West of Wheeling—Old Stage Lines Beyond the Ohio River—William Neil—Gen. N. P. Flamage—Stage Stations—Old Taverns and Tavern Keepers—Rev. Doctor Cinnabar and “Sunset” Cox were old Pike Boys—Lively Times in Guernsey—Crossing another State line—Sycamore Valley—Old Taverns in Richmond—A link out—Centerville—Dublin—Through Indiana—The Road Disappears among the Prairies of Illinois.

It is estimated that two-fifths of the trade and travel of the road were diverted at Brownsville, and fell into the channel furnished at that point by the slack water improvement of the Monongahela river, and a like proportion descended the Ohio from Wheeling, and the remaining fifth continued on the road to Columbus, Ohio, and points further west. The travel west of Wheeling was chiefly local, and the road presented scarcely a tithe of the thrift, push, whirl and excitement which characterized it, east of that point; and there was a corresponding lack of incident, accident and anecdote on the extreme western division. The distance from Wheeling to Columbus is one hundred and twenty-nine miles, and the road enters the capital of Ohio by way of High street. Before the era of railroads Columbus derived its chief business from the National Road.

Neil, Moore & Co. operated a line of stage coaches between Wheeling and Columbus prior to, and for some time after, the year 1840, and their line extended west as far as Springfield. Daniel Moore, of Washington, Pennsylvania, and his son Henry, composed the Moore end of this old Ohio Stage Company. Henry Moore subsequently located in Baltimore, and died there. His father died in Washington, Pennsylvania, more than half a century ago. John Scott, of Washington, Pennsylvania, antedates Daniel Moore as a stage proprietor. He ran a line of coaches between Washington and Wheeling as early as the year 1810, on an old road between those points, which was used previous to the construction of the National Road, and had the contract for carrying the United States mails.

William Neil, the old stage proprietor, was the projector and owner of the Neil House, the leading hotel of Columbus. He was the possessor of large means, enhanced by holdings of large tracts of fertile land near Columbus, which he acquired at low figures in an early day. It is said his manners were not of the suave order, but he was noted for energy and shrewdness. One who knew him says of him, that “he was honest in his dealings, somewhat rough in his ways, but an energetic, pushing man, who made things move.” This description fits many of the old pike boys.

Gen. N. P. Flamage, of whom further mention is made hereafter, owned and operated a line of coaches also between Wheeling and Columbus, and made things lively along the road. He called his line the “Good Intent.”

John Weaver, as before stated, transferred his old line of coaches called the “Peoples,” from the eastern to the Ohio portion of the road. There was considerable competition between these old lines, but not comparable to that of the old lines east of Wheeling. The stage stations between Wheeling and Columbus were: St. Gainesville, Morristown, Fairview, Washington, Cambridge, Concord, Zanesville, Gratiot, named in honor of Brig. Gen. Gratiot, before mentioned; Jackson, Etna and Reynolds burg.

Among the old tavern keepers west of Wheeling, the following were prominent and well known in the olden time: Moses Rhodes kept at Bridgeport, and hailed the west-bound traveler on his entrance to the borders of the State of Ohio. A short distance further west, one Cusic, and after him Nicol’s, in the same old tavern, ministered to the wants of the traveler on the nation’s old highway. A short drive from Nicols’ brought the wayfarer to the house of Chambers, ever ready to wait upon the public, and a little beyond was the Woodman’s house, kept by Isaac Cleaves, who afterward hung up his sign at a house further west. Passing Woodman’s, the next old tavern was McMahon’s, a veritable son of Erin, overflowing with native generosity. This part of the road seems to have been an Irish row, since the next old tavern, after passing McMahon’s, was kept by one McCray. A short distance west of McCray’s the town of St. Gainesville comes in view, one of the oldest towns of Ohio, the seat of justice for Belmont county, and named in honor of the illustrious old Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, soldier and patriot, Gen. Arthur St. Clair.

In St. Gainesville, James Smith kept the stage office, and bowed in genuine old pike style to the coming and going passengers. One mile west of St. Gainesville, an old German, or Swede, bearing the non-musical name of Swanker, or something like it, kept a tavern, and, according to tradition, a good one. His house was a fine brick building, on the north side of the road. One mile further west, one Hoover entertained the traveling public, and beyond him, one Chamberlain presided over a good old tavern.

