It started long ago: the connection, real or imagined, between the Spread Eagle Tavern and Inn in Hanoverton and politics.

"The report that Abraham Lincoln was here can not be denied, and neither can it be proven," said owner Dave Johnson. "So some of that folklore lives on."

Either way, Johnson has turned politics into one of the calling cards for the place. He's been the Columbiana County republican party chair for about as long as his family's owned the tavern, and some of the party's power players have been known to stop by.

"The first big event we had was Dan Quayle when he was campaigning with George H.W. Bush. That was, I think in the 1992 campaign," said Johnson.

Many others soon followed.

"Dick Cheney has been here. That was quite a memorable event," said Johnson. "The Secret Service protection I think was at an all-time high for his visit. Literally every shade in the building had to be pulled. There were bodyguards stationed at every door even if it was a closet."

Each of those visits is remembered throughout the building in some way. From plaques for a candidate's chair of choice to pictures that date back decades, reminders are everywhere. And just for good measure, every room you walk into is named after a president.

It also isn't hard to put two and two together; every one of the people mentioned is a Republican. There is one notable exception, though, with a dining booth named after Jim Traficant.

From Lincoln to Traficant with plenty of names in between, it's a slice of history with a side of politics in Columbiana County.