According to the Biographical Cyclopedia of Kentucky (1896), pages 71-72:
"M. V. Monarch of Owensboro, king of the whiskey trade in Kentucky, known throughout the world as the manufacturer of the famous 'Monarch' brand of whiskey, respected and loved by his neighbors and fellow-citizens, charitable toward those who need a helping hand, phenomenally successful in business and possessing a magnificent fortune, is a native of the county of which he has been a resident all of his life."
He attended Cecilian College in Hardin County, Kentucky, graduating in 1865.
He started off buying and selling tobacco and was fairly successful at it. However, in 1870 he went into the bourbon distilling business, partnering with P. E. Payne. His distilling businesses were incorporated under many different names including The John Hanning Distillery Company, the Sour Mash Distillery Company, but the most prominent being the M. V. Monarch Company. His whisky brand became well known all over the world. He was also stockholder in the Owensboro National Bank, and had many other investments in Owensboro.
He and two of his brothers, along with P.E. Payne, built four very grand homes overlooking the river in Owensboro in the late 1880s and early 1890s. At the time, they were just outside the eastern city limits of Owensboro on Hardinsburg Rd., or E. Fourth St. His original home there burned on 23 June 1887. The fire, which originated in the roof, caused a large loss. Some of the contents were saved, but much was not. M.V. Monarch rebuilt a beautiful home there again, in 1888. Several of his adult children were still listed as living there in the 1922 city directory: Ann Ermine and her husband, D. J. Geary (who then owned the house); plus Martin V. Monarch, Jr. with his wife, Nettie, and their daughter, Dorothy.
On January 31, 1925, the home became an infirmary or (according to one newspaper article) a "rest home for all medical cases not contagious or infectious." This was also the home which was later owned by an order of Passionate nuns who kept a vow of silence. Eventually, the home was knocked down in 1970 to make room for a work wing for them. The Passionate nuns remained on the property until they moved to Whitesville, Kentucky on December 21, 1995.
His brother Richard's home is also gone. The property was purchased in 1927 by the local school district and became the Daviess County High School until 1958. The home was torn down in 1960 to make room for a gym for the middle school.
In 2016, two homes still remained: One owned by Sylvester Monarch called the La Vega Clements home; and one owned by P.E. Payne called the Monarch-Payne home. Both are on the National Register of Historic Places.
The whisky business in the 1880s in Kentucky was owned by just a few families, which made them millionaires quite quickly. However, during the national financial depression of 1893 people began to buy less and less whisky and business suffered greatly. Production eventually exceeded demand and during this time period the whisky boom turned into a bust. Soon liabilities exceeded securities for the whisky on hand. By 1898, M.V. Monarch had filed for bankruptcy. His brothers had similar difficulties.
That said, M.V. Monarch was one of the most well-liked and popular men in Owensboro. While he was wealthy he and his wife were extremely generous with their charitable donations, although they did this quietly and did not make this well-known. He was devoted to his family, and a member of St. Paul's Catholic Church in Owensboro. He and his wife were one of the 1890 donors of the bell for the church, which was the largest in Owensboro at that time. His name is engraved on it. The bell was still being used by St. Paul's in 2022.
"M. V. Monarch of Owensboro, king of the whiskey trade in Kentucky, known throughout the world as the manufacturer of the famous 'Monarch' brand of whiskey, respected and loved by his neighbors and fellow-citizens, charitable toward those who need a helping hand, phenomenally successful in business and possessing a magnificent fortune, is a native of the county of which he has been a resident all of his life."
He attended Cecilian College in Hardin County, Kentucky, graduating in 1865.
He started off buying and selling tobacco and was fairly successful at it. However, in 1870 he went into the bourbon distilling business, partnering with P. E. Payne. His distilling businesses were incorporated under many different names including The John Hanning Distillery Company, the Sour Mash Distillery Company, but the most prominent being the M. V. Monarch Company. His whisky brand became well known all over the world. He was also stockholder in the Owensboro National Bank, and had many other investments in Owensboro.
He and two of his brothers, along with P.E. Payne, built four very grand homes overlooking the river in Owensboro in the late 1880s and early 1890s. At the time, they were just outside the eastern city limits of Owensboro on Hardinsburg Rd., or E. Fourth St. His original home there burned on 23 June 1887. The fire, which originated in the roof, caused a large loss. Some of the contents were saved, but much was not. M.V. Monarch rebuilt a