USA > Ohio > Adams County > A history of Adams County, Ohio, from its earliest settlement to the present time, including character sketches of the prominent persons identified with the first century of the country's growth > Part 15
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Judge Ellis, or Capt. Ellis, as he was familiarly known, himself pe- titioned the Court with reference to the Edwards Ferry road above no- ticed as follows :
"To the Honorable John Beasley, John Belli and Joseph Kerr, members of the Court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace in and for the county of Adams, N. W. Territory :
"The petition of your petitioner humbly showeth that whereas Your Honors were pleased to order a survey of a road beginning twenty rods below opposite Ben Sutton's ferry at Limestone and to intersect Zane's road at about 120 rods from the river which is at least twenty rods further about than the other road, and will call for a great deal of labor to. make said road, and when made will be very injurious to your peti-
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tioner's farm as it will deprive him of all his woodbine pasture that he has on his land that is watered, and will forever be injurious to him, and can- not accommodate the public half as well as the road that your petitioner has made through his own land and as far as twenty miles at one hun- dred and seventy-two dollars expense (this portion of Zane's road was also known as Ellis' road, and is frequently so referred to in the early records of the county) ; that your petitioner has never received any sat- isfaction more than the good-will of the public, and now it appears that undermining men wish to draw the benefits of my labor to their coffers. I must therefore object to the opening of the above road and pray that Your Honors may appoint three disinterested men to review the above survey and make report to your next court whether such road is of pub- lic utility or not, and your petitioner in duty bound, etc.
Nathan Ellis."
These roads were finally opened under a compromise agreement between Ellis and Edwards.
The survey of the Waterford and Killinstown road was confirmed at this session, which was as follows: Agreeable to an order of the Gen- eral Quarter Sessions of the Peace in and for Adams County,at their June term, 1799, surveyed the road from the town of Waterford on the Lick Fork of Brush Creek (Old Stone Tavern) beginning at the lower street ; thence south 85 east 40 poles ; south 65 east 44 poles; south 51 east 52 poles ; east 28 poles ; south 64 east 30 poles ; south 5 east 66 poles ; south 10 east 120 poles ; one mile ; south 94 poles ; south 10 west 54 poles ; south 20 west 216 poles to the nine-mile tree on the Manchester road in Eyler's lane and with said road 240 poles to Killinstown. John Beasley, sur- veyor; John Shepherd and John Drake, assistants.
The foregoing established as a public road and ordered to be four poles wide.
At this session was presented the petition of the inhabitants of the Eagle Creek and Red Oak settlements for a road beginning at the county line between Hamilton and Adams Counties within half a mile of Poague's Ferry at the mouth of Red Oak; thence to James Creswell's mill on said creek ; thence the nearest and best way to John Shepherd's horse mill; thence to a point near Indian Lick to intersect Orr's road (from his ferry at Logan's Gap) leading to the Falls of Paint Creek (passing near where the villages of Decatur and Tranquility are now sit- uated). Abraham Shepherd, surveyor, and John Shepherd and William Dunlap, reviewers.
A road from Washington up Brush Creek to intersect the Chilli- cothe and Manchester road was granted upon the petition of Hosea Moore, Thomas Berkett, William Peterson, Joseph Collier, Daniel Col- lier, Christian Wood, Henry Moore, George Campbell, Simon Fields, John Henderson, James Carson, Jacob Tanner, S. Rost, Isaac Wams- ley, Jr., Isaac Wamsley, Sr., Cornelius Williamson, Samuel Smith, Zeke Barber, Alex. Barber, Lazaleer Swim, Stephen Beach, Cyny Rusion. Isaac Wamsley for costs. Philip Lewis, surveyor. Hosea Moore and Henry Neave, assistants.
At the December session, 1799, the Court appointed Nathaniel Beasley, surveyor and Samuel Shaw and John Baldwin, assistants, to
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locate a road from James Holmes' mill on the east fork of Eagle Creek to the highway leading from the mouth of Thomas' Run to Edwards' Ferry.
