Andrew J. McDaniel
Page
This is a modified version of an article by Carol Ann Claffey Mounts,
published October 1995 in "The Keyhole", quarterly publication of the
Genealogical Society of Southwestern PA.
RANKINTOWN TAVERN
Rankintown
was a small village about one mile west of Washington, Pennsylvania. As the town
of Washington
grew and the communities coalesced, this
small village became
West Washington borough.
Many residents now living in West
Washington (8th
Ward) are unaware that their homes stand in
what
was once called 'Rankintown.'
In this community along the National Road stood
the 'Rankintown Tavern.'
McDaniel Sr. (To read his Biography click here)
(There is also another view of Rankin House or McDaniel Tavern)
At least three Washington County historians have written about the Rankintown Tavern:
Earle R. Forrest, Thomas B. Searight and Harriet Branton. Earle Forrest describes the "usual yard for the accommodation of wagoners and their Conestogas, a large barn, blacksmith shop and other necessary
buildings for such an establishment at the time," in a series for the Washington Observer in 1955.
The Rankin House
of the National Road, With Incidents, Accidents and Anecdotes Thereon."
He describes its location as "short distance over the top of the hill leading up from Catfish, and a
little over a mile from Washington." The tavern was begun by a man named Spalding around 1820 then
ater taken over by John Rankin and his wife Agnes. They successfully built up the wagon stand to a
prosperous business, thus the name Rankinville then Rankintown. The Tavern was a large frame building
on the south side of the road with the atmosphere of open country. Searight states that the 'Wagoners'
and the traveling public preferred country taverns as opposed to the more sophisticated and probably
more expensive city establishments.
According to Searight, "In 1844 and subsequent to that date, Alpheus Murphy, a wagon maker, lived
and operated a shop near the old Rankin tavern. ... He was a man of great physical strength, and a
skillful workman." The skills of Alpheus Murphy as wagon maker and repairman and John and Agnes
Rankin as gracious hosts to the average traveler of the day, made Rankintown a popular stopping off
place at the end of a long day's travel. Although Mr. Rankin and his wife were quite successful, after
his death in the early forties, Agnes tried but was unable to continue the work of 'keeping tavern.'.
She leased the tavern to a Mr. Johnson and soon thereafter, it was sold for taxes.
trade along the National Road. He acquired additional property also. His daughter Mary Mounts
McDaniel Claffey frequently told her grandchildren that her family 'owned all the land as far as the
eye could see'.
She was born in the Tavern building 04/07/1847. She lived to be 101 years old and lived her entire
life within one block of the old tavern. Her obituary of 07/30/1948 describes hard work done at the
tavern home as a young person growing up. (To read about Mary Mounts McDaniel Claffey click here)
Branton (National Pike essay -- FOCUS PAGE 19) describes the build up of Washington County
as directly attributable to the national road. "The Road so revolutionized transportation and travel in
this area that it brought an economic boom which lasted until the mid 1850's ... Almost overnight it became
the most important route for travelers, freight and mail between east and the middle west." Washington
County, Pa became a 'Gateway to the West.'
That upsurge of activity in this area along the road "came to a shrieking halt when in May 1852, a
Pennsylvania Railroad train chugged into Pittsburgh." (Branton p 19) Sadly, the advent of the railroad
brought about the demise of the National Road. Travel along the road declined, and most taverns closed.
Andrew McDaniel Sr. kept his tavern open, still maintained a blacksmith shop but listed himself as a
farmer in the Federal Census of 1880. He continued to live there until his death in 1890.
The old tavern building was torn down in 1898 by Thomas R. Hart, husband of Emma, who erected the
present dwelling on the site. (790 West Chestnut Street). Of the extensive property that Andrew once owned
along the National Road, one section of that property houses the Wright Tire Shop. The large gray house at
790 West Chestnut street, the actual site of the Rankin Tavern is now (1995) being remodeled into an
apartment building.
All of the old buildings have disappeared. The last one was torn down in 1954. "This house was built of
logs covered with lap siding, the style of that period. It was built by Rankin in the 1820s, probably just
after he acquired the property." (Forrest p 209) In 1954 that property, was purchased by Peter Provenzano,
and replaced with the 'New Tower Restaurant.'
There
is much irony in this. The decline of traffic on the National Road and
subsequent death of the
taverns, was
due in large part to the introduction of the railroad.
The railroad itself
suffered
a similar fate,
when the new Interstate
Highway system came into existence.
Many changes have occurred in Rankintown,
particularly in speed,
mode and volume of traffic, but the concept still
remains today, a welcome site
for the
weary traveler seeking food and lodging at the end of the day. The
country taverns of yesterday have been
replaced with
comfortable lodgings
at motels and good food abounds at reasonable
prices at the many
restaurants.
It
seems
quite ironic to this observer that although the sounds of the
Conestoga Wagons have long ago
faded
into the distant past, Andrew's domain has once
again become a center of
activity, a great hub of
connecting highways that speed travelers on their way. I think great, great
grandfather
would be pleased.
'Mounts- Claffey Obituaries', 1994 Glenn W. and Carol Ann Mounts
Federal Census, Washington County, 1880
"NATIONAL PIKE in WASHINGTON COUNTY" Earle R. Forrest also reprinted in April 13,1955
Washington Observer newspaper in a series called "Road of History, Romance."
"National Pike: The Road to Prosperity" by Harriet Branton, from her collection "FOCUS on Washington
County," pp. 19, 20
"The Old Pike: A history of the National Road with Incidents, Accidents, and Anecdotes Thereon" by
Thomas B. Searight, pp. 283, 284
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