Stage Coach Inns in Delaware County
by Brent Carson

Carson was born in Delaware, graduated from Hayes High School and taught in Willis Jr. High until he retired. He has been a pillar in the Delaware County Historical Society for many years and is currently the president of the society. He co-chaired the Delaware County Bicentennial Celebration with Rick Helwig in 2008.

Through the years, Carson has helped produce several DVDs and programs on a variety of topics of local history. His latest on Friday Night in Downtown Delaware is for sale in the Myers Inn Museum Gift Shop.

Today Carson can be found giving programs to schools and community clubs, giving tours of the historical society and the surrounding area, and always collecting history and stories of the county. He has collected stories and photos of the many stagecoach inns in Delaware County which will be featured in his program March 10^th.

Before the town of Sunbury was founded, Hezekiah Roberts (or maybe Rogers) had a log cabin tavern at 81 S. Columbus Street with a school on the same lot. Lawrence Myers also had a tavern license when he built his frame house at 45 S. Columbus Street in the newly platted village of Sunbury in 1816. Two properties separated the two taverns.

Lawrence Myers borrowed money from his father to build a stagecoach inn in 1820 when the stage lines thru Sunbury were opening. He built a two story frame building to run the log cabin inn out of business which he succeeded in doing. Roberts ran his school and took in boarders while Myers ran the stage coach inn. Many years later another stage coach inn was built at 63 S. Columbus Street and became known as the Boyer Hotel. The latter was cut in half and a gasoline service station was built on the corner but the south half of the building still stands as 63 ½ S. Columbus Street.

Other known stage coach inns in eastern Delaware county are Rice's Tavern and Major Brown's hotel in Berkshire Corners, Blainey Inn in East Liberty, Starks House of Entertainment at Rt. 61 near Olive Green, Center Inn at 605 and Rt. 37, Curtiss Inn on Yankee Street below Galena, Dustin House in Galena.

Carson will take spectators on a virtual tour of these old buildings and many more across the county during Tuesday nights presentation.

Myers Inn Museum is located at the corner of Columbus and Granville Streets in Sunbury facing Sunbury Village Square. To learn more about the Big Walnut Area Historical Society on this website or stop by when the museum is open 12-3 on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays or 10-3 on Saturdays. To book special guided tour, call Polly at 740-965-3582.

(02/28/2015)