The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-09-30
OLD NATIONAL ROAD
SOME OF THE TAVERNS THAT WERE
KEPT In THE EARLY DAYS
Ruins of One Now Standing Near Iry-
ingtOn-A Barn That Henry
Clay Admired.

The present condition of East Washington
street between Indianapolis and %Irvington
brings to mind the Wings campaign BAN
ner OF 1910, which had on it a painting of
a stagecoach upset in the mud with Van
Buren, standing outside exclaiming, Good
God! is this the National road?' Since Van
Buren's time there nave been plenty of
others ready to exclaim the same thing.
For the past few years the road has been
in a chronic state Of repairs until way
farers have been tempted to wish for the
old toil-gate and the scent charge. This
summer it seemed in a fair way to be-
coming a smooth road, when 1t was dis
covered that it was entirely too high;
straightway the work of lowering 1t was
commenced and the sanguine suburban
citizen who had hoped to drive to town in
peace bumps patiently off and on the car
track, over and through improvements
and improving machines. But constant re-
pairing probably means final perfection,
and there are those who can testify to it's
superiority over the Did Cumberland road,
as it was called fifty years ago, from the
fact that it runs from Cumberland, Md,
to st. Louis.
Hon. George w. Julian tells how. in 1916,
it took him twenty-five hours to come from
~ NA0 RAC
horses hoofs sank down one or two feet
at every step in the thick, yellow clay and
the passengers spent a good part of the
time prying the wagon out Of the mud
with fence rails. The safest and quickest
vehicle for getting over the road in those
days was a box made of timber withed to-
gether and put on wagon wheels. In this
the driver, the mail, and one or two pas
sengers would go triumphantly through the
mud, jolting over the pole bridges.
Those who have lived on the road all
their lives say that instead of the National
road, 1t would have been more appropri-
ately named the Road of Nations" for it
was for many years lined with travellers.
movers from the old world, as well as
from the Eastern and Middle States. 1t
was a common sight to see a long line of
wagons and vehicles of every sort slowly
journeying westward. Sometimes, too. it
was a band OF ~stragglers returning to the
East. having gone through the fever and
out with them. Later, when a. corduroy
road was laid. the mail and stage coaches
made regular trips along it.
Until within the last few years many Of
the old taverns still stood. But the tearing
down and moving, a few weeks ago, of
parts of the Blythe homestead leaves only
one old. disused tavern to bear witness to
the days of mud roads and stage. coaches
along the whole length of the road. from
place, opposite Colonel S~treight's late res
Streights. was built fifty years ago by
benjamin Blythe, who for many years
kept a first.ciass tavern there. The house
was much better equipped than the ordi-
nary. and distinguished guests have been
entertained beneath it's roof When Henry
Clay came to indianapolis. in 1912, he
stopped there over night. The great barn
on the premises pleased him so much that
he had drawings made of it, in order to
have a. similar one built on his farm in
Ashland, Ky The barn has long since
disappeared and the big. barnlike house
mas stood vacant for the greater part of
the lime in late years. The useless size
mas now been diminished, and what Is left
Of it has been moved down nearer the
street, where it can get a better view OF
modern iocomotion.
Further east on the west bank of Pleasant
run is the place where, until within the
last TWO years, the weather-beaten old
mouse stood In which Samuel Shank kept
tavern befor &c the war. Then 1t was a new
wooden building. with a swinging sign.
This house offered special Accommodation
In the shape OF. a movers ROOM" an
empty room where, for so cents, as many
as could crowd in were privileged to spend
the night At times ave and six families