History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 66

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 1314

USA > Pennsylvania > Fayette County > History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 66

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Thomas Hadden, James Morrison, and William Lyon, the managers mentioned in the card, were members of the Fayette County bar, and the former was the grandfather of the Messrs. Iladden, of Uniontown.

he had no brntal instinct in his nature, but was one of the most amiable and kind-hearted of men.

Cornelius Lynch was licensed as an inn-keeper in March, 1795. He owned and carried on a brewery on the west side of Morgantown Street near Main, and his tavern-honse was donhtless at the same place. After his death his widow kept a baker-shop there for many years.

Richard Weaver, who first received license in June, 1795, kept a log tavern on Elbow (Main) Street, at or near the present site of the MeClelland House. Later the property passed to William MeClelland, who was licensed as an inn-keeper in December, 1802. Alfred McClelland, the son of William, built the McClelland Honse, which is still owned by the McClelland family and carried on as a hotel.

At the September session of 1796 there were before the court forty-eight applications for tavern licenses in the county, of which twelve were hy parties in Uniontown, among whom-besides such as have al- ready been mentioned-were Joseph Baker, Anthony Swaine, Ellis Bailey,2 John Slack, John Tarr, David Morris, and James Langsley. John Slack's tavern was on the corner of Meadow Alley and Main Street, on the Judge Nathaniel Ewing property. In the Fayette Gazette and Union Advertiser of Ang. 23, 1799,3 he made the following annonncement :

" TO THE PUBLIC .- The subscriher respectfully in- forms the Public that he continues to keep a House of Entertainment at the sign of the Spread Eagle, near the centre of Uniontown. He flatters himself he will be able to entertain gentlemen to their satis- faction that may be pleased to favor him with their custom. JOHN SLACK.

"July 24, 1799."

Slack closed his business at the Spread Eagle in 1800, and in the same year received license to keep a tavern in Wharton township. He remained there till 1810, when he was again licensed for Uniontown. He was foreman of the jury in the trial of Philip Rogers for the murder of Polly Williams. Three years later he was again established in Wharton, and remained there till his death.

At the September term of court in 1797 the follow-

" It appears probable, however, that Ellis Bailey was keeping a public- house in Uniontown before that time, from a mention of "Bayley's Tav- ern," found in a notice of a celebration held here on "Independence Day" of that year. The notice referred to was printed in the Western Telegraphe, of Washington, Pa., of date July 19th, in the year indicated, and is as follows:

"UNION, Joly 4, 1796.

"This being an anniversary of the Era so important to Americans, the independent Companies of Cavalry and Infantry of this Town and County assembled on this occasion, and after a display of military pa- rade in honor of the Day, marched to the Court-House, where they were joined by a number of Citizens from the Towo and its vicinity, when the following Oration was delivered by Doctor Solomon Drown. [Here fol- low's a report of the oration.] The Cavalry then repaired to Mr. Bay- ley's Tavern and partook of an elegant Repast . . . "

" In the same paper William Tingle informed the public that he wae keeping a house of entertainment at the sign of "Commerce of Free- dom," in Morgantown, Va.

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UNIONTOWN BOROUGH.

ing names appeared for the first time as receiving tavern licenses : Jacob Hagen, John McCormick, Sim- eon Hendrickson, Rue England, Matthew Knapp, and Uriah Martin.

James Gregg received his first license in Uniontown in June, 1798. His stand was on lot 37 of the origi- nal plat (which was purchased by him Feb. 2, 1792), being the site of the present residence of Dr. J. B. Ewing. The tavern was kept by him until his death, about 1809. In 1810 his widow, Nancy Gregg, was licensed, and continued for some years to keep the house, which, under her management, is still recol- lected by some of the older citizens.

Ebenezer Bebout, Jesse Barnes, James Allen, John Rackstraw, and James Medtart were licensed tavern- keepers in Uniontown in 1798. Medtart's stand was a log house that stood where Mrs. William Wood now lives, on Main Street. He, as well as Allen and Be- bout, closed about 1803.

Pierson Sayres kept a public-house in 1799, on El- bow Street, where E. B. Dawson now lives. Daniel Miracle and Lydia Hoffman also had tavern licenses in the same year. Mrs. Hoffman's place was in Henry's Addition, on Morgantown Street, south of Fayette Street.

In 1801, William Downard opened business in a log tavern, opposite Gregg's, on Main Street, where now are the law offices of Judge Ewing and Judge Campbell. He continued there until about 1808. He afterwards kept at the " watering trough" on the side of Laurel Hill, five miles east of Uniontown.

