The Wild West Leaves its Mark on Bardstown

In this episode, we journey to a town that most people do not even know exists, where rolling hills hide a secret that changed American history.  Beneath the quiet facade lies the story of a young woman whose sons would wreak havoc on not only their town, but the future bourbon capital of the world.  Their wild antics and lawless deeds left a lasting mark, but their connection to Kentucky's bourbon history runs deeper than most realize.  We'll explore a historic tavern they frequented, where bullet holes still bear witness to their presence, and trace the rise of a bourbon empire, a legend and brand the whole world is familiar with, born from the ashes of a family's struggles.  Tune in to find out how the Wild West came to Bardstown and left it Mark!

Thank you for listening to Bourbon: Legends from the Trail, where history meets flavor and every bottle has a story to tell. Cheers to the stores and legends behind the Spirit! Please leave a rating and review as it will help me plan future episodes.

Chapters

• 0:00 Intro
• 3:11 The Deatsville Darlin' Who Started It All
• 5:09 The Call of the West
• 8:27 A Troubled Second Marriage
• 10:02 A New Beginning with Dr. Samuel
• 13:44 The Escape back to St. Louis
• 16:12 The Wild West Meets Bardstown
• 19:18 The Samuels Legacy
• 21:34 The Birth of a Brand Legend

Transcript

Imagine a place so small, so unremarkable, that it doesn’t even have the luxury of being called a “one-stoplight town.” A place where the roads are narrow and the hills roll gently underfoot, disappearing into the blue horizon. This quiet nook of the world is Deatsville, Kentucky, a town barely on the map, known only to a select few who’ve wandered through. It’s a town where time slows down, where life moves with the steady pace of a horse-drawn plow, and where the occasional train whistle echoes through the valleys like a distant memory.

But beneath its unassuming facade, Deatsville hides a secret. A secret so grand that it could outshine the legacies of much larger places. A secret that stretches beyond the borders of Kentucky, reaching into the farthest corners of the Wild West and winding through the halls of one of the world’s most famous distilleries.

Well today, we embark on a journey back to the mid-19th century. A time when the roads that led to Deatsville were dusty trails, when railroads were transforming the landscape, and when small towns like Bardstown earned the title of “Bourbon Capital of the World.” This journey will take us from Deatsville to St. Louis, to the gold rush towns of California, and back to Kentucky, weaving together tales of faith, family, arson, and gunfire. By the end, you’ll see how the quiet hills of Kentucky became the unlikely birthplace of one of America’s most notorious legends.

Now it is time to grab your favorite bottle, pop the cork, pour yourself a generous glass, and settle into your favorite spot.

Welcome to Bourbon: Legends from the trail, where history meets flavor and every bottle has a story to tell.

Our tale begins in the early 1800s, in the sprawling farmlands of Deatsville, Kentucky. Here, we find a young woman named Zarelda Elizabeth Cole, a striking figure with dreams far beyond the confines of her rural home. The daughter of a modest farming family, Zarelda was different from the other girls in Deatsville. Where others saw the fields and hills as their future, Zarelda saw them as the backdrop to something much larger. She longed for education, an adventure, and the promise of a life beyond Kentucky.

With the support of her family, Zarelda enrolled in nearby Georgetown College, a small but respected institution just a few miles away. There, she was determined to make something of herself, aspiring, as legend has it, to become a teacher. But fate, as it so often does, had other plans for Zarelda.

While studying at Georgetown, Zarelda crossed paths with a young man named Robert. Robert was passionate, driven, and like Zarelda, full of ambition. He wasn’t just a student—he was training to become a preacher, someone who could move people with his words and inspire them with his faith. It wasn’t long before the two fell in love. And in 1841, they were married, beginning what they hoped would be a life filled with purpose and promise.

Robert’s career as a preacher took off quickly. His fiery sermons and eloquent speeches earned him a congregation at a small Baptist church near Midway, Kentucky. The couple’s life seemed to be right on track. Soon after their marriage, they welcomed their first child, a son named Alexander. But Robert’s ambitions stretched far beyond the boundaries of Kentucky. He felt the call of destiny—a pull toward something larger, something more impactful than a small-town ministry.