The Whiskey Road.
In early days the very necessary commodity, whiskey, was scarce, and to secure plenty of it, in about 1807, a party from New Market started out to cut a road through the woods to near Winchester, where a German named *Hemphill had a still-house, the fame of which had spread to the early settlers.
It was on New Year's day, 1807, that a party started from the tavern of George W. Barrere, in New Market, headed by that gentleman with his compass and Jacob-staff to locate the route for the new road. He was followed by thirty men with axes, and a barrel of Jacob Medsker's best whiskey on a pole sled drawn by a horse. Several tin cups were hung on one side of the sled and a side of bacon on the other. A boy rode the horse and for a saddle sat on a bag, the ends of which were filled . with corn dodgers. A few of the force carried rifles, with which to pro- cure any game which they should be fortunate enough to meet. Mike Moore had charge of the barrel and provisions, and carried with him his fiddle with which he made the camp lively during the evening. The whiskey barrel was nearly empty in the morning, which proved an in- centive to the force to be expeditious with their work and reach a new base of supplies, where a fresh drink could be taken. On the return a barrel of Hemphill's best was placed on the sled, and the speed being greater, the larger portion of it returned to New Market. Thereafter the New Marketers had a sure road for the transportation of their favor- ite beverage.
At the June session, 1800, William Sprigg, for whom Sprigg Town- ship was named, and who afterwards became a Supreme Judge of Ohio, as attorney for Israel Donalson and others, presented to the Court a peti- tion for a road from the crossing .of Elk Run to intersect the Limestone road at or near the residence of George or Isaac Edgington (near Union Church, south of Bentonville). This petition is subscribed by George Rogers, Ezekiel Rogers, Peter Bilber, Richard Roundsavill, John Rogers, Nathaniel Rogers, John Austin, Wm. L. Kenner, I. Donalson, William Morrison. John Morrison, Joseph Morrison, John Goodin and Daniel Henderson.
The following petition for a road from Shoemaker's Crossing of Brush Creek to Zane's road discloses the fact that Zane's road was as has heretofore been suggested, so "straightened and amended" as to lose its identity within a few years after the trace was blazed through Adams County. This accounts for the many conflicting claims as to its origi- nal location, by the descendants of those who lived in the county about the time of the opening of the trace, and who rely upon tradition as the foundation of their knowledge. "Your petitioners pray that a road may
* The Hemphill farm was near the present village of Newport, on George's Creek, near its junction with west fork of Ohio Brush Creek.
The above is taken from Williams' History of Highland County, and the George W. Barrere mentioned was the father of the late Nelson Barrere. a- notice of whom appears in this volume under the chapter devoted to the Judiciary and Bar of Adams County.
James W. Finley, afterwards a noted divine and missionary to the Wyandotte Indians, was an associate of Barrere and a frequenter of the bar room in his tavern about the period men- tioned, and was known throughout the settlement, as the "New Market Devil."
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be established from Shoemaker's Crossing of Brush Creek (near Sproull's) on the nearest and best course passing Mr. Chapman's, till it intersects Zane's road and thence with the said road straightening it in many places and making such amendments thereon as may be thought necessary, to the county line. Your petitioners further pray that a road may be established from the termination of a road established by the county of Ross, leading from the Pee Pee town to the line of this county to intersect the first road asked for at the most convenient place. James Boyd, Jesse Weatherington, Abram Boyd, Joseph Van Meter, Absalom Van Meter, Seth Van Meter, Peter Shoemaker, Simon Shoemaker, John Sample, Jonathan Boyd, Samuel McDermitt, John Shirley, David Mc- Dermitt, Daniel Collier, William Ogle, Enoch Ogle, 'Thomas Ogle, Henry Moore, Jesse Eastburn, Joseph Collier, C. Williamson, Hosea Moore, Thos. Kirker, William Peterson, Abraham Neff, John Chap- man, Adam Hatfield, Robert Ellison, James Ellison, Job Denning.
