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Cedar Valley Distillery
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About
- Name
- Registered Distillery No. 18
- Manufacturing
- Beverage and Tobacco Production Manufacturing
Facts
- Founded
- Date unknown
Wooster,Ohio
- Dissolved
- Date unknown
Related
Key Persons
- Owners
Location
- Wooster, 44691, Ohio
––Written by Harry McClarran. One of the oldest historical business sites in the City of Wooster is the old Registered Distillery No. 18, once known as the Cedar Valley Distillery, which was located in the area of state route 585 and County Road 19 (Canal Road), approximately 1.5 miles northeast of the county courthouse in downtown Wooster. Contrary to information published in the local newspaper, the Wooster Daily Record in 1965, this building was not torn down when the Wooster Dix Expressway was built to go around the city.
So how did our local distillery come to be labeled as Registered Distillery No.18, when everybody locally simply knew it as the Cedar Valley Distillery? The answer to this question comes from the pre-prohibition federal government tax regulations: to facilitate collection of taxes on distilled spirits, the United States Treasury Department of Internal Revenue divided the country into a series of tax districts. These were organized according to State. For example, the State of Alabama constituted the “Alabama tax district”. States that were home to numerous distilleries (Kentucky, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Tennessee, among others) were divided into numbered sub-districts (e.g., “7th district of Kentucky”).
Each distillery within a tax district was then assigned a number, such that the combination of tax district and Registered Distillery number (RD #) provided the government with a unique identifier for the purposes of record keeping. The Cedar Valley Distillery in Wooster, for example, was Registered Distillery No. 18 (RD #18) in the 18th District of Ohio. Hence, why the old distillery is labeled as Registered No.18 on all the Sanborn Fire Insurance maps.
The United States has a long history of taxing alcohol to create revenue for our country. As early as 1789 under the new Constitution, the first Congress imposed a tax on imported spirits to offset a portion of the Revolutionary War debt assumed from the states. Administration of duties fell to the Department of the Treasury, whose Secretary, Alexander Hamilton, had suggested them. Congressional law makers were impressed by the amount of revenue created by this tax. The alcohol-imports tax was augmented by a new tax on domestic alcohol production in 1791. Needless to say, the taxpayers were not happy with alcohol import duties, and when the tax on domestic alcohol production was implemented, they were really unhappy! Some of them greeted the domestic alcohol levy with political resistance, which escalated into the short-lived Whiskey Rebellion of 1794. Both alcohol revenue sources, imported and domestic, survived this rebellion.
Although those particular early taxes were eventually abolished, similar devices for revenue from alcohol came and went as needed until 1862. In 1862, Congress created by an Act an Office of Internal Revenue within the Treasury Department, charging the commissioner with collection, among others, of taxes on distilled spirits and tobacco products that continue, with amendments, today. Because taxation so often does evoke resistance, including criminal evasion, during 1863 Congress authorized the hiring by Internal Revenue of “three detectives to aid in the prevention, detection and punishment of tax evaders.” Tax collecting and enforcement was now under one roof.
In 1875, federal investigators broke up the “Whisky Ring”, an association of grain dealers, politicians and revenue agents which had defrauded the government of millions of dollars in distilled spirits taxes. Responding to the scandal, Congress undertook the first Civil Service reform acts, formally acknowledging that the effectiveness of the law depends on the quality of its administrators.
The commissioner’s annual report for 1877 refers to his office as the Bureau of Internal Revenue, a title that it retained for the next seventy-five years. In 1886, a single employee from the Department of Agriculture came to the Bureau of Internal Revenue under authority of the Oleomargarine Act to establish a Revenue Laboratory where they would test alcohol and other substances produced to see that they met certain standards.
The Commissioner of Internal Revenue at the Treasury Department published a summary of bonded warehouse transactions following the close of every fiscal year (June 30). Unfortunately, very few of these reports still exist. However, copies of these records for the years 1898, 1901, 1903, 1904, 1914 and 1920 were obtained from the IRS by Bob Snyder and are available at his pre-prohibition history website: http://www.pre-pro.com/midacore/distillery_index.php
The land occupied by the Wooster distillery building(s) and warehouse is a small portion of acreage originally deeded to Joseph Stibbs by President James Madison in 1812. There is no definite available record as to the date the distillery buildings were erected. Portions of the original large acreage have been sold many times. Wayne County courthouse records are replete with all kinds of litigation throughout the decades.
