The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1939-06-01

Cumberland. after that he again
went to the mountains and for many
years kept a famous hotel on the Ma
tional Road about three miles west OF
Grantsville. AS such he was well
known to all the great statesmen OF
the West. Clay was his favorite. He
was a Wing of the bluest kind"
The Thistle Hotel was on the South
side Of the National Road GU. S. Route
4O), about twenty feet west of the
present residence of Joel A. Beachy
The Beachy house was built by Aaron
Beachy in 1872. Thistle's tavern was
a large two-story building of white
pine logs with frame annex. 1t had q
stone chimney on the South side and
another on the East side. The founda-
lions were hand-dressed stone. There
was a wide porch along the whole
front facing the Pike. Water was
brought from a spring across the road
and from a dug well by the tavern. The
old Mountain tavern was a short dis
tanse South of the Braddock Road.
When the Thistle tavern was torn
down in 1890, the pine logs were in
a good state of preservation.
1t appears that Thomas Thistle
never owned the Thistle Hotel. 1t was
probably built by his brother Archi-
bald about 1916 when the National
Road was completed through this
neighborhood. Of Thomas it was said
with a name somewhat rasping in
it's import, Thistle had a smooth
tongue and mild manner, and fur.
nished excellent entertainment for the
travelling public" But Mr.. Beachy's
large modern house on the same site
furnishes even better entertainment
today than Henry Clay enjoyed there
hundred years ago.
The Thistle Family.
Thomas Thistle, in 1903, married
Juliana Cresap (1791-185D. They hac
thirteen children, of whom Minerva
Emily and Lucretia married Cresaps
His son, Archibald Braddock, married
Margaret Tomlinson. Rebecca married
her cousin, George Thistle. LaviniG
went to California, and Harriet to Mis-.
sissippi. Of the three sons, LoXley, The
Oldest, was finely educated and be
came a member Of the county bar, but
like most young men with indulgent
and comfortable parents, he was moi
a success as a lawyer. He left home
and went to Louisiana, where he mar
ried the daughter Of a wealthy plan
ter. They had eleven children. Today
the Thistles grow well in the South.
Thomas Thistle, of the Inn, dice
about the year 1856 in Cumberland
'Ofh is brother John we have no fur
Their record. Sampson went to Virginia
on the Ohio and married a Tomlinson
In 1897, George Thistle bought I
house and lot in Cumberland. One OF
his three sons was George P, Thistle
who married Rebecca Thistle and dice
in his seventy-third year, in 1885, a
his residence in Grantsville.
The Dehaven Hotel
We have already noted that in 1881
Archibald Thistle sold out to DAME
Miller, Of Pennsylvania. Possibl.
Thomas Thistle continued to operat,
the hotel until 1849, when Gabriel anc
Jacob Miller, Of Pennsylvania DECIDE,
| IS acres of the property, including th(
hotel, to William Dehaven, for $2475
Dehaven operated the hotel, ther
known as the Dehaven Hotel, unit
1854, when he and his wife, Sarah
decided it to Aaron and Catherine Bea
chy, parents of the present genia
owner, Joel A. Beachy.
So endeth the story of the Thistle
Hotel.
The Thistle Graveyard
One of the old abandoned grave
yards of Garrett county is South Of th>
Braddock Road, just across the hol-
low from the site Of the Mountain anc
William Thistle homes at the White
Oak Spring, where Washington re
freshed himself in 1884.
Several of the hewn sandstone
grave markers are dated, the Oldest
being 81. T., 1862 Another is "W. T.
October ~, 1926" This probably
marks the grave of the pioneer Will
liam Thistle. Other markers dated are:
"Thomas Selby, died April IS, 1906
IS. Selby, August 10, 1919"
Daniel Mccoy, who departed this