James Piper received a license in 1801, and com- menced keeping tavern on the south side of Main Street, opposite the present residence of the Hon. Daniel Kaine. There he swung the sign of "The Jolly Irishman." He was a large, burly man, while his wife, Isabel, was small of stature. It was her custom to sit in the bar-room and spin, while she chatted pleasantly with the patrons of the house. At night she would frequently ask her husband, " Weel, Jimmy, how much money have ye made the day ?" His usual answer was, "None o' yer bizness, Bell." But as he was generally pretty well intoxi- cated at that time in the evening, she often managed to secure a share of the proceeds, and lay it by " for a rainy day." James Piper, the son of this couple, was their pride. They gave him fair educational advantages, by which he was enabled to fill with credit several county offices. Mrs. Piper continued tavern, which has been the home of its proprietor, the tavern after her husband's death, in 1819.

William Merryman was the keeper of a tavern near Margaret Allen's, east of the creek. His first license for a house at that place was received by him in 1802.

Jacob Harbaugh, ex-sheriff of the county, opened a tavern in 1811 in a log house owned by Peter Hook, which stood on the west part of the site of the late Judge Nathaniel Ewing's residence. The stand was kept by Harbaugh until 1813.

George Manypenny, first licensed in August, 1814, was for a time the keeper of a public-house on the south side of Main Street, near where is now Judge Campbell's office. The time of his continuance there is not known.

It would be hardly practicable to make mention of all the ephemeral taverns which have existed in Uniontown during the century which has passed since John Collins opened the pioneer hostelry in the incipient village. It was only intended to notice a few of the most ancient ones, but enough have already been mentioned to show that more than fifty years ago the Main Street of the town had been thickly studded with public-houses on both sides, and from end to end.

At the extreme western end of the town, on "Ja- cob's Second Addition," is located the oldest public- house now in existence in the borough,-the " White Swan," kept by Nathaniel Brownfield. The original building is a long two-story log structure, the front of which has in later years been covered with weather- boarding. It was erected before the year 1800. In 1805 the property was purchased by Thomas Brown- field, a native of Frederick County, .Va., who emi- grated thence to Uniontown in that year. A tavern license granted to him in 1806 for this house is now in possession of his son Nathaniel.

A few years after he purchased the original log building, Thomas Brownfield built upon the rear of it a brick addition, which was used as a dining-room, and in 1818 a larger addition (also of brick) was built. Mr. Brownfield kept the house until his death, when his widow and son, Nathaniel, assumed charge. Later,-about 1834,-Nathaniel came into possession, and has since been its landlord. The rooms in the old house are not all on a common level, and access from one to another is had by short flights of stairs. The walls are formed by the hewed logs of the build- ing, the interstices filled with clay or mortar, and the whole covered with many coatings of whitewash. The floors are of oak, but have several times been re- newed. A commodious yard in the rear of the house made it, in the palmy days of the old National road, a convenient and popular stopping-place for wagoners. In front there is an ancient sign-board, on the weather- beaten surface of which is still visible the figure of a swan, indicating the old-time name of the venerable Nathaniel Brownfield, from earliest infancy to the age of threescore and ten years.

The Eagle Hotel, on Main Street, west of Morgan- town Street, was built about 1818, by Ewing McCleary, on the lot which had previously been owned by Chris- tian Tarr. MeCleary was first licensed in 1819, and kept it as a hotel until his death. It is still kept as a public-house, and bears the original name of the Eagle, but is also well known as the Wyatt House.

The National Hotel, at the corner of Morgantown

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HISTORY OF BERGEN AND PASSAIC COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY.

and Fayette Streets, was built in 1817 by Judge Thomas Irwin as a pivate residence, but was after- wards adapted and opened as a hotel. It became fa- mous as a stage-house in the days when the well- equipped liues ran over the National road. It was purchased by the notorious Dr. Braddee, and was the place where he planned and executed the mail roh- bery which is mentioned more fully elsewhere in this history. In February, 1845, when James K. Polk, then President-elect of the United States, was trav- eling by stage over the National road to Washington, D. C., accompanied by his wife, they stopped a night at the National, where they held a reception in the evening for the people of Uniontown. The landlord of the house at that time was Joshua Marsh.

The hotel now known as the "Spottsylvania" was first opened as a tavern in 1816 by Zadoe Walker, who had been a resident of Uniontown for twenty years, having settled here in 1796. It was in this house that the Marquis de Lafayette was entertained on the occasion of his memorable visit here in 1825. Under different names the house has been constantly kept as a hotel from its first opening to the present time.

