Downard (1980) and Cecil (1999) describe different versions of the history: the Jim Beam website was used to verify "facts" where possible.

1752: Johannes Jacob Boehm emigrated from Germany and arrived in the colonies. He was initially living in PA and later MD.

1788: Jacob settled in Washington Co. Kentucky.

1795: Jake Beam (the orginal German name had been Anglicised) was by now selling whiskey and was later joined in the enterprise by son David Beam.

1820: Jacob handed the distillery over to David who became manager. David also had a son, David M. Beam, in 1833 and he also joined the family business and ended up running the distillery.

ca. 1850: David moved operations to a new and larger distillery near Bardstown. Cecil notes that the L&N railroad ran in front of the distillery when the line was completed. The company website differs on dates. Downard maintains that James B. Beam, David M. Beam's son, moved the distillery for a second time in order to gain railroad access.

1888: James B Beam assumes control of the distillery.

1892-1896: Insurance underwriter records locate the distillery at Stewarts Station, near Nazareth, 3 miles north of Bardstown.

The distillery was of frame construction and supplied two iron-clad warehouses:
Warehouse A -- located 108 ft east of the still.
Warehouse B -- 160 ft east of the still.

At that time, it was being operated by D M Beam & Son, as "Hart & Beam".

1894: Jim's brother-in-law, Albert J Hart, joined the firm and the distillery then became known as "Beam and Hart". Jim Beam was distiller and plant manager.

1895: The "Clear Spring Distilling Company" was established. Jim Beam partnered with Thomas C Dennehy and J S Kenny from Chicago, with James B Beam as President.

1913: Jim Beam's son, Jere Beam, joined the family trade was responsible for popularization of the familiar brand names. The company was reborn after Repeal and survives to this day.