Taylor Tour Timeline

  • E.H. Taylor Born

    E.H. Taylor is born in the Jackson Purchase area of western Kentucky.
  • Family Moves to New Orleans

    Father (John Taylor) moves family to New Orleans.
  • John Taylor Dies

    E.H.'s father dies of cholera on a steamboat trip north.
  • Taylor Under Guardianship

    Taylor's family placed under guardianship of Zachary Taylor, the soon-to-be president.
  • Taylor's Early Life (1837-1852)

    Life between 1837 and 1852. E.H. moves to Lexington to live with father's older brother, has Jr. added to name. He studies business, law and politics.
  • Taylor Marries

    Taylor marries Francis Miller Johnson
  • Adult Life (1852-1858)

    Between 1852 and 58, Taylor and his wife have children, he starts a banking business, but it fails.
  • Civil War Ends

    Civil War, which has destroyed Taylor's banking business, ends.
  • Back to the Purchase (1865-1868)

    Taylor moves his family back to western Kentucky where he sets up business trading in cotton another commodities.
  • Taylor Learns Distilling (1868-1869)

    Taylor moves to Frankfort to take a job with Gaines, Berry & Co. He spends a year in Europe and learns about distilling and how to run a top-notch distillery.
  • Taylor Buys Distillery

    Taylor buys distillery owned by S.J.M. Major, Richard Tobin, and James Graham in 1869 and sets out to build the world's most advanced distillery.
  • First O.F.C. Distillery Built

    Taylor modernized existing distillery buildings and constructed the first O.F.C. Distillery in 1873.
  • Carlisle Distillery Built

    Taylor builds Carlisle Distillery, first named Arlington Distillery. Named after John G. Carlisle, a U.S. congressman from Kentucky.
  • First O.F.C. Distillery Burns

    First O.F.C. burns in 1882 and is rebuilt, but due to Taylor's desire to build a better distillery, he has to borrow money from George T. Stagg.
  • Taylor is Out

    Taylor is pushed out of OFC. In the agreement, Taylor gets the Glenn's Creek Distillery, later named Old Taylor.
  • Taylor's Post-OFC Life

    After Taylor resigns his position, he takes up politics, lobbying Congress for stricter rules regarding bourbon production. This leads eventually to the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 and the FDA.
  • Bottled in Bond Act

    BIB Act, the precursor of the Pure Food and Drug Act passes. The law protects the consumer by ensuring the origins of bourbons produced at distillers, as well as their proof level.
  • Taylor Dies

    Taylor passes away at the age of 93.
  • Taylor Brand Returns to Distillery

    The brand returns to BTD.