The Jennings House, on the northwest corner of Main and Arch Streets, was first opened as a hotel, though not under its present name, by James C. Sea- ton, who purchased the property nearly sixty years ago. Prior to the purchase Thomas Kibben had his residence on the lot. Since its opening by Seaton the house has been kept as a hotel constantly till the the present time.

The Clinton House, on Main Street next east of the court-house grounds, was built as a private resi- dence by the Hon. Andrew Stewart in 1835, as has been mentioned. After Mr. Stewart removed from it it was opened as a hotel by Andrew Byers, after whom came successively as proprietors, Stephen Snyder, - Craycroft, Isaac Kerr, Jesse B. Gardner, Springer & Renshaw, Calvin Springer, Bernard Winslow, Wil- liam Springer, and Joseph Wright.

The Fulton House, on Main Street opposite the Clintou, was built by Seth Howe, who owned and kept it. He was succeeded by William Thorndell, Calvin Springer, David Mahaney, Michael Carter, and James Moran.

INCORPORATION OF THE BOROUGH.

Uniontown was incorporated as a borough by an art of the Legislature of Pennsylvania, approved April 4, 1796, which provided and declared " That Uniontown, in the county of Fayette, shall be, and the same is hereby, ereeted into a borough which shall be called the borough of Uniontown, . . . " pro- eceding to define the boundaries. By the second sec- tion of the same act it was provided,-

"That the freemen of the said borough, who shall have re- sided within the same for the space of one whole year, and shall in other respects be entitled to vote for Members of the Gen-

eral Assembly of this Commonwealth, shall on the first Monday of May, in the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety- seven, and upon the same day yearly thereafter, meet together at some convenient place within the said borough, to he appointed as hereinafter directed, and shall then and there choose by bal- lot two reputable inhabitants of the said borough to he Bur- gesses ; one to he High Constable; one to be Town Clerk ; and two to advise, aid, and assist the said Burgesses in executing the duties and anthorities enjoined on and vested in them by this act, all of which persons shall be duly qualified to elcet as aforesaid ; that the Burgess who shall have the greatest number of votes shall be called the Chief Burgess ; and that until the said first Monday of May in the year one theusand seven hun- dred and ninety-seven, Ephraim Douglass and Alexander Mc- McClean he the Burgesses of the said borough, of whom Eph- raim Douglass shall he called Chief Burgess : that Jacob Knap shall be High Constable; Samuel King, Tuwn Clerk; and Jo- seph Huston and Thomas Collins, Assistants to the said Bur- gesses."

It is rendered impossible to make the early history of the borough complete, by the unfortunate destruction by fire, in 1851,1 of the Council rooms, with the records of that body from 1796 to 1842. The action of Coun- cil in reference to the laying out of streets ; the erec- tion and regulation of the old market-house; the first movement and subsequent action towards the or- ganization of a fire department ; the list of borough officers for nearly fifty years, and many other matters of interest were thus lost beyond recovery.

A reincorporation of the borough was effected in 1805 by an act, passed on the 2d of March in that year, which after reciting that "Whereas the inhabi- tants of the borough of Uniontown, in the county of Fayette, have petitioned for an alteration in the law incorporating said borough, stating that the existing law has been found upon experiment not so condneive to the good order, conveniency, and public utility of the borough as was expected," proceeded to enaet " That Uniontown aforesaid shall still continue and forever remain a borough under the name and title of 'The Borough of Union Town'; the extent and hounds of which shall continue as heretofore," and provided that in the future the qualified voters should elect as offi- cers of the borough "One reputable citizen residing therein, who shall be styled the burgess of the said bor- ough ; and nine reputable citizens, to be a town Coun-

1 On the 2d of July, 1851, between one and two o'clock P.M., a fire broke out in some of the rear buildings of the Eagle Hotel, which consumed a warehonse, the upper story of the market-honse, and several buildings on Morgantown Street. The following is from the minutes of the Cono- cil in reference to the action of that hody, at a meeting held on the day following that of the fire :

"Special Meeting, -, Jnly 3, 1851.

" A special meeting of the Council was called at nine o'clock, July 3d, by the President, to take into consideration the state of affairs io refer- ence to the fire yesterday afternoon, which consumed the Town Hall, Council Chamber, and all Records of the Borough on file," etc. The clerk reported "that miantes of the Council from May 16th, 1842, to the present have been saved from the fire." A committee was appointed to examine and report what was necessary to be done to repair the damage done to the building by the fire. Their report was adopted, and the re- pairs recommended were ordered. A contract for the same was awarded on the Sth of July following to Matthew Clark nt 8356.