In 1846, the property was partitioned to satisfy the heirs of the will of Joseph Stibbs Jr. Over many years, these lands were involved in multiple disputes. In 1875, a court order was issued to sell certain portions of the original lands to satisfy a mortgage held by the Society of Separatists of Zoar, Ohio. In many of these early transfers of land, the deeds mention certain rights of a large spring of water as well as the mill race. In 1879, the property was sold to Mary J. Stibbs by the Sheriff of Wayne County. This was a case against Lucas and Mary Flattery, Emaline B. Stibbs , John McClellan (administrator of Reasin B. Stibbs), Henrietta McSweeney, Mary Stibbs, Henry B. Stiffs and the Society of Separatists of Zoar, Ohio as many of these were the relatives and heirs of Joseph Stibbs. In 1883, Mary Stibbs would sell the property to William H. Walkup and he in turn sold the property to C. K. Bowman in 1883. C. K. Bowman also received a twelve acre plot of land from Mary B. Stibbs in 1897.
In about 1880, C. K. Bowman, with his father, Cyrus, moved their distillery operations from Overton, Ohio, northwest of Wooster, to its present site along Canal Road, where they built the brick building, still standing. In early 1900, C. K. Bowman bought his father’s interest. C. K. Bowman with his father, Cyrus, and his son, Warren, continued distilling their famous brand of rye whiskey known throughout the country as Cedar Valley. Their maximum capacity in their new location was twenty-five barrels daily. Much of the information included in this article came from an article written by Guy Richard. According to him, they discontinued bottling this brand in 1912 and there may be a few of these bottles remaining in some dark storages around Wooster and Wayne County. Since then the building has been used for distilling alcohol and various small manufacturing plants have used it for experimental purposes. Over the years, this property has come into many legal disputes involving the railroad which still runs close to the property.
In 1913, Bowman deeded certain lands to them which included some stipulations that they were absolved of any damages caused by the filling necessary for the construction of extra tracks of up to four, and that the filling against the building dare not be higher than 13 feet 9 inches. In 1934, the Wayne County Commissioners gave the Pennsylvania Railroad an easement in a 62-acre plot. There was much back filling by railroad owners and distillery owners around this complicated corner.
A further study of the deeds gives us additional information as to the history of this property. In 1935, C. K. Bowman sold the property to Cedar Valley Distillery and they in turn sold the property in 1947 to C. A. Nolan and Company. The deed stated that the premise included distillery purposes use. The spring water from what was known as the Coe Farm, subject to prior right reserved to the grantor this being 500 gallons of water per day for the benefit of the dwelling house and buildings now located on the grantors premise to the north of the Distillery. Thus, Bowman granted this area to Cedar Valley Distillery. Then C. A. Nolan Company, Inc. split the property to Sidney B. Flashman which included a mortgage from Cedar Valley Distillery to William Weisman for $45,000. Sidney B. Flashman conveyed this same property to Sterling Distillers, Inc., including the portion used for distillery purposes, plus the use of spring water mentioned in other deeds. Then in 1954, the property was sold by the Sheriff of Wayne County to William Weisman on decree of sale of land at the September term of 1954 of Court of Common Pleas and Weisman was plaintiff against defendant Sterling Distillers. He was suing them as a corporation for the sum of $44,576.88 over what was owed to him on a mortgage. Included in this sale were all of the distillery equipment and tanks, vessels, piping, warehouse equipment, hoppers, grain elevator, scales, machinery, equipment, furniture, fixtures, accessories and paraphernalia of many kinds located on premises but not including any whiskey bulk or bottled and containers therein. This would indicate that whiskey was being distilled up to that time on the premises. In 1959, William Weisman sold the property to Delbert Zimmerman and he in 1962 sold a portion of land to Durcote Corporation subject to right of way for Fort Wayne and Chicago Railroad which had been given them in 1937 by the Cedar Valley Distillery Inc. In 1962, Durcote Corporation sold to Durcote Realty Inc. and they in turn would sell their part of property in 1975 to Brothers Realty and Investment Company. In 1979, Brothers Realty and Investment Company sold to PA-RI Company, which then sold to Richard E. Frontz in 1980. At the same time, the Cedar Valley Distillery, Inc., a corporation, sold in 1970 to Bernard Weisman. It is interesting to note that Bernard Weisman was President and William Weisman Secretary of Cedar Valley Distillery, Inc. In 1978, Bernard Weisman would sell to Charles C. and Loretta Young, who in turn would sell to Richard E. Frontz in 1986 .
Evidently whiskey must have been made by the Sterling Distillers probably after the end of prohibition. If one can believe the deeds, then whiskey might have been made into the early 1950’s at this location. Portion of the building still stands at least to show the location of where famous rye whiskey had at one time been distilled.
