Whiskey Men with Multi-City Enterprises

Foreword:   Most whiskey men were willing to operate successfully one or at most two liquor stores in the same city, apparently not wishing to dissipate their time and talent in dashing among multiple locations.  For a few distillers and liquor dealers, however, building an “empire” of outlets was an attractive and attainable option.  The experiences of three such are recited briefly below. 

Before the concepts were common in American business, the M. Wollstein Company was a multifaceted conglomerate liquor dealership, as suggested above in an illustration that listed its various entities.  The management structure was presented in tree form, perhaps to resemble a sturdy oak.  Behind this multi-limbed enterprise was the mysterious figure of Theodore Wollstein. 

Throughout his life, Wollstein seemed to have avoided the U.S. Census taker.  He first surfaced in the public record operating a short-lived whiskey dealership in Chicago (1877-1878).  About 1880, he established a liquor business in Kansas City, Missouri, at 1070 Union Avenue that the company variously called “Main House” or “Station A.”  It is shown below.  The Wollstein liquor empire eventually would spread over four states.  

Ten in all, the additional stores were: M. Wollstein & Co., West Main Street, Sedalia, Missouri; M. Wollstein & Co., 1420 East 18th Street, Kansas City; H.  Brann & Co., 304 Main Street, Kansas City;  M. Glass & Co, 1625 W. Ninth Street, Kansas City;  M. Wollstein & Co., 222 North 16th Streets, Omaha; Chicago Liquor House, 222 16th Street, Omaha; M. Wollstein & Co., 522 South 13th, South Omaha; *M. Glass & Co., 224 North 10th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska; H. Brann & Co., 311 Larimer Street, Denver, Colorado;  M. Wollstein & Co., 535 Broadway,  Council Bluffs, Iowa.  

The Wollstein “tree” that looked so firm and healthy eventually suffered considerable damage  The company’s mail order sales were severely curtailed by Congressional action in 1913.  Five retail “limbs” were sawed off in 1916 as Colorado, Iowa and Nebraska all went “dry.”  During World War One and after, U.S. officials began hacking at the liquor empire trunk with accusations of German influence.  National Prohibition provided the final blow of the axe. The Wollstein empire “tree” toppled to the ground.  With its demise went all further traces of Theodore Wollstein, back into the mists of history. 

George H. Goodman, a whiskey man from Paducah, Kentucky, was described by a contemporary this way:  “He possess the power of scattering his energies without lessening their force.”   True words.  Goodman was amazing in his ability to keep his liquor business operating smoothly and profitably in no fewer than six widely scattered cities.  

In 1900 at the age of 24, Goodman borrowed $500 from his father to start a retail liquor business in Paducah.   As his enterprise became increasingly profitable, he branched out into mail order sales and began to open branch stores in a succession of cities.   They included Jackson, Tennessee; Evansville, Indiana;  Cairo, Illinois;  and Shreveport and New Orleans, Louisiana.  George called these “Branch Houses.”   At one point he also claimed to own the Early Times Distillery in Nelson County, Kentucky, but records fail to sustain the claim.  More likely he was buying all or most of the liquor produced at that facility to create his own brands of whiskey.  

Goodman’s multiple outlets were often recorded on the ceramic jugs he often used to hold his whiskey.  They display a variety of labels, in black and cobalt blue, that likely reflect the places from which they were shipped.  He also bottled his product in glass, once again with his far-flung houses mentioned.  The shot glass shown here lists Cairo, Paducah, Evansville and New Orleans.  

In his merchandising literature,  Goodman boasted that the combined business of his houses enabled him to place contracts with distilleries that insured the very lowest market prices. His many outlets, the folder claimed, allowed transport from one to three days earlier than his competition. A Goodman pamphlet, entitled “Our Success”  also asserted that in 1910 his firm realized a total of $800,000 in trade.  If true, the $500 from Goodman’s father  been had been multiplied 1,600 times in less than a decade.

In his later years, Goodman’s prominence was such that President Roosevelt named him as Kentucky State Administrator of the WPA, the Depression-era works organization.  He served in that position for at least the next four years.  He is shown here, second from left, front row, with a number of Democratic politicians.

A third multi-city liquor enterprise involved a family — the Sprinkles of whiskey.  Shown here with his wife, Martha, is the progenitor of three generations of whiskey men, Hugh Sprinkle of Liberty Township, Yadkin County, North Carolina.  Following his return from the Civil War Hugh distilled whiskey on his farm for decades, eventually taking two sons, Benjamin and Hugh C. Sprinkle into his operation.  Benjamin in turn passed the skills down to his three sons — Benjamin Jr., James T., and Henry L.   After North Carolina voted “dry” in 1909, the family spread out to several locations in the South.  

The H.L. Sprinkle Distilling Company -- named for Henry L. “Hence” Sprinkle —was incorporated in 1912 in the town of Girard (now Phoenix City),  located in Russell County, Alabama.  The purpose of the business, as recorded with the state was the: “manufacture, purchase & sale of whiskey.”  During this period the Sprinkles also operated a distillery in or near Pensacola, Florida and had a retail outlet in Jacksonville. 

As shown here, much of the Sprinkles' whiskey was sold in glass gallon jugs with the embossed motto, “Sprinkle Whiskey Wants Your Business.”  As shown here, the three cities appeared on each bottle.  After Alabama went dry,  the Sprinkles moved their Girard retail outlet to Monroe, Louisiana. That city subsequently was embossed on the company’s gallon jugs. 

With the passage of the Volstead Act in 1919,  the Sprinkles were forced to shut down their distillery and sales offices.  According to descendants, the family had a stock of liquor when America went dry and members booked passage on ships and took their whiskey to sell in countries abroad.