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cil ; and shall also elect, as aforesaid, one reputable citizen as high constable." Further, the act granted a general extension of the powers and privileges of the borough, and repealed the original act of incor- poration. The powers and limits of the borough have since been extended at different times by act of As- sembly, the last of which having reference to Union- town was passed in February, 1873.

UNIONTOWN FROM 1806 TO 1825.

Some matters relative to the business and other history of Uniontown from 1806 to 1819 are given below, as found in the columns of the Genius of Lib- erty, which was established in the borough in 1805. Its issue of Dec. 3, 1806, contains the following no- tice:

"The Debating Society meets next Saturday even- ing at Mr. John Stidger's. The question then to be discussed is, 'Would it be good policy for the United States at the present time to enter into an alliance, offensive and defensive, with Great Britain.'

[Signed] "ONE OF THE MEMBERS."

In the Genius of Oct. 7, 1809, appears the advertise- ment of James Hutchinson, announcing that he kept for sale "a general assortment of boots and shoes two doors east of Dr. Robert McClure's Inn, opposite the court-house."

In April, 1812, Presley Miller advertised his busi- ness as a tailor, " at the corner house on Elbow Street, near the court-house, belonging to Gen. Meason." In the same year John Haynes advertised as a "cabinet and chair maker," and Moses Allen as a "Windsor chair" maker.

In January, 1813, Roberts & Co. advertised as tailors. Philip Creekbaum was a stone-cutter. Ben- jamin Hellen was carrying on the hatting business, "opposite the [old] market-house." In September of the next year he advertised that he kept a stock of dry-goods and groceries; and at the same time Ow- ings & Ebert announced that they had commenced the hatting business "in the shop lately occupied by Benjamin Hellen, opposite the market-house in Union- town, Pa." The dwelling of Benjamin Hellen was opposite the old Baptist Church. Peter Hook lived on the Morgantown road, farther south. He had pre- viously lived opposite the court-honse. He gave a dinner at his residence to Capt. Thomas Collins' company on the eve of their departure for the war in 1812. A drummer in that company was Feltie Souders, who lived in the log house where Mr. Clif- ford now lives. Abner Greenland, the potter, lived near the mill-race. Previously he had lived on the hill. Gilbert Stites, a shoemaker, lived on the corner, south of the present residence of E. Robinson. Next north was the dwelling of Lewis Lewis, a Revolution- ary soldier, whose wife kept a small bakery. His daughter, Mrs. Mary Clemmer, still lives on the property. John Hibben, Jr., a hatter. lived north of

the last-named place, at or near the intersection of Church and Morgantown Streets.

On the 31st of August, 1814, an advertisement in the local newspaper announced that " Mr. Manisca, late of Philadelphia, respectfully informs the ladies and gentlemen of Uniontown and its vicinity that he proposes teaching dancing and the French language on the following terms: Dancing, $10 per quarter, $5 entrance; French language, $15 per quarter. School commences as soon as a sufficient number of Scholars can be obtained."

The following items have been gathered from the recollections of Mr. Ewing Brownfield concerning the business and appearance of Uniontown from 1815 to 1818 :

East of Brownfield's " White Swan" tavern was the blacksmith-shop and scythe-manufactory of Nathaniel Mitchell. Later he moved to where Beeson's flour- ing-mill now stands, at the confluence of Redstone Creek and Campbell's Run, and there he erected a tilt-hammer, and continued in business for many years.

Next east of the blacksmith-shop above mentioned was a shoe-shop belonging to Christian Keffer (father of John Keffer, now living in Uniontown). Next was the residence of Nathaniel Mitchell, afterwards the residence of Dr. Lewis Marchand, and now owned by Mrs. E. B. Wood.

Maj. George Bentley carried on the saddlery busi- ness at the place where Mrs. William Wood now lives. John Stidgers carried on the hatting business in a house which is still standing, and occupied by Mrs. George Rutter. Stidgers was succeeded by John Hendricks. East of Stidgers was David Moreland's blacksmith-shop. Thomas MeKibben lived next east. His property was soon after purchased by James C. Seaton, who opened the honse as a tavern. It is now the Jennings House. On the opposite side of the alley from the tavern, and east of it, was a large yard used by wagoners. On the present site of the People's Bank, Daniel B. McCarty had a shoe-shop, with his dwelling in the rear. For many years he was the leading shoemaker of the town. John Cupp, a bar- ber, was located where Mr. Ewing Brownfield now lives. The lot where the Eagle Hotel now stands was then owned by Christian Tarr, who dug clay upon it for use in his pottery business. He soon after sold to Ewing McClary, who built the " Eagle" upon it. A log house standing on the lot next east was occupied by a Mr. Harrison as a bake-house and cake-shop. Passing on still eastward, the next establishment was Benjamin Hellen's dry-goods store. Next was Ben- jamin Campbell's silversmith-shop, and on the corner (where now is Moser's drug-store) was Jolin Camp- bell's place of business.

