The Legend Began Here

Jack’s story: grit, good whiskey, an unforgettable legacy

#Barrelhouse 107 • 9:10 a.m. Aug. 9, 2025

America’s biggest name in whiskey started off in a little Tennessee town. Calaway and Lucinda Daniel, of Lynchburg, would welcome their 10th child in 1846 – a boy named Jasper Newton Daniel, but he preferred to just be called “Jack.”

His mother would pass a few months later in January of 1847. There is some uncertainty about Jack’s actual birth date due to a large fire in town that destroyed many of the town’s records. Jack’s father would later remarry and have three more children with Matilda Vanzant.

Jack was small for his age and struggled to find his place among all his siblings. It’s also said that Jack never got along with his stepmother. Jack didn’t feel like he belonged there, and he left home around the age of 6 to live down the road with Felix Waggoner.

After about a year, a Lutheran Minister by the name of Dan Call came to visit Uncle Felix. He noticed young Jack and asked about the boy. Felix replied that Jack was an intelligent young man and full of energy. At the time, Dan Call was only 17 with a wife and a young daughter. He told Felix how he could use a young man like that around the house and store.

Felix asked Jack about going to work for Mr Call, and Jack jumped at the opportunity. The agreement was that Jack would earn his keep to stay with the Reverend and his family.

Mr. Call was not only a preacher but also a distiller and owner of a general store in town. Jack became fascinated by whiskey making and eventually, Mr. Call let him work at the distillery. Jack became quite the whiskey maker, and a few years later, Mr. Call’s congregation insisted he choose sides: keep making whiskey or keep preaching, but not both.

At 14 years old, Jack Daniel bought the distillery from Dan Call for a whole $25 (which was a lot of money back then). Shortly after, the U.S. government began requiring distilleries to register with the federal government, so Jack quickly took action and, in 1866, became the first registered
distillery in America.

Jack continued to make his whiskey on the Call farm for a while, but the congregation was still not happy. They didn’t want whiskey made on the minister’s property at all.

In 1884, Jack bought a piece of property with a natural cave spring called Cave Spring Hollow and set up shop there. Yes, the same cave spring that feeds water to the distillery today. With the natural limestone of the cave and a steady supply of 56-degree, iron-free water, it was ideal for producing exceptional whiskey.

There was only one thing that Jack may have liked more than whiskey, and that was the ladies. ... Jack loved the ladies, and the ladies loved Jack. He never married or had any children that we know of; making whiskey was his first love.

Jack’s nephew, Lem Motlow, came to work for him when he was young, starting out as a laborer, but eventually, he worked his way up to Jack’s right-hand man. Lem would come in early, open up the office, start the fire, and have everything ready when Jack arrived at work.

One day, for some reason, Jack came into work early – before Lem arrived. Jack opened the door and went to the safe, trying to open it. The safe was finicky due to a weak spring, and after a few tries, Jack got angry and kicked the safe, breaking his left big toe.

Jack’s pride got the better of him, and he told no one of his injury. After walking on it for a few months, he finally called a doctor, but gangrene had already set in. The doctors removed the toe, but the infection had spread, leaving Jack to endure another amputation at the ankle, then later at the knee, and ultimately at the hip.

Jasper “Jack” Daniel died of sepsis on Oct. 9, 1911, at the age of 65, but that’s not where the story ends ...