News
On the Road to ’76: When Charles Kuralt Visited The Golden Lamb
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In November 1975, CBS News correspondent Charles Kuralt visited Lebanon, Ohio, as part of his Bicentennial series, On the Road to ’76. His journey through America’s heartland brought him to The Golden Lamb, which he described as “a hotel rich with stories” and a place where the past and present meet.
Kuralt’s segment aired on The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite and opened with the familiar tune of the lobby’s music box, “Home, Sweet Home.” He reflected on how no place evokes Ohio’s past quite like The Golden Lamb. Since its founding in 1815, the inn has welcomed travelers for more than two centuries, serving as a witness to both the state’s and the nation’s unfolding history.
Kuralt painted a vivid picture of the many famous figures who had visited The Golden Lamb. Henry Clay often stayed while journeying from Kentucky to Washington in hopes of preventing civil war. DeWitt Clinton, another of the inn’s notable guests, helped plan the canal system that would connect Ohio to the Atlantic. Mark Twain arrived by train in search of a warm meal and a soft pillow, and even Charles Dickens stopped by—though he was reportedly unimpressed by the inn’s tea during his 1842 visit.
Over the years, eight U.S. Presidents, from John Quincy Adams to Warren G. Harding, have spent the night under its roof. Kuralt mused that if one had sat long enough in The Golden Lamb’s front room, they could have “watched the whole history of Ohio pass by these windows.”
As Kuralt concluded, “All those Ohio presidents are gone now... but the inn, where they stopped for the night, remains. The story doesn’t end. The shutters are still open, and Ohio’s history is still passing on the stagecoach road outside.”
Nearly fifty years later, The Golden Lamb continues to welcome guests with the same warmth and history that inspired Kuralt’s words. His 1975 feature remains a cherished reminder of our role as both a gathering place and a living landmark.