The village of Louisville is next reached, which, of course, had its tavern, as all villages have, and probably more than one; but the old wagoner who furnished most of the data for this chapter could not recall the names of the old proprietors thereof. It was a long time ago that he drove a team on the road, and he is verging upon his ninetieth year, and therefore not to be censured for forgetfulness.

The writer found more difficulty in obtaining information concerning this portion of the road than any other. In fact, he admits his failure to obtain the necessary data for producing an accurate history of it. He wrote to all the postmasters on the Ohio line east of Columbus, for information concerning the road, and no response came, except in one instance, and that was to a letter which reached a wrong destination. It was addressed to the postmaster at Jackson, a village on the road, called “Jacktown” by the old pike boys, and found its way to the postmaster of Jackson, Jackson county, a considerable distance south of the National Road. It happened that the postmaster who received this letter was a native of Brownsville, Fayette county, Pennsylvania, a member of the old Sloan family of that place, but he was so far away from the road that he could furnish no information concerning it. He, at least, was courteous, a trait for which he is indebted, probably, to the circumstance of his nativity. A self-important postmaster, especially of a little town, like the political carpet-bagger, has no respect for ancient landmarks.

Moving on westwardly, the next point reached is Morristown, the second stage station west of Wheeling. This town was at its best when the National Road was the leading avenue of trade and travel. John Barnum and John Lipping were the old tavern keepers of Morristown, and took pride in scanning the old way bills, and catering to the wants of hungry stage passengers.

One mile west of Morristown Christopher Hoover hung out his old sign board in front of a substantial brick house, on the south side of the road, and a short distance beyond, Noble Taylor, a combination of familiar old pike names, entertained the traveling public.

The village of Hindenburg is next reached. This place is on the dividing line between Belmont and Guernsey counties. It is not and never was a pretentious town, but its old inhabitants derived much comfort, and not a little pleasure, from advantages afforded by the National Road.

Passing one or more old taverns whose occupants and owners cannot be recalled, the traveler comes upon the town of Fairview, a stirring place in the palmy days of the road. There William Bradshaw was a popular tavern keeper. He and Isaac Cleaves, formerly of the Woodman’s House, near Wheeling, were the leading tavern keepers in Fairview fifty years ago.

West of Fairview the old tavern keepers were: William Armstrong, Joseph Ferrell and Alexander Taylor.

Middletown is next reached, and here Thomas Hays and one Thompson each kept a tavern in the olden time, and gladdened the heart of many a weary traveler.

West of Middletown the roll bears the names of Alter Briggs and Alexander Speers.

Samuel Smith kept the old tavern at Elizabeth town. West of Elizabeth town, one Cray ton kept a tavern, and beyond him Widow Drake. The widows never surrender.

The village of Washington is next reached. Here Simon Beamer kept at the sign of the “Black Bear,” and Peter Colley, formerly of Centreville, kept a tavern in Washington as late as 1854.

West of Washington the old traveler on the road found rest and refreshment first at the tavern of Widow Slams, and before reaching Cambridge, excellent entertainment was furnished by Joseph Griffith, James Smith, John Shaw, Mr. Slater, Mr. McCain, John Nice, Robert Curry, Mr. Waterhouse, and Joshua Davis.

Cambridge comes next on the line. This is the capital of Guernsey county, one of the liveliest towns on the road, and surviving its decline, remains prosperous. The old tavern keepers in Cambridge were William Ferguson, Wyatt Hutchinson, Bazil Brown, Mr. Nee dam, Mr. Pollard, Joseph Bute, Elijah Grimes, John Cook, James B. Moore, Captain Hearsing, John Tingle and George Met calf. The latter kept one of the stage houses.

Three miles west of Cambridge, Thomas Curran kept an old tavern. Further west, taverns were kept by Jacob Frank, Mr. Laird, Alex. Leper, Ichabod Grumman, Mr. Sutton, Frank Dixon, William McDonald and Lewis McDonald. Lewis McDonald’s old tavern was near the dividing line between Guernsey and Muskingum counties.

After entering the county of Muskingum the first old tavern reached was kept by William McKinney, and next in line comes the old tavern of William Wilson, still doing business under the management of Edward McLeod.

At Norwich Mr. Cinnabar kept a tavern. He was the father of Rev. Hiram Cinnabar, D. D., for many years a leading member of the Pittsburg Conference of the Methodist Episcopal church, a man of much learning and genuine piety, pure in thought, and upright in conduct. The author of these pages knew him well, and in the whole range of his acquaintance never met a sincerer friend, or a more just man. He died in Los Angeles, California, a few years ago. Lightly rest the sod that covers his grave. He is numbered among the pike boys, as in early life he led horses from his father’s house in Ohio to eastern markets.