That call led Robert and his growing family to St. Louis, Missouri. There, in a much larger city, he took charge of another small Baptist congregation, continuing his work as a preacher. During their time in St. Louis, the family expanded with the birth of two more children: another little boy named Woodson and a little girl named Susan. Life was busy but full, and Robert’s career in the ministry seemed destined for greatness.

However, in the late 1840s, whispers of a different kind of destiny began to spread through St. Louis—the discovery of gold in California. The Gold Rush of 1848 swept across the nation like wildfire, pulling men from all walks of life to the rugged mountains of the West, where fortunes could be made overnight. But for Robert, it wasn’t the lure of gold that called him; it was the chance to bring spiritual guidance to the miners seeking their wealth.

So, in 1850, Robert made a decision that would change everything. He would leave his family behind temporarily and head west, settling in the rough-and-tumble mining town of Hangtown Gold Camp, today known as Placerville, CA. His mission was to establish a church and bring faith to those far from home.

But California was a harsh and unforgiving place. Nine months after his departure, Zarelda, patiently waiting to hear from her dear Robert, received devastating news. Robert had succumbed to illness—cholera, the same disease that claimed so many lives in the rough mining camps. He died alone, far from the family he had hoped to reunite with. Zarelda, now a widow with three small children, was left to pick up the pieces as she faced an uncertain future.

With Robert gone, Zarelda was left in a precarious position. St. Louis was a bustling, chaotic city, and without Robert’s income, she struggled to make ends meat. It wasn’t long before she remarried, this time to an older man named Benjamin Simms, a man 20 years older that she hoped would provide stability for her family.

But Benjamin was not the man he seemed to be. While their courtship had been brief and appeared promising, it wasn’t long after their wedding that his true nature emerged…. Benjamin was an alcoholic, and his drinking often turned him violent. Zarelda and her children, especially her young boys Alexander and Woodson, bore the brunt of his abuse.

Now just two years into their marriage, tragedy struck again. Benjamin died in a horse-riding accident, leaving Zarelda widowed again for the second time. Now, alone once more, she was determined not to make the same mistake again. She packed up her children and returned to Kentucky, seeking the safety of her family.

Back in Deatsville, Zarelda found herself in need of a fresh start. Her children were still young, and they occasionally needed medical care. Well, enter Dr. Reuben Samuel, a bachelor and the town’s local physician. Dr. Samuel was a gentle, soft-spoken man, a world away from the violent temper of Benjamin Simms. The two quickly became close, and in 1855, Zarelda and Reuben were married.

Reuben lived in a two-story white farmhouse, nestled on the edge of his brother and nephews farm, and this became the new home for Zarelda and her children. The house still stands there today, a silent witness to the events that would unfold. The Samuel family farm was more than just a home—it was a piece of history. Like many in the area, Reuben’s family dabbled in whiskey-making. In a time when\re cash was scarce, whiskey was often used as a form of currency, traded and bartered among neighbors.

One of the key figures in the Samuel family and to our story today was Reuben’s nephew, T.W. Samuel. T.W. wasn’t just a farmer and whiskey maker—he was also the High Sheriff of Deatsville, a man with authority and influence. His farm and distillery, just down the road from Reuben’s house, stood as a reminder of the deep connection between Kentucky’s farmland and its whiskey heritage.

For a time, it seemed as though life was finally calming down for Zarelda. But her two sons, Alexander and Woodson, well they were growing up, and their wild spirits began to show. The quiet life on the farm wasn’t enough to contain them, and soon, stories began to spread across Deatsville and beyond—reports of vandalism, livestock disturbances, damaged crops, and even arson. The boys had developed a reputation as troublemakers, some even calling them hell-raisers, and the people of Bardstown, only 8 miles away, known as the “Bourbon Capital of the World,” were taking notice.

