Atherton Distillery

[jeffmac]

A couple of weeks ago, I was driving through Athertonville and saw what appeared to have been a distillery at some time or another but, looked now to be a lumberyard of some sort. So, I came home and checked Cecil's book and found that it was indeed the location of the Atherton Distillery. However, Cecil stated that the distillery buildings were razed in the 70's and 80's. What I saw definitely looked like old distillery buildings. Can anyone shed any light on this?

[bobbyc]

What you saw is the remants of the Atherton Distillery. I think the Warehouses were what was taken down. It was Seagrams there may not have been many warehouses. They are making barrels there now. I remember in the late 70s talking to some folk that were laid off from there and they were holding their breath waiting for it to reopen. That didn't work out.

[jeffmac]

Thanks Bobby.

[boone]

Actually, there has been a distillery in that general location, for a long time...Abraham Lincoln's father worked there--under the "Boone Brothers Distillery"--...Abraham, would pack his father's lunch and take it to him...They lived just down the road a bit...Knob Creek...

It was the Seagrams, as Bobby stated...and they do make barrels there...but the reason for the closing...Fire (in the distillery)...they never re-opened...

Bettye Jo