Note:  More complete vignettes on each of the whiskey outfits treated here can be found on this website.   Wollstein, December 3, 2014;  Goodman, May 5, 2012; and Sprinkle, April 22, 2014.

George Goodman: Scattered Energies, No Lessened Force

George H. Goodman, a whiskey man from Paducah, Kentucky, was described by a contemporary this way:  “He possess the power of scattering his energies without lessening their force.”   True words.  Goodman was amazing in his ability to keep his liquor business operating smoothly and profitably in no fewer than six widely scattered cities.

Goodman apparently came from high energy American stock.  His grandfather was one of the earliest settlers in the Paducah area, a merchant who loaded a boat with merchandise and sold it at points between Pittsburgh and New Orleans.  After disposing of his stock he would sell the boat and return home to Kentucky on horseback. Goodman’s grandmother had an even more thrilling tale to tell.  Her parents, early settlers in Tennessee, were massacred by Indians.  She escaped, hid in a brush pile and witnessed the slayings.  Both of George’s grandparents lived to be more than 100 years,  driving their own horse to a family reunion after they had passed the century mark. 

George’s father, John Goodman, has been described as a “well-to-do planter” widely known in that part of Kentucky.  His mother was Mary Jane Glasscock.  She was a member of the Haycraft family, said to be prominent in the state’s social and political history.   George was born in March 1876 in the town of Big Clifty, Kentucky.  He attended public school in Paducah,  dropping out at age 12 to become a wage earner.   He clerked in shoe and drug stores, eventually became a traveling salesman, most likely in the liquor trade.

In 1900 at the age of 24, Goodman borrowed $500 from his father to start a retail liquor business in Paducah.  His first location was at 106-108 North Second Av. and, needing more space, in 1907 moved to 115-117 South Second.   As his enterprise became increasingly profitable, he branched out into mail order sales and began to open branch stores in a succession of cities.   They included Jackson, Tennessee; Evansville, Indiana;  Cairo, Illinois;  and Shreveport and New Orleans, Louisiana.  George called these “Branch Houses.”   At one point he also claimed to own the Early Times Distillery in Nelson County, Kentucky, but records fail to sustain the claim.  More likely he was buying all or most of the liquor produced at that facility to create his own brands of whiskey.

“Red Rock” was the firm’s flagship label and appears on many of its ads and promotional materials.   In addition, The company used multiple brand names, including "Clear Creek," "Fawndale,” "Moss Rose Rye,” "Old Bagby,” "Old Charlesworth.” "Old J. L. F.,”, "Old Mc Haney,” "Old Oakford,” "Shady Springs," “Smokey Mountain Corn” and "Standing Rock." He registered the Red Rock name with the Patent & Trademark Office in 1905 but does not seem to have bothered for the other labels.

Goodman’s multiple outlets were often recorded on the ceramic jugs he used to hold his whiskey.  They display a variety of labels, in black and cobalt blue, that likely reflect the places from which they were shipped.  He also bottled his product in glass, once again with his far-flung houses mentioned.  The bottle shown below lists Cairo, Paducah, Evansville and New Orleans.  He also provided giveaways to favored customers, including mini jugs and shot glasses.

In his merchandising literature,  Goodman boasted that the combined business of his houses enabled him to place contracts with distilleries that insured the very lowest market prices. His many outlets, the folder claimed, allowed transport from one to three days earlier than his competition. A Goodman pamphlet, entitled “Our Success”  also asserted that in 1910 his firm realized a total of $800,000 in trade.  If true, the $500 from Goodman’s father been had been multiplied 1,600 times in less than a decade.

In 1910, now well established as a whiskey man at age 34,  Goodman became engaged to and married Margery L. Cumbaugh in Dyersville, Tennessee.  She was 10 years his junior and a graduate of Ward College in Nashville.  Her father was a Paducah businessman and Methodist minister.  George and Margery would become the parents of three daughters, one of whom died in infancy.

During World War One,  while continuing to run his far-flung liquor interests, Goodman was chairman of the McCracken County Council of Defense and the head of the committee in charge of the sale of Liberty Bonds in the Paducah region.  With the end of the war and the advent of National Prohibition in 1920,  Goodman shut down his whiskey business and moved vigorously in other directions.  He bought a Paducah newspaper,  the News-Democrat, in 1922 and took a close interest in its operations.  As one contemporary source reported”  “He has made his paper an effective exponent of local interests.” About the same time he became president of the Smith & Scott Tobacco Company of Paducah and developed a farm of three hundred acres, on which he built a modern dairy and engaged in raising hogs.  He also maintained large and profitable real estate interests in Paducah.

As his reputation as a businessman grew,  Goodman was tapped for other prestige jobs.  This school dropout  at 12 years became president of the Paducah Board of Trade and  was prominent in Democratic Party circles.  He also became one of Western Kentucky’s most prominent horse racing proponents; a record breaking trotting horse was bred and developed on his farm.   George’s prominence was such that President Roosevelt named him as Kentucky State Administrator of the WPA, the Depression-era works organization.  He served in that position for at least the next four years.  He is shown here, second from left, front row, with a number of Democratic politicians.

George Goodman died in Paducah in 1961 at the age of 85,  something of a tribute to the energy and longevity of his ancestors.  In his obituaries Goodman was hailed for his success as a journalist, tobacco dealer, realtor, agriculturalist and breeder of racing stock -- and, of course, liquor dealer.  A contemporary account said:  “From an early age he depended on his own efforts for a livelihood and what he accomplished represents the full utilization of his innate powers and talents.”  Again, true words.  In just two decades and a $500 start  Goodman had created a whiskey distribution network second to none in the United States.