Further westward on the road Jacob Probasco hung up his sign in front of an old tavern, he of Jockey Hollow fame before mentioned. His tavern at this point was known as the “Ten Mile House,” being distant ten miles from Zanesville.

One mile west of Proboscis’s one McNutt, of Irish extraction, and good fame as a landlord, kept a tavern, and next beyond, on the westward trend, John Livengood, whose name imports old Pennsylvania Dutch stock, ministered to the wants of strangers and travelers.

Zanesville is next reached. Zanesville is the county seat of Muskingum county. It is situate on the Muskingum river, fifty-nine miles east from Columbus. Mr. Leslie kept a tavern in Zanesville in the olden time, and entertained the public in a highly satisfactory manner. His house was a brick building on the north side of the street and road, and at the west end of the town. When Leslie kept tavern in Zanesville, the town contained a population of about 7,000. Its population at this date exceeds 25,000. It survived the decline of the road, and grew rapidly in population and wealth, but it may be doubted whether its present money making inhabitants experience as much of the real pleasures and enjoyments of life as their predecessors of fifty years ago, when the dashing stage coach woke up the echoes of the dull town, and the heavy tread of the ponderous broad wheeled wagon told the whole story of commerce and trade. The illustrious Samuel S. Cox was born and reared in Zanesville, and therefore, under a definition given in a previous chapter, a pike boy. He was called “Sunset,” by reason of a gushing description he wrote of the Setting Sun, when a young man, and there is no doubt that the views which so deeply impressed his youthful mind were had from points on the National Road, in the vicinity of his native town. He was one of the brightest stars in the galaxy of American statesmen.

A writer in a Guernsey county paper gives the following lively description of scenes on the road in that locality:

“Isaac Cleaves was one of the old tavern keepers in Fairview. His house was the stage office, where a halt was made for exchange of horses, and to discharge and take on passengers. The stage offices were places of public resort, and around the bar-rooms gathered the toper’s and loafers, by day and by night. The old stage drivers were full of fun and frolic, and could entertain the curious with

“There was Nat Smith, Sam Smith, Jim Smith, Bate Smith, Jo Smith, Quill Smith, Bill Smith, and more of the Smith family, and Sam Carouse, Jake Carouse, Sylvester Root, Sam Kirk, Tom Kirk, Tom Bryan, Andy Caster, Tom Carter, Jim Bryan, Bony Sheldon, Wash Cranford, Jim Bay less, Mart Huck, Henry Hight, Tom Crawford, John Silvain, Ross Briggs, and a host of others of the ‘knights of the whip and reins,’ of those old coaching days,

“Near by stood the old ‘smithy’ of Capt. John G. Bell’s father, whose bellows flapped, and red sparks flew, and anvil rang, night and day, to keep the horses feet in trim, so that down the slope to Honduras, and on to Borden’s hill and Taylor’s hill, and o’er Salt Fork’s long stretch, through ice and sleet, these Jehu’s could safely, and on time, move on their load of living freight and the mails sent out by ‘Uncle Sam.’ John Skimmings, one of the early settlers at the mouth of Wills Creek, was the general agent from Columbus to Wheeling, of the great Neil, Moore & Co., whose lines cobwebbed the State of Ohio. Otho Hinton was the United States mail agent to look after the mail robbers. He turned out to be one himself, and was placed under arrest for opening the mails between Cambridge and Washington. He was indicted and arraigned before the United States court at Columbus, released on bail, and fled to Honolulu, where he died in 1856.

“Gen. N. P. Flamage placed on the road what was called the opposition, or Good Intent, line of stages. This was just after the Washingtonian temperance movement. He made temperance speeches along the line, and required his drivers to take the pledge. He stopped at Cambridge and made a speech in the old Presbyterian church, and sang a song, his drivers taking up the chorus. We give in substance, if not in word, a verse:

“Isaac Cleaves was not behind as a caterer to the inner man, and a dinner or supper by the stage passengers, after being rocked and tossed at a six miles per hour rate, was relished even by Tippecanoe and Corwin, too, and Democrats did not starve nor turn up their noses because old Isaac was a Whig. He had a famous recipe for the cure of the ague, which for its queer compound he was often required to give, not so much for the ingredients; they were very simple; but for the first preparation for the compound. This was to boil down a quart of water to a pint. And to the inquiry, ‘What is the water boiled down for, Uncle Isaac?’ he would reply, ‘to make it stronger.’

