36
COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES OLD IN N S
The history o f Pennsylvania shows that (he taverns o f this State were many and good, especially after the Revolution. These taverns or inns were generally kept by the most prom inent citizen of the town and were not simply drinking places, but the center o f social life fo r the inhabitants. T he better class o f taverns usually bad a parlor fo r the women, with an open fireplace, from which (he roaring fire cast grateful warmth and cheerful illumi nation. NIost of these parlors were well fu r nished and served as a place o f resort fo r the fam ily of the innkeeper as well a s the traveler's w ife or daughter. T he taproom was usually the largest room of the inn, had a bar, a great fireplace, and was furnished with wooden benches and tables. Often there w as a rude writing desk fo r the accommodation of the early traveling sales man or lawyer. One of the furnishings of the fireplace was a pair o f smoking tongs, to pul] a coal o f fire from the embers fo r the pipes of the habitues. Of the drinks that were served here and the meals partaken much has been written by others, so wc will pass over that part and give a brief list of the prominent taverns or inns o f Columbia and Montour counties. One of the first inns w as that o f Frederick H ill, who built on the site of Fort Jenkins, east o f Bloomsburg on the road to Berwick. H e and his son ran it for many years. When the stagecoaches came into constant use in 1799 Abram M iller built the "H alf-W ay H ouse," where horses were changed on the journey between-the two towns. Probably the oldest tavern on the south side of the Susquehanna was the Red T avern, built in 1 8 ^ by John Rbodeiibergcr on the crest o f Locust mountain. F o r almost a decade he catered to the immense traffic along the old Reading road. An inn still stands on the site in 19 14 . more than a hundred years later. Another inn w as built about the same time at the foot o f Buck mountain on the other R ead ing road, by Adam Michael. When (nis Reading road was in its high tide o f prosperity (here were two inns located on it that were famous all over this section. One w as the hostcliy o f John Yeager, at Slab town. and the other Casper Rhoads' tavern, at Rhoadstown. A n inn stood on the road from Bloomsburg to Danville at the spot now called Grovania (then bearing the title o f R idgevillc), but the name of the proprietor has passed aw ay with
the building. In 1838, when the coaches ran to every point out o f Danville, there were four inns at Washingtonville, all o f which did a rushing business. Probably the most interesting of the old irms now remaining in this part of the State is the one from which the village o f W hite Hal) incd its name. The first inn here was the Red orse Inn, built in 18 10 by Andrew Schooley, but it was razed some years later to make way for a storeroom. White H all Inn w as built in 18 18 by Capt. John F . Derr, and rebuilt in 1849 by Ferdinand Ritter, who had the ambition to make it a famous resort for travelers. It is probably the most elaborately carved building in this section of Pennsyl vania, the work being done by Samuel Brugler o f Jerseytown. O ver the wide porch is a panel o f some length, depicting an eagle hold ing two .American flags and standing upon two cannon. Above the door is a large piece o f scrollwork, while on each side are antastic animal heads. The panels of the door are also hand-car'cd, as arc also the capitals of the fine Corinthian columns. When in its prime, and with a coat o f pure white paint upon it. this inn must have presented an im>osing appearance to the arriving traveler, ivcn in its last days o f decay and neglect it ins an impressive dignity that makes it overs.tadow the more modem structures around it. T he well from which many a traveler watered his weary horse is still in use by the side of the road in front of the old note), which is now owned and occupied by John Q. McWilliams. In the larger towns there were many inns of more or less repute, chief among them being the Cross K eys and Golden Lamb, at B e rw ick; the Forks Inn and O iam bcrlain's Hotel, at Bloom sburg: the Susquehanna House, still standing at C ataw issa; and the F e rry Tavern, the Jackson Tavern, the Cross K e ys Inn, and the Rising Sun Inn. at Danville.
S
POSTRIOERS— POST OFFICES
Before the establishment o f post offices and mail routes the public had to depend on the casual traveler to communicate in writing with friends and relatives in other parts of the State. The first postridcrs were men who embarked in the carrying o f n u il for their own gain, and many different rates were charged. accor<ling to distance and condition of the roads. In 1773 Hugh Fin lay w as made postal surveyor by the English government over the lerritorv* from Canada to Florida,
