- Edson Bradley
Edson Bradley (1852–1935) was a liquor millionaire who served as president of
W.A. Gaines and Company ofFrankfort, Kentucky . This was also known as the "Whiskey Trust". Brands includedOld Crow andOld Hermitage . W.A. Gaines erected the Hermitagedistillery in 1868, and were the largest producers of fine "sour mash " whiskeys in the world.The involvement of W.A. Gaines and Co. in the whiskey industry ended with
Prohibition . National Distillers, which owned the distillery and brand from the end of Prohibition until 1987, continued to use the W.A. Gaines and Company name.Jim Beam bought National in 1987.Edson Bradley was a well-known member of
Washington, D.C. society and was often mentioned in the society pages of the newspaper. His debutante daughter Julia had hercoming out party in 1894. His home, located inDupont Circle was famous for its 500-seat theater, "Aladdin's Palace". He was a large art and book collector.In 1923, he physically moved his home to
Newport, Rhode Island . It is currently known asCarey Mansion . His wife Julie died shortly after construction was completed in 1929. Edson Bradley died ofpneumonia inLondon in 1935.
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