The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1931-10-08
PART III.

PART III.
In the same general neighborhood
as Braddock's Grave you will come to
large, modern-looking hotel by the
side of the road. This was built in
1922, and was a tavern. 1t later be-
came a private residence. 1t is now
a hotel. The building itself is not
particularly interesting, but in front
of it is the only original stone marker
between Cumberland and Wheeling.
1t bears the inscription: SO M. to
Union; SO to Cumb.," which may be
translated as 8 miles to Uniontown;
So miles to Cumberland.
The next ridge crossed is Chalk
Hill, named for the white clay found
there. There is an old tavern or two
on top. In fact, so numerous are these
old taverns that practically any house
along the road that looks as though
it had been constructed before the
World War is likely to prove an old
tavern.
The next ridge, Laurel Hill, some
times called Chestnut Ridge, has a
long approach, with a big hotel on
the top that looks like country club.
This is the Summit Hotel, and you
can take it from me that it is not a
hot-dog stand. From the hotel grounds
and from the hotel itself you can get
almost an airplane picture of Union
town, down in the next valley.
The grade that begins at the hotel
and goes down for three miles is one
that must be bit trying to drivers
who are accustomed to fiat country
only At the bottom of the slope is
on old bridge built solidly right down
to where the water goes through. 1t
is a massive thing and one wonders
why this is necessary. The hollow
that it crosses has been known from
the early days of the road as The
Turkeys Nest.
Having crossed the ridge, the trav-
eler can congratulate himself that he
has crossed the backbone of the noun
tains. The general grade from here
on into Wheeling is downward. Of
course, there are still hills to be
crossed, but they are of the small,
everyday, miscellaneous sort.
Just before entering Uniontown you
pass through Hopwood. This town
probably never had more than 800 in
habitants at one time in its whole ex-
istence, but during the early days of
the pike, when the town was called
Monroe, there were seven hotels and
three or four lodging houses. Most
of these old brick taverns can still be
seen, on both sides of the highway,
and several of them are still catering
to tourists.
Uniontown is city. There is
scarcely anything about it to bring
thoughts of other days, unless it is a
particularly ugly statue of Lafayette
in front Of the court house. A tablet
informs the passerby that it stood
for years on top of the old court
house. One wonders why the people
of the town did not find some other
building on the top of which they
might place ia taller one, prefera-
bly,.
There were perhaps half dozen
old taverns in Uniontown, and most
of them are still there, and doing
business. But the city has grown up
around them so, and the fronts have
been changed to such an extent, that
the casual traveller would have diff
Guilty in locating them.
There was one old log tavern-the
White Swan, built in 1805-that re-
manned intact until in recent years
with big paved yard around it. AS
I approached Uniontown in June OF
this year 1 was hoping that it would
still be there, as it was practically
the last one of the primitive type
When I arrived at the place where it
ought to have been, found White
Swan Hotel, indeed. But it was sc
new it glittered, and was about ten
stories high, and covered most of a
city block, and was all cluttered up
with gold-buttoned bell-boys.
But that is to be expected in g
city the size of Uniontown, which has
population of 10000.
Uniontown had close associations
with the old road. It's taverns brought
to it men of national repute, and ii
was also the home of several men OF
influence, including L. w. Stockton
the owner of the Stockton line OF
stages. In Oak Grove Cemetery
right at the edge adjacent to the high
way, is the grave of T. B. Starlight
who lived along the old road all his
life and in his later years wrote q
book about it. He asked that when he
died he be buried near the old pike
he knew and loved so well. His wish
l