“A little further, and last, was Major William Bradshaw, just over in Belmont county. He was the soul of wit and humour, and gave out many expressions that have become noted. To all that he did not feel disposed to entertain, he gave the answer, ‘Take the Janesville road.’ His toast drank in honor of the Fairview guards, a military company that had been parading ‘with plumes and banners gay,’ just after the close of the Mexican war, will live in the military history of Guernsey county—‘Soldiers in peace, civilians in war.’”

The Smiths above mentioned all drove stages on the road east of Wheeling, before going to Ohio, and lived in Brownsville. All the male members of the family were drivers, including Samuel, the father. His sons were, Samuel, jr., Gilbert, Quill, Bate and Nat, familiar names in the early history of the road.

The largest town on the line of the road west of Columbus, in the State of Ohio, is Springfield, the capital of Clark county. The distance between Columbus and Springfield is forty-five miles. Springfield enjoyed for a number of years the advantages of the road, and felt a pride in being on its line, but its growth and development, the result of other agencies, have thrown a mantle of oblivion over the time when the rattle of the stage coach and the rumble of road wagons furnished the chief excitement of her streets.

The road penetrated Indiana at the boundary line of Wayne county, in that State. The length of the line through Indiana is one hundred and forty-nine and one-fourth miles, and the sum of $513,099 was expended on it for bridges and masonry. Work was begun at Indianapolis and prosecuted east and west from that point, in obedience to an act of Congress given in the chapter on Appropriations. The road was completed through Wayne county in 1827. It was not macadamized or graveled, and in the year 1850 was absorbed by the Wayne County Turnpike Company, under a charter granted by State authority. The length of this pike is twenty-two miles.

The second section of the act incorporating the Wayne County Turnpike Company reads as follows:

“The capital stock of said company shall be one hundred thousand dollars, divided into shares of fifty dollars each, and shall be applied to the construction of a turnpike road in Wayne county, commencing at the western terminus of the Richmond turnpike, about three miles east of Richmond, and to be continued westward on the line of the National Road to the county line between the counties of Henry and Wayne; and the State of Indiana hereby relinquishes to said Wayne County Turnpike Company all the rights, interests, and claims in and to the line of said National Road in said county of Wayne; the grade, materials, bridges, constructions of all kinds she now has, or may hereafter acquire from the General Government, in and to the said National Road: Provided, That in case the Federal Government should, at any time hereafter, determine to resume the ownership and control of said road, said company shall relinquish the same to the General Government, on receiving from it the full cost of construction as expended by said company.”

The section quoted discloses a point which the court of Somerset county, Pennsylvania, seems to have overlooked when it condemned that portion of the road lying within the borders of that county, took possession of its property, and decreed it free from tolls. The several acts of Congress ceding the road to Pennsylvania and the other States through which it passed, reserved the right of Congress at any subsequent time to resume ownership and control, and in case of the exercise of this reserved right, the question arises, what would become of the decree of the Somerset county court?

Prior to the construction of the National Road in Indiana, Robert Morrisson, the founder of the Morrisson Library, of Richmond, and one of the leading citizens of that place, was mainly instrumental in causing a gravel road to be made from Richmond to Dayton, Ohio, which was known as the “Richmond and Short Line Pike.” The engineers of the National Road adopted the line of Morrison’s road in Indiana, with the exception of one mile from a point near Clawson’s tavern to the Ohio State line. The Government survey carried the line east from Clawson’s tavern, and north of Sycamore Valley, over two long and steep hills, separated by a deep valley. To avoid these hills on the Ohio side, travel dropped down over a good country road to the Richmond and Short Line Pike at the State line. This country road was afterwards macadamized, but the distance between the State line and Clawson’s tavern has remained a gravel road until the present time, kept up and used as a portion of the National road, instead of the line over the hills north of Sycamore Valley.

Morrisson’s company was merged in the Wayne County Turnpike Company in 1850. This company issued seven hundred and eighty shares of stock of the par value of fifty dollars each, and operated its road until the year 1890, when Jackson township, by virtue of a popular vote, purchased that portion of it lying within her boundaries for the sum of $4,500, and made it free of tolls. In 1893, Wayne township bought the road within her boundaries for $11,000, and made it free. The preliminary steps are now being taken by the citizens of Center township to take a vote on a proposition to purchase the road within her borders. If this measure carries the road will be free throughout its entire length in Wayne county.

