The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-03-05
No. 43.
BOURBoN WHISKY.
How the Name Originated and Who First
Distilled Il

How the Name Originated and Who First
Distilled Il.
1t was during the latter part of Wash
ingtOn's last administration that the
noted whisky rebellion of Pennsylvania
took place. At that time the mountain
reeesses of the Alleghenies west of what
is now known as the Cumberland valley,
was the great whisky district of the eoun-
try. 1t was very sparely settled. All the
grains that were grown, save a seant
supply for prOvender for the live stock,
and food for the inhabitants, was distiIl-
ed into whiskey, upon what is now
known as the ''sour-mash, handmade,
eopper-distilled plan" Soon large de-
mand for these whiskies sprang up in
Philadelphia and Baltimore, and the
supply being limited, a ''ring" was form
ed, a ''eorner" made, and the goods put
up at high figures. The National Gov
ernment, then as now, was hard pressed
for revenue. Reputation was then
staring il in the face, and it was without
money at home or credit abroad. A
happy thought struck the Congressional
delegation from New England, 1t was
as it would not tax their constituents
a dollar-to levy tax of $500 on each
still that was used for manufacturing
spirits These ideas were enacted into
laws. The following season, revenue
officers were sent out from Washington
to assess and collect the tax The dis
tillers previously met, formed a union,
and upon the arrival of the officers de
The officers, upon their arrival in the
insurreetionary district, seeing they
could not execute the law, and fearing
the loss of their lives, returned in haste
to Washington. By this time the season
was far advanced, and it was decided
upon the part of the authorities to wait
for the beginning of the next season, be-
fore again attempting to enforce the col
lection of the tax. The following fall
officials, backed up then, as now, by the
ever ready ''troOps," set out on the mis-
sion again. They arrived at the antici-
pated scenes of their trouble in due time,
but they met with an unexpected disap-
pointment The distillers had decided
that there was to be no more distillatiOn
until the law was repealed. The officers,
after having marched up hill, again
marched down. Thus ended the rebel
lion.
Many of the old frontiersmen, tired of
being harrassed in front by the Govern
ment, and in the rear by the Indians,
determined to plunge boldly into the
then unexplOred wilderness beyond the
mountains. Among this number was a
man named Shawhan. He had large
family, was well to do, and, packing
everything that he had that was neees-
sary for such a lifelong expedition into
a wagon, he set across the mountains.
He took with him the cause of his re-
moval, the ''still." Two years later
Cthis was about the fall of 1886, he and
his family, consisting of his wife and
several children, were busily engaged in
Bourbon county, Kentucky, on Town
send creek, erecting temporary cabins TO
shelter them during the winter. The
country was full of wild animals and
still wilder Indians. 1t was twenty miles
to the nearest fort.
By tact and skill they avoided coming
into contact with the savages. When
the long winter in the wilderness was
over, they, having during the meantime
cleared away few acres, planteda patch
of corn. An abundant harvest greeted
them for thcir labor. The 'stilIH hav-
ing been erected, it was put into opera
ton, and then it was that the first whis,
ky ever manufactured in Kentucky, or
in the Mississippi Valley, was made.
In Pennsylvania they called whisky
''Monongahela," it being called after
the country in which it was manufacture
eI. Shawhan, following the same ex-
ample, called the whisky made by him
after the county in which his new home
was situated. Bourbon"
The third year out the father died, and
then it devolyed upon his son to carry
on the business. He became industrious,
their little farm was soon extended and
assumed respectable size. The excel
Ienee of his whiskies soon gave them a
wide reputation, and the large emigra-
ton kept up heavier demand than
could be supplied. He, however, bent
his energies to his work, increased his
capacities as a distiller, and Bourbon"
soon became a household word Joseph
Shawhan died recently at the age Of
eighty-five. He left property valued at
upwards of n quarter OF a million OF dol
lars. In some future papers we may
take this subject up again, and show
how and by whom Bourbon * manu-
facturcd to-day.-The PeODie