Jack's Safe
Jack's Safe
Jack Daniel’s old office is our Distillery’s oldest structure, dating back to his time as Master Distiller. We’re told Jack liked to do business on the front porch and enjoy the cool breeze that rolled down from the Cave Spring in the summer. It also gave him a good view of just what was going on.
Most mornings, Jack’s nephew, Lem Motlow, arrived at the Distillery office well before Jack did, and began the day by opening the safe. On one particular morning in 1906, Jack arrived at the office first and, unwilling to wait for his nephew, tried to open the safe himself. He tried what he thought was the combination a few times, couldn’t open the safe, and finally hauled off and gave it a kick in frustration breaking his big toe.
The injury proved far more serious than it seemed at the time and eventually resulted in Jack losing his foot, then his entire leg before eventually losing his life five years later.
Here in the Hollow, in an attempt to make some sense of our founder’s untimely death, we sometimes joke that Jack’s tragedy is a reminder to “never get to work early.” But it’s also a caution that there’s virtue in patience and holding your temper, and in asking for help when you need it.
Become A Friend Of Jack
Since 1866 Jack Daniel’s has been making friends all over the world. We would like to invite you to become a friend of Jack too.
