Hiram Walker

Who was Hiram Walker?

Hiram Walker was an American grocer and distiller, and the eponym of the famous distillery in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Walker was born in East Douglas, Massachusetts, and moved to Detroit in the mid-1830s. He purchased land across the Detroit River, just east of what was Windsor, Ontario, and established a distillery in 1858 in what would become Walkerville, Ontario. Walker began selling his whiskey as Hiram Walker's Club Whiskey. It became very popular, angering American distillers, who forced the U.S. Government to pass a law requiring that all foreign whiskeys state their country of origin on the label. This move backfired; Hiram Walker's Canadian Club Whiskey became more popular following the change.

He established and maintained the company town that sprang up around his distillery. He exercised planning and control over every facet of the town, from public works to religious services to police and fire control. At one point, he opened a church for his workers but then quickly closed it when the preacher decided to teach on the "evils of alcohol".

The Hiram Walker & Sons Distillery remained in the Walker family until 1926 when it was sold to Harry C. Hatch. Canadian Club Whisky is still produced at the distillery site Walker founded. The company has gone through several versions of ownership and is now owned by Pernod Ricard. The Canadian Club Brand is owned by Beam Global based in Deerfield, Illinois.