USA > Pennsylvania > Washington County > Washington > Century history of the city of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Vol. I > Part 88
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The value of real estate of East Washington Borough is $1,480,025 and value of personal property $52,685. The borough tax for 1908 was S mills and $9,805.60 was collected. The borough has 375 voters.
Among the prominent men who have resided in Wash- ington were the following: Thomas Barlow, secretary of Legation of the United States at Paris; Parker Camp- bell, chief leader of the local bar for many years and a most distinguished lawyer in his day; Judge Thomas Harland Baird, one of the most prominent citizens of Washington County during the early part of the last century, a fine lawyer and distinguished judge; Caleb Baldwin, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Iowa and member of the Alabama Claims Commission; Judge Alexander W. Acheson, James Watson and David S. Meson, eminent lawyers. James Kennedy was the first soldier to enlist for service in the Civil War from here. Col. Norton MeGiffin served in both the Mexican and Civil Wars with great distinction. Captains David Ache- son and William F. Templeton died serving their coun- try in the Civil War.
Col. William McKennan was a soldier in the Revo- lutionary War, and Thomas M. T. MeKennan was elect- ed to Congress several times, was appointed Secretary of the Interior in the Cabinet of President Filmore, be- sides holding other public offices, and was president of the Hemfield Railroad Company.
Col. William Hopkins was one of the distinguished men of Washington County a half a century ago. He filled many offices of public trust with credit to himself and his constituents. Among other offices he held that of Secretary of the Land Office in the Cabinet of Gov. ernor Porter, was elected one of the three Canal Com-
missioners of Pennsylvania and a member of the con- vention that framed the constitution of Pensylvania.
David Acheson served in several public offices and in 1813 was appointed by Governor Snyder on a commis- sion with John Binns to negotiate a loan of $1,000,000 for the government of the United States to carry on the war with Great Britain.
Gen. Thomas Acheson served in the War of 1812 and was a member of the firm of Thomas & David Acheson, which was well known in the western country, it having stores at Washington, Muddy Creek, now Carmichaels, Greene County, Pa., West Liberty, then the county seat of Ohio County, West Virginia, at Cincinnati and at Natchez, then in the Spanish dominion.
Dr. Isaiah Blair and his son, Dr. Alexander Blair, were distinguished physicians in their days. The former was one of the early physicians of Washington, coming to the town soon after the year 1787 and the latter a surgeon in the United States Army during the War of 1812.
Robert Fulton, the steamboat inventor, who followed the art of a portrait painter, and purchased in 1793 three lots in Washington, one for each of his sisters. Previous to this he had purchased a farm in Hopewell Township.
Alexander Reed occupied a prominent place in the early history of Washington. Besides his financial and mercantile interests, he was a prominent wool grower and among the first to introduce the finest breeds of sheep, horses and cattle in this part of the State.
Houston's Inn-William Houston was conducting an inn in 1774. It stood on the land once occupied by Mrs. Swartz, where the Fifth Ward school building is located.
Oak Hall-Oak Hall stood on the northwest corner of Main and Beau Streets. This lot was purchased from David Hoge in 1781 by James Wilson, the great grand-
father of James B. Wilson, of Locust Avenue, who was one of the first white settlers in the new town of Wash- ington. He erected a log house on this lot and on the third of October, 1781, at the first term of court in Washington County, he was licensed to keep a tavern. Whether or not any portion of the original building was a part of Oak Hall is not now known. Oak Hall was a very old building when it was razed in 1860 to make way for Smith's Iron Hall, which was the first building in Washington in the construction of which iron was nsed.
Old Fulton Honse-The old Fulton House which stood on the site now occupied by the Washington Trust build- ing, was one of the landmarks of Washington and a famous hostelry in its day. Its predecessor on the same lot had been a well known hotel. John Purviance, who owned the lot in 1790, was licensed in that year to keep
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY
a hotel there. He continued to keep tavern at that place until 1805. Richard Donaldson kept the hotel from 1805 to 1815. John Fleming opened hotel in the build- ing in April, 1820. Ile advertised the house as the ". Philadelphia and Kentucky Inn; " also stating that it had been "lately occupied by James Sergent. "
On January 29, 1824, on the occasion of the wedding of Mr. Fleming's daughter. the house caught fire and was partially destroyed. A daughter, Mary, six years of age, was burned to death. The building at that time be- longed to Alexander Murdoch. Afterwards it became the property of Dr. Samuel Murdoch. lle erected a three-story brick building, which for many years was considered one of the best hotels in the town. It was known as the "Huey Hotel" and was managed by John lluey. His original building fronted 40 feet ou Main Street and extended back aloug Bean Street about 100 feet. Along in the forties Dr. Templeton, then the owner, built an addition of. 20 feet on Main Street. Afterwards another addition of 20 feet on Main Street was built and a two-story addition in the rear on Beau Street.
