Locals say the tavern stands where an enormous, ancient oak once fell; the heartwood was used in the bar and beams and many swear the timber creaks like a grumbling spirit on stormy nights. Some whisper that the 'Roar' at closing is an old custom meant to ward off wandering wood-wights; others say it's only an excuse for drunken song. The burned ledger found under the counter links the tavern to a circuit of illicit shipments that used to pass through the region — something older folk claim started after the nearby mine closed and men turned to less honest trades.