Whiskeyville Revisited – Part 2

Like me, regular blog contributor Rick Kurish had wondered on which corner the Midway (or Whiskeyville) Tavern had sat.

In a series of emails, Rick shared his thoughts and research. He wrote, "A couple of people have left comments on your blog as to the exact location of the Midway Tavern. I would like to know that myself. 

"Based on the caption accompanying the old photo, it would seem that the tavern would have been located on either the northeast or northwest corner of route 113. That's based on the caption indicating that the distillery was just north behind the tavern. If, as seems likely, the tavern fronted one of the four corners, the distillery being behind and north of the tavern, would place the tavern on the north side of the road.”

Rick also came up with a map that supports his theory. He wrote,” I found a 1912 plat showing the intersection of routes 58 and 113 at that time. Although the online copy is maddeningly blurry, it would appear that 6 mile house and the distillery were located on the north east side of the intersection. With a little imagination you can almost make out the word “Hotel."

Here is that 1912 map (below).

I also found a map with the word 'hotel' visible as a label for a building on the northeast corner. It dates from 1857 (below). As you can see, there is another hotel further to the east, on the south side of the road.

An 1896 map (below) has no labels, but all of the buildings located at that intersection are clearly on the northeast side of the road.

Note the name "H. Howe" on the map to the east of the intersection. An article about an attempted robbery at the Howe residence in the Elyria Reporter of August 31, 1899 mentioned the tavern. It noted that the victim, Mrs. Jane Howe, and her aged uncle "live near the old tavern on the telegraph road about six miles west of Elyria."

It does appear that the tavern, then, was located on the northeast corner of what is today the intersection of Ohio Routes 58 and 113.

Here’s a recent view of the intersection.