The Presidents of the Wayne County Turnpike Company have been Robert Morrisson, Jacob Brooks, Edmund Laurence, William Parry, and Joseph C. Ratliff, the last named having served continuously from 1871 to the present time, a pleasant gentleman of fine executive abilities.

This company has always paid dividends of seven per cent. on its capital stock of $39,000, and for the last ten years a majority of its stockholders have been women.

The rate of toll was two cents a mile for horse and buggy and one-half cent per mile for each additional horse, one cent for a horse and rider per mile, and one-half cent for a led horse.

The toll houses were small frame structures and the gates simply heavy poles to raise and let down after the manner of the beam that lowered and lifted up “the old oaken bucket that hung in the well.”

Going westwardly from the Ohio State line, in Indiana, the first tavern was that of James Neal, at Sycamore Valley. Of Neal but little can be gleaned beyond the fact that he kept tavern at this point for several years.

The next tavern was Clawson’s, a brick building, erected about the year 1818 by Robert Hill. It stood a little distance north of the road, and near the western end of the line before mentioned, as having been located but not used, and was subsequently torn down and rebuilt on the traveled line. It is said that Robert Hill’s daughters hauled the brick for their father’s house in an ox cart. Clawson was a tall, muscular man, and beyond these facts concerning him, he is lost to the memory of the oldest inhabitant of Indiana. West of Clawson’s the first toll gate in Indiana was encountered. It stood near Glen Miller Park and almost within the suburbs of Richmond. This gate was moved several times, but never over a mile from Richmond.

The city of Richmond is the first large town on the line of the road within the borders of the State of Indiana, and the road forms its Main street. It is four miles from the Ohio line, and the county seat of Wayne county. Its present population is 25,000.

The first tavern of the road in Richmond was kept by Charles W. Starr. It was a regular old pike tavern, with extensive stabling and drove yards attached, occupying one-fourth of a square on the northeast corner of Eighth, formerly Fifth street. The building was of brick, known in later years as the Tremont Hotel. It is still standing, but not used as a hotel or tavern. Charles W. Starr was a man of medium size and of Quaker faith. He wore the Quaker garb, had Quaker habits, and was esteemed a good citizen. Some of his descendants are still living at Richmond, and three of his sons are prominent and active business men of that place.

A short distance below Starr’s, and between Sixth and Seventh streets, stood Sloan’s brick stage house, and its proprietor, Daniel D. Sloan, was at one time postmaster of Richmond. This tavern was headquarters for two stage lines, one running to Indianapolis and the other to Cincinnati. The Cincinnati line had opposition, and by cutting rates the fare was reduced by the competition and during its continuance, from five dollars to fifty cents for the round trip, distance seventy miles direct. A portion of Sloan’s old tavern still remains, and adjoins Roling’s hardware store. Sloan was heavy set, fleshy, and well poised for a tavern keeper.

On the south side of the road, between Seventh and Eighth streets, William Nixon kept a tavern on the site of the present Huntington House. He was a spare, sinewy man, of the Quaker faith. He kept the tavern at the point named from 1840 to about 1843.

A noted tavern was Gilbert’s, on the northeast corner of Sixth and Main streets. Joseph W. Gilbert kept this house for many years. It was a two-story frame building, pebble coated. Gilbert was tall and slim, polite and affable, and had many friends. He suffered the misfortune of going blind, and died at Richmond in 1890, in the ninety-second year of his age. When barely able to distinguish large objects he walked much up and down the streets, asking persons he met to tell him the time of day, always pulling out his watch and holding it up for inspection. At one time when Gilbert was moving a part of his tavern building, Charles Newman, on passing along, inquired of the old landlord, whose house was noted for its cleanliness, how many bed bugs he found. Gilbert replied with indignation, “Not a single one.” “I believe you, Joseph,” said Newman, “for they are married and have large families.” Most of the early taverns of Richmond were in the western part of the town.

It is related in the latest history of Indiana, that Jeremiah Cox, one of the earliest settlers in Richmond, regarded with disfavor the scheme of building up the town; and is said to have remarked, that he would rather see a buck’s tail than a tavern sign, and his sincerity was made evident by the fact, that he did not make his addition to the town plat until two years after the date of Smith’s survey, or two years after Philip Harter had a tavern sign swinging near a log building on lot 6, South Fifth (Pearl) street.

