Benjamin Holladay
“The Stagecoach King”
Benjamin Holladay was born on October 14, 1819, in Blue Lick Springs, Nicholas County, Kentucky, to William Holladay and Margaret “Peggy” Hughes. From a young age, Ben learned how to manage wagon trains from his father, who worked as a guide through the Cumberland Gap—a key passage through the Appalachian Mountains. As a teenager, Ben even took a daring road trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico, which was then part of Mexico.
As he grew older, Ben moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where he gained valuable experience in freight camps, learning the ways of western trade from seasoned merchants. Eventually, he settled in Weston, Missouri, where he worked as a store clerk and courier for the well-known Colonel Alexander Doniphan. In 1838, Ben opened his own hotel and tavern, launching what would eventually become the McCormick Distilling Company, now one of the oldest whiskey distilleries in the U.S.
Ben's early business success came during the Mexican-American War, when he supplied materials for General Stephen Watts Kearny’s troops. His sharp instincts helped him build strong relationships with the Mormon community in Utah. They gave him exclusive rights to lead freight caravans to Salt Lake City, where he opened a trading post to sell much-needed goods. In return, he acquired cattle that he drove across the Nevada desert to booming mining camps in California, where beef sold for high prices.
In 1849, Ben purchased land with a limestone spring—ideal for whiskey-making. Being a native Kentuckian, he recognized the value of the spring water for producing bourbon. Together with his brother David, he built a distillery, and in 1856, they began producing whiskey under the name Blue Springs Distillery. The first gallons sold for just 35 cents each. In 1858, Ben handed over ownership of the distillery to David, focusing on other ventures.
Today, that distillery—now known as McCormick Distilling Company—is the oldest in the U.S. west of the Mississippi, still operating on its original site. David Holladay ran the business until his death in 1864. It then passed through several owners and names, surviving even Prohibition by legally selling whiskey for medicinal purposes, though rumors suggest the stills may have stayed active in secret. The company was renamed McCormick in 1942 and remains privately owned today. A major renovation in 2015 brought bourbon distillation back to the site, and in 2022, Ben Holladay Missouri Straight Bourbon Whiskey was released to honor its founder.
But Ben’s legacy didn’t stop with whiskey. In 1860, he purchased the Pony Express shortly after it launched. Though hailed as a groundbreaking service, the Pony Express was quickly made obsolete by the telegraph and shut down just 18 months later.
Ben quickly pivoted. In 1861, he helped fund the Central Overland California and Pike’s Peak Express, a commercial stagecoach line. When it went bankrupt, Ben took over its 1,200 miles of stage lines and rebranded it the Holladay Overland Mail & Express Company. He soon controlled most of the stage and freight traffic between the Missouri River and the West. At the height of his power, he held a federal mail contract worth around $1 million a year and was considered the largest private employer in the United States. His businesses included everything from gold and silver mines to saloons.
Ben’s influence reached as high as the White House. He was in contact with President Abraham Lincoln, church leader Brigham Young, and other powerful figures. He owned mansions in Portland, New York City, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco. His estate in New York, named “Ophir” after a silver mine he had won in a poker game, is now the site of Manhattanville College.
In 1861, Ben became an American hero after leading a record-setting journey from San Francisco to Atchison, Kansas, in just 12 days and 2 hours—the fastest transcontinental mail delivery ever at the time. That feat helped him renew a nearly lost federal mail contract.
By 1866, however, Ben realized that the new Transcontinental Railroad would soon replace his stagecoach lines. He sold his company to Wells Fargo for $1.5 million in cash and $300,000 in company stock. Always thinking ahead, Ben entered the railroad industry, starting with the Oregon and California Railroad Company in 1868. He settled in Portland, Oregon, where he became a local legend, with streets and parks still bearing his name today.
Unfortunately, his luck ran out in the Panic of 1873, a stock market crash that ruined many businesses. Ben lost most of his wealth and spent his final years tied up in lawsuits over his remaining assets. He died nearly forgotten on July 8, 1887, in Portland, Oregon, and was buried at Mount Calvary Cemetery.
Ben married Notley Ann Calvert in 1839 and had two daughters: Jenny Lind and Pauline Cassandra Holladay. After Notley died in 1873, he married Lydia Esther Campbell, with whom he had another daughter, Linda.
While Benjamin Holladay once ruled an empire that stretched from coast to coast, it is the whiskey he created for a short time that lives on. His name, through the Ben Holladay Missouri Straight Bourbon, continues to echo in American history—proof that a bold spirit can leave a lasting legacy.
Contributed by Daniel Snyder, Champaign, Illinois
