Evan Williams
"Kentucky's First Distiller"
Evan Williams was born in Wales in 1755 and emigrated to Kentucky (which was then part of Virginia) in 1780. Legend has it that he had tried distilling in his native Wales, but then came to America when the effort wasn’t at all successful. So it was in 1783 that newly arrived Evan Williams founded the first commercial spirit distillery, "K.S.P. #1" in Louisville.
The smooth-talking and influential Williams was appointed to the very first Louisville city council as a councilman. Williams was well known for his hospitality and surprised no one by bringing a jug of his whiskey to the first meeting. While no one officially acknowledged the beverage, it was reported that Williams left the meeting with an empty jug.
At the next meeting, Councilman Gabriel Johnston demanded that Evan be censured for bringing whiskey and that the bottle be confiscated. Williams agreed to the ploy and then, immediately after adjournment, each member, in turn, tasted the whiskey, which promptly caused the charge to be dismissed. Evans’ distillery was located at 5th and Main in Louisville, where he had many complaints about the smell and slop of the stillage. Despite the complaints from neighbors, since he brought whiskey to every council meeting, he rarely got fined for the distillery.
The council, seeing the advantage of having the wily Williams on their side rather than as an enemy, soon appointed him to the important post of Harbor Master (Wharfmaster) of Louisville. The harbor had constant complaints about poor sanitation and sewage, even though it was located at the Falls of the Ohio River, which was a major port for water traffic. The Falls included a 26-foot drop straight down and was not navigable. Boats were inconveniently and inefficiently unloaded above the Falls, and freight was carried overland below that obstacle to be reloaded some 2-1/2 miles downstream for shipment to other ports like New Orleans.
A man of many trades, Williams was also a master stonemason and building contractor. After constructing his distillery, Williams also built Jefferson County’s first clerk’s office and courthouse, Louisville’s first all-brick home, and then oversaw the construction of the county’s first jail. Evan Williams was a versatile and entrepreneurial figure who played a significant role in the early development of Louisville and the Kentucky bourbon industry. The story of his short but significant life is a testament to the pioneering spirit of early Kentucky settlers.
Not much is known about Evan Williams’ later life since he was a bachelor and had no known children to pass on his fortune and legacy. Williams died unceremoniously on October 15, 1810, in Louisville and was buried there in a grave whose location remains unknown.
Evan Williams 1783. Released in 1957 to commemorate Kentucky’s first commercial distillery.
Evan Williams Super Premium and Top Shelf line:
Evan Williams Vintage Single Barrel, Evan Williams 12-Year-old, and Evan Williams 23-year-old.
Contributed by Colonel Craig Duncan, Columbia, Tennessee