Paul Jones, Jr.

“The Romantic Founder”

It is said that the Jones family was so influential in the whiskey industry that they can trace their line to 17th century England and then arrived in Lynchburg, Virginia. In 1828 Paul Jones, Sr was married to Mary Walton and had 4 children, 2 daughters and 2 sons. Paul Jr. and Water Paul would each go on to careers with significant impart on the whiskey and bourbon industries. Paul Jones, Jr., was born in 1840 in Lynchburg, Virginia. 

After the civil war Paul Sr. and Paul Jr. ran a grocery business together in Atlanta and the business thrived under Paul Sr.’s leadership until he passed in 1877. After Paul Sr.’s passing Paul Jr. added whiskey sales to the business and became quite prominent in the Atlanta area. He was influential in getting key people elected and appointed to offices as he wanted.

Business continued to grow despite a growing push for prohibitionists and groups trying to push alcohol businesses out. Finally in 1883 the prohibitionists gained enough power to push through statewide prohibition in Georgia and Paul Jr. looked for other business opportunities.

At a Southern Exposition in Louisville, Kentucky it is believed Paul Jr. became interested in moving to that area. Though another factor may have played a roll, on a trip to buy trotting horses for his niece, he found a whiskey trade office nearby and realized the opportunity that would be available with a move to the area.

Paul Jr. rented an office space and then later purchased it at 136-140 East Main. In this area all the major producers and rectifiers such as J.T.S. Brown, W.I. Weller, R.E. Wathen and I.W. Bernheim held offices in addition to Paul Jr., and the business took off quickly for Paul Jr. Their location gave them direct access to the Ohio River to ship out their products through western areas of the Ohio River and down through the Mississippi from Cairo, Illinois down river to New Orleans, Louisiana. Through this shipping channel their products could could be sold all along the east coast, to Europe, and even to the Far East.

Jones decided to move his company and distillery to "Whiskey Row" in Louisville, Kentucky in 1884  but could not find enough room to his liking. In 1889 he bought the J.  G. Mattingly distillery for $125,000 at auction ($3,460,000.00 in  today's dollars). Included in the purchase were a mill, a fermenting house, a boiler house, a distillery building and a cattle barn.

In the early 1880’s a legend of the Four Roses name began. It is said that Paul Jr. was attracted to a southern belle, and some versions of the story state that happened prior to the Civil War. Still other versions point to Lexington, Kentucky. Katherine Jones Smith, Granddaughter of Lawrence Lavalle and Marry Jones however has a different version of her families’ story. In her version, during a family wedding, Mary Peabody came from Columbus, Georgia to visit often and Lawrence Lavalle Jones, Paul Jr.’s nephew, was very shy and would most often leave hen she came around him. Eventually he decided to court her and was unrelenting until she agreed. He made frequent trips to ask Mary for her hand in marriage each time for 5 years.

Finally at a dance, he would ask her one more time, and if her answer was no one more time he would never ask again. He sent a dozen roses and wrote her to say that it would be the last time he would ask, if yes she should wear a corsage of four roses, and if her answer was to be no, to not to wear any. As she arrived at the dance she wore a corsage of 4 roses. Later versions of this story would point the finger of origin to Paul Jones, Jr. Lawrence Lavalle and Mary were married in 1894. In about 1888 the trademark for the Four Rose name was first registered.

Paul Jones, Jr. passed away quickly in 1895 and very few of his friends even knew he was seriously ill. His passing came as surprise to about everyone. On a Friday he was going about business as usual until later in the afternoon when he began to complain about severe pain in his head and went to his apartment in the Galt house. Shortly after he went to the Norton Infirmary. The next day he seemed better, but again by afternoon he worsened and lost consciousness. After another few moments he passed away at age 55 of Bright’s disease which causes swelling and inflammation of the kidneys. It was already in an advanced state when discovered only days earlier and was untreatable at the time. He was buried in Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky.

Paul Jr.’s nephews Lawrence and Saunders Jones carried on the business after his passing and succeeded in continuing to grow the business.

Contributed by Daniel Snyder, Whiskey Founders Committee Chair, Champaign, Illinois

Four Roses Bourbon and Fine Old Bourbon

Four Roses Small Batch, Small Batch Limited Edition, Marriage, and Small Batch Select Bourbons

Four Roses Single Barrel 100 Proof, Super Premium, and Barrel Strength Bourbons

Contributed by Daniel Snyder, Whiskey Founders Committee Chair, Champaign, Illinois