Another early tavern of Richmond was kept at the northwest corner of Main and Fifth (Pearl), sign of the green tree, by Jonathan Bayles, and another, of later date, on Fourth (Front) street, near the southwest corner of Main, by Ephraim Lacey. Harter soon afterward kept a tavern at the corner of North Fifth (Pearl) and Main, where the Citizen’s bank afterward stood, then called Harter’s corner.

Another tavern was kept on Gilbert’s corner, northwest corner of Main and Sixth (Marion), first, it is believed, by Abraham Jeffries, and continued afterward by several other persons at different times.

Richard Cheesman, an early settler, lived on South Fourth (Front) street, kept a tavern several years, and subsequently removed to Center township, where he died. William, a nephew, remained in Richmond, and married a Miss Moffitt. He died some years ago, but his widow is still living.

John Baldwin, an original Carolinian, kept a tavern and store at the Citizen’s bank corner. He went west, and became a trader with the Indians. Their savage nature having at one time been excited by liquor which he had sold them, they scalped, or partially scalped him, but he survived the operation and returned to Wayne county, where he died, six miles north of Richmond, in 1869. After Baldwin, William H. Vaughan kept this tavern for several years, and until it ceased to entertain the public. Vaughan had previously kept the Lacey tavern on Fourth (Front) street.

Patrick Justice, at an early period, kept a tavern on North Fourth (Front) street, near Main. He afterward kept a public house which he built in 1827, near the extreme limits of the town, now the southeast corner of Main and Fifth streets.

Benjamin Paige, a New Englander, father of Ralph Paige, once a merchant on Main street, kept a tavern previous to 1830, at the corner originally owned by John C. Kibbey, an early inn-keeper, and known as Meek’s corner, northeast of Main and Sixth (Marion).

Abraham Jeffries had a tavern on Gilbert’s corner, which he kept a number of years, and was succeeded by Joseph Andrews, his brother-in-law, who died soon after taking charge.

The last westward tavern in Richmond was kept by Christian Buhl, who came from Germany, and his house was a three story stone structure where Minck’s brewery now is.

At the west end of Richmond the road crosses Whitewater river over a handsome and expensive bridge. This bridge has seven arches, and is a combination truss and arch design, capable of sustaining an immense weight. On the west side timbers and wool sacks were sunk into a quicksand upon which to rest the foundations of the abutment.

Toll-gate No. 7 was erected at the fifth mile post west of Richmond and afterwards moved to a point near Earlham college. This gate was kept by William Fagan for twenty-three years, and afterwards by Mr. Gardener for nearly ten years. Mr. Gardener is a New York man and was one of the best gate-keepers on the road. His wife is a cousin of the late Hon. William B. Windom, who was Secretary of the Treasury in President Harrison’s administration.

There was a tavern between gate No. 7 and gate No. 8, which was near the Center township line and East Clear creek. West of this point there is a curve in the road caused by the refusal of Thomas Croft to remove his house, which was on the surveyed line. He was offered $500 to remove his house and declined to take it. The road was then of necessity made around his house, and so near it as to loosen its foundations, and it toppled and fell down, causing him to lose his house, and the sum offered him as damages besides.

At the seventh mile stone, a little beyond West Clear Creek bridge, stood the shop of Jeremy Mansur, who manufactured the first axes made in the county of Wayne. When Martin Van Buren made his trip through Indiana, many persons denounced him as an enemy of the road, and some one in Richmond, to inflict chastisement upon the distinguished statesman for his supposed unfriendliness, sawed a double-tree of the coach in which he was traveling nearly through, and it broke near Mansur’s ax-shop, causing Mr. Van Buren to walk to the top of a hill through thick mud. The author of this mishap to Mr. Van Buren subsequently boasted that he had put a mud polish on Gentleman Martin’s boots to give him a realizing sense of the importance of good roads.

Near the ninth mile stone from Richmond were two celebrated taverns, Eliason’s and Estepp’s. Both were brick houses and well kept. Joshua Eliason was a man of medium size, jovial disposition, remarkably industrious, and a zealous member of the Christian church. His tavern was on the north side of the road, and, in connection with it, he maintained two one-story emigrant houses to accommodate families moving west. The emigrants carried and cooked their own provisions, and paid Eliason a certain sum for the use of his buildings. Drove yards were also a profitable feature of Eliason’s tavern. He sold grain to the drovers, and after the cattle were turned out, put his own hogs in the vacated field to eat up the remnants and refuse.