On the north side of the street, where now is John Wood's saddlery-shop, was a private residence. Next was the dwelling of Milly Fossett. On the south- west corner of Main and Morgantown Streets lived

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HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

Mrs. Lynch, widow of Cornelius Lynch, and mother of Daniel P. Lynch. She kept a cake and beer-shop on the same spot where, prior to 1800, her husband had a brewery.

Mr. Thomas Nesmith gives the following among his recollections of Uniontown at about the period before referred to :

The Genius of Liberty office at that time was in a frame building on the south side of Main Street, east of the Collins tavern stand. Gen. Henry Beeson was keeping a store where Isaac Beeson afterwards kept for many years. East of it lived Benjamin Miller, who afterwards kept a tavern in the east end of the town. Robert Skiles lived where now is Calvin Springer's store. Skiles' store was at the place now occupied by Hunt's jewelry-store.

At the time referred to (1815) Zadoc Walker's tavern (now the Spottsylvania House) was in process of erection. His son-in-law, Matthew Irwin, lived west of the tavern stand, where he kept a store. He was afterwards postmaster of Uniontown. Where the Jacob Miller property now is, there was then a brick house owned by the Springers. In that house a store was kept by Richard Berry. The old Jonathan Downer house stood on the corner, where in more recent years Thomas Skiles erected the Concert Hall Block. On the south side of the street, nearly mid- way between Morgantown Street and Broadway, was the saddlery-shop of John Lewis. Dr. Hugh Camp- bell kept a drug-store in the house built by himself, and afterwards occupied by Robert Modisett.

In 1815 there were two watch-houses in the borough, -one in the vicinity of the court-house, and one near the Thomas Collins tavern stand, at Main and Mor- gantown Streets.

that street and Broadway,-property later owned by Samuel Harah. John Barr, confectioner, and John Strayer, saddler, carried on their business at the old John Collins tavern stand (now the site of Commer- cial Block). Andrew Byers kept a public-house and James Lindsey a store in part of this same building. Lindsey's store was afterwards kept by his son-in-law, Samuel Clevinger.

Near where Mrs. Dr. Porter now lives, there was then a silversmith-shop, carried on by Hardesty Walker, a son-in-law of Silas Bailey. Jonathan Rowland, justice of the peace, occupied the brick house east of Dr. Ewing's present residence. Facing the court-house was a small shop kept by Nancy and Mary McCaccan, and well patronized by the children of the borough at that time.

On the south side of the main street above the bank building (now the Southwest Railroad depot) were the stores of George Ebbert, Hugh Thompson, Jacob Beeson, and Reuben and Ellis Bailey, the law-office of John Lyon, a succession of public-

houses, kept respectively by Mrs. Crawford, George Manypenny, and Samuel Salter, and a store kept by one " Doctor" Liekey. On the present Ewing prop- erty stood a number of dilapidated buildings occupied for various uses.

A number of items having reference to the business of the borough during the five or six years succeeding the close of the war of 1812-15 are given below, as gleaned from newspapers of that period :

In September, 1816, Thomas Young announced to the public that he "continues to carry on the fulling and dyeing and dressing of cloth at his former stand in Uniontown, and having employed an assistant in the business, who for the space of fifteen years past has been employed in the different factories in Wales," believed that he could give good satisfaction to cus- tomers.

In 1819 is found the announcement that " Charles Thirwell (recently from England) begs leave respect- fully to inform the inhabitants of Uniontown that he has commenced the business of joiner, house-car- penter, house-painter, and cabinet-maker."

May 15, 1819, David Shriver gives notice that he will attend at his office in Brownsville to receive pro- posals in writing for constructing the whole or any part of the road trom Uniontown to Washington, Pa. In the same year (June 1, 1819) Samuel Wolverton advertised that he had erected a carding-machine in the Uniontown mill, and would card all kinds of wool in the best manner and at short notice. On the same date Morgan A. Miller announced that he was carry- ing on the tailoring business " two doors west of Mr. McClelland's tavern," and George Manypenny adver- tised for " a steady boy to ride post two days of every week."

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History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 66

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885 Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co. Number of Pages: 1314

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 1314