The Old Pike / A History of the National Road, with Incidents, Accidents, and Anecdotes Thereon

by Thomas B. Searight

One mile west of Miller’s is “Shady Bower.” There a tavern was kept by Conrod Wolsey. His house was well favored by wagoners, who sought his generous board in goodly numbers, and while well liked by his customers, he got the name of “Dirty Spigot,” because the spigot of a whisky barrel in his house was once besmeared with filth. There was a large distillery near Wolsey’s tavern, operated by Barnes Mason. Mason had two teams on the road, driven by William Keefer and Joseph Myers.

Clear Spring comes next, and derives its name from the existence of a large, gushing spring of clear water, in volume sufficient to propel a mill. An old wagon stand was kept at Clear Spring by Andrew Kershaw, who died the proprietor of the house, and was succeeded by his son Jonathan. The house was a large brick building, on the south side of the road. Stages stopped and exchanged teams at Clear Spring, but not at Kershaw’s. His house, as stated, was a wagon stand. Gusty Mitchell is a well-remembered character of Clear Spring. He used to steal and drink the wagoners’ whisky, and “bum” around their teams in all sorts of ways. One night the wagoners poured turpentine over Gusty and set fire to him, which so frightened him that he never afterward had anything to do with wagoners.

The next old tavern was on the top of North Mountain, two miles west of Clear Spring, kept by Joseph Kensel. It was a log house, and on the north side of the road. Kensel owned the property. While this old tavern was humble in outward appearance, the fires burned brightly within, and its patrons, who were numerous, highly extolled the quality of the viands it spread before them.

Indian Spring comes next, four and a half miles west from Clear Spring. Here a wagon stand was kept by David Miller. The house is a stone structure, on the north side of the road, and Miller owned it in fee simple. This old house was a favorite resort of wagoners, and night after night echoed the once familiar notes of the great highway, in the days of its glory.

Three miles west from David Miller’s, Anthony Snider, a distant relative of John Snider of happy momory, kept a wagon stand. It was a frame building on the north side of the road. Peter Hawes once lived at this house, and hauled stone for an aqueduct on the adjacent canal.

Four miles west of Snider’s, on the north side of the road, stood the old frame tavern of Widow Bevans. She owned the property, and her house was a popular stopping place. It will be noted that in many instances widows kept the best taverns along the road. There is no record of a widow making a failure as a tavern keeper.

Two miles further on to the westward, and before the once familiar tavern of Widow Bevans entirely recedes from view, the old wagon stand of David Barnett is reached. His house was a large log building, on the north side of the road. Here the first transportation line of six-horse teams, John Bradfield agent, had relays, its next relay eastward being the house of John Miller, before mentioned. Barnett was a jolly old landlord, fond of exchanging jokes with old wagoners and other patrons. He had a manner and a method of pleasing his guests, and did a large and profitable business.

Westward, two miles from Barnett’s, is the historic town of Hancock, named in honor of the man who wrote his name in letters so large and legible, that they were read all round the world. There was no old wagon stand tavern in Hancock, except for a short time about the year 1838. John Shane established it, but was not successful, and removed to Cumberland, where he set up a confectionery shop. Wagoners preferred country before town taverns, as a rule. Stages stopped and exchanged horses in Hancock.

Two miles west of Hancock, one Nicodemus kept an old wagon stand. His first name has not been preserved, owing probably to the sublimity of his surname. He was known all along the road, but mentioned only as Nicodemus. His house was a frame building on the north side of the road, and he owned it, and died in it. He kept a good tavern, and was well patronized. Widow Downer kept this house before the time of Nicodemus.

Two miles west of the house of Nicodemus is Sideling Hill, so called from the sloping character of the ground upon which the road is laid. At the eastern foot of this hill Jacob Brosius kept an old wagon stand, and had a good share of custom. His house was a frame building and stood on the south side of the road. The distance from the foot to the summit of Sideling Hill is four miles, and it is the longest hill on the road. In 1837 Jacob Anderson, an old wagoner, was killed on Sideling Hill. His team became frightened on the summit and ran down the western slope, coming in contact with a large tree on the roadside with such force as to break it down, and falling on Anderson, he was instantly killed. Isaac Browning, Caleb Langley and Black Westley, with their teams and wagons, were on the road with Anderson at the time of this accident. Anderson was a citizen of Loudon county, Virginia. Langley, Browning and Westley belonged to Fayette county, Pennsylvania. The road crosses a stream at Sideling Hill, called Sideling Hill creek. There was a covered bridge over this creek. In 1841 John Moss and Billy George, old wagoners, drove their teams on this bridge, and stopping a while to rest under the shade afforded by the roof, the bridge broke down, precipitating horses, wagons and drivers a distance of fourteen feet to the water, causing considerable damage to the wagons and the goods therein, but strange to say inflicting but slight injuries upon the drivers and teams. The teams and wagons belonged to Robert Newlove, of Wheeling.