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Washington County · Frontier · 1795

Jacob Beam on Hardin Creek

After 1790, Johannes Jacob Beam (Boehm) settled a farm and grist mill on Hardins Creek in Washington County (Outer Bluegrass / Knobs, feeding the Rolling Fork).

AI illustration of Jacob Beam, Kentucky miller and distiller, about 1795
Jacob Beam AI illustration · Kentucky History Drive; no known likeness exists

Around 1795 he began selling corn whiskey from surplus grain—the start of the Beam line that later became Jim Beam. The creek itself is named for settler Martin Hardin; a 1789 Presbyterian meeting house nearby seeded Lebanon, and Maryland Catholics later planted St. Charles Church along the same waters.

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Published . Last revised .

Chicago

Snowden, Shannon. "Jacob Beam on Hardin Creek." Kentucky History Drive. Published September 12, 2026. Last revised September 24, 2026. https://kyhistorydrive.com/stories/jacob-beam-on-hardin-creek/.

MLA

Snowden, Shannon. "Jacob Beam on Hardin Creek." Kentucky History Drive, published 12 Sept. 2026, last revised 24 Sept. 2026, https://kyhistorydrive.com/stories/jacob-beam-on-hardin-creek/.

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