Chapter I: Front Matter

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Stage-coach and Tavern Days

STAGE-COACH AND TAVERN DAYS

By ALICE MORSE EARLE

Author of _Home Life in Colonial Days_, _Child Life in
Colonial Days_, and other Social and Domestic
Histories of Colonial Times

"_Long ago, at the end of the route,
The stage pulled up, and the folks stepped out.
They have all passed under the tavern door--
The youth and his bride and the gray three-score.
Their eyes were weary with dust and gleam,
The day had gone like an empty dream.
Soft may they slumber, and trouble no more
For their eager journey, its jolt and roar,
In the old coach over the mountain._"

NEW YORK
THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
LONDON: MACMILLAN & CO., LTD.
1900

_All rights reserved_

COPYRIGHT, 1900,
BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY.

_Norwood Press
J. S. Cushing & Co.--Berwick & Smith
Norwood, Mass., U.S.A._

_TO MY HUSBAND HENRY EARLE_

Contents

Chapter Page

I. The Puritan Ordinary 1

II. Old-time Taverns 30

III. The Tavern Landlord 62

IV. Tavern Fare and Tavern Ways 76

V. Kill-devil and its Affines 100

VI. Small Drink 121

VII. Signs and Symbols 138

VIII. The Tavern in War 170

IX. The Tavern Panorama 194

X. From Path to Turnpike 223

XI. Packhorse and Conestoga Wagon 241

XII. Early Stage-coaches and Other Vehicles 253

XIII. Two Stage Veterans of Massachusetts 291

XIV. A Staging Centre 308

XV. The Stage-driver 320

XVI. The Romance of the Road 340

XVII. The Pains of Stage-coach Travel 361

XVIII. Knights of the Road 373

XIX. Tavern Ghosts 409

List of Illustrations

Travel in the South in the Thirties. From painting
by Edward Lamson Henry, N.A. _Frontispiece_

Page

Ordinary at Duxbury, Mass. 3

Taproom Furnishings of an Old Ordinary. Owned by Miss
Elizabeth Nicholson, Providence, R. I. 7

Oldest House in Easton, Mass.; once an Ordinary 10

Leather Black-jack 14

Tavern Bill against East Church, Salem, Mass. Owned by
Essex Institute 16

Taproom of Wayside Inn, Sudbury, Mass. 19

Buckman Tavern, 1690, Lexington, Mass. 23

Hound-handle Tavern Pitcher 26

Sign-board of Hayden Tavern, Essex, Conn. Owned by
Connecticut Historical Society 28

Indian Queen Tavern, Bladensburg, Md. From painting by
Edward Lamson Henry, N.A. _facing_ 32

Old Road House, Md. 34

Plate, City Hotel, N. Y., Staffordshire Ware 38

Cato's House, N. Y. From an old print 41

Washington Tavern, Westfield, Mass. 43

Door Latch, Washington Tavern, Westfield, Mass. 45

Wadsworth Inn, Hartford, Conn. Photographed by Mr. George
C. Atwell, Hartford, Conn. 47

Taproom, Wadsworth Inn, Hartford, Conn. 51

Fountain Inn, Medford, Mass. 54

Sign-board of N. Mowry's Inn, Lime Rock, R. I. Owned by
Miss Elizabeth Nicholson, Providence, R. I. 57

Pine-tree Tavern and Eagle Tavern, East Poultney, Vt. 59

Sign-board of Washington Hotel, Salem, Mass. Owned by
Essex Institute 63

Sign-board of Hays' Tavern, West Brattleboro, Vt. 65

Cooper Tavern, Arlington, Mass. 68

Travellers' Rest, Shelbyville, Ky., 1783 71

Miller's Tavern, Lancaster, Penn. 73

Ellery Tavern, front, Gloucester, Mass. 79

Ellery Tavern, lean-to, Gloucester, Mass. 83

Bill of Cromwell's Head Tavern, Boston, Mass. Owned
by Mrs. H. M. Hunt, Kingston, R. I. _facing_ 86

Bill of Fare of City Hotel, Hartford, Conn. Owned by
Mr. George F. Ives, Danbury, Conn. 89

Platter, Mendenhall Ferry and Tavern, Schuylkill River,
Penn. Owned by Miss Frances C. Morse, Worcester, Mass. 93

Collin's Tavern, Naugatuck, Conn. Photographed by Mr.
George C. Atwell, Hartford, Conn. 97

Old Rum Bottles 102

Burgoyne Tavern, Westfield, Mass. 106

Tavern Pitcher, Happy Farmer, Crouch Ware 109

Flip Glasses, Loggerhead and Toddy Stick. Owned by
Pocumtuck Valley Historical Association 110