Joseph Eyler, Daniel Collier and Peter Shoemaker, viewers.
This latter road, nine miles in length, was ordered opened two rods wide at the March session, 1801, and the former, Shoemaker's ford road fifteen miles in length and four poles wide.
At the September session, 1800, the road from the twenty-mile tree to the Sinking Spring, was surveyed. The road leading from the court house in Washington to intersect the Manchester and Chillicothe road was surveyed by Hosea Moore and return thereof to court made and same read a second time. Whole distance sixteen miles, and road es- tablished four poles wide.
At the December session, 1800, the following petition was presented to the Court praying for a road from crossing of Eagle Creek at Logan's Gap to the Red Oak settlement :
"The Court of General Quarter Session of the Peace, at Washington, in and for the county of Adams, Territory of the United States northwest of the river Ohio,before John Beasley, Moses Baird, Noble Grimes, Joseph Kerr, Thomas Kirker and John Russell, Esquires, justices assigned to keep the peace and to grant orders for highways, etc., in the county aforesaid, we, the undernamed subscribers considering the disadvantages attending those who travel through Massie Township, and the utility re- sulting from a good road through said county and township, unanimously solicit your approbation and commands in appointing William Steph- enson, James Espey, and Mills Stephenson, Esquires, to view and make out from the crossing of Eagle Creek at Logan's Gap, the ground that shall be thought best and nighest to pass over Red Oak as nigh the river as high water will permit. Pass over our informality unnoticed. Our country is young, therefore our petitions cannot be polished by the hand of formality. December 5, 1800. Ignatius Mitchell, William Gregory, Thos. Espey, Wm. Stephenson, Gabriel Cox, Mills Stephenson, James Cresswell, John Thomas, Robert McBride, George McKinney, Samuel Creswell, John Redmond, Richard Roylston, Newell Redmond, Daniel Redmond, James Stephenson, Elza Redmond. Survey granted. At the June session, 1801, said survey was returned by John Smith, Sur- veyor, and road ordered established from Eagle Creek at Logan's Gap to crossing of Red Oak ; distance two and one-tenth miles.
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At this session was read the first time, survey of the road from Holmes' Mill on the east fork of Eagle Creek to the eight-mile tree on the highway from Thomas' Run to Edwards' Ferry.
There was also granted at this term of the court a road from George Edwards' mill on Fishing Gut Creek, passing Col. Gutridge's settlement, and intersecting Zane's road at a white ash marked three and one-fourth miles to Ellis' Ferry. James Edwards, Willim Rains, John West, Francis Jacobs, John Gutridge, Sr., John Gutridge, Jr., Robert Miller, William Hamilton, John Dillon, George Swisher, William Patterson, Thomas Roberts, Asahel Brookover, George West, Thomas Justice, Simon Reeder, John Simpson, William Cornell, William Gollshar, Na- than Ellis.
A petition for a road to be laid out from Washington to intersect the road from Manchester to Chillicothe, at or near Killinstown, was filed at this term subscribed by the following petitioners: John Brown, John Brown, Jr., Simon Shoemaker, Peter Shoemaker, Thomas Grimes, Laz'l Swim, James Collins, Jesse Witherington, Stephen Bayless, Patrick Kil- lin, Joseph Eyler, William Boldridge (Baldridge), Samuel Boldridge, Ben Piatt, John Boldridge, James Allison, Davison C. Clary, Thomas Mason, Job Denning, John Killin, Henry Smith, James Miller, Alex. Barber, Thomas Brown, Laid Furguson.
At the March session, 1801, a petition was filed for alteration of road from John Treber's to the twenty-seven mile tree on Zane's road.
December session, 1801. Road from Washington to William Dun- bar's landing opposite Sycamore Creek. James Barritt, Surveyor; James Nailor, David Lovejoy, and Hector Murphy, viewers ; John Barritt, surveyor ; David Bradford, John Ellison and David Leitch, security for costs.
