The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1926-03-04
NED MEMORIES OF
lid NATIONAL HIGHWAY
Historical Facts Not Hitherto
Published Recalled by Aged
Salisbury (Pa.) Lady.
y P. L. Livengood, in Meyefsdale
Republican.


Some time ago the writer had the
great pleasure of spending night
and portion of a day with U. o. Bloch
er and his sisters, Mary and Sabina,
who conduct a popular hotel at Little
Crossings, less than a mile east of
Grantsville, Md, on the National
Pike. Their hostelrie has name that
appeals strongly to tourists, namely:
Dixie Tavern" The house is large
one and also very old, having been
built 1O6 years ago. 1t has been
completely renovated and remodeled,
however, and today has modern con-
veniences, with just enough of the
olden-time appearance left to create
special interest in the house and it's
surroundings, which are all very pic
turesque. After the writer's recent
visit to Dixie Tavern he made some
mention of it in his writings, which
revived old memories in at least one
person who has favored him with
=. some intensely interesting reminiscent
ce1 concerning Dixie Tavern and its
SUI rroundings.
Several histories of the National
Y ike have been written, of which Hon.
! {. B. Searight's is the most complete.
1t is valuable and interesting work.
but it was not written until 1894, a
date long after much of the famous
old roads early history and been for
gotten, and many of those who fig
ured prominently in making the roads
early history had passed away, it is
but natural that the Starlight history
is not as complete as it would have
been if the author had compiled the
work before he was himself an old
man.
In it's account of the taverns and
tavern keepers, the Starlight history
makes the following statement:
"There was no tavern at Little Cross
ings previous to the year 1886. Sub
sequent to that date tavern was es-
tablished there by Alexander Carlisle.
His house was a large frame struc-
ture on the south side of the road, sub
sequently kept by John and Samuel
McCurdy, and later at different times
by David Johnson, VIM. Dawson, Eli
sha Brown, Jacob Conrad and David
Mahoney. Although nearly twenty
ears elapsed from the building of the
road before any landlord at Little
Crossings beckoned the weary travel
er to rest and refreshment, neverthe-
less, thereafter, and until business
ceased on the line, the locality pre-
scented many and rare attractions"
Historian Starlight was evidently
not well posted on the tavern history
of Little Crossings, as George Mat
thews, who died many years ago at
Selbysport, Nd, conducted tavern
there as early as 1882, and he was
probably the first ,tavern-keeper to
entertain the travelling public at that
place. Who erected the tavern, the
writer is unable to state, but Mr.. Mat
thews kept tavern in the same build
ing now known as "Dixie Tavern" and
the old tavern-keepers mentioned in
the foregoing paragraph also were
proprietors of the same house in later
years at different times.
The writer is indebted to Mrs. Ellen
Glotfelty, of Salisbury, for the follow
ing interesting information concern
ing the early years of Dixie Tavern,
when that hostelrie was conducted as
a public house by her father, George
Matthews, who seems to have been
the first tavern-keeper at Little Cross
ings. Although Mrs. Glotfelty is al
most 80 years old, her memory is still
exceedingly good, and the information
she gives was related to her by her
J, parents and frequently discussed by
them with each other in her presence.
Mrs. Glotfelty does not recall what
name Dixie Tavern went by when her
parents conducted it. She has no rec
ELECTION of ever hearing her parents
mention the house by hotel name,
but often heard her mother relate that
she (Mrs, Matthews) was born in
1916, married at the age of 16 and
that she and her husband went to
housekeeping in 1882 at Little Cross
ings, where Mr.. Matthews conducted a
tavern in the same building which la
= ter was known as the old Stanton
mansion, and is now known as Dixie
Tavern.
They conducted the house as tav-
ern, and Mr.. Matthews at the same
time also conducted a general store
and blacksmith shop at Little Cross
ings. The store was few feet east
of the tavern on the same side of the
road, and the blacksmith shop a short
distance west on the same side. Mr..
Matthews purchased his store from a
man named Fielding Shepherd. His
blacksmith shop was conducted by
David Compton, brother of Mrs
Matthews. Mrs. Glotfelty states that
her parents conducted a hotel at Lit
tie Crossings from 1882 up to about
1912, and during that time entertained
Generals Andrew Jackson, Santa Ana
and thirty prominent Indians.