Kentucky Whiskey Advertising Piece ... "Compliments Of Wiley Brothers, Kentucky Whiskies"

WILEY BROTHERS CORPORATION

Publication: ND (ca 1886), NP, ND (circa 1886)

First edition. 12" x 10" cardstock advertisement showing the picture of a lovely young girl from the chest up wearing a white dress with purple ribbon ties appearing to be looking out of a barn door. Born and raised in Anderson County, Kentucky, Wiley Searcy reached maturity just as the Civil War was beginning. Kentucky citizens were torn between North and South in their loyalties. For unrecorded reasons, the Searcys chose the Union side. Few soldiers on either side saw as much action as Searcy did, in the process rising from a lowly private to the rank of captain. Searcy mustered out in 1869, returning to his home in Kentucky. In 1886 Searcy is recorded as having purchased a distillery that had been established in Anderson County in 1818 by Joe Peyton, widely known as "Old Joe." The distillery would eventually bear his name ... the Wiley Searcy Distillery. Under Searcy’s leadership, the distillery flourished. In 1909, as occurred many times for distilleries, fire ravaged the complex, destroying all three warehouses. The loss of whiskey was considerable. Searcy, by now 66 years old and perhaps feeling the effects of his wartime wounds, declined to rebuild and instead sold the property to the local Ripy Brothers in 1911. Very minor wear to top edges along with aged tanning to rear else fine condition. A very attractive advertising piece.

Inventory Number: 49156