Three miles west from Beallsville the traveler reaches the village of Hillsboro. This little town is another outgrowth of the National Road, and as at Beallsville and Centreville, the road forms its main street. The grade from Beallsville to Hillsboro is for the most part ascending, the hill going out west from Beallsville being one of the longest on the road, and Hillsboro is situate on a lofty eminence overlooking a wide range of hills, and many fertile slopes and valleys. On the summit above Hillsboro, the traveler coming east, gets the first glimpses of Laurel Hill, thirty miles distant in the mountains. Crumrine’s history of Washington county, before quoted, informs us that Hillsboro was laid out in the year 1819, a date coincident with the completion of the road. The proprietors of the town were Stephen Hill and Thomas McGiffin, and Crumrine’s history contains the following notice of the first public sale of lots:
“The public are informed that a town has been laid off, to be called Hillsboro, adjoining Hill’s stone tavern, about equal distance from Washington to Brownsville, and that lots will be sold on the premises on Monday, the 19th day of August, at public auction. Sale to commence at 10 o’clock A. M.
| July 19, 1819. | Stephen Hill, |
| Thomas McGiffin, | |
| Proprietors.” |
Accompanying the plat of the town as recorded, says Crumrine, were these remarks: “The above is a plan of the town of Hillsboro, nearly equi-distant between Brownsville and Washington, Pennsylvania, on the United States road.” Signed by the proprietors. Stephen Hill belonged to an old family of that name, which was among the early settlers of the region, and Thomas McGiffin was an old and prominent lawyer of Washington, and a contractor on the original construction of the road, father of Col. Norton McGiffin, a soldier of two wars, and Sheriff and member of the Legislature for Washington county. Hill’s stone tavern was in existence as early as 1794. In the early history of the National Road, and for a number of years, it was the leading tavern of Hillsboro, kept by Thomas Hill, who was not a son, but a near relative, probably a nephew, of Stephen Hill, the old proprietor. Samuel Youman kept this house fifty years ago, after the retirement of Hill. Youman was a stage driver as well as a tavern keeper, and next to “Old Mount,” as before stated, the biggest man on the road. One of the stage lines, that on which Youman was a driver, stopped at this house, and it was the only stage house on the road that was largely patronized by old wagoners, and their favor was obtained probably by reason of the spacious and commodious wagon yard in front of the house. John Hampson, John Gibson, William Dawson and Oliver Lacock each in turn kept this house since Youman’s time, and it is at present continued as a tavern by Mr. Lacock’s son.
In the year 1827 James Beck kept a tavern in Hillsboro. He was a member of the old bridge builders firm of Kinkead, Beck & Evans, and moved from the “Vance farm,” near Uniontown, which he once owned, to Hillsboro, at the date named. He remained in Hillsboro but one year, and his successor in the tavern there was George Ringland. Ringland was a citizen of some prominence in his day, a brother of Col. Thomas Ringland, an old soldier, and a leading man in the public affairs of Washington county more than half a century ago. David Railly succeeded Ringland in this house about the year 1840. It was a stage house, but did a general business. After Railly this house was kept at different times by John Noble, who married Railly’s widow, John Taylor, Henry Taylor, Jesse Core and William Robinson. Noble and Robinson were both old stage drivers, Noble before, as well as after his experience as a tavern keeper. Robinson died a tavern keeper, and in the house last mentioned. “Billy” Robinson was one of the best known and most popular men of the road. He was short in stature, with reddish complexion, dark hair, and an amiable disposition. He hauled many an old-time statesman safely in his nimble coach, and afterward dined him sumptuously in his bountiful tavern. There was an old tavern in Hillsboro, near the centre of the town, on the south side of the road, kept first by John Wilson, and after his time by Stephen Phelps, and next and last by David Powell. Its career was not as long as many other old taverns of the road, but in its time it was a lively house and had a large run of custom. Zeph Riggle kept a tavern in what is known as the Dr. Clark house, on the south side, in Hillsboro, at an early day, and as at other points on the road where he catered to the wants of the traveling public, drew a good trade. He was the only person that ever kept this house as a tavern.
About two miles west of Hillsboro the famous old tavern of Charley Miller is reached. It is a large and handsome brick building on the south side of the road, and was kept before Miller’s time by Henry Taylor. Miller did a large business, and had all sorts of customers, with a capacity to adapt himself to the wants and whims of every variety. He was accustomed to say, in commendation of his whisky, that it was a hundred years old; that he could vouch for its age, for he helped to make it. Parties of young folks were accustomed to drive out from Washington, a distance of ten miles, to take a meal and have a dance at Charley Miller’s. His meals were sumptuous and savory, and gave his house a reputation from which he did not fail to profit. One of his specialties was fine peach brandy, which is graciously remembered and frequently spoken of by the survivors of the old pike boys with a glow of enthusiasm. Miller died in this house, and it passed to the hands of David Ullery.
“No longer the host hobbles down from his rest
In the porch’s cool shadow, to welcome his guest
With a smile of delight and a grasp of the hand,
And a glance of the eye that no heart could withstand.”