Stagecoach and tavern Tales of the old northwest

Front matter

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Contents

PREFACE BY LouIsE PHELPS KELLOGG, SENIOR RESEARCH AssociATE, STATE HistoricaL SoctETy OF WISCONSIN

FoREWORD BY THE AUTHOR . : ; F A é EXPANDING Days . d : P 3 a : : Tue Op Mitrrary Roap é Stu ‘ ; ; ‘TERRITORIAL ROADS . : : z ; : : ‘ STAGECOACH Days . : ; ‘ - 3 ; : TRAVELERS’ EXPERIENCES . . ‘ . : : : THe Loc Tavern . ; . ; : : A ; TAVERNS OF A LATER TIME. : ; ; : - NoTED TAVERNS AND TAVERNERS . , A ; < ‘TAVERNS IN THE SHADOWS ° : ‘ é é x ‘TAVERN NAMES, SIGNS, AND ADVERTISEMENTS ; : ‘TAVERN GUESTS AND INCIDENTS . ; ‘ : : ACCOMMODATIONS AT Earty TAVERNS . ‘ : :

MeENuS AND MANNERS . 3 5 P Xs ; ; PEDLARS AND PRICES k ; ; ‘ 5 ; THE TAVERN AS A COMMUNITY CENTER . 3 - 5

Preface

Since the advent of the automobile into American life and a renewal of travel by road instead of railroad, interest has been reawakened to a remarkable degree in methods of early travel. The Old Northwest was settled in the days of pioneer travel and our forefathers came hither on horseback, by ox or horseteam, over roads which would not today be dignified by that appellation. Along these roads were places of entertainment, first the log-house of the primitive settler, later as more settled conditions obtained the tavern became a center for the community and its affairs were those of the settlement. The stagecoach later supplemented the private means of travel as the inn superseded the hospitality of the pioneers. Tavern and coach filled an important function in the history of the growing communities that peopled the Old Northwest in the decades before the coming of the Civil war.

This phase of history forms a tempting field for any historian and especially for one enamored of the open road. Such a one was the author of this book. Nature lover and history lover, the tales of stagecoach and tavern days appealed to Harry Ellsworth Cole with especial force. For years he gathered material for this book during many personal journeys to old taverns and the homes of pioneer taverners. He laid under contribution his wide acquaintance with historical literature and pressed his many friends into the service. After his regretted death it was found that the manuscript for this book was finished, lacking only the revision he would have given it ad he lived.

It has fallen to my lot to revise and prepare the manuscript for publication. Exigencies of space have required much of interest to be omitted, especially the pictures of many taverns which the author gathered with such loving care. Those not included in this volume have been deposited with the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, which Mr. Cole had served as president for several years. We have ventured to add to the title “the Old Northwest,” for while concerned largely with the region between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi the tales are characteristic of all the states of the Old Northwest and may be said to relate also to Iowa and Minnesota, settled nearly simultaneously.

With the manuscript was found the following Foreword written by Mr. Cole, in which he outlined his purpose and made his acknowledgements.

LOUISE PHELPS KELLOGG November, 1929 i Soe