The stage coach arrived in Concord on a cold January day in 1775. The sun was gently setting in the distant hills to the west and the warm fire at the local tavern was greatly anticipated by those traveling. In addition to the warmth of the fire the patrons would find a meal and some lodging with plenty of spirits to drink as a tall tale was shared.
The coach arrived and the driver pulled his team to the stables around the corner to settle them for the night. The horses worked hard on the long trek from Boston and refreshing water, hay and the warmth of the stable was appreciated by both the coachman and the team.
The passengers settled into the Stickney Tavern on Main Street and were shown to their rooms. After settling, they returned to the common room for this evenings meal while engaging in much desired socializing. The stories told on this cold night were both mesmerizing as well as captivating as the cold New England wind whistled late into the eve.
It was the innkeeper himself that shared the stories about the Stickney Tavern as his guests for the evening silently listened. There were tales from afar and very close to home, for the tales told on this cold winter night down on Main Street were about the ghosts that frequented this inn as well as many other inns across New England.
It was England that was the birthplace of ghosts, so he said. Spirits had roamed across England for hundreds of years and many a castle and inn were certainly haunted. In fact, the hauntings were so common that they were widely accepted as fact and passed down as folklore too. It was not only the English men, woman and children that immigrated to the American colonies during the eighteenth century, it was the old English spirits that also hopped the ships across the Atlantic Ocean destined for America.
Yes, the friendly and very familiar specters arrived with the many waves of immigrants at Boston Harbor and from there dispersed to the flourishing New England homes and inns. The inns were known to accommodate both the weary traveler and a resident ghost or two. In fact, the innkeepers rather enjoyed their local hauntings for they provided much needed entertainment for their guests.
Each inn held a resident ghost during the colonial period, some more popular than others. There was old ghost that immigrated from England, Native American spirits and a pirate or two. As the guests settled at the Stickney Inn on Main Street in Concord, they consumed the colonial beverage of choice named “flip” and concocted of rum heated with an iron rod creating a layer of foam on top. There was also plenty of local hard ciders or stronger beverages for those in need. As the sprits flowed and warmed the wayward travelers, the stories further enhanced the known hauntings. As the residents retired to their rooms with great anticipation of a visit from a long dead pirate, they would drift off to sleep more than satisfied.
As the years progressed the stories only intensified and gained a respected place in American lore. Perhaps the old inns really were haunted by those that were not quite ready to pass to the great beyond. As the travelers slept and the cold wind rattled the windows at the Stickney Tavern, I am sure many a patr on dreamt of what is or what might be.