Now T.W. Samuel, as High Sheriff, found himself in a difficult position. He was family, but he couldn’t ignore the law. After hearing one too many complaints, he paid a visit to his uncle Reuben, delivering an ultimatum. If the boys didn’t straighten up, he would have no choice but to arrest them.

Reuben and Zarelda sat the boys down, urging them to change their ways. For a time, it seemed to work. The boys promised to behave, and for a while, peace returned to the Samuel household. But it wasn’t long before more reports began coming in.

T.W. Samuel wasn’t the kind of man to make empty threats. When the boys’ antics resumed, he returned to Rueben’s home, prepared to arrest his young cousins. But once again, Zarelda intervened. She proposed a solution to TW and Reuben—a fresh start. You see she still owned property in St. Louis, and she suggested that the family relocate there, leaving behind the troubles of Deatsville and Bardstown.

With Rueben in favor they sat the children down and told them of the move.  The boys, surprisingly, agreed to the plan. They were eager for a change of scenery, and they even offered to change their names as a sign of their commitment to a new life and a new promise again to change their ways.  Alexander said he would start going by his middle name, Franklin, while Woodson, already known by his middle name, decided to use his first name, Jesse.

Well, what I haven’t told you yet is the full story behind these names. At the start of our tale, I mentioned Zarelda’s first husband, Robert, whom she met at Georgetown College. But what I didn’t reveal was Robert’s full name: Well his full name is Robert Salle James. That’s right, Robert James. And now, as the pieces are falling into place, you’ve probably figuring it out—Alexander Franklin and Jesse Woodson James, Frank and Jesse James. right there in Deatsville, KY. The boys’ promise to change their ways obviously did not hold, as they went on to become two of the most infamous outlaws in American history.

Now the town of Bardstown was more than just a stopover for Jesse and Frank -  their ties run deeper than most people realize. During the Civil War, the James brothers often rode into the Bardstown area alongside William Quantrill and his band of Confederate raiders. After the war, as they embarked on their infamous crime spree of bank and train robberies, the brothers frequently sought refuge in Kentucky, hiding out with family. The rolling hills and tight-knit community offered the perfect cover for the brothers, far from the eyes of the law. On one such occasion, Jesse stayed at Bardstown’s legendary Old Talbott Tavern.

Located in the heart of Bardstown, this tavern wasn’t just any old watering hole. It has had a guestbook filled with names like Abraham Lincoln, General George Patton, Andrew Jackson, and explorer George Rogers Clark. And it wasn’t just Kentucky’s first tavern—it’s the world’s first bourbon bar as many of the farmers would bring their whiskey there to sell. This historic spot was a favorite haunt for Jesse James, whose visits left behind more than just memories.

One fateful night, Jesse checked into the Old Talbott Tavern, his mind clouded by the haze of a drunken stupor. He took a room in the upper floor in the corner room.  This room in the Tavern, was adorned with hand-painted murals on all the walls, and featured a stunning depiction of birds perched in trees. But to Jesse, that night, those birds weren’t just part of the painting. In his drunken haze, he swore the birds were moving. And in typical outlaw fashion, he pulled out his Colt .45 and fired several shots right at the murals.

Well today, when you visit the Old Talbott Tavern, you can still see those bullet holes. They remain as a stark reminder of the night the Wild West collided with bourbon history. Those scars on the walls, left by Jesse, are a symbol of the lawlessness that once passed through Bardstown, and how the town quietly bore witness to the deeds of America’s most famous outlaw.

But as you now can draw the connection between the Wild West and Bardstown, you still might be wondering what the Mark was that was left. Well this Mark, while related to the James’, actually refers back to their cousin, TW Samuels. Remember he was the Deatsville High Sheriff. Well he was more than just a lawman; remember he was also a whiskey maker. But here’s where the story gets interesting. While T.W. may have been known for keeping order in the town, his whiskey, well that left a lot to be desired.

In fact, T.W.‘s whiskey was so notoriously bad that even his friends had a hard time choking it down. But whiskey runs deep in Bardstown, and the Samuels family wasn’t about to let a bad batch stop them. When T.W. passed his distillery down to his son, William L. Samuels, they kept churning out the same harsh whiskey, unchanged for years. That is, until a series of unfortunate events changed the family’s fortunes forever.

