42. Details - 2015 Jack Jouett Archaeology Project

This year the Jack Jouett Archaeology Project will continue by completing excavations at the distillery during the spring. Then we will concentrate on artifact analysis and conservation, archival research, and writing up our work. 

You can find the volunteer application here. 

A list of activities and what they entail is available here.

The mission of the project will stay largely the same as last year:

The Jack Jouett Archaeology Project is a community archaeology project that welcomes everyone with an opportunity to participate as a member of a team dedicated to the archaeological study of Kentucky’s early distillery industry. 

In many ways, Kentucky’s identity is built on the historic success of the distilling industry. In pioneer Kentucky distilling corn whiskey was not a luxury; it was an economic necessity. Gallons of whiskey were traded in place of money to purchase goods, labor, and property. Before the 1820’s the transportation infrastructure in many areas of Kentucky made it impossible to get corn to market before it spoiled. Distilling the corn into whiskey preserved the product until it made it into the market and sold for more money by volume.

As an early Kentucky settler and successful agriculturist, Jack Jouett would have participated in this economy. Jack operated a distillery and mill on Craig’s Creek from the late 1700’s to the early 1800’s when he traded the distillery to Charles and Peter Buck in exchange for one thousand gallons of whiskey. Fortunately for us, he was never paid. The documents from the resulting litigation list landmarks that led us to the location of his distillery and give us inklings into parts of his story that we may be able to access through archaeology.

Members of the Jack Jouett Archaeology Project team will be able to participate in every stage of archaeological investigation. From archival research, through excavation and artifact analysis, team members will have an active role in reconstructing forgotten stories from our history. Through an understanding of how fragile remnants of the past are, we will all be stewards of the past. Everyone who wants to participate regardless of physical ability will be included. The only requirement is that you are interested in archaeology, history, and/or whiskey.

This project is sponsored by the Woodford County Fiscal Court and The Woodford County Heritage Committee, with additional support from The Kentucky Distillers’Association and The Kentucky Heritage Council. We are grateful for the support of the families who own the land that we will be crossing and working on during this project. None of this would be possible without their permission. All of the artifacts recovered during this project remain their property and will be presented to them once the analysis has been completed.

This is the first phase of the broader Bourbon Archaeology Project that will examine early distilling throughout Kentucky. The Jack Jouett House Historic Site is excited to be a founding partner because we will learn more about Jack’s role as a leading Kentucky agriculturalist and the stories of the people with whom he worked. Woodford County is the epicenter of Bourbon Archaeology. 

Throughout 2015, we will learn about the early distilling industry and the best methods to gather and analyze the materials associated with them. Our experiences will inform the next stages of the project and guide investigations of the industry throughout Kentucky.

Welcome to the team!

Nick Laracuente, Project Director Jack Jouett Archaeology Project

Janice Clark, Executive Director Jack Jouett House Historic Site