Ambrose (2002) has extensively research this distillery and provides the history that follows.

1865: The Ashland distillery was established by Turner, Clay & Co., a company that comprised Horace H. Turner, Samuel M. Clay and Thomas Mitchell. The distillery was built on Manchester Street (Frankfort Pike) between Cox and Perry and was the first to obtain a federal register distillery license in Lexington (RD #1). It produced "Ashland" whiskey.

The firm produced 2,400 barrels from October 1868 to January 1869, averaging thirty barrels per day, slightly less than the thirty-seven barrel capacity. They also completed their bonded warehouse in December 1868, which was said to be "fire proof".

1871: Turner died and Turner, Clay & Co. was dissolved. Turner's estate included $17,745 received from the distillery, less liabilities of $11,364, for a net of $6,381.

In November, William Tarr of Bourbon County and Thomas J. Megibben of Harrison County acquired the distillery and restarted production. Tarr was a prominent land speculator and Mr. Megibben was a successful dry goods merchant. Both were also distillers, entering the business before the Civil War. They continued to produce "Ashland" and introduced "Wm. Tarr" whiskey. Both brands were distilled in a rye and bourbon version.

1879: In May, a fire destroyed the distillery. Distilleries were always prone to fires given their wooden construction and the volatile nature of their products. This fire (and the Phoenix Hotel fire later in the month) forced the local business community to establish a waterworks to lower insurance rates. The waterworks provided a year round supply of water to fight fires.

The distillery was reorganized in September as Wm. Tarr & Co. - a partnership consisting of William T. Tarr as President, Thomas J. Megibben, Sam Clay, Jr. and Joseph M. Kimbrough. Clay was a broker that distributed the company's whiskey. Kimbrough (Megibben's son-in-law) managed the plant. They owned 40%, 40%, 10%and 10% shares, respectively.

The plant was rebuilt at the cost of $75,000, but the renovated facility was valued at $115,000 and included 11 acres of land. The distillery and warehouses were both rebuilt in brick with metal or slate roofs. Insurance underwriter records from later (1892) showed Warehouse No. 1 to consist of two adjoining buildings, 176 ft SW of the still. Warehouse No. 2 was 150 ft south.

The distillery's floor space covered 25,000 sq ft and included 14 fermentation tubs with a capacity of 9,500 gallons each. The primary mash tub held 10,000 gallons, with 400 smaller mash tubs of 101 gallons each. Before refrigeration equipment, these smaller tubs allowed the product to cool faster than a larger tank.

The beer still's daily capacity was 5,000 gallons, while the doubler had the capacity of 2,500 gallons. The distillery operated three steam engines, with a total 125 hp.

1882: The company had 35 employees, paid $1.75 per day. The distillery was producing was approx. 45 barrels per day, mashing 300 bu of corn and 120 bu of rye and barley malt. The corn was purchased locally from Fayette County and generated an estimated $30,000 in sales for the local farmers. The rye and barley malt was purchased out west and shipped in on the railroad.

The firm had 18,000 barrels in bonded storage, housed in the two bonded warehouses that together covered an area of 1-1/2 acres. The Louisville, Cincinnati & Lexington Railroad's yard (later Louisville & Nashville Railroad) ran adjacent to the plant, with a siding running into the distillery to transport out the barrels and bring in raw materials for distilling.

Water was supplied to the distillery from the Ater Spring, which was situated 200 yards west of the plant. The spring was under lease to the company for twenty-five years, with an annual payment of $100; Tarr later purchased the property outright. The distillery constructed "a stone wall around the spring also to cover the spring with a small House the better protection of the water". Pumps supplied 200,000 gallons of fresh limestone water daily through two three-inch pipelines. The water was at a constant temperature of 57 degrees.

The distillery maintained a cattle-feeding operation with the stillage on the ground for five hundred head. During 1881 a cooper shop was built at the distillery that produced 50 barrels per week, with 20 employees.

In 1882 the distillery produced the "Ashland", a sweet mash, and "Wm. Tarr", a sour mash (later known as "Old Tarr") brands of whiskey. The sweet mash was held for ninety-two hours and the sour mash for ninety-six hours. The company had sixteen thousand ninety barrels in bonded storage in 1882. Their annual production was six thousand barrels, valued at $150,000.

1884: Sam Clay, Jr. left the partnership. Distribution of the distillery's products were assumed by J. A. Lail & Company.

1888: In November, Wm. Tarr Co. was incorporated, owned by William Tarr (President: 40%), Thompson Tarr (Wm Tarr's son: 10%), Thomas J. Megibben (VP: 40%) and Joseph M. Kimbrough (Secretary: 10%). The firm capitalization was $100,000.

1890: Megibben and Kimbrough died and Tarr purchased their interests. Tarr continued as President, while his son was elected Vice President and J. B. Huffman was selected Secretary. Distribution was also shifted to R. S. Strader & Co.

1892: The company purchased the adjacent Lexington Distillery to acquire 10,000 barrels of bourbon in storage. The Lexington was demolished and the whiskey relocated to the company's warehouses.

1897: On January 1 the company issued $50,000 in bonds, secured by the company assets. At the time, directors were William Tarr and James S. Stoll.

In May, the company entered receivership and all assets were assigned to James S. Stoll and Richard P. Stoll, receivers. This receivership resulted from Mr. Tarr's endorsed of a number of notes for family and friends that defaulted. The aftereffects of the Panic of 1893 and depression in the whiskey industry also compounded these problems. He had judgments ranging from $200 to $8,000 arising from these endorsements. The distillery assets at the time included 10,000 barrels in bond of "Wm. Tarr" bourbon. Liabilities included ordinary payables and the $50,000 in bonds.

1899: On February 20, the distillery was auctioned at a Master Commissioner's sale to Leonard G. Cox, of Graves, Cox & Co., for $60,001. He was bidding against G. G. White, distiller of Paris, Lewis LeBus, of Cincinnati, and Squire Basset, of the Fayette National Bank of Lexington, three of the larger creditors. Cox turned out to be a straw bidder for Charles H. Stoll and the Trust (KD&W).

1902: The Trust sold the Ashland to the Stoll & Co., who operated it until the company dissolved upon the death of its senior partners.

1908: The distillery was re-aquired by the Trust, who operated it until Prohibition.

1909: The inventory of the Ashland (18,000 barrels) was acquired by Maurice Greenbaum of Lousiville. He also acquired a small plot of land adjacent to Warehouse No. 1 and constructed a bottling house that bottled 40 barrels per day and was kept running for the next decade.

Aliases that this distillery's product was sold under
Review bonded warehouse transactions for this distillery