For many years, barrels and barrels of whiskey were manufactured at a distillery plant near Joplin.
The original Old Rock distillery was established by Riley F. Robertson in 1911. He traveled to Louisville, Ky., and purchased a complete distilling plant. He then transported it and reconstructed the plant adjacent to Galena, Kan., just inside the Missouri line. Robertson chose to name his business the Old Rock Distilling Co.
The plant began making 10 barrels of whiskey a day and in short order production grew to 35 barrels per day. The original brand name was known simply as “Old Rock.”
Business was good until the 18th Amendment passed, prohibiting the sale and manufacturing of alcoholic beverages.
The Old Rock Distilling Co.’s doors were nailed shut and no whiskey was manufactured after May 1, 1919. Most of the building was razed in 1922.
Following the repeal of Prohibition, The Joplin Globe reported in December 1934 that the distillery was being rebuilt. Most of the equipment was installed using local materials and craftsmen. Everything was in place except the still. Robertson reported to the Globe that the new still was designed and built by the same people who built the original prior to Prohibition.
By the mid-1930s, the plant was making five brands of bourbon whiskey: Old Rock “Bottled in Bond” 100 proof, Old Rock “Special” aged three years, Old Rock “Private Stock” aged five years, Old Rock “Reserve” and Old Rock “Limited.”
A change in management occurred in 1939 when Martin Doane left Indiana and relocated to Joplin and began running the plant. Three years later, Doane received some financial assistance from New York whiskey magnate Sidney Kessler. A new ownership team was created when the capital stock of the distillery was acquired by Kessler and his daughter, Charlotte Kessler, also of New York. Additional owners in the company were Herbig Young, of Pekin, Ill., and Doane. The corporation’s new officers were Kessler as president, Doane as vice president and Butler Disman, of Kansas City, as secretary.
Also, the name was changed to the Ozark Mountain Distilling Co.
The restructured company tripled the plant’s capacity in preparation for the manufacture of alcohol for the U.S. government. Doane reported to the Globe that he anticipated the manufacture of whiskey would be curtailed by the War Production Board. However, during World War II, the plant produced industrial alcohol for the government.
With government contracts ending following the war, the plant converted back to making whiskey. By 1946, the Ozark Mountain Distilling Co. had become the largest distiller west of the Mississippi River, manufacturing more than 300 barrels of whiskey per day. The storage or aging room held 23,330 barrels. The federal government required the company to pay annual taxes of more than $10 million.
The corporation changed hands again in 1949. Houston oil barrons M.T. Grubb and H.L. Hawkins financed the business transaction. According to the Globe, the property was appraised at $1.5 million with authorized capital stock of $1 million. Doane became the largest stockholder and remained president and general manager of operations. Joplin attorney John W. Scott became a vice president of the corporation.
By now, the corporation consisted of other companies — the Ozark Feed Co. and the Ozark Wood Products Co. The feed company was a result of cracking nearly 3,000 bushels of grain daily to make the whiskey. The grain residue was dried and sold as feedstock.
The wood company, which manufactured whiskey barrels, also compressed wood flooring as a byproduct. In addition to producing barrel staves, the wood products division began manufacturing “Castle Square” flooring under a patented process for sale and distribution exclusively by New Castle Industries Inc. NCI was directed by Frenchman Gaston DeSegnot, who was the originator of the flooring process.
With this transaction, the company reverted back to its original name — Old Rock Distilling Co.
By 1950, one of the large warehouses was converted into a modern bottling plant. Upon completion, the bottling plant produced 130 bottles a minute full of whiskey sold under the name of Old Rock, Shamrock, Mildwood, Old Seymore, City Club, Riley Robertson, Old Jasper and Jasper Cream.
The company explained in one of its brochures that the chief reason for the location of the whiskey plant near Joplin was because of the quality of water. The company maintained deep wells at 1,200 feet, which tapped the same type of limestone that existed near the surface in Kentucky — home of the finest American bourbons.
By 1954, the 117-acre tract and the plant were converted into manufacturing feed for livestock. Four years later, Doane Products Co. expanded its line to make pet food products.
Sometimes we forget that at one time Joplin manufactured prolific amounts of steam drills, loaves of bread, cookies and crackers, sashes and doors, potato chips, hides, leather purses and billfolds — as well as lots of Old Rock bourbon whiskey.
