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| Higginsville Tavern, courtesy Cortland County Historical Society. |
Higginsville Tavern Has Rare Maple Spring
Dance Floor 132 Years Old.
Modern
youth following the jitterbug trend of dancing would probably meet with
disaster on the old curly maple spring dance floor which was so popular in the last
century at the former Higginsville tavern on the Marathon road a mile south of
Blodgett Mills. The stately, dignified dances of those days were suitable for
"tripping the light fantastic" on a spring dance floor because
everyone kept the same tempo and did not indulge in such flights of fancy as do
young dancers today.
Detailed
history of the famous Higginsville tavern is lacking and there are numerous
gaps in the story. Uriel Higgins conducted it from 1831 until his death in 1851
when it passed to his widow, Catherine. The building is probably about 130
years old, according to the estimate of historians.
"Rye"
Higgins, as he was called, was quite a showman. He cut a stone 12 feet long by
1 foot thick and erected it directly in front of the tavern with a huge sign on
top. The post is still there as a flower-bed border and the half-moon sign is
in the attic of the tavern.
The
tavern was a half-way house on the stage route between Syracuse and Binghamton.
Horses were changed first in Tully and again at Higginsville. On the northbound
trip they changed at Whitney Point and at the Higginsville tavern. The stages
arrived at noon and the inn was always a lively place when lunch was served.
Fantastic Prices Listed
Account
books kept by Higgins were recently given to the [Cortland County] Historical Society
by Dr. Lloyd S. Ingalls, executor of the estate of Frank L. Mills of Cortland
who died last February. Prices of liquor were so low that in this day of high
taxes and prices, they seem fantastic. One Syrus [sic] Hopkins paid only 9 cents
for 3 drinks of whisky in 1861. Five quarts of imported rum cost 60 cents. A drum
of St. Crois Rum was $40.88; a cask of Malaga wine, $15.50 and a barrel of
brandy $35.63.
The old
account books carry information printed on their covers. An advertisement by
the printer, A. B. Knox of Cortland village reads:
"Account
books of every description, made wholesale and retail. Paper ruled to any
pattern, for music, etc. Job binding which will be done as well and on as good terms
as in any printery of county."
Urial
Higgins had a trained bear chained to his 12 foot sign-post. The animal could
drink much whiskey.
On return
to the tavern from a trip, master and bear would become playful and many times
the horse, wagon, bear and Higgins toppled over the bank into a gully.
The
tavern was very popular among the gay young blades of Cortland in the last two
decades of the 19th century. They would organize sleigh and hay wagon rides and
wind up the evening in dancing on the spring floor. Today the tavern is owned
by DePuy W. Freer of Blodgett Mills and the famous dance floor is still in
excellent condition with a spring of 4 inches.
Mrs.
Elsie Freer, widow of the late Charles S. Freer, said the tavern has been in
her family since 1875 and her husband lived there from the time he was 4 years
old. She says the last time the floor was used was about 8 years ago when a
Halloween party was given. A recent inspection showed the floor in fine
condition. Watts S. Freer, father of Charles owned the tavern prior to 1875.
Mrs.
Freer said the Freer family never conducted a bar but used the ball room on the
second floor for many dances in the 66 years of their ownership. State regulations
requiring fire escapes from the second floor prevent dances from now being held
there. [courtesy Cortland Democrat.]
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