. When Miller died the old tavern passed with 
him. David Ullery purchased the property and converted it into a private 
residence.
     With the revival of travel on the old road in later years Charles E. 
Antrim purchased the property, restored the house and converted it into 
the Eastern Pines Tourist Home. Mrs. Antrim told me that the
present porch 
along the entire front was not there originally. The old log barn of 
tavern days was razed years ago, but the foundation can still be traced. 
The grounds around the house have been beautifully
landscaped 
by the Antrims.

Plymire--Yorty Tavern. 
     At a curve in the road less than a mile west of the old Miller stand 
William Plymire kept a tavern on the south side. Searight says that Plymire 
furnished good entertainment and enjoyed a large patronage. When the old 
proprietor died it passed into the hands of Henry Yorty, who kept it 
open as long as travel justified; but after his death his wife closed 
the business.
     During Yorty's time a Post Office known as Yortyville was located 
in the old house. The name of this office was later changed to Odell. 
     Mrs. Lennora Wise, widow of John E. Wise, an elderly lady who lives 
with her daughter in the house that stands on the site of the old tavern, 
gave me some interesting information on both this stand and the "Gal's 
House," a short distance west.
     The building in which both Plymire and Yorty operated the tavern was 
built of logs, two stories high, and covered with lap siding. A storeroom 
and two other rooms with a lean-to kitchen on the first floor, with three 
rooms on the second. At the springhouse still standing along the road just 
east of the tavern was a large watering trough used by stage lines, Pike 
Boys, and hack lines that later replaced the stages. It was in use for 
many years but with the coming of the automobile the necessity for watering 
horses gradually ceased, and the trough was removed.
     When Mrs. Wise was four years old her grandmother, Mrs. Eliza Dague, 
bought the property. After through travel on the pike ceased her uncle, Levi 
Dague, operated a hack line known in the old days as a stage, to carry mail 
and local travelers between Washington and Brownsville. The Dague hack 
line was in operation until some time in the 1890s.
     It was after Mrs. Dague bought the property that the name of the Post 
Office was changed to Odell, by which the location is still known, although 
the office was removed many years ago. Mrs. Dague did not know the origin 
of this name.
      The old tavern building was razed in 1924, and the present large frame 
house erected on the same spot.

The "Gals' House." Picture
     A short distance west of the Plymire-Yorty stand and on the north side 
of the road is a large two-story frame house that was another noted tavern. 
During all the years of the pike era the only proprietors were the three 
unmarried Dague sisters, who owned the house and 80 acres of land. It has 
come down in the history of the pike as one of the most popular wagon stands 
on the road; and Searight tells us that "night after night throughout the 
road's prosperity, the grounds around the house were crowded with teams 
and wagons, and the reputation of the place was excellent in every 
particular."
     The Dague sisters were cousins of Henry Dague, Mrs. Wise's grandfather. 
From the fact that it was operated by three women it was known among the 
Pike Boys as "The Gals' House." If it ever had any other name it has not 
survived. The house was once painted red, but when Searight says it 60 years 
ago the red paint had long since worn off. After travel ceased on the 
road the sisters sold the property to Joseph
Henderson 
an old stage driver, who lived there for many years. 
     Mrs. Wise told me that the original tavern was in the rear section, 
built of logs and covered with drop siding. The date of its erection 
is not known, but from the fact that logs were used it must have been before 
the pike came through. The front section of frame, Mrs. Wise said, was 
built later, but it, too, is very old. From its appearance today it is 
plainly evident that a part of the rear has been removed. The original 
chimney can still be seen in the rear wall; but the upper section 
is gone.
     This old house is now the home of F. Patrone, who has restored 
it to excellent condition. The red paint of pike days has been replaced 
by white, and it is a little hard to realize that the Pike Boys ever parked
their big Conestoga wagons "night after night," on the beautiful landscaped 
grounds.
     Opposite Leslie Brady's home a few yards west of the "Gals' House" is 
one of the old iron mile posts which tells the traveler the distances; 
on one side, "41 to Wheeling to Washington 9" on the other side, "90 
to Cumberland to Hillsborough 3." How ever, the speedometer reading 
was 2.65 miles to Hillsborough.
     About 1915 the Washington County Chapter, Daughters of the American 
Revolution, erected an iron trellis and planted a red rambler rose behind 
each milepost in Washington County. These trellises have long since 
disappeared; but at this post and many others along the road the ramblers 
are climbing wild over the slopes.

