Donated by Marta Burns, thank you Marta!
[Marta Burns]
At the September term of court, 1783, John Adams was licensed and kept a
tavern till 1789. John Colwell was licensed in 1784. At the September
term, 1785, Hugh Means, Samuel Acklin and William Falconer were licensed.
Ackline kept tavern till 1788, Falconer till 1791. William Meetkirke, who
was for many years justice of the peace, kept tavern where Mrs McFarland
now lives from June, 1786 to 1793. Major George McCormick, who purchased
large tracts of land in the northern part of the county, was licensed to
keep tavern in Washington in 1788. The following quotation from Colonel
John May's JOURNAL, page 99, refers to his house:
"Thursday, August 7, 1788, set out from hotel at four o'clock and at half
past eight arrived at Maj George McCormick's in Washington where we
breakfasted. This is an excellent house where our New England men put
up."
Hugh Wilson, son of James Wilson, was licensed in September, 1789; John
McMichael and John Purviance in 1790. The latter owned lot 278 where the
Fulton House now stands. He kept tavern as late as 1808 but resided here
till the summer of 1817 when he removed to Claysville and laid out the
town in that year.
Charles Valentine purchased the lot on which Valentine House now stands
and built upon it a log house which he opened as a tavern upon receiving
his license at the September term of court in 1791. This house, named
"The White Goose," he kept till 1805 when he went to other business and
died in 1809. It was kept by John Retteg/Rettig from 1806 to 1810 and
opened as "The Golden Swan." Juliana Valentine kept it from 1810 to 1819.
In June, 1819, John Valentine advertised that he had just opened the
house at the sign of "The Golden Swan." Later it was kept by Lewis
Valentine and in March, 1825, John Hays opened it. In March, 1827, it was
kept by Isaac Sumny with the sign of "Washington Hall." Its changes have
been numerous but it is the oldest tavern site in the town. It is now
known as "The Valentine House" and is kept by William F Dickey.
Michael Kuntz was licensed in September, 1791, and kept one year where
Vowell's drug store now stands. J Neilson, John Fisher, Samuel McMillan,
and John Ferguson were each licensed in December, 1793; Daniel Kehr/Kerr
in 1795.
Joseph Huston, a cousin of William Huston, was licensed in January, 1796,
and opened a tavern on the east side of Main Street below Maiden at the
sign of "The Buck." He kept there till 1812 and his widow, Elizabeth,
succeeded him. She kept a short time there, rented the property to James
Sargent who continued till April, 1815, when she again became hostess and
kept it till after 1820.
James Workman was licensed in 1797. He opened a house of entertainment
which he kept till 1813 when he retired to a farm out of town. In April,
1816, he advertised that he had opened a public house at at the sign of
"General Andrew Jackson" on the west side of Main Street just below the
sign of "The Globe."
Samuel Thomas was licensed to keep a tavern in September, 1797. He
purchased lot 18 and in this year opened a tavern upon it. After a year
he rented it to David Morris who soon after purchased it, receiving his
deed in 1804. From the time he took possession of the property till his
death in 1834, the house was known as "The Globe Inn."
Lot 18 was first sold by David Hoge to Alexander Cunningham in May, 1784,
who conveyed it to Samuel Shannon, 30th of August the same year. On the
25th of May, 1804, Shannon conveyed to David Morris all his right, title
and interest. The deed has not passed in all these years on the 2d of
June of that year a deed was made from Mr Hoge to David Morris. He was
licensed first in 1798, and opened The Globe tavern where John Allen now
lives on Main Street. After the house came into his possession it was
enlarged and improved, and became known as one of the best hotels between
Washington, DC, and Wheeling. This famous hotel was kept by David Morris
until his death, January 1, 1854. It was then continued by his widow a
short time and the property was sold to Thomas Morgan who kept the post
office there the latter part of his term.
An account of the many famous dinners served in "The Globe Inn" would be
tedious. The last incident of any moment in connection with the old
tavern occurred in 1833. On the 16th of April, 1833, Lieutenant T W
Alexander of the United States Army having in charge as prisoners of war
the renowned Black Hawk and five other Indians of the Sac and Fox tribes,
arrived in this place by one of the stages on the National Road being on
their way to the seat of government. They were all head men of their
tribes who were taken prisoner by General Atkinson during the war of the
summer previous.
The names of the Indians were: Ma-ka-tai-mesh-she-ka-kai, or Black Hawk;
We-pe-kie-shich, or The Prophet; Nai-po-pe, or Broth; Mesh-she-was-kuck,
son of Black Hawk; Pa-me-ho-its, brother of The Prophet; Pa-we-shich, son
of The Prophet.
An accident occurred to the stage coming down Market Street in which
Sergeant Greene, one of the party, had his arm broken above the elbow,
and Black Hawk, his son, and the son of The Prophet were slightly hurt.
The accident caused a delay of several days and gave "our citizens the
opportunity of gratifying their curiosity with the sight of these
celebrated wild sons of the forest, who had so recently caused such
terror and distress to a portion of our pioneer settlers in the Far
West."
History of Washington County, Pennsylvania: with biographical sketches
of many of its pioneers and prominent men / edited by Boyd Crumrine.
Illustrated. Philadelphia: L.H. Everts and Co., 1882. P494
Historic Pittsburgh
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