For over 200 years, Bedford County taverns served as stopovers for weary travelers bound for Pittsburgh or Philadelphia, and although most eventually ceased operating, the Jean Bonnet Tavern continued offering meals, ale, and lodging. Built in 1769 between the Glades Road and Forbes Road as part of the original William Penn Land Grant, it stood on the only westward trail through the Allegheny Mountains and did brisk business. Besides serving travelers, it was the last stop for troops headed to Fort Ligonier and Fort Duquesne. The Bedford to Stoystown Turnpike was built over the same path in 1818, and the Lincoln Highway followed the route a century later. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Jean Bonnet Tavern retained two-foot-thick fieldstone walls, large fireplaces, and chestnut beams that continued to shape the dining and lodging experience for Lincoln Highway travelers.