The Ward Tavern. 
     Half a mile west of Little Summit service station and five miles from 
Scenery Hill, on the north side of the pike is the old stand of Daniel Ward, 
a prosperous farmer, and tavern keeper.
     Searight describes Ward as a genial host who always greeted his guests 
with a smile that made them feel at home. "Rather a large man, not fleshy, 
but broad shouldered with a slight stoop, and reddish complexion. 
He wore a broad brimmed, high crowned brown colored fur hat, with long 
soft nap, the style of hat worn by all old tavern keepers and wagoners 
when dressed for special occasions." According to this same authority, 
Mrs. Ward's meals were something to delight the most fastidious. Daniel Ward 
kept this tavern during the entire prosperous era of the pike, and when 
travel ceased he devoted his time to his farm.
     For many years after Ward's death this was just another farm house; 
but in 1948, it was purchased by William l. Bamberger, who improved the 
property, and today it is a place of rare beauty. The house and bar are 
painted white, the grounds are grassed, and well kept, and tow tall 
evergreens in front give an added touch of beauty.  
     The old road passed directly in front, but the curve was straightened 
by the new route, and the house is just far enough removed from traffic. It 
is doubtful if Daniel Ward would recognize his old tavern of other days.
     Mr. Bamberger showed me through the house, which was erected at 
two periods. The entire building is covered with drop siding; but when 
wiring the house the present owner discovered that the section east of 
the center chimney had been constructed of logs hewn four square. 
It is apparent from this that it was built before the pike; and after 
Ward opened his tavern and business increased the west section of frame 
was added.
     The stairway in the original section is of that type found in houses 
of 150 years ago when Washington County was still in the pioneer stage. It 
was built as easily as possible, narrow and rather steep with no attempt at 
ornamentation from the first floor to the room above. A plain batten door 
is at the bottom. The early settlers had no time for frills.
     The mantels throughout are of the old-time, fancy type in vogue during 
the first half of the 19th century. All floors are hard wood white oak 
cut on the farm, probably within a stone's throw of the house.
     According to an old tradition, Mr. Bamberger told, this is one of the 
many places where George Washington either ate or slept or stopped; 
but unfortunately for this legend Washington was never in this section 
of the Country. If George Washington ever stopped at half the places 
where tradition says he "slept here" or "dined here," one wonders 
how he found time to fight the Revolution.
     Mr. Bamberger told me that the original log barn of Ward's Tavern was 
razed some years ago and the present structure erected on the same 
foundation.

Jamestown�A lost town.
     At one time Daniel Ward laid out a village around his tavern, but 
all trace of it has vanished completely. It must have been a pretty fair 
sized village in its day, as there was once a school and as late as 1883 it 
sported the Jamestown Cyclone Literary Society, which met alternately 
at Ward's and Letherman's school houses. The officers were: President, 
B. H. Hildebrand, teacher at Ward's school; vice president, Byron Tombaugh, 
later County Superintendent and a well known attorney; secretaries, 
Miss Ada Oller and Miss Ida Tombaugh; treasurers, David Knestrick 
and Victor Dague. 

EGGNOG HILL. 
     Less than a mile west of Ward's is Eggnog Hill, famous in the legends 
of the old pike in Washington County. Several versions of the origin of 
the name are told:  but no matter which is true Eggnog had a very prominent 
part in the christening.
     I will first give the version related by Searight, who got the story 
from William D. Evans, then (1893) living at Malvern, Iowa. Mr. Evans' 
father was Gabriel Evans, a member of the firm of Kinkead, Beck & Evans, 
contractors and bridge builders of the pike. 
     When the engineers reached this hill they had trouble in locating 
the line of the road and fixing the grade. They had not solved the problem 
when night came, so they adjourned to their shanty at the top of
the hill 
and ordered a bucket (more than likely a tub) full of eggnog well spiked 
to be prepared to help them out of the difficulty. All night long they 
worked over the figures, cheered from time to time by the tasty beverage. 
The chain bearers and other members of the corps were invited in to help and 
all through the night the hills echoed with the sounds of eggnog revelry. 
The next morning the line was run and the grade established without 
further trouble.
     Jonathan Knight, a member of this surveying party, was the only one 
in the gang not intoxicated, for he did not indulge in strong drink. I 
have already related how he detected a mistake in the calculations 
of another engineer; and due to Knight, the only sober man in the crowd, 
the line was run the next morning. The important part played by the eggnog 
resulted in the promotion of Jonathan Knight to chief engineer.
     However, another and somewhat different version was told during the 
pike era, which may have some basis in eggnog fact. On one of our trips 
to the mountains with Uncle Jack Munce, an old Pike Boy, I well remember 
hearing him relate the story of Eggnog Hill. Two grading crews were working, 
one from the east side and one from the west. The original cut would not 
be much of a job with modern steam shovels and bulldozers, but in the old 
pick and shovel days it was a real job. When the two crews met and the 
cut was completed a big celebration was held that night around a huge 
campfire and everybody got gloriously drunk on eggnog.  From this 
evidence, coming direct from a man of that time, I am inclined to believe 
that two eggnog parties were held; but as the last was the biggest it 
survived among the Pike Boys and the other was forgotten. You can take 
your choice of stories; but one thing is certain--somebody did get drunk 
on eggnog.
     The old route passes around a large barn, near the bottom of the hill 
with a very sharp curve that was dangerous even in stage coach days. In 
later years this was the scene of many automobile accidents, and when the 
pike was rebuild the curve was eliminated; but you can still see it on the 
old route. The cut was made wider and from eight to 10 feet deeper, 
as shown by the marks of the old road on the present slopes, thus making 
a better grade over the hill. 
     Several years ago a cyclone lifted the square cupola from the roof of 
the barn, setting it down without damage at the side of the road. It 
was not replaced. 

GLYDE. 
     At the foot of the western slope of Eggnog Hill is the little hamlet 
of Glyde with a few houses, a service station and garage, and store. Nearby 
are the ruins of a concrete swimming pool that was abandoned years ago.
(To Be Continued)