One and a half miles west of Charley Miller’s, on the south side of the road, a tavern was kept in a wooden building many years ago by William Plymire. This old tavern furnished good entertainment, and its old host was attentive and polite to his patrons. Plymire was succeeded in this house by Henry Yorty, who kept it going as a tavern until his death, and for some time thereafter it was kept by his widow, but was never kept as a tavern after Mrs. Yorty’s time.
The next old wagon stand on the westward tramp is the “Gals House.” This house is situate on the north side of the road, about two miles west of Charley Miller’s. It is a frame building, and once was painted red, but the red all wore off many years ago, and was not replaced. It was called the “Gals House,” because it was owned and conducted by three maiden women of the family name of Dague. The grounds around this old house, night after night, throughout the entire period of the road’s prosperity, were crowded with teams and wagons, and the reputation of the place was excellent in every particular. The Dague girls were the owners of the house, and of about eighty acres of rich land surrounding it, and after business closed on the road, they sold and conveyed the property to Joseph Henderson, a well remembered and worthy old stage driver, who went into possession and made this place his home for many years.
DANIEL WARD.
One mile further west is Ward’s. Here a well known tavern was kept by Daniel Ward, all through the flourishing era of the road, and it was well kept and well patronized. Ward was rich, the owner of his tavern stand, and a fine farm in addition, and therefore unlike many other old tavern keepers of the road who leased their houses from year to year, and changed from point to point at different times. Ward’s tavern is a large frame house, on the north side of the road, with a spacious porch in front, and a large wagon yard conveniently attached, and was a favorite stopping place for old wagoners. The old house is still standing, unused, because not needed as a tavern, but it remains a prominent landmark of the road, carrying the mind back to the period of its enlivening scenes and moving pageants. Daniel Ward was a pronounced type of the old tavern keeper. He was rather a large man, not fleshy, but broad shouldered, with a slight stoop. His complexion was reddish, and he always had a pleasant smile wherewith to greet a guest. He wore a broad-rimmed, 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. Mrs. Ward was an admirable help-mate for her husband. She was a large woman, of florid complexion, and full of energy and zeal in her occupation. The meals she spread before her numerous guests in all seasons were bountiful and relishable, and gave her husband’s old tavern a wide reputation. What a change? Once all was life and animation at this old tavern, now
“The wind whistles shrill, through the wide open doors,
And lizards keep house, on the mouldering floors.”
Four miles west from Ward’s the old and popular wagon stand of Thomas Hastings is reached. In proceeding onward toward the Hastings House a celebrated point is passed, known in the peculiar vocabulary of the road as “Egg Nog Hill.” On this hill for many years lived in retirement Samuel Flowers, one of the oldest, steadiest and best known wagoners of the road. William D. Evans, residing in Malvern, Iowa, a son of Gabriel Evans, of the old firm of Kinkead, Beck & Evans, contractors and bridge builders, before mentioned, furnishes the following story as to the origin of the name of this hill: The engineers in locating the line of the road were much exercised in fixing the grade at this point, and before arriving at conclusions the sun went down, and with a view probably of stimulating their minds to clearer conceptions, they ordered a bucket of egg-nog to be served in their shanty. Partaking freely of this ancient, agreeable and strong beverage during the night, they proceeded next morning with the work in hand, and established the grade without further embarrassment. The chain carriers and other employees were called in to the rough, roadside banquet, and the region all around echoed the notes of that night’s revelry, and ever thereafter the locality has been known as “Egg Nog Hill.” If this is a true account of the origin of the name, and the authority quoted is respectable and credible, there are many persons willing to aver that the influence of the egg nog was anything but propitious, since the grade of the road at this point is nothing to boast of. At the foot of Egg Nog Hill a valley is reached over which the road passes for a distance of two miles on a level grade, varied by slight undulations, terminating at or near the old Buchanan postoffice. This portion of the road was called by old stage drivers “The Long Stretch,” and over its favorable grade stage teams sped with more than ordinary rapidity. It is considered germaine to state in this connection, that the general grade of the road has been much and sharply criticised, and by many condemned outright. The main point of objection urged against the grade is, that it involves many long and steep hills, which could have been avoided by making side cuts and occupying the valleys, and this is true, but any other location would have lengthened the line and increased the cost of construction and maintenance. David Shriver, of Cumberland, was the chief engineer in charge of the location, and instructed by the Government to make the line as straight as practicable, within the limit of a five degree elevation. Besides, there was a popular theory when the line was located, that a road over hills was not as fatiguing to horses as a road with a uniform grade. It was argued that a horse is provided with two sets of muscles, one of which is used in going up and the other in going down a hill, and the conclusion was that horses were relieved and rested by a change from an up to a down grade. After this digression, the reader’s attention is invited back to the old tavern of Thomas Hastings. It is situate on the summit of a hill of average length and grade on the south side, and a short distance back from the road. The location of this house, with reference to the road, is similar to that of the old red tavern, two miles east of Brownsville. The Hastings House was a leading tavern of the road, all through its prosperous era. The large patronage it enjoyed is the best evidence that it was well kept.
John W. McDowell, of Uniontown, an ex-County Commissioner of Fayette county, Pennsylvania, was working on the road in 1844 under the superintendency of William Searight, and boarding at the Hastings House. On the morning of the election of that year he rose “bright and early,” took his breakfast “before the break of day,” mounted a horse, and rode to Mt. Washington, the polling place for Wharton township, which was his home, in time to vote for Polk and Dallas. McDowell frequently relates this incident of his life, when recounting his party services, and lays particular stress on the circumstance that the dining room girls gladly furnished him his breakfast and cheered him on his mission. The distance from the old Hastings tavern to Mt. Washington is forty-two miles.