One of the oldest historical business sites in the City of Wooster is the old Registered Distillery No. 18, once known as the Cedar Valley Distillery, which was located in the area of state route 585 and County Road 19 (Canal Road), approximately 1.5 miles northeast of the county courthouse in downtown Wooster. Contrary to information published in the local newspaper, the Wooster Daily Record in 1965, this building was not torn down when the Wooster Dix Expressway was built to go around the city.
Property Information
––Following information provided by William Davis, Map Office, Wayne County Administration Building.
Located in Section two, building is still standing.
1870 – name in Stibbs containing 50 acres.
1880 – name in Stibbs of 22.5 acres and Bowman 9.45 acres.
1890 – C. K. Bowman 9.45 acres, John Maurer 28.37 acres, Thomas Stibbs 11.83 acres.
1900 – C. K. Bowman had 28.73 acres, 11.83 acres, 9.45 acres.
1929 – C. K. Bowman (see vol. 109-357, 133-60, 141-446) sixty one acres same as located on map office, plot 1880.
1936 – 42 W-8 acres passed out of the 61.58 acres. C. K. Bowman became Cedar Valley Distillery (see Vol. 235-237) on 6-22-1936.
1942 – 48 Cedar Valley Distillery Inc. Vol. 246-571 sold to C. A. Nolan Company, Inc. 12-12-1947.
1948 – 62 Split 3.12 acres from Nolan & Co. to Sidney B. Flashman 1-6-37 next transferred 8 acres to Flashman on 3-31-51 being 4.356 acres. Sidney Flashman deeded to Cedar Valley Distillery Inc. 4.536 acres on 3-31-51. 3.12 acres part Flashman sold to Sterling Distillers In. 1-6-51 and they sold it to William Weisman being 3.12 acres on 12-20-54. Cedar Valley Distillers, Inc. to Bernard Weisman on 6-24-70. Then 3.12 acres passed from William Weisman, transferred to Delbert W. Zimmerman on 6-19-1959. Zimmerman sold to Duracote Realty, Inc.
11-3-62 – At the same time, Cedar Valley Distillery, Inc. had 4.536 acres. Cedar Valley Distillery, Inc. to Bernard Weisman on 6-24-1960. Distillery property still under Duracote Realty, Inc. being 3.12 acres. Railroad got a judgment of .78 acres journal entry, Court of Appeals case.
1974-81 – Duracote Realty to Duracote Corporation, 8-5-75 then to Brother Realty & Investment Co. on 12-18-75 and from them to PA-RI Co. on 1-21-79 and from them to Richard E. Frontz on 3-5-1980.
The part of Cedar Valley Distillery sold to Weisman and he sold it to Chas. C. & Loretta Young 1-23-78 and by them to Richard E. Frontz on 6-16-1980 and he currently owns the property.
Court Records
447-514 9th District Court of Appeals in the matter of application by State of Ohio for easement for highway of land and Duracote Realty Inc. and application State of Ohio of the fee of the lands of Duracote Realty Inc. etal to the name of Pennsylvania Railroad Company and application of railroad due to improvement of State Route 3. 1969.
442-379 court case of Pennsylvania Railroad Co. and Duracote Realty over lands for improvement of State Route 3. (see what is zeroed off concerning it.)
420-671 Easement by Cedar Valley Distillery to The State of Ohio (see Vol. 322-361 being .60 acres, .12 acres and .23 acres.)
452-296 Cedar Valley Distillery Inc. a Corporation to Richard Weisman Corporation being Bernard Weisman, President and William Weisman, Secretary, June 23, 1970. (see copy in Recorders Office.)
530-27 Bernard Weisman to Charles C. and Loretta Young, 1978.
558-242 Charles C. and Loretta Young to Richard E. Frontz, 1986 (see vol. 530-27 being 1978 see 228-258)
506-882 Duracote Corp. to Brothers Realty Investment Co 1975.
542-325 Brothers Realty and Investment Company to PA-RI Co. 1979. (see vol. 506-882, 290-94-100.)
555-646 PA-RI Co. a partnership to Richard E. Frontz, 1980. (see vol. 542-325 subject to right of way of Pittsburg, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railroad. (see 235-237).
Quick Facts
Gallery
Maps
Sanborn Maps 1898
Sanborn Maps 1905
Sanborn Maps 1911
Sanborn Maps 1923 Plant Vacant & Dismantled
Sanborn Maps 1930 Plant Vacant & Dismantled
Newspaper articles
article, "Booze Here? Find it in County if You Can", [1].
File:WooDistilleryNewsPic.jpg
- ↑ Wooster Daily Republican. Wooster, Ohio, 1920-01-16, p. 4