Hello,
My Great Grandfather James Shea was a distributor/agent for this distillery in the mid-late 1800's in San Francisco. I have been told the still was located in Hunters Bottom, Milton, Trimble County, KY. I have been also told that he partnered with Robert McKee because he held the patent (?) for this brand "Tea Kettle".
James Shea company has had many names in San Francisco: Shea, Hussey & Co. (1868-1870), Shea, Bocqueraz & McKee (1871-1887), (McKee died in 1885) Shea, Bocqueraz & Co. (1888-1903), Shea, Bocqueraz Co. (1903-1917).
From Pre-pro.com I was lucky to be provided the following information after it was rebuilt after a fire in 1880:
The Tea Kettle Distillery provided product that was sold under the following aliases:
* 1880-1913: James Levy & Bro., Cincinnati, OH
* 1892: Richwood Distilling Co., Cincinnati, OH
* 1892: Susquehanna Distilling Co., Cincinnati, OH
* 1892: Crab Orchard Distilling Co., Louisville, KY
* 1892: Lilienthal & Co., Cincinnati, OH
* 1892: Loeb, Bloom & Co., Paducah, KY
* 1913-1920: Ferdinand Westheimer & Co., St. Joseph, MO
Can anyone please tell me is the distillery still exists, even closed, so that I might visit it?
Thanks, Tykee