The property passed through several hands and the hotel had many lessees and managers during its long life. It took its name and acquired its fame from Henry Fulton, who kept it for many years. After the Civil War it was purchased by John H. Little and was kept by him aud his brother-in-law, Samuel Melvin, for a uumber of years and afterwards by Thomas M. Hall. During the oil excitement about 20 years ago the prop- erty was leased by Charles Bailey, who had conducted the Valentine House for several years. Mr. Bailey built another addition on Beau Street, put a mansard story on the entire building and renamed it Hotel Main. This hotel was full of excitement iu the early days of oil drilling. Dr. George W. Roberts purchased the property in 1898 and improved and remodeled the building. It was burned on January 6, 1899. The fire was one of the most disastrous in the history of the town, destroy. ing the Boyle Building which stood on the site of the present Brown Building, as well as the old Fulton House, then called Hotel Main. The buildings on this lot were occupied as hotels for 108 years.
Valentine House-One of the oldest tavern sites in Washington is at the northeast corner of Main and Wheeling Streets. This lot has been occupied by a hotel continuously for 117 years. Charles Valentine pur- chased the lot on which the Siegel House now stands and built upon it a log honse in which he opened a tavern upon receiving his lieense at the September term of conrt, 1791. This house, named "The White Goose, " he kept until 1805, when he went into other business and died in 1809. It was kept by John Rettig from 1806 to 1810 and opened as "The Golden Swan. " Juliana
Valentino kept the hotel from 1810 till 1519. In Juve. 1819, John Valentine advertised that he had just opened a house at the sign of "The Goklen Swan." Later it was kept by Lewis Valentine. In March, JS25, John Hays was the proprietor and in March, 1927, Isaac Sumny had charge and called it "Washington Hall. '' Its changes have been numerous. The old buildlings were torn down in 1946 and the Valentine House was erected. That seemed to be the most appropriate name, as it had been in the hands of Valentine family for so many years. It had many different proprietors. Major George T. Hammond, whose wife was a Valentine, kept it for a number of years after the Civil War. About 1880, it was sold to M. M. Little and by him to Jonathan Allison. A third story was put to the back building and afterwards a fire damaged the entire structure. Its name was changed to the "Allison House." A few years ago it passed into the possession of the Siegel Brothers and the present building was erected.
Huston's Old Home Inn stood on the east side of South Main Street below Maiden. It was first kept by Joseph Huston, a cousin of William Huston, the first white settler at Catfish Camp. The stone house was one of the first substantial buildings erected in Wash- ington. Joseph Huston was hieensed to keep a hotel there in January, 1796. He advertised that he had opened a tavern at the sign of "The Buck." He kept there until 1812 aud his widow, Elizabeth, succeeded him. The hotel was afterward kept by James Sargent, Mrs. Huston aud William B. Huston, a son of the original proprietor. It was demolished in the spring of 1902 to make way for the Morgan Block in which the postoffice was located for several years prior to its removal to the government building.
Globe Hotel-Probably no house now standing in this country, outside of the capital city, has sheltered so many distinguished men of a generation that has gone, as the modest frame building which stands on the sonthwest corner of Main Street and Strawberry Alley. Three-quarters of a century ago, every traveler in the western country heard of the "Globe Inn"; it was es- teemed one of the best taverns on this side of the Alle- ghenies and hundreds of guests who enjoyed its hos- pitality, spread its fame abroad to the four corners of the land. No less than five presidents of the United States have slept beneath its roof or sat at the table of its genial landlord. Monroe remained over night when he made his famous "tour" in 1817; Jackson sought its hospitality on many different occasions, both before and after he was president; llarrison, Taylor and Polk were numbered among its guests before the highest of civic honors became their portion. Henry Clay al- ways made it a point to stop at the "Globe" on his way to and from the National capital. Daniel Webster
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY
was entertained at it when he visited our town. La- Fayette, the companion in arms of the illustrious chief- tain for whom our town is called, when he revisited the country for whose liberty he had fought and became the "Nation's Guest" was received by the people of this whole section at this ancient hostelry. Here too were entertained numbers of other meu distinguished in their day-Senators and Representatives in Congress and Governors of Western and Southwestern States, army officers, lawyers, judges, ministers and travelers from abroad.
