1880: The distillery was established by Ralph L Spalding, Charles D Boldrick, and R B Lancaster on land purchased from a farmer, Addison Abell. Richard Wathen was a partner in the proposed distillery but died before the partnership was announced. R B Lancaster sold his interest to John Callaghan before construction was completed in December of this year.

1892: Insurance underwriter records suggest that the distillery was brick with a metal or slate roof. The property included four warehouses, all iron-clad with metal or slate roofs:
Warehouse No. 1 (previously known as Nos. 1 and 2) -- 110 ft west of the still.
Warehouse No. 2 (previously known as No. 3). -- located 136 ft west
Warehouse No. 3 (previously known as No. 4) -- 136 ft SW of the still and 10 ft south of No. 2
Warehouse No. 4 (previously known as No. 5) -- 190 ft north of the still, on a hill. This warehouse contained a disused Hot Room.
A frame cattle shed stood 400 ft SW of the still.
At the time, it was being operated by Geo. D Boldrick, as Boldrick & Callaghan, "Belle of Marion Distillery".

The information above was provided by Ftboldrick@***.***, who notes that "Most of the confusion of the Belle of Marion distillery and the Wathen family comes from the notes of Whit Coyte, now at the special collections section of the Univ. of Louisville." Coyte's notes form the basis of Cecil's account of this distillery (1999: p. 108)

Review bonded warehouse transactions for this distillery