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TERRITORIAL ROAD RECOLLECTIONS OF THE "OLD TERRITORIAL ROAD" AND ITS TAVERNS
Remembering the kindness of our host, Peter Fralick, and the pretty girl that waited on us at the tavern, whom we years afterward found to be a sister of Mrs. Milton McCamly, of Battle Creek, we commenced our journey. A few items belonging to our previous day's travel we give here. There were two roads from Detroit to Ten Eyck's. The territorial road, ten miles long, and the Springwells road, some longer, south of it. Ten Eyck's tavern was near the present Village of Dearborn; while west of it on the Chicago road was Ruff's noted old stand, where Wayne now is, and Sheldon's tavern further towards Ypsilanti. But following the territorial road from Ten Eyck's, the first old tavern was Bucklin's, kept by a "greasy old chap" of that name from Pennsylvania. And here we passed through the Bucklin woods, rendered so memorable by the miry and sunken condition of the road, that ran through them. It was to this road that the old hackneyed phrase—"the bottom has fallen out"—was first applied. This was surely the worst road between Detroit and Ann Arbor. There was another tavern kept in these woods, I do not remember by whom. It was on the rise of ground, west side of the bridge that crossed the Rouge. The house was on the east side of the road, and a well on the opposite side. It was said that a man had been murdered here and thrown into this well, which was then filled with stone. Search was afterwards made for the body but none was found. The next tavern was kept by Gen. Swartz, and the place was called Swartzburg. The General was known as a high-toned gentleman.
Michigan
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