The "Globe Inu" was opened in 1798. The lot on which the building stands is No. 18 in the original plan of the town. In May, 1784, this lot was sold by David Hoge to Alexander Cunningham. On August 30, 1784, Cunningham sold it to Samuel Shannon. On May 25, 1804, Shannon conveyed all his right, title and interest in it to David Morris. No deed had passed in all these years; so on June 2, 1804, John Hoge and Elizabeth, his wife, conveyed their interest in it to David Morris for $4.00 lawful money of Pennsylvania. It is described as fronting 60 feet on Monongahela Street and extend- ing back 240 feet along Water Alley on the north. Mor- ris was first licensed as an inn-keeper in 1798, but after he obtained possession of the property he enlarged and improved the building and its fame as a tavern spread rapidly and widely.
The success and popularity of the "Globe" was due in no small degree to the fact that Mrs. Morris, who was a sister of Robert Fulton, of steamboat fame, was a lady of tact and energy, an excellent housekeeper and a good manager.
One of the most memorable events in the history of the "Globe" was the visit of LaFayette. He came to America by invitation of President Monroe and Congress sent him in 1824. His tour through the country was one continual ovation. On the evening of May 25, 1825, he reached Washington and was escorted to the "Globe" where he was entertained and remained over night. One of the largest concourses of people ever assembled in the county, had gathered in the town. A platform was erected over the pavement in front of the "Globe" it was as high as the second story windows. The crowd gathered in the street, a densely packed mass of hu- manity for a half square up and down. Some of our old citizens say that fully 20,000 people were in attendance. Judge Baird made the address of welcome, to which LaFayette feelingly responded.
Appropriate services were held and the Marquis "set down to a most splendid, luxurious and plentiful enter- tainment prepared by Mr. Morris in his long room."' The next morning at 6 o'clock he left for Brownsville.
Many interesting incidents and aneedotes concerning Morris' Tavern might be narrated. One, which occurred
in the last year of David Morris' life, was the stopping at the "Globe"' in 1833 of the prisoner, "Black Hawk," whose outbreak in the northwest had filled the country with his fame.
After the death of David Morris, his widow kept the hotel for a short time. His affairs were somewhat in. volved and on April 27, 1835, the "Globe Inn" property was sold by Sheriff Cunningham to Thomas Morgan, who was postmaster at the time. Morgan removed the post- office to the hotel building. Washington was then the "distributing office" for this region, the mails for Pitts- burg and points north which passed over the National Road being handled here. It was a more important office than it has been since and the old "Globe Inn" build- iug afforded plenty of room for distributing the big mails which came here.
The original frame building on lot No. 18, fronted about 25 feet on Main Street; Morris added another part of about the same frontage, soon after he bought the property. Some years later, he erected the brick addition in the rear. The lower front room in the main building was first used as an office; then a one-story brick building was erected on the remaining 10 or 12 feet of frontage on Main Street. In 1843, Thomas Mor- gan divided this property into three parts and sold them.
The old hotel was afterwards used as a residence by Joseph Henderson, a part having been added to the original brick addition and as an office by Dr. T. D. M. Wilson as a postoffice and as a store.
The old Globe Inn was razed to the ground in 1889. The property was purchased by T. and S. DeNormandie, who in 1890 erected the three-story brick building which now adorns this corner.
