Black Horse rides again in Girard

GIRARD — Elmadorous Crandon has been dead for 129 years.

Yet, his name lives on at the Black Horse Tavern, a Girard bar just down the street from where Crandon opened Girard’s first saloon.

Randy Emery, a longtime high-school hockey coach, first heard of Crandon as part of research into the Black Horse Tavern, founded in Girard’s downtown circa 1836.

While on a fact-finding mission, Emery found a message posted to findagrave.com by California resident Darlene Carlson. Carlson, the great-great-great-grandaughter of Crandon, was looking for information about her ancestor.

Emery responded to her post, and the two now regularly share research tips.

As Carlson and Emery have learned, in addition to opening Girard’s first tavern, Crandon served as Girard’s first postmaster. At the time, the tavern was a popular hub for gossiping and hitching horses, so it made sense for a barkeeper to double as a messenger.

For the complete story, read Saturday's Vindicator and Vindy.com