Somerset in Perry County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Jacob Miller’s Tavern
Photographed By J. J. Prats, August 12, 2018
1. Jacob Miller’s Tavern Marker
Inscription.
Jacob Miller’s Tavern. . In 1805, for $1.50 an acre, Jacob Miller purchased this property in the Congressional Land Office in Chillicothe, capital of the new state of Ohio. He and Somerset co-founder John Finck then each built a tavern on either side of town along the Zane’s Trace, laid out along existing Indian trails in 1796-1797 and Ohio’s first major thoroughfare. Finck built his home and tavern in 1807 and Miller his shortly after From 1800 to 1815. Zane’s Trace saw significant traffic between the established eastern states and the newly opened Northwest Territory. A perpetual stream of emigrants rolled westward, giving constant occupation to hundreds of tavern-keepers. Besides operating his tavern and farming, Jacob Miller was a public servant. In 1809 he was appointed Overseer of the Poor as there was a need to “bind out” poor children to families who could take care of them. , Jacob Miller also served as Township Supervisor and the “Fence Viewer” a person responsible for ensuring that a fence line remained true and legal. Soldiers were recruited from the tavern to fight with General William H. Harrison’s army during the War of 18 12. Miller died in his forties in 1823, after providing for his wife Catherine and his two sons and two daughters. As quoted in his will, he willed “my soul to heaven and my body to dust.” One of the oldest two-story log taverns in Ohio, the structure was also the boyhood home of Civil War General Philip Sheridan. His parents, John and Mary, purchased the tavern when they came to Somerset in 1834. This tavern and Pigsfoot Square are part of the Somerset Historic District, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
In 1805, for $1.50 an acre, Jacob Miller purchased this property in
the Congressional Land Office in Chillicothe, capital of the new
state of Ohio. He and Somerset co-founder John Finck then each built
a tavern on either side of town along the Zane’s Trace, laid out along
existing Indian trails in 1796-1797 and Ohio’s first major thoroughfare.
Finck built his home and tavern in 1807 and Miller his shortly after
From 1800 to 1815. Zane’s Trace saw significant traffic between the
established eastern states and the newly opened Northwest Territory.
A perpetual stream of emigrants rolled westward, giving constant
occupation to hundreds of tavern-keepers. Besides operating his
tavern and farming, Jacob Miller was a public servant. In 1809 he
was appointed Overseer of the Poor as there was a need to “bind
out” poor children to families who could take care of them.
Jacob Miller also served as Township Supervisor and the “Fence
Viewer” a person responsible for ensuring that a fence line remained
true and legal. Soldiers were recruited from the tavern to fight with
General William H. Harrison’s army during the War of 1812. Miller died
in his forties in 1823, after providing for his wife Catherine and his
two sons and two daughters. As quoted in his will, he willed “my soul
to heaven and
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my body to dust.” One of the oldest two-story log
taverns in Ohio, the structure was also the boyhood home of Civil War
General Philip Sheridan. His parents, John and Mary, purchased
the
tavern when they came to Somerset in 1834. This tavern and Pigsfoot
Square are part of the Somerset Historic District, which was placed
on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
Erected 2009 by the Historical Society of Perry County and The Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 10-64.)
Location. 39° 48.335′ N, 82° 18.138′ W. Marker is in Somerset, Ohio, in Perry County. Marker is at the intersection of West Main Street (U.S. 22) and Market Street (Ohio Route 668) on West Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 208 W Main St, Somerset OH 43783, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Also see . . . A hidden treasure discovered in Somerset. 2008 article in the Perry County Tribune. “It is currently covered in white wooden siding, but underneath, it is a two story log building made from hand hewn logs cut from old growth trees.” ... “‘Standing inside on the wide wood floor boards, some measuring over 22 feet, you can almost feel you’re being transported back to the early pioneer days in the county with the Native American Indians recently departed and the land covered with trees uncut for hundreds of years,’ stated Historical Society member Tom Johnson.” (Submitted on August 25, 2018.)
Photographed By J. J. Prats, August 12, 2018
3. Jacob Miller’s Tavern Marker
Photographed By J. J. Prats, August 12, 2018
4. Jacob Miller’s Tavern
Credits. This page was last revised on August 25, 2018. It was originally submitted on August 25, 2018, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,027 times since then and 118 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 25, 2018, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.
