Inns and Taverns

The building survives in Saline but has lost its character

By 1830, the US-12 Heritage Trail had become a major highway carrying travelers, settlers, and freight across the peninsula. In that year, two stagecoaches per week ran between Detroit and Niles. The road reported to be "...crowded with traffic afoot, on horseback, by wagons, and stagecoach. By the close of 1833 one coach left Ypsilanti for Niles every afternoon" (Pray, 1927). So many traveled along the sometimes impassable route that there was a tremendous need for lodging places. Many homeowners made extra money renting a room or two for the night. Conventional inns became established along the route. In Branch County alone there were 33 taverns in 1837, and several still remain.

The best preserved of these inns is the Walker Tavern at the junction of the Chicago Road (currently US-12) and the La Plaisance Bay Pike (currently M-50) which ran from Monroe. The tavern, built in 1832, was purchased in the late 1830s by Sylvester Walker and offered little in the way of modern comforts. There were few sleeping rooms and travelers often shared beds or slept on the floor. The tavern also served as a community center,and church services were held in the bar on Sundays. When Sylvester Walker wanted to expand his business he built a second tavern across the highway. The new brick building offered private rooms, a dining hall, and on the third story a dance hall. Inns and taverns are among the most prominent early artifacts along the route. The Davenport House on Evans Lake began serving stage passengers in 1839, replacing an earlier log structure. In Clinton a state historical marker indicates the original site of the Eagle Tavern/Clinton Inn. The tavern was moved to Greenfield Village (Detroit) in 1927.

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This page last updated on 5/31/2007.

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Inns and Taverns

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