At same session the road from Robert Ellison's trace to John Tre- ber's granted. "Beginning in the road already laid from Manchester to Adamsville where Robert Ellison's trace leaves the said road at the forks of Island Creek, thence through the western part of James Collins' plantation to itersect the Limestone road (Zane's) three miles and fifty poles from Treber's, the whole distance being five miles and two hun- dred and thirty-nine poles." John Beasley, surveyor.
Zane's Trace from Treber's Tavern to Tod's Crossing.
Zane's road from John Treber's to top of Brush Creek hill was changed as follows: from Treber's on the highlands to the old Indian ford of Brush Creek, and thence on nearest and best grounds to intersect main road at the twenty-seven-mile tree.
The survey of this road was granted upon the petition of Peter Wickerham, John Treber, Joseph Horn, Nathan Ellis, Abraham Shep- herd, Samuel Swan, William Murfin, James Boyd, Abraham Boyd, Jon- athan Boyd, William Boyd, Peter Platter, David Honsell, John Milligan, David Bunnell, James Bunnell, at September session, 1801.
The return of the survey was made on the eighth day of December, 1801, by John Beasley, surveyor; Jacob Treber and John Sample, chainmen. The road began at the twenty-one-mile tree near Treber's and thence as follows: North 60 east 60 poles; north 120 poles ; north 20 east 734 poles ; north 47 east 66 poles ; north 82 east 60 poles ; north
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42 east 106 poles ; north 54 west 34 poles at Tod's old crossing of Brush Creek; north 34 east 194 poles; north 69 east 46 .poles; north 33 east 510 poles; to the said road again at or near the twenty-seven-mile tree. The whole length of the above mentioned road is six miles ; width estab- lished, thirty feet.
The Court order and appoint David Edie, John Mehaffey and Ben- jamin Grace, viewers, and Nathaniel Beasley, surveyor, of a road from Limestone to county (Clermont) line. James Edwards, John West and Seth Foster, for costs.
James Naylor, Zed. Markland and Zephaniah Wade, reviewers, and John Barrett, surveyor, of road from Donalson's Creek to Wash- burn's Mill. Adam Pennywait, David Lovejoy, and Zeph Wade, for costs.
Charles Osler, Joseph Stewart, and William Middleton, viewers; James Stephenson, surveyor, of road from opposite Sutton's Ferry at Limestone to the Buffalo crossings. James Edwards, John West and George Edwards, for costs.
David Edie, Joseph Washburn, and Parmenus Washburn, viewers, and Israel Donalson, surveyor, of a road from Manchester to New Mar- ket. Joseph Darlinton, Nathaniel Beasley, and Needham Perry, secu- rity for costs.
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CHAPTER XIII.
THE EARLY TAVERNS AND OLD INNS
The First Tavern at Manchester-Pioneer Tavern Keepers-A Wayside Inn-Observations of a Traveler.
There were no settlements made outside the stockade at the Three Islands in the territory from which Adams County was formed before the autumn of 1795. But early in the year following the tide of emi- gration set in so strong that cabins were erected and clearings were made along all the principal streams in the interior. The mouth of the Scioto, the vicinity of Brush Creek Island, Manchester, Ellis' Ferry, opposite Maysville and Logan's Gap, near the mouth of Eagle Creek, were the principal gateways through which the pioneers entered this portion of the Territory. Of these, Manchester at the Three Islands, and Alexandria at the mouth of the Scioto were the principal entrance- ways. And at these towns were opened the first taverns of the county. They were rude log structures not arranged with the view of contribut- ing to the comfort of guests, but only for the purpose of furnishing shelter from the elements, and a simple fare to appease hunger. At most of these early taverns whiskey was sold, and many of them be- came the resort of the idlers and rowdies in the vicinity. George Sam- ple, who settled on Ohio Brush Creek at the mouth of Soldier's Run, in writing to the Western Pioneer in 1842, with reference to his first visit to Adams County in 1797, among other things concerning Man- chester, says :
The First Tavern at Manchester.
