John Bradley, brother of Daniel, of Jockey Hollow, is an old wagoner. He drove a team for Benjamin Brownfield, Jr., now residing near Newark, Ohio., son of Col. Ben., the centennarian of South Union township, and grand marshal of Democratic processions of the olden time. John Bradley also worked on the construction of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad in 1839, near Oldtown, Md., fifteen miles east of Cumberland. His employer on this work was the late Zalmon Ludington, of Uniontown, who had a contract at the point mentioned. John Bradley is now living in the city of Pittsburg.
Robert Carter was a well known old wagoner, a native of Washington county, Pa., a “regular,” and a very energetic, persevering and keen sighted man. He took a prominent part in many of the festivities of the old road, but never lost his head. He was a money maker, and unlike most of that class, kind hearted and generous. He married the eldest daughter of Thomas Moxley, the old tavern keeper, whose house was three miles west of Uniontown. After his marriage he bought a small farm, known as the Solomon Colley farm, near Hatfield’s, in Redstone township, Fayette county, Pa., subsequently merged in the Hatfield estate. He operated this farm for a short time, but while engaged as a farmer, kept his team on the road in charge of a hired driver. He sold his farm and leased the Bar house in Bridgeport, and kept tavern there for some time. When business ceased on the road, he gave up his team and his tavern, and moved with his family to Iowa, where he engaged extensively in farming and stock raising.
R. D. Kerfoot, the well known miner and labor leader of Everson, was at one time a wagoner on the National Road. He was born in Lancaster county, Pa., and before reaching the full stature of manhood in point of age, went to Washington county, Md., where he engaged as a driver for one J. B. Bear, a farmer of that county and State, and was put in charge of a fine six-horse team, and a broad wheeled wagon, with which he hauled goods, wares and merchandise to and from Baltimore and Wheeling. He enjoyed the stirring scenes of the old road, and recalls with a keen relish the bounteous tables of the old taverns.
Jacob F. Longanecker, who served as county commissioner of Fayette county, Pa., from 1854 to 1857, was an old wagoner. He owned a farm in German township, and was a good practical farmer, but spent much of his time, for many years, on the road with his team. He enjoyed life on the road, and seemed loath to relinquish the occupation of a wagoner.
ELLIS B. WOODWARD.
Ellis B. Woodward, of Menallen township, Fayette county, Pa., is an old wagoner with experience hardly sufficient to entitle him to be classed as a “regular,” and yet almost enough to take him from the list of “sharp-shooters.” He kept his big road wagon on his farm for many years after the road ceased to be a profitable avenue of transportation, and felt a pride in exhibiting it as a reminder of his identification with the great highway, in the days of its prosperity. He still lives and warmly cherishes the memories of the old road.
The first wagons used on the National Road were made with narrow rimmed wheels, like those in use at the present day on farms and country roads. It was not long, however, after the opening of the road, until the broad wheeled, or “broad tread wagon,” as it was called, was introduced, and came into general use by the “regulars.” The “sharpshooters,” as a rule, retained the narrow tread, as their wagons were designed mainly for farm service. The width of the broad tread was about four inches, and lighter tolls were exacted at the gates from broad than from narrow tread wagons for the obvious reason that narrow wheels cut deeper into the road than broad wheels.