Jack Daniel left left home at a young age. He ended up at the home of , a preacher at a nearby Lutheran church and the owner of a general store. The Reverend also happened to sell whiskey that he distilled himself.
Jack learned the moonshine craft quickly. Some people say that Jack Daniel bought the still ran the business full-time at the ripe age of 16. If that legend is true, then Jack began selling his own Tennessee whiskey only three years later. The famous black labels on the company bottles proudly pronounce, "Established and Registered in 1866."
Jack may have been a teenage moonshiner, but he didn't register his business with the federal government until 1875. Jack would have been the more booze-appropriate age of 29.
Jack Daniel also established the Jack Daniel's Silver Cornet Band. This was a 10-member band solely devoted to promoting his whiskey across the countryside. With uniforms and instruments from the Sears & Roebuck catalog and a specially designed wagon for traveling, The band played every saloon opening, and political rally around.
