The Whiskey Papers #9 - The Edge of the Woods

The Whiskey Papers #9 - The Edge of the Woods

The Edge of the Woods is one of St. Albans' most intriguing and enigmatic taverns.

The Edge of the Woods - Davison Farm, as it appears today.

George Davison married Martha Watson in Yorkshire, England, in 1847.  On arriving in Newark in 1848, George's in-laws, John and Mary Watson, bought a farm along the old Worthington Road (old SR 161).  George and Martha moved to a farm near Luray, then in 1853, joined John and Mary south of Alexandria.  This is also the location of the "Edge of the Woods" Tavern, a popular teamster stop to rest horses and oxen, drovers and drivers approximately halfway from Newark to Worthington.  The family's oldest son was Watson Davison who bought The Old Red Tavern - David Buxton's Tavern - about 1880.  Watson began making wagons there until 1885 when automation made making wagons by hand an unprofitable business.    Although Wat might have wanted to be a wagon-maker, he became an implement dealer who sold Oliver Plows and Millburn Wagons.

Watson Davison was always someone I wish I could bump into at Ragamuffins, our beloved, local coffee place.  Perhaps Wat's buddy, Jud Carter and his daughter Phronie could invite me to pull up a chair.  This would have been a threesome to talk to.  Speaking of Jud Carter, Jud's father was Lymon Carter.  Lymon owned Helon Rose's old farm and was not far east of the Watson farm.   Wat married Hester Beaumont, daughter of Isaiah and Hester (Carpenter) Beaumont, foundation families in St. Albans.  The Davisons and Watsons were relative new-comers but quickly became central to the St. Albans community.

Let us return to Wat's grandparents.  George, Sr., was known as a man in the mold of kindness and benevolence while displaying strength and virtue.  Martha made herself available as a midwife; many children in St. Albans were born and tended to by Martha Davison.  Martha made herself available at the other end of the spectrum by tending to grieving families, and at all points in between.  George and Martha were dairy farmers who turned most of their milk into cheese which they sold in Newark at the market.  Yet, almost no records exist of the Edge of the Woods Tavern.

What we do know comes from an unattributed article in Alexandria and St. Albans Township.  This tavern was a log building that, by 1900, was in rapid decay.  There was a small lot next to the building that allowed horses and oxen to be rested and fed.  There was a well located 125 feet to the east the tavern.  The tavern itself was located on the Watson/Davison farm at the north-south line dividing the township in half.

The next evidence comes from the maps.  In exaxining the plats, the land west of the Davison farm, where we might expect to find the Edge of the Woods, is under a seeming constant change of ownership.  The real constant is Ephraim Eastman's farm to the east of George Davison's 100 acre farm.  The 1866 map shows two buildings along the Worthington Road on the Eastman property.

So where do we stand?  One source states George Davison had the Edge of the Woods Tavern on his property; yet, Ephriam Eastman clearly has two buildings along the Worthington Road.  The Davision's were known for their hospitality as well as cheese production, but nothing is known of the Eastmans.  What do we say?

There stood a tavern along the Worthington Road in the East-West center of the township along the Worthington Road called the Edge of the Woods.  It was called so because the woods took off west and north from there.  One source states the tavern was on the Davison farm while the maps suggest it was on the Eastman farm.  At this time, no clear evidence to exists to suggest which is correct - Davison's or Eastman's Tavern.  Either might be correct.

I can imagine sipping a Whiskey and enjoying some Farmer's Cheese on a wooden plank with some local Ham, Roast Beef, or roasted Fowl.  Welcome to the Edge of the Woods.