TW’s son William passed the distillery on to his son, Leslie Samuels, but fate wasn’t kind to the Samuels legacy. A fire broke out, and it devastated the distillery and leaving the family in a financial mess. Leslie had no choice but to sell off most of the business, holding on to only a small stake. The once-flourishing distillery was a shadow of its former self. But all was not lost. Leslie handed down that small stake to his son, T. William Samuels, or who most people called, Bill.”

Now, Bill had grown up watching his family struggle with a whiskey recipe that no one seemed to like. From a young age, he begged his father to change the recipe. But it wasn’t until Bill took over the remaining portion of the distillery, at the urging of his wife Margie, that he finally had his chance. And what did he do? Well, he took the family recipe—the one that had been passed down for generations—and set it on fire. Literally.

With his wife, Margie, by his side, Bill decided it was time to start fresh. And where better to start, than the basics? Bill began talking with other distillers like Pappy Van Winkle and Carl Beam about different mashbills and yeast strands.  And with no to time to wait for the bourbon to age before finding out if they liked it or not, they began testing different grain combinations by baking loaves of bread to see which blend would work best. In the end, they chose a mash bill that featured soft red winter wheat instead of rye as the secondary grain and a new legacy was born.”

In 1953, Bill and Margie, knowing they needed a place to make their new recipe, discovered the historic Burks Distillery in Loretto, Kentucky, nestled in the rolling hills and alongside a picturesque spring-fed lake. It was love at first sight. Together, they purchased the property and began crafting a bourbon that would go down in history. They changed the name from the Burks Distillery and Gristmill to Maker’s Mark, a fitting tribute to the artistry and craftsmanship that went into every bottle.

And as you probably know, Maker’s Mark quickly became a household name, not just in Kentucky, but worldwide. The hand-dipped red wax and that distinctive flavor made it a favorite among bourbon enthusiasts. But that’s not the end of the Samuels family story.

Today, if you visit the Maker’s Mark distillery, you might still catch a glimpse of Bill Samuels Jr. strolling the grounds, giving a VIP tour or chatting with visitors. Bill Jr. ran the distillery for years, taking over from his father and further solidifying the Samuels family name in bourbon history. And now, that torch has been passed once again—this time to Bill’s son, Rob Samuels, who leads Maker’s Mark today.

But here’s a little-known fact that connects the Samuels family even more closely to our story of outlaws and bourbon. In Bill Samuels Jr.’s personal office, hanging on the wall in a glass case, is a piece of history—an old Colt .45 revolver. And this isn’t just any revolver. That revolver once belonged to Jesse James himself, a memento of the Wild West and a reminder of how deeply Kentucky’s bourbon history is tied to LEGENDS.

So, the next time you pour yourself a glass of Maker’s Mark, take a moment to reflect on its journey. A whiskey that rose from the ashes of an old, harsh recipe to leave its mark on history—much like the James brothers who rode through Bardstown, leaving their own marks on history. The connections between bourbon and outlaws, whiskey and the Wild West, run deeper than we might imagine. And it’s those very connections that make the bourbon trail a path filled with LEGENDS, both celebrated and infamous.

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Thanks for joining me on this flavorful journey through time and taste....Cheers to the stories behind the spirit.

I am your host, writer, and producer...Travis Hounshell and THIS is Bourbon: Legends from the Trail.

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1. PBS Article
    https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/james-zerelda/
2. A Mother's Love: A Look at Zarelda Samuel, The Mother of Jesse James
    https://historyimagined.wordpress.com/2022/02/04/a-mothers-love-a-look-at-zerelda-samuel-the-mother-of-jesse-james-by-pat-wahler/
3. Whiskey University, T.W. Samuels
     https://www.whiskeyuniv.com/tw-samuels#google_vignette
4. Whiskey University, Bill Samuels Sr.
     https://www.whiskeyuniv.com/bill-samuels-sr#google_vignette
5. Music provided by Pixabay.com