The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1897-11-19
Oldest Distillery In Kentucky.


Walter Champ an Courier Journol.1
STANDING on hillside on Mr.. l.. M.
Bedford''s farm near Kiserton, in Bour-
Don county, and in sight of the famous
Peacock" distillery, are the ruins of
Kentucky's first dlstinery. 1t was
built in 1790-Une hundred and 7 years
ago-by Jacob Spears. who came to
Kentucky from Pennsylvania before the
WnlskeY rebellion occurred in that State,
which was caused by an insurrection of
the people TO protest against the tax
imposed upon distilled spirits by an act
OF Congress in 1891, and which was
quelled without bloodshed By troops
sent by President Washington.
The dlstillery was a log building,
erected on a stone foundation. The logs
were heWed by Mr.. Spears from trees
telIed by two darkies, who hauled them
to the distillery. Notched after the
fashion of all logs used in primitive
buildings, they were placed in position
and secured by wooden pins instead of
of nails. Of the distillery proper moth
ing now remains except the foundation.
The malt-house built Of stone several
yearsilater, is now used as a store-house
for stock feed, and may stand the
/ raVages OF lime Tor another century.
he spring which furnished water for
the crude distilling plat was walled in Il
century ago with splendid masonry,
and today supplies sparkling water for
man and beast.
In this rude distillery was made the
first Bourbon whiskey ever distilled
the product which was destined to make
famous in the remotest parts of the
earth the names of Bourbon and Ken
lucky.
The equipment of this distillery was
necessarily primitive. 1t had but one
still, and the daily output was small,
not over barrel and half being made
each day. The whiskeY was a superior
article, however, and aged citizens tell
that it did not produce the headaches
anu other i'll effects which are result
Oh the use of Kentucky liquor of later
Vintage. Mr.. Spears and a relative
named Eastin, who also came from
| l.
which they took the whiskey to the
New Orleans market.
Fine whiskey could be bought in
those days as low as ten cents per gal
Ion. John Allen, a pioneer of Bour-
President WashiDgtOns Administration,
acquired about 500 acres of fertile
Bourbon county land by exchanging a
sr.all r clynvy s., ~
would have required about ten barrels
for splendid farm.
Within fifty yards of the ruins of the
famous old distillery is fine old man
sion built 100 year ago by Thomas Met
calf-twenty years before he became
Governor of Kentucky. The house was
built for farmer named Shipp, and
Contains nine large rooms. The walls
are twenty inches thick, the floors and
windOw-sills and door are made of we'll
seasoned wood, and the ash rafterS are
securely fastened at the comb of the
rUUt with pins made from the same
wood. The house is in splendid state
| of preservation, and should be a com
Portable bone for a generation not yet
! born. The mantels are five and one
half feet in height, and are of fine
workmanship From cellar to garnet
every part of the grand old house shows
the same careful and honest workman
ship. Every room in the mansion, ex-
ctpt the kitchen, was frescoed in the
quaint and pretty Holland designs il
vogue hundred years ago, and the
figures are plainly discernAble in rooms
where they have not been covered wi /
white wash by irreverent tenants II
the ceiling of one room can yet be seer
the quilting hooks used by the wives Of
our fOrefathers. and one can readi ~ i'm
agine the merry times our ancestors en-
joyed at the Quiltingbees in the ole
mansion.