Porcelain Monteith Bowl, 1700 115

Punch Bowl, bearing Insignia of Order of the Cincinnati,
Chinese Ware 117

Sign-board of Amherst Hotel, Amherst, Mass. From History
of Amherst 123

Eagle Tavern and Sign-board, Newton, N. H. 126

Cider Pitcher and Cups, Copper Lustre Ware 129

Parsons' Tavern, Springfield, Mass. 131

Toby Fillpots, Staffordshire Ware. Owned by Miss Frances
C. Morse, Worcester, Mass. 134

Flip Glasses and Nutmeg Holders. Owned by Miss Frances
C. Morse, Worcester, Mass. 136

Sign-board, Stratton Tavern, Northfield Farms, Mass. Owned
by Pocumtuck Valley Historical Association 140

Sign-board, Three Crowns Tavern, Salisbury, Lancaster
County, Penn. Painted by Benjamin West 143

Browne's Hall, Danvers, Mass. 145

Hat Tavern and Sign-board, Leacock Township, Lancaster
County, Penn. Sign-board painted by Benjamin West 147

Sign-board, Bissell's Tavern, East Windsor, Conn. Owned
by Miss Emma B. King, Indianapolis, Ind. 151

Sign-board, Reverse Side, Bissell's Tavern, East Windsor,
Conn. Owned by Miss Emma B. King, Indianapolis, Ind. 153

Sign-board of William Pitt Tavern, Lancaster, Penn. 156

Sign-board, Doolittle Tavern 158

Sign-board, "A Man loaded with Mischief," London, Eng.
Painted by Hogarth _facing_ 160

Sign-board of Walker's Tavern, Charlestown, N. H. Owned
by Worcester Society of Antiquity 162

Drawing for Ames Sign-board, Dedham, Mass. 165

Buck Horn Tavern, N. Y., 1812. From an old print 168

Old North Bridge, Concord, Mass. _facing_ 172

Boston Liberty Tree and Tavern. From an old print 174

Stavers Inn, Portsmouth, N. H. 176

Handbill of Wolfe Tavern, Newburyport, Mass. _facing_ 178

Sign-board of Wolfe Tavern, Newburyport, Mass. 180

Hancock Tavern, Boston, Mass. 182

Sam Fraunces. From original drawing. Owned by Mrs. A.
Livingstone Mason, Newport, R. I. 184

Green Dragon Tavern, Boston, Mass. From an old print 187

Conkey Tavern, Pelham, Mass. From History of Pelham _facing_ 188

Sign-board of Conkey Tavern. From History of Pelham 190

Naval Pitcher, Liverpool Ware 192

Washington Tavern, North Wilbraham, Mass. 196

Black Horse Tavern, Salem, Mass. 199

Sign-board, Stickney Tavern, Concord, N. H. Owned by New
Hampshire Historical Society 203

Sign-board of Keeler's Tavern, Ridgefield, Conn. 205

Plate, Nahant Hotel, Staffordshire Ware 206

Sign-board of Wolfe Tavern, Brooklyn, Conn. Owned by
Connecticut Historical Society 211

Postlethwaite's Tavern, Lancaster County, Penn. 214

Sign-board of Pembroke Tavern, Plymouth Turnpike, Mass.
Owned by Bostonian Society 217

Map Pitcher, Liverpool Ware 220

Waiting at the Ferry. Painted by Edward Lamson Henry,
N.A. _facing_ 226

Old Chain Bridge, Newburyport, Mass. _facing_ 230

Bridge Toll-board. Owned by Mr. A. G. Richmond,
Canajoharie, N. Y. 233

Megunticook Turnpike 235

Advertisement of Mail-stage 236

Bridge Sign-board. Owned by Bucks County Historical
Society 239

A Wayside Friend, North Conway, N. H. From photograph
by T. E. M. and G. H. White _facing_ 242

Conestoga Wagon. Photographed from an old wagon _facing_ 246

Stage Wagons. From print in an old English story book 251

English Coach, 1747. From a painting by Hogarth 254

Quicksilver Royal Mail, 1835, London, Eng. From an old
print _facing_ 256

"One Hoss Shay" _facing_ 258

"Washington" Chariot. Owned by Misses Francis, Spring
Green Farm, Warwick, R. I. 259

Advertisement of Stage Lines. From first issue of New
York _Commercial Advertiser_, 1797 261

Stage-coach of 1818. From an old print 264

Stage-coach of 1828. From an old print 265

Concord Coach, built in 1863. Owned by "Buffalo Bill" 266

Concord Coach at Toll-gate. From photograph owned by
Major Lewis Downing, Jr., Concord, N. H. _facing_ 268

Advertisement of Pioneer Line Stage-coaches 278

The Omnibus "Accommodation" between Springfield and
Chicopee Falls, 1843 273

Notice of Post-rider, 1799 276

Old Mail-coach and Sign-board, Barre, Mass., 1840 280

Pitcher, Quincy Railway, Staffordshire Ware 284

Veazie Railway, Bangor, Me. From an old print 286

The Arrival of the Train. From a painting by Edward
Lamson Henry, N.A. _facing_ 288

Uncle Ame Morris's Oxen serving as Locomotive. From
an old print 289

Pease Tavern, Shrewsbury, Mass. 292

Old Arcade, Shrewsbury, Mass. 294

Harrington Tavern, Shrewsbury, Mass. 299

Balch Tavern, Shrewsbury, Mass. 301

Advertisement of Ginery Twichell's Stage Lines. Owned
by American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, Mass. _facing_ 304

Ginery Twichell's Ride. From drawing owned by Mr.
Frederick A. Currier, Fitchburg, Mass. 306

Sign-board of Tarleton Inn, Piermont, Cohos Turnpike,
N. H. Owned by Mr. Amos Tarleton, Haverhill, N. H. 310

Sign-board, Reverse, of Tarleton Inn, Piermont, N. H.
Owned by Mr. Amos Tarleton, Haverhill, N. H. 312

Bliss's Tavern, Haverhill, N. H. 314

Old Sleigh with Double Dashboard 316

Old Passenger Pung 318

Relay House, Dorchester, Mass. 321

The Relay. From painting by Edward Lamson Henry, N.A. _facing_ 324

View of Middletown, Conn. From an old print 327

Deerhide and Pigskin Trunks 331

Old Carpet Bag. Owned by Mrs. Voice Adams Beecher,
Brooklyn, N. Y. 333

Sign-board of David Reed's Tavern, Bedford, Mass. Owned
by Concord Antiquarian Society 337

Midsummer along the Pike _facing_ 344

A Vista of White Birches 346

The Hollyhock's Promise 348

The Cool Depths of the Pine Woods. From photograph by
T. E. M. and G. H. White _facing_ 348

Taylor's Tavern, 1777, Danbury, Conn. 350

M. M. Taylor's Milestone, Danbury, Conn. 351

Peleg Arnold's Milestone, Woonsocket, R. I. From
photograph by Mr. Edward Field, Providence, R. I. 352

The Watering Trough 355

Topsfield Bridge, 1760. Ipswich River, Mass. 357

The Shadowy Water under the Arches. From photograph
by T. E. M. and G. H. White _facing_ 358

Winter Stage, Dalton, Mass. _facing_ 362

Winter Stage, Chepachet. From photograph by Mr. Edward
Field, Providence, R. I. 364

Advertisements of Carriages and Wagons. From
Connecticut _Journal_, July 3, 1815 _facing_ 368

A Wet Start at Daybreak. From a painting by Edward
Lamson Henry, N.A. _facing_ 370

The Wayside Inn, Sudbury, Mass. _facing_ 372

Sign-board, Perkins Inn, Hopkinton, N. H. Owned by
Mr. E. R. Guerin, Hopkinton, N. H. 375

Russel Tavern, Arlington, Mass. 379

Sign-board of Gifford's Tavern, Barrington, R. I. Owned
by Mrs. Gifford, Bristol, R. I. 381

Sign-board of Wells Tavern, Greenfield Meadows, Mass.
Owned by Pocumtuck Valley Historical Association 382

Mattapan Tavern, Relay House 389

Wilde Tavern, Milton, Mass., 1770 391

Ashburnham Thief Detecting Society. Handbill Heading 393

Sign-board of Humphrey Williams Tavern, Centrebrook,
Conn. Owned by Mr. George F. Ives, Danbury, Conn. 396

Sign-board, Reverse, of Humphrey Williams Tavern,
Centrebrook, Conn. Owned by Mr. George F. Ives,
Danbury, Conn. 400

Poor Tavern and Sign-board, Newburyport, Mass. 405

Monroe Tavern, Lexington, Mass. _facing_ 406

Sign-board, Dewey Tavern 411

Sign-board, Cutter's Tavern, Jaffray, N. H. Owned by
Mrs. Anna Cutter Roberts, Roxbury, Mass. 412

Banjo Clock, with Painting of Pahquoique House on Glass
Door. Owned by Mr. George F. Ives, Danbury, Conn. 414

Wright Tavern, Concord, Mass. 417

Sign-board of Moses Hill's Inn, Douglas, Mass. 419

Sign-board of John Nash's Tavern, Amherst, Mass. From
History of Amherst 421

Montague City Tavern 425

Old Abbey, Bloomingdale Road, New York 428

After the Shower. From painting by Edward Lamson
Henry, N. A. _facing_ 430

Tavern Pitcher, Apotheosis of Washington. Liverpool Ware 430

Sign-board of Grosvenor Inn, Pomfret, Conn. 432

The Parting of the Ways, Dublin, N. H. _facing_ 434

Stage-coach and Tavern Days