John Estepp’s tavern was on the south side of the road, nearly opposite Eliason’s. He had one emigrant house, and did an extensive business. He was a man of the lean order, but always on the alert to turn an honest penny.

A short distance beyond Estepp’s, Centerville comes in view, near where Daniel L. Lashley kept the principal tavern. He was a large man, and had a large patronage.

Centerville boasts of having been a nursery of great men. Here Oliver P. Morton, when a young man, worked as a hatter, and Gen. A. E. Burnside pursued the humble trade of a tailor. Gen. Lew Wallace and Gen. Noble went to school in Centerville, and possibly the germs of Ben Hur had their origin in this rural village. Hon. George W. Julian, of free soil notoriety, was at one time a resident of Centerville, and Judge Nimrod Johnson, of the State Supreme Court, and John S. Newman, ex-president of the Indiana Central Railroad Company, were among the noted personages who lived there. Centerville was for many years the county seat of Wayne county, and the removal of the offices and archives to Richmond produced a feeling of jealousy between the inhabitants of the places which lingers in a measure to this day, although Richmond has far outstripped her ancient rival in growth and improvements.

West of Centerville the road crosses Nolan’s Fork, a small Indiana stream, and a short distance beyond, and near the Poor Farm, a toll-gate was established, and there was also a tavern at this point. One mile west of the Poor Farm, Crum Fork is crossed by means of a bridge, and between this stream and Germantown there was another toll-gate and also a tavern. There is a bridge over the stream between Germantown and Cambridge city. West of Cambridge City, and near Dublin, there was a toll-gate, and a short distance west of Dublin, the road passes out of Wayne county.

The road forms the main street of Dublin and is called Cumberland street, by reason of this fact. The first tavern established in Dublin was by Samuel Schoolfield, an old Virginian, pleasantly remembered on account of his staunch patriotism. He displayed on his sign-board the motto: “Our country, right or wrong.”

The railroad absorbed all passenger and freight traffic in the year 1852, after which date and to the close of the civil war, outside of home travel, the main vehicles on the Indiana division were “Prairie Schooners,” or semi-circular bedded, white-covered emigrant wagons, used by parties moving from Virginia and the Carolinas to Illinois.

Indianapolis as before stated is on the line of the road, but her proportions as a city are the outgrowth of other agencies. In the early days of Indiana’s capital the National Road was her only commercial artery, and her pioneer citizens regarded it as a great advantage to their aspiring town. The railway era dawned so soon after the road was located through Indianapolis that but few memories cluster about its history in that locality like those east of the Ohio river.

The last and only remaining large town of Indiana on the road is Terre Haute, a city like Indianapolis that has outgrown the memories of the road, and is probably little mindful of the time when her early inhabitants deemed it a matter of high importance to be located on its line. Though remote from the active centres of the historic road, Terre Haute is more or less associated with its stirring scenes and former prestige.

There was a striking similarity in the habits, manners and pursuits of the old inhabitants of the towns along the National Road, notably between Baltimore and Wheeling. The road was a bond that drew them together and united them as neighbors. There are many persons still living who remember when Frederic, Hagerstown, Cumberland, Uniontown, Brownsville, Washington and Wheeling derived their main support from the road, and their chief distinction from their location on its line. This feature was also true of the towns on the Appian Way, on authority of the classic author, Anthon.

Any one familiar with the National Road in its prosperous era, whose business or other engagements required a divergence from it, invariably returned to it with a sense of security and a feeling of rest and relief. This feeling was universal and profound. An illustration is furnished by Hon. William H. Playford, of Uniontown, who was born and reared on the road. After his college graduation he went South to teach, as did many other graduates of northern colleges. When his term as a teacher ended his heart of course yearned for home, and homeward he set his sails. He struck the National Road at Terre Haute, and the moment his eyes flashed upon its familiar surface he felt that he was among old friends and nearly home. It was the first object he had witnessed since his departure from the paternal roof that brought him in touch again with home.

Before the road was completed beyond the western boundary of the State of Indiana, the steam railway had become the chief agency of transportation and travel, and our grand old national highway was practically lost amid the primitive prairies of Illinois, so that whereas its splendor was favored by the rising, it was dispelled beneath the Setting Sun.