Kentucky History Drive

History is all around us.

Pioneers, Native nations, long hunters, soldiers and distillers. Explore the stories that made Kentucky, on a living map you can travel through time.

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All drives · Plan a history drive · Distillery start

Jim Beam: Clermont, Salt River salt and Civil War forts · Loop 1: Salt River and Fort Duffield

Starting at Jim Beam in Clermont: the Bullitt's Lick salt works, the Salt River falls at Shepherdsville, and a Union fort above West Point.

I'm at Jim Beam: what history is near here?

Sites within about 30 minutes by road, nearest first. Times and miles are estimates from OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM), not live traffic.

SiteFrom the distillery (est.)AccessStory
Mystery Cemetery marker (KHS #1415)
Unmarked graves believed to be those of railroad workers who died of cholera around 1854, or of Civil War soldiers; the marker gives both possibilities. Sources: KHS marker #1415: Mystery Cemetery		about 7 min, 4.1 miMarker only
Bullitt County History Museum (Shepherdsville)
Shepherdsville was established at the falls of the Salt River in 1793 on Adam Shepherd's land; the county history museum is in the courthouse. Sources: Bullitt County History Museum		about 13 min, 7.7 miLimited hoursRead the story
Bullitt's Lick marker (KHS #133)
Located by Capt. Thomas Bullitt in 1773; an early commercial salt works that supplied Kentucky settlements and the Illinois country. Sources: KHS marker #133: Bullitt's Lick; Wikipedia: Bullitt's Lick		about 17 min, 10.9 miMarker onlyRead the story
Bardstown courthouse square (KHS #1668)
William Bard laid off the town in 1780 as agent for his brother David and John C. Owings; the first log courthouse was built in 1785. Sources: KHS marker #1668: Bardstown		about 24 min, 15.4 miMarker onlyRead the story
My Old Kentucky Home State Park (Federal Hill)
John Rowan's Federal Hill mansion; the grounds include the Rowan family burial ground and, southwest of the mansion, a burial ground of enslaved men, women and children. Sources: Grokipedia: My Old Kentucky Home State Park; Kentucky State Parks: My Old Kentucky Home		about 26 min, 16.1 miPaid
Heaven Hill Distillery (Bardstown)
Founded by the Shapira family in 1935 after Prohibition; on Nov. 7, 1996, fire destroyed most of the Bardstown plant and about 90,000 barrels of bourbon. Sources: Grokipedia: Heaven Hill; Heaven Hill		about 28 min, 17.5 miPaid, Reservation

Stops

  1. 1. Jim Beam (Clermont)

    PublicPaid admissionReservation neededRebuilt 1933–34. Working distillery; tours by reservation, fees apply.

    James B. Beam rebuilt the family distillery at Clermont in 1933–34 after Prohibition; the brand took the name Jim Beam in 1943. Sources: Grokipedia: Jim Beam; Jim Beam

    Jacob Beam on Hardin Creek →

  2. 2. Mystery Cemetery marker (KHS #1415)

    PublicMarker onlyc. 1854. Roadside marker on KY 245.

    Unmarked graves believed to be those of railroad workers who died of cholera around 1854, or of Civil War soldiers; the marker gives both possibilities. Sources: KHS marker #1415: Mystery Cemetery

    4.1 mi, about 7 min from stop 1
    No story yet for this stop.

  3. 3. Bullitt County History Museum (Shepherdsville)

    PublicLimited hoursTown est. 1793. Free; weekday hours.

    Shepherdsville was established at the falls of the Salt River in 1793 on Adam Shepherd's land; the county history museum is in the courthouse. Sources: Bullitt County History Museum

    12.2 mi, about 19 min from stop 2
    Shepherdsville on Salt River →

  4. 4. Bullitt's Lick marker (KHS #133)

    PublicMarker onlyLocated 1773. Marker only.

    Located by Capt. Thomas Bullitt in 1773; an early commercial salt works that supplied Kentucky settlements and the Illinois country. Sources: KHS marker #133: Bullitt's Lick; Wikipedia: Bullitt's Lick

    3.2 mi, about 6 min from stop 3
    Bullitt's Lick: Kentucky's first industry →

  5. 5. Fort Duffield Park & Historic Site

    PublicBuilt Nov. 1861. Public park with trails; open daylight hours.

    Built in November 1861 by the 9th Michigan Infantry to guard Union supplies at Louisville and the L&N line; men who died of disease or accident were buried on the hill. Sources: KHS marker #2449: Fort Duffield; Wikipedia: Fort Duffield

    12.9 mi, about 24 min from stop 4
    No story yet for this stop.

Directions cover the public stops only. Access, fees and hours are general; verify before visiting.

Route map