General Notes

Being a stagecoach driver was quite a lofty calling and many young men aspired to be one. The stage drivers were men of good sense, honest intentions and steady habits. Two listed with Dunbar ties were John Bunting, nicknamed Old Judy and Redding Bunting, one of the more widely known, who it was reported had more friends than any other old stage driver on the road. He was a great favorite of Mr. Stockton, a proprietor of the "Old Line." His commanding appearance was impressed upon the memories of all who knew him. He stood six feet six inches tall and was straight as an arrow without any "redundant flesh!" His complexion was of a reddish hue and his features striking. He was endowed with what the pike boys called "horse sense." He was born in Menallen Township and was not only a stage driver but a trusted agent, stage proprietor and tavern keeper. He once owned the Central Hotel in Uniontown and also kept the National House, the headquarters of the old stage line. One anecdote in Searight's book tells this story. In 1846, after the railroad was completed to Cumberland, it was reported that Bunting drove a great mail coach from Cumberland to Wheeling. He was transporting the message of President Polk officially proclaiming that war existed between the United States and Mexico. He left Cumberland at 2 a.m., reached Uniontown at 8 a.m., had breakfast with his passengers at his own house, left Uniontown and arrived in Washington at 11 a.m. and Wheeling at 2 p.m. covering a distance of 131 miles in 12 hours É driving a stagecoach! He married and had two sons and two daughters. His son, Henry Clay Bunting, was the postmaster at Dunbar in 1894. There are many references to Redding Bunting throughout Searight's book attributing to his popularity on the National Road. His descendants remain part of the Dunbar community today.