"There were fifteen to twenty cabins at Manchester, one of which was called a tavern. It was at least a grogshop. There were about a dozen visitors at the tavern, and as the landlord was a heyday, well-met tippler with the rest, they appointed me to assist the landlady in mak- ing eggnog. I was inexperienced in the art, but I made out to suit them very well. I put about a dozen eggs in a large bowl, and after beating, or rather stirring the eggs up a little, I added about a pound of sugar and a little milk to this mass; I then filled the bowl up with whis- key, and set it on the table; and they sat about the table and sipped it with spoons. Tumblers or glasses of any sort had not then come in fashion." This tavern was conducted by John McGate, an Irishman, who with his good wife Katy were noted characters in the pioneer days of Manchester. The early Court records tell the story of many broils and fisticuffs at McGate's in which the landlord and landlady were par- ticipants. One James Dunbar, school-master, seems to have given much time to the "manly art," in and about this resort from the num-
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ber of "mills" reported to the Court in which he is alleged to have taken a principal part. In fact the grand jury report of that day would be incomplete without the familiar return: "We do present James Dun- bar and William Hannah for beating and abusing John McGate and wife." Or, "We do find a bill against Catherine McGate for a breach of the peace on the body of James Dunbar."
Pioneer Tavern Keepers.
At the sitting of the first Court of Quarter Sessions at Manchester in 1797, Samuel Stoops, John McGate and Job Denning each petitioned the Court for a recommendation to the Governor for a tavern license, and their petitions were granted, "to keep tavern in the town of Man- chester." At the same time John Pollock was given a recommendation for a tavern license in the town of Alexandria at the mouth of the Scioto. In June, 1798. William Keggs and Benjamin Goodin, and in September of that year, Peter Mowry, were each licensed to keep tavern at Man- chester. These and Daniel Robbins (residence not known) were the first licensed tavern keepers in Adams County. As the settlements began to dot the valleys in the interior, and traces were blazed and roads cut through the forests to them, "the wayside inns" were opened for the accommodation of the traveling public. The earliest of these was kept by James January on the Limestone and Chillicothe road (Zane's Trace) in the valley just to the west of where West Union now stands, on what is known as the Swearingen farm. This house was opened in 1798, and licensed early in 1800. In the latter part of the year, 1798, John Hessler opened a tavern at Alexandria, and William Faulkner began to enter- tain travelers at the mouth of Brush Creek. The next tavern in the interior was that opened by John Trebar in the latter part of 1798 or early in the year 1799. When George Sample made his first trip over Zane's Trace in 1797, he noted the fact that but two houses were on the trace from the vicinity of where West Union now stands to Chillicothe- Trebar's on Lick Fork, and one at the Sinking Spring, Wilcoxon's. But neither of these was at that time places of public entertainment. In 1800, David Bradford was licensed to keep a tavern at the town of Washington, the new county seat; and about the same date Noble Grimes opened a place of public entertainment there. In this year George Edgington, father-in-law of William Leedom, who for many years conducted the house, opened a tavern near Bentonville. This afterwards became one of the noted old inns of the county. It is a large two-story, hewed log structure, now weatherboarded, and in a very good state of preservation. It is pleasantly situated among great spreading elms and locusts, just to the south of Bentonville on the old Limestone road, and is at present the private residence of Henry Gaffin who married a granddaughter of William Leedom.
In 1801 a petition was presented to the Court recommending Peter Wickerham as a "civil citizen and very worthy of the character of inn- keeper," and that "he lives on such a part of the road as requires some person to officiate in that capacity." "Granted at four dollars a year." This was the old tavern so long kept by Mr. Wickerham at Palestine between Locust Grove and Peebles on the Limestone road, or Zane's Trace as it was first known. The old brick tavern, the first of the kind
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in the county, is still standing and is the residence of Jacob Wicker- ham.
