Concord Township.

a Licence to keep a house of public entertainment on the Wilmington road, in the neighborhood of the public houses on the same road, one of them but one-quarter of a mile above and the other one mile and a half below, which is sufficient to accommodate the public. Besides it is feared that if the number of public houses should be encreased that some of them will have to resort to neighboring custom for support." The court rejected the petition, as also a similar one dated October 18th of the same year, which was indorsed by seventy-nine signatures. The remonstrance filed against the latter application states that the petitioner wanted "to locate a tavern at the intersection of the road from Chandlers bridge to the Philadelphia and New London Turnpike road with the road from West Chester to Wilmington, which we consider wholly useless and apprehensive, and would be injurious for many reasons. On the West Chester and Wilmington road there is a tavern, about one-quarter of a mile above the aforementioned intersection, and below it there is one in New Castle County, a small distance more than a mile, so that travelers from West Chester to Wilmington can need no opportunity for refreshments more than is already afforded. The other road from Chandler's bridge is but lately laid out and your remonstrants confidently state that few (if any) loaded travelling waggons have been seen on that road, besides the said road crosses the Concord road not more than a quarter of a mile from Hannum's Tavern, so that those who have really occasion to pass along the said cross road can have no difficulty in obtaining refreshments in passing at either of the intersections." The remonstrants continue, "Although they acknowledge the names of many inhabitants of Delaware County very respectable, are signed to the petition of James Smith, yet it is a matter of certainty that a large proportion of the signers are inhabitants of the State of Delaware, inhabitants of Chester County, and other places distant from James Smith's, who probably can have no opportunity of knowing the facts set forth in his petition nor any occasion of passing by the said cross road." The remonstrance had sixty names attached thereto.

Jan. 27, 1820, James Smith again petitioned for a license for the house, his application being signed by one hundred and twenty-four persons. He also filed an additional paper with seventy-six names attached, in which the signers state "that, learning that a large number of respectable citizens stating" (to the petition already filed) "their belief that a Tavern is much wanted at the stand where the said James Smith lives and that he is a suitable character to keep such house of entertainment. We under the influence of a similar opinion and from a conviction that the public convenience would be promoted by such an establishment, which is needed both for the accommodation of travellers and drovers using the road with cattle, unite in requesting that license be granted to Smith." The court, however, shook their judicial heads, and again the petitioner was turned unsatisfied away. The next year he remained dormant, but March 22,1822, he appears again. The judges held his petition under advisement and finally refused it, but at the April court, 1823, James Smith came off with flying colors, and after four and a quarter years of bitter struggles the Drove Tavern, at present in Elam, was established. In 1826, James Smith changed the name of the house to the Drovers' and Travelers' Inn, and it was so kept by William Smith in 1827. In 1831 the tavern was licensed to Jane Smith; in 1835, to James; and in 1837 to William Smith, who remained there until 1844. In the latter year Milton Stamp became the landlord of the old hostelry, changing its name again to the Drove, and the following year he gave it a new title, that of Pleasant Hill. In 1849, Isaac B. Gilpin succeeded to the business, to be followed in 1854 by Edward B. Hoskin, and in 1856 Joseph Cheyney became the "mine host" of the inn. John Reven had license the following year, and in 1858 Charles Cheyney received the court's favor. In 1859, William S. Cheyney was the landlord, and continued as such until 1860, when Joseph Cheyney had license granted him, but he died before taking it out, and the privilege was extended to his widow, Mary Cheyney. In 1864, William E. May became the proprietor of The Farmers' and Drovers' Inn, to be succeeded, in 1868, by Richard T. Plummer, who restored the more modern title, Pleasant Hill, to the tavern. In 1869, Joseph Chandler was the landlord, to be followed, in 1870, by Plummer, who owned the property. The house was not licensed from 1871 to 1875, when Zadock T. Speakman had license granted him, to be succeeded, in 1878, by Benjamin French. In 1879, William F. May was landlord, and, in 1881, was followed by Jackson McFarlan. In 1883, when the general remonstrance against granting any license in Concord was presented, the court denied to McFarlan the privilege for the sale of liquor at Elam, exactly sixty years after James Smith was first granted the right to keep a public-house there.

The Concordville Inn was established as a publichouse in 1830, in which year John Way was granted license there, and being centrally located in the township, after Joseph Hannum retired from tavern-keeping, the election polls were ordered to be held at that point. In 1858, John Way declined to apply, and the privilege for that year was granted to David M. Hannum, but he failing to take out the license, George W. Taylor was permitted to enjoy it in his stead. The latter continued annually to petition successfully until 1861, when he was followed by Zadock T. Speakman, who, in 1869, gave place to James Cloud. The latter called the house the Concordville Hotel, and in 1871 he was the only person in the township who received the approval of the court. In 1872, Frank H. Cloud had the license, after which time it does not appear to have had the indorsement of the Quarter Sessions until 1876, when the present