The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-12-18
Old National Road Hotel Keepers.


Mr.. EDITOR In communities
ti0n some time since published in
your instructive and acceptable jour.
nal, descriptive of the old-time hotel
SYSTEM on the late National Road.
another article, or a series, if neces-
-ary, was promised, in reference to
the personnel of the most noted of the
hotel keepers themselves. They are
now all dead with few except ons.
Most of them were known to the
writer in early life personally, and
the rest by tradition, rs it were.
They were a very influential class of
people, because they were great con-
sumers, and afforded market for
nearly the whole product of the neigh
boring country. Some of them were
prominent citizens in the different
relations of life; Others were AFRO
giant, boisterous, or rough. Nearly
every person had something to do
with the hotel keepers; indeed they
were both deferred to and feared, es-
pecially i'm the more early times.
shall treat of those who lived
and acted in what is now Garrett
county, commencing at its eastern
limits with William Conrad. who for
many years kept the cavern" on the
eastern slope of Savage Mountain.
afterwards at the "Sand Spring."
He was q respectable man, and kept
a like hotel, noted for plentiful
table of substantial and even delicate
fare. He was the last survivor of
the jury that convicted George Swear
ingen of wife-murder in 1929. He
was once or more county commits
siOner. and held other public trusts.
He died in Frostburg soon after the
war, very old man, glad to say
much respected. After Conrad Jesse
w. CLANCY kept the same house
(Iong since demoishedj for some
years. He then went into the lum-
her manufacturing as pioneer on
Blue Lick, in the primitive mode,
with Oversh0t-WhPel and gang saw,
with capacity of 1900 feet of pine
plank per day, in shOwery weather.
Chaney'S mill has r0tted down, but
he still survives. a number of season
abrve his four score. No man is
more known i'm the two counties than
Jesse w. CLANCY.
The next ip order was the Drum
ley Inn" upon the property now
owned hy the johnson Brothers.
Aaron Heckrote kept this place for
number of years. also the RecknOr
house, three miles west. Heckrote
Was well and favnrahly known in his
'lay. He passed. away many years
ago. The most prominent keeper of
this hotel Was TnnnIaS Beall, a MEM
her of the ancient aud WelI-knOWn
Brall family of AIlpgary county.
He presided here several years, made
money, novel to Missouri half
century ago, lost 1t, and returned to
Frosthurg poor. Went to hotel keep
ing again and merchandising. and
was in few years again in good cir
He lived retired life
for Il number of his last years, and
died soon after the late war, much
respected aud regretted by all good
people. He was honest, true, and
upright IA sterling man in all the
traits of a good citizen. The next in
order is John Recknor, who began
and ended his career as inn-keeper at
The ;Ild RecknOr stand six miles west
Of FrOsthur9. where he Gied in 1851,
not much over 80 years of age Just
II few years before the decline of the
old National Road. Recknor dres-
srd and keLt himself neat and clean.
II is was wagon stand mainly, yet
he kent it orderly, though he had
to he little disorderly
in doing 90. Recknor was some
what by nature and more so by cir
bOister0us. A dozen or
more noisy teanlsters and "pig. pei.
Iers" in bar room of a winters
night needed tyrant to keep them
IN bounds. He WAS always ably and
rps0luteiy sustained in his emergen.
'ies l'y his wife Polly. who was not
The most effeminate woman of her
time. She was efficient in all parts
IF the house, and branches of the
business, which she conducted for
some years after the death of her
husband. 1t was conceded Polly was
an expert in getting up a square
meal. Her biscuits we've famous
from one end of the road to the other.
She died only few years ago at
great age, on Negro Mountain, very
poor and almost neglected, sorry to
lay. Truly she had her ups and
downs, first the sweet end of life, and
,a-iiy the bitter.
We pass on through the "shades of
4. u