In this year, also, Richard Harrison, at the town of Waterford near the mouth of Lick Fork, and Joseph Van Meter, at Zane's crossing of Brush Creek, petitioned for and were granted license to keep houses of public entertainment at their respective residences.
There was great rivalry among these tavern keepers in the new towns like Manchester, Alexandria, Washington, Killinstown and Waterford where two or more taverns were kept, and the landlords each manifested much bitterness of spirit toward his rivals in business. As one of many instances illustrative of this fact, the following is cited:
"To the Honorable Court of Adams County: Whereas, a certain Christian Bottleman, of Alexandria, has for almost two years followed the practice of selling spiritous liquors by the quart and pint, and of late by the half pint, I had it in contemplation to inform on said Bottle- man last court but was unable by sickness, and am so at this time, but I thought it not improper to make this kind of information; and if the Court think proper to bring the offender to justice, the fact can be proved by calling on Joshua Parrish who will be at court, etc. I think it hard that the said Bottleman should take away the privilege that I purchased at the rate of seventeen and a half dollars per year." From your humble servant, William Russell.
"Alexandria, December 5, 1801."
About this date John Scott was keeping tavern also at Alexandria, and John Killin was licensed as a tavern keeper at Adamsburg, better known as Killinstown. A few years later the Bradford Hotel at West Union, The Stone House on Lick Fork, Horn's Hotel at Locust Grove, and Ammen's near the county line on the "old trace," Sample's on Brush Creek, Allen's (old stone house) and Treber's on Lick Fork, became noted stopping places for travelers over the old stage route from Maysville to Chillicothe. These and some others will be further noticed in the township histories.
A Wayside Inn.
"As ancient is this hostelry As any in the land may be, Built in the old Colonial day When men lived in a grander way, With ample hospitality; A kind of old Hobgoblin Hall Now somewhat fallen to decay With weather stains upon the wall, And stairways worn, and crazy doors, And creaking and uneven floors And chimneys huge and tiled and tall."
"A region of repose it seems, A place of slumber and of dreams Remote among the wooden hills ! For there no noisy railway speeds Its torch-race scattering smoke and gleeds, But noon and night the panting teams Stop under the great oaks, that throw Tangles of shade and light below On roofs and doors, and window sills"
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THE TREBER TAVERN BUILT ON ZANE'S TRACE IN 1799
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The above view of the old Treber Inn built by John Treber, in 1798, was recently made for this volume. It stands on the left bank of Lick Fork, fronting the Old Limestone road, about five miles to the northeast of West Union. The main building is constructed of hewed logs weatherboarded, while the large kitchen and dining room to the rear is of stone quarried in the immediate vicinity. With the exception of Bradford's in West Union, this is the most celebrated of the "old inns" yet standing. Soon after the erection of this building, there was swung from a huge post near the highway, the inviting sign-"Trav- eler's Entertainment"-which swayed to and fro at the caprice of the winds for more than half a century. This old inn sheltered many dis- tinguished guests in the days of the old stage line from Maysville to Wheeling. Here General Jackson and party warmed and refreshed themselves when he was on his way to be inaugurated President after his election in 1828. Here Thomas H. Benton, Henry Clay and scores of prominent characters from the southwest have sipped and praised "Mother Treber's most excellent coffee" while eating the "finest biscuits ever baked." *"Mother Treber" as she was familiarly known, was very proud of the reputation she had acquired of making the "best coffee" and "finest biscuits" anywhere to be had. On one occasion some noted guests were present at table, and had purposely refrained from praising the coffee and biscuits to annoy Mother Treber who had bestowed ex- tra care in the preparation of that portion of the meal. After waiting for the accustomed word of praise and not having received it, she ven- tured to remark that the meal was not to her liking and offered some apology. A guest more daring than the others replied that the meal was very satisfactory with the exception of the coffee and biscuits ; whereupon came the impetuous retort "you never tasted finer coffee nor eat better biscuits, for I prepared them myself."
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