National Road House-The old building which stood on the south side of East Maiden Street opposite the Seminary, was erected for an inn. It was located on lot No. 35 in Hoge's addition to Washington. It is in- teresting to note, therefore, that on October 9, 1810, William Hoge and Isabella, his wife, conveyed six lots, Nos. 30 to 35 inclusive, fronting 360 feet on Maiden Street and extending back 240 feet, to Silas Pruden for $40. Pruden operated a brick yard where the Washing- ton Seminary now stands and he built this brick house. Richard Donaldson was licensed to keep a hotel in this building in 1815 and it was spoken of then as the old Workman stand, indicating that it had been used for some time previous as a hotel. It is possible that Pruden had acquired the property by article of agreement many years before the date of his deed as that is known to be the case in many other instances in town. Silas Pruden and Mary, his wife, conveyed the property to John Scott on May 17, 1815, and Scott sold it to Thomas Brice on December 12, 1817. When the Washington Seminary
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY
was founded it was opened in this building which was occupied for two or three years until the building on the north side of the street was finished.
After the National Road was opened Samuel Surratt kept the house for a time and it became known as the National Road Ilouse. The last person to keep this botel was William Paul.
It became the property of Mrs. Sarah R. Hanna, who made it her home after her retirement as principal of the Seminary in 1874 and until her death on September 15, 1856. The building was razed about five years ago by James Kuntz, Jr., who built a house on the lot just west of it. ยท
Auld House-James Ashbrooke conveyed the lot on which the Auld House now stauds to Daniel Moore on May 12, 1512.
A three-story brick hotel was built upon the corner by Mr. Moore. Ile was one of the early stage owners in Washington, established the first line of stages between this place and Pittsburg and also established a line on the old National Road. While the exact date when he built this hotel is not known, it is believed to have been about the time the National Road was completed through Washington. In May, 1821, Samuel Dennison advertised that he had removed from Greensburg. Westmoreland County, to Washington, Pa., and commenced keeping public house in the new and eligible briek house at the corner of Main and Maideu streets opposite where the United States Turnpike Road enters Main street from the cast, at the sign of the "Travelers Inn and Stage Office. " In 1823 James Briceland was the proprietor. In 1825 it was kept by James Dunlap who called it the "Jackson Hotel." Gen. Jackson stayed over night at this hotel on March 21, 1825, and it may have been on account of this honor that Dunlap changed its name. Many other distinguished men were its patrons during the next 30 years. It was the headquarters of one of the rival stage lines on the National Road and the stop- ping place for the patrons of that line. The original hotel fronted about 34 feet on Main street and extend- ed back about 85 feet. A fourth story was added to the front part of the building about 30 years ago and ad- ditions built on Main street and on Maiden street. The hotel is now known as the Auld House.
Washington was a very important town during the palmy days of the old National Pike. The traffic over the road demanded a large number of hotels. The fol- lowing were among those in existence between 1832 and 1858 during the very busiest days:
The "Mansion House" was a two-story brick hnild- ing situated on the southeast corner of Main aud Chest- nut streets. The following persons were among the early proprietors: John N. Dagg, S. B. & C. Hayes, Har- rison Shirls and James W. Kuntz, Sr., for two months,
Harrison Shirls aud Ilugh Bryson, William Nichols and James B. Ruple, Thornton F. Miller, Harvey and Daniel Day, John H. Little and Samuel Melvin.
The "Green House" stood on the corner of Main street and Pine avenue upou the lot now occupied by the Hallam Block. It was a two-story brick building and the hotel was kept by Mrs. Beck, a widow, then by Major John Irons and afterwards by Dauiel Brown.
The "Hallam House" was located on the corner where Oliver Murphy's store uow is. It was in a two- story frame building and was kept first by Mrs. Beck, widow of the first proprietor, and then by Joseph Hal- lam. The old log stable is still standing on Beau street. After Joseph Hallam closed the hotel the building was occupied by James Mills, who had a dry goods and gro- very store and Andrew Mills, who had a shoe store, keep- ing nothing but eastern work.
The "Frankliu House" was in a two-story frame and afterwards in a three-story brick building which was put up on the lot now occupied hy the Brown building and the hotel was kept by James F. Brown (known as Irish Jimmy, as there were two James Browns in town), Capt. Charles Schmidt and Emery Leyda.
The "Yellow Tavern," kept by David Blakley for many years was in a two-story frame which stood on the site of Warricks' grocery store. The building was never painted any other color than yellow. Many of the large Conestoga wagons stopped at the Yellow Tavern.
The "Farmers' Inn" kept by William Brown was in a two-story frame building on the lot where the Jacob Miller property now is. Brown kept lodgers, giving meals and selling whisky which at that time was con- sidered an honorable business.
The "Hlome Hotel" stood ou the east side of South Maiu Street, below Maideu, on the lot now occupied by the Morgan Block. It was conducted by a family named Houstou. "Uncle Billy," as he was familiarly called, was in charge.
John Sample kept an inn in the building which is still standing ou the north side of East Maiden street about a mile east of the court house. It is now occupied by Mrs. William Workman. This was a great place for the large Conestoga wagons to stop.
The Rankiu House-In what was known as Rankin Town now the West End or Eighth Ward of Washing- ton, a noted hostelry was kept by a widow uamed Rankin. After she went away Andrew McDaniel purchased the property and lived there until his death.
Good House-Thomas Good opened a tavern on the east side of South Main street, south of Catfish Run and at the foot of Gallows Hill. It was known as the Good House. It was a log building afterwards weather boarded and was torn down in late years.
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Washington now has four hotels, the Siegal, the Auld, the Nease and the Lewis.
George Black invented the "Stogie" cigar in 1826 or 1827 to supply the demand ot wagoners and stage drivers on the National Pike for a good cheap cigar. The name is an abbreviation of name for the hig cov- ered wagous-Conestoga.
Dr. Francis Julius LeMoyne built the first crematory in the United States. The first cremation was the body of Barou de Palm, a German uobleman, on December 6, 1876. This attracted the attention of the nation at the time. The brick crematory is still standing, hut is sel- dom used, because restricted in use to those who die iu Washington County. Mr. LeMoyne was one of the most prominent aholitionists in the country.
The Waynesburg & Washington Railroad was built in 1877. About the first of October the road was com- pleted to Waynesburg. Shortly afterwards trains began
running between Washington and Waynesburg. For a time these trains connected with the B. & O. First a track was laid along the west side of South Main street from the B. & O. station down to Catfish Creek; afterwards a trestle was built across the valley hy the Atlas Glass house, the north end being located on the B. & O. tracks about 100 yards east of Main street and the south end on the present Wayneshurg tracks at a point a little east of South College street. After using this trestle for several years the W. & W. built a sta- tion of its own which was used until it was demolished two years ago. In its place a beautiful new station has been erected at a cost of $40,000. The headquarters of the company is in Waynesburg.
Washington County Centennial-One of the most im- portant events in the history of Washington was the celebration of the Washington County Centennial, the 7th and 8th days of September, 1881. The centennial was held under the auspices of the Washington County Historical Society aud was held in Shirls' Grove in what until late was called West Washington and now Eighth Ward, Many excellent addresses were delivered to the great throng of people who had returned to the county many after long absence.
In the winter of 1791 the first fire of any importance in Washington occurred. This was the burning of the first court house, a log structure.
One of the most disastrous fires Washington lias ex- perienced occurred on the night of the 23rd of February, 1822. The law office of T. M. T. McKennan and the adjoining house were both destroyed. After the fire the double chimneys of the house fell, killing four per- sons and wounding five of the other bystanders, of which one later died from his injuries.
Probably the worst fire in the history of the town occurred on March 4, 1860, when all the buildings on
the west side of Main street from Driver's grocery store to the Recker building, now occupied hy Bebout's un- dertaking establishments, were burned. A couple of houses were also destroyed on Pine Alley back of Mitchell's grocery store. The roof of the Gow building, now the location of Hallam building, across the street, was hurnt off. This row was built up again out of the ashes with such rapidity that it was called Phoenix Row.
Between 1860 and 1870 Washington suffered from two other most disastrous fires. One of these destroyed the buildings which stood on the sites now occupied by the Watson, Donnan, Swau and Vowell buildings on South Main Street and the other the Mansion House and ad- joining buildings, which stood on the southeast corner of Main and Chestnut streets.
On January 6, 1899, Washington suffered another dis- astrous fire when the Boyle building which stood on the site of the present Brown building and Hotel Main where the Washington Trust building now stands, were destroyed. On Sunday, February 12, of the same year the old Uniou School building where so many of the present residents of the town received their education, was destroyed by fire and this has been the last fire of auy importance.
A tremendous explosion of natural gas occurred at. Washington December 21, 1884, which wrecked the old Koechline house which stood on the southeast corner of Main and Maiden streets. A lamp was used to locate a leak in a pipe. The only other explosion of consequence was the side hlown out of a house on South street caused by a leak from a rubber hose.
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