Enos Doolittle b. 11 Jun 1792 Berlin, Hartford Couunty, Connecticut, United States d. 15 Jan 1856 Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio, United States: Tangled Roots

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1792 - 1856 (63 years)

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Name	Enos Doolittle
Born	11 Jun 1792	Berlin, Hartford Couunty, Connecticut, United States [1]
Gender	Male
Died	15 Jan 1856	Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio, United States [1]
Person ID	I1304	TangledRoots
Last Modified	29 Mar 2016

Family	Bathsheba Robbins, b. 13 Mar 1806, Centerville, Montgomery County, Ohio, United States , d. 23 Feb 1845, Centerville, Montgomery County, Ohio, United States (Age 38 years)
Married	13 Oct 1822	Centerville, Montgomery County, Ohio, United States [2]
Last Modified	16 Jan 2022
Family ID	F725	Group Sheet \| Family Chart

Notes

...Enos Doolittle was a Yankee peddler who came to Centerville in 1820 and opened a dry goods store. When the business did not do so well he sold out and bought lot #28 from his father-in-law, Benjamin Robins, where he built the "Doolittle Tavern", in 1823. Benjamin Robbins also deeded Enos another small farm south of Franklin street.
...In 1824 Bathsheba and Enos took Elizabeth Stiles, age 12, a daughter of widow Sarah Stiles as an apprentice to be taught "housewifery'.
...The Doolittle Tavern was opened in 1832. It was the finest and most famous stopping off place west of the Alleghenies. The large dining room was 40 feet long and 20 feet wide and was used both for a dining room and as a ballroom. As such, the Doolittle Tavern was the social center of the community.
...In the middle of the nineteenth century stagecoach wheels rumbled up the hill into the town of Centerville from Cincinnati and Lebanon. A sturdy team at the head of the coach halted at the Doolittle Tavern to bring such distiguished guests as Charles Dickins, William Henry Harrison and Henry Clay during Harrison's 1840 election campaign.
...Behind the long stone structure was a huge stable to shelter the horses used on the stage coach route between Cincinnati and Dayton.
...Enos Doolittle continued to operate the Tavern until after his wife, Bathesheba died then in 1845 he moved to Columbus, Ohio (Source: Compiled by Irene L. Shrope, "Nutt Family of Ohio and New Jersey", (1992 Revised and Up-Dated 1993) pg. 194)

Enos Doolittle and the Doolittle Tavern
...The story of Enos Doolittle and his tavern is one of success and tragedy. According to Beers, History of Montgomery County, 1882, it was the most famous tavern in the township and was known as the best place to stop west of the Alleghenies. Enos Doolittle, a Yankee peddler, arrived in Centerville in 1820. We have no records that tell us when or where he was born or who his parents were. He immediately rented a building and opened a dry goods store. Two years later, he purchased Lot 14 and 18 on the south side of Cross Street (now Franklin Street) for $300. In October of that year he married 16-year-old Bathsheba Robbins, the youngest daughter of Benjamin and Bathsheba Nutt Robbins, first settlers in Centerville.
...In September 1823, Enos purchased Lot 26 for $400, erected a two-story stone building and opened a tavern. The Doolittle Tavern was very successful and busy with guests from out of town, so Enos decided to expand. He created an inn for travelers by using the upstairs of the tavern for sleeping quarters. He built a stable in the back for the visitor's horses. He added a one-story stone addition to the south and called it the Bar Room. It contained a large table for his guests to dine on. And when the table was pushed aside, it was a good place to hold dances and other social events. In front stood a large signpost with a picture of a rising sun and the words "The Sun Shines for All."
...Gradually, however, his good life changed. In May 1835, Enos and Bathsheba's daughter, Mary, died at age fifteen months. In October 1840, their sixteen-month-old daughter, Roxanna, died. In February 1841, Enos was appointed postmaster of Centerville, but shortly afterward he suffered a debilitating stroke. However, he was still able to run the tavern and serve as postmaster. in January 1845, a son William was born. in February, one month later, his wife Bathsheba died at the age of thirty-nine, and in April of that same years, William died at three months of age. Enos closed the tavern and he and a daughter moved to Columbus, Ohio.
...In 1909, a letter written by Enos' daughter, Mrs. Bancroft of Columbus, was read at the new Town Hall dedication.
..."Being a child in early teens when my home was broken up, I cannot remember much of the town's early history, yet I have with me the sweet memory of my good father's cordial welcome to all. he was afflicted with paralysis. The unpretentious inn was known far and wide as a veritable traveler's rest. Many celebrities among whom I remember William H. Harrison, Thomas Corwin and Henry Clay rested there. Harrison spent the night of September 9, 1840 in our home. Next morning was all bustle and excitement. It seemed everyone was going to the Whig Convention to be held in Dayton the next day. In 1843, Henry Clay with a colored servant, a novelty in Centerville at that time, spent the night with us.... I felt quite honored because I had a hearty handshake of these famous men, and very likely gloated over it childlike, you know. Before the days of the railroads, many people traveled in the private conveyances and found comfort in our simple home."
...Enos and Bathsheba also had four "charming " daughters who lived - Amelia, Philena, Harriet, and Eugenia. The Doolittles and their tavern affected many people. The traveler appreciated a place for a rest and a good meal. The townsfolk enjoyed a place to socialize and the excitement of out-of-town visitors. They influenced both the people at the time and the history of Centerville and Washington Township.
...The Doolittle Tavern, suffering from neglect, was razed in 1908 to make way for a new Township Hall. A barn on East Franklin, where today's MacDigger's bar is located, had served as the old Town Hall and was moved to the Weller farm.
...The new Town Hall served as a place for village and township government meetings, civic functions, social gatherings, graduations, and other community events. The village water tower and fire department were once located here.
...In 1994, the township restored the Town Hall to its original style adding handicap accessibility. It is presently being used for theater and programs. (Source: http://www.mvcc.net/Centerville/histsoc/townhall.htm, 05 July 2007)

...John Archer opened up the first tavern in Centerville. with the sign of the "cross keys."
...Since that time, there have been many taverns in the township. good. bad and indifferent, with probably a predominance in favor of the good. The most famous was that of Enos Doolittle, and it soon came to be known far and near as the best stopping-place for travelers west of the Alleghanies.
...This gentleman, who was a genuine type of the New England Yankee, came to the town in 1820 as a peddler. With keen Yankee foresight, he saw an opening for trade in the town and immediately opened up a dry goods store. This, however, did not agree with him, and, purchasing suitable property, he opened a tavern in 1832. In 1822 or 1823, he was married to Miss Bathsheba Robbins. and continued in the place until after her death. in 1845, when he re-moved to Columbus. (Source: Evansville, Indiana: Unigraphic, Inc., 1973, a reproduction of, "History of Montgomery County, Ohio", (original published - Chicago, Illinois: W. H. Beers & County, 1882, pg. 12)