Michter's in Schaefferstown, PA. New photos and info.

[ethangsmith]

Chuck,
You may very well be right. I was going off of what I was told, but it could be incorrect as the "whisper down the lane" has been going on for almost 20 years now with Michter's information. What the current owner was 100% sure of is that the whiskey left behind in 1990 at its closure was not the A.H. Hirsch. I forget where I read it, but I had read somewhere that Adolph Hirsch saw instability in the distillery in 1974 and had them distill one last batch and yanked it all out in fear of losing it. Maybe I misinterpreted that or maybe that was just hearsay though. I have heard quite a few other tall stories that I didn't even believe about the distillery from locals and I have not repeated them as they did not check out with other known facts about the place. If any of my statements in the above posts are not true, PLEASE do not be afraid to correct them. I want to compile the FULL truth and correct timelines about Michters. I also plan on getting in touch with Dick Stoll sometime. The current owner of the Michter's site was friends with him but lost contact with him. When I find Mr. Stoll, I plan on doing an interview with him, just like Chuck did. I'll see if I can get more difinitive answers about the place and bust more myths.

[cowdery]

Like a lot of things you hear, there are always elements of truth and I don't claim to have all the facts. What appears to have happened, based on what I know, is that Hirsch, who had a long association with the distillery, bought some new make bourbon in 1974, possibly as a way to infuse some much needed capital into the faltering operation. He didn't buy it with any other purpose in mind, which is why it sat there for the next 14 years. By 1988, he probably did see that the end was near and the whiskey might be lost. He also had a buyer for it in Gordon Hue, who believed there was a market for it in Japan.

Hue would be another good person to talk to, which I have never done. He lives in the Cincinnati area and his family still owns the Cork & Barrel liquor stores in Covington, KY, although he personally is no longer involved with that.

I have talked to Julian Van Winkle. He says that, beginning in 1989, Hue would from time to time send him barrels to be dumped and bottled. All I know about where Hue was keeping them is at "a winery in Cincinnati."

Getting Hue's story would be a great addition to this tale.

Attached are the warehouse receipt and handwritten note from Mrs. Hirsch. I received both of these from Preiss Imports, the California company that bought the Hirsch inventory from Hue.

[ethangsmith]

My wife just got 100% confirmation from the State of Pennsylvania that the de-listing attempt on Michter's failed and never passed. In fact, they can't even find record of the attempt. Michter's is still a National Historic Place and a National Historic Landmark. She also has been offered a meeting to discuss possible funding options since confirming that it is still registered opens more avenues of help. Michter's may get saved!

[cowdery]

My wife just got 100% confirmation from the State of Pennsylvania that the de-listing attempt on Michter's failed and never passed. In fact, they can't even find record of the attempt. Michter's is still a National Historic Place and a National Historic Landmark. She also has been offered a meeting to discuss possible funding options since confirming that it is still registered opens more avenues of help. Michter's may get saved!

You can confirm that it's still listed on the National Parks Service web site.

[ethangsmith]

Awesome info Chuck! I do stand corrected as the Hirsch was obviously still there until 1988! This is just amazing how much hearsay is out there about this place. So Gordon Hue was the person that received the Hirsch from Michters and then sold it later to Preiss?? If that's the case, then I certainly do have another person to try and track down. I forgot if I asked already, but do you have any contact info for Dick Stoll. I found a phone directory listing for a Richard Stoll in Lebanon, PA but that's it.

[ethangsmith]

You can confirm that it's still listed on the National Parks Service web site.

We just wanted to hear it from the government itself. We were unsure if the site was correct and up to date. This way too we have names of people we spoke to in case we run into more people that say it was de-listed. I'd love to know why people are so sure it was.

[ethangsmith]

Just bought Vol. 9 from you via PayPal. I know you've done a lot of awesome research on this and I'd love to read it.

[cowdery]

I'm kicking myself for it but I can't seem to find Dick Stoll's number, though Lebanon sounds right. Give them a call. He and his wife are very nice folks.

As for the hearsay, you have to be skeptical, ask questions, ask for sources, and be prepared to piss some people off, because folks can grow very attached to their myths.

[ethangsmith]

I'll have to do that. I was told by the owner of the Michter's site that Mr. Stoll was one of a handful of people that knew the exact recipe for the whiskey.

[ethangsmith]

Did work there for 3 hours today and will be doing much more tomorrow and the next few days. I was able to finish the trimming of the shrubs in from of the jug house and still house. I started stacking the broken block from the pump house out front. I also unclogged a storm drain out front the still house so road debris will no longer accumulate out front on the paved area. I had to re-dig about 5 feet of trench and unclog the metal grate. I also did some other brush cutting along the creek and around the pump house. Tomorrow will most likely start warehouse cleanup and other repair work as I will be working with the owner of the site and he will have his front end loader and other gas powered tools available. I can't say much now, because I don't know all the details, but Michter's will not be reduced to rubble anytime soon. My wife has also been busy making phone calls and sending out emails and has gotten some VERY positive responses now from different agencies and societies.

A quick side note: If anyone on here was a member of the Michter's Collector's Society back in the day and has ANY information on it, please let me know. I know there were newsletters and also special release decanters for the members. The owner of the site also wants more information on it. We found out the one lady that lives near the distillery was a tour hostess/worker in the jug house and the owner and I are going to try and arrange an interview with her as well. Again, if ANYONE has ANY Michter's information or literature, even photos, I would love to hear about them or get copies of them!