The Portland daily press., 1882-07-03
The Old Broad Tavern.

The Womans Temperance Union purposes
bo,dino a strawberry festival at this famous old
hostelry in Stroudwater, on the Fourth OF July.
The house has been closed to the public over
forty years, but was once the most popular
place of resort between Portland and Boston.
Here it was that our forefathers put up over
night on their way from Boston to Portland by
Barnard's stage line which was advertised in
the Eastern Herald of January Goth 1887, as
| folowE
"Jossph Barnard, stage proprietor, informs
| the public that the Portland Mail Stage SETS
off from Mr. Motley's tavern, in this town
every Saturday morning: arrives on Monday
| at Portsmouth, where he meets the Boston
stage, leaves Portsmouth on Tuesday ana ar
riyes in Portland on Thursday. Those Ladies
| and Gentlemen who choose this expeditions
| cheap and commodious way OF stage travelling,
| will please to lodge their names with Mr. Mot
! ley any time previous to the stages leaving his
| house. .
Price for one persons passage the whole dis
lance 20s, baggage I'd for every pound above
H."
This was the first mail and passenger route
established in the State, and to show how lex
pedtious' it was, it should be stated, that the
stage left Portsmouth in the morning, and lum-
bered down to k, nebunk the first day, where
the tired travellers put up for the night, TAX
ing sundry mugsEof flip, of which they had two
sorts, before going to bed. The most highly
priced of these IT, q sorts of flip. was said to
contain newly laid egg, to be sweetened with
loaf sugar and stirred with silver spoon;
while the cheaper sort had no egg. was sweet
ened with molasses and stirred with a wooden
spoon. The second morning the travellers
arose early and resumed their Journey, reach
ing Breads Tavern at night, and this popular
house afforded such tempting inducements
to the wayfarer that instead of driving into
town, the stage stopped there over night, and
on the morning of the third day after leaving
Portsmouth. rolled into town in grand style,
the driver blowing his horn most vigorously,
the admiration of those who we're up early
enough to witness its advent. For fourteen or
fifteen years after this first advertisement Of
Barnards appeared it took four days journey
to reach Boston, and yet this was regarded as
an expeditions and commodious" way of trav-
elling. The Broad House was the most ia
NOUS tavern Of its time. Motley whose tsv-
ern is mentioned in the advertisement of Bar
nard, and who was an ancestor OF the historian,
kept popular house in the city, and in 1895
may be found in the Eastern Herald the ad-
vertisement of the Columbian Tavern, by Ca
Ieb GRAHAM, who
presents his respects to his friends and
the public, and informs them that he has
just opened a tavern opposite the jail.
He datters himself that those who honor him
with their Gu stom will meet with perfect Salts
faction. He will constantly keep wines and
other liquors of the best quality that can be
procured. His bed chambers are well fur
nished and convenient for dodgers and boarders
his tables shall be as we'll supplied as the mar
ket will admit, and he has good proveuder for
horses The best attendance shall be given, and
no exertions shall be spared to render the Co
lumbar TAVERN as agreeable to the weary
traveller and gentleman of leisure as any in
town.
This is a fair sample of the advertisements
of landlords hundred years ago, and does not
at all exaggerate the comforts of one of these
old inns. With great open fires in the winter
jolly companionship, clean beds, and the most
substantial living, they were truly alluring
places for the wayfarer to rest at season. The
opening of the Broad Tavern on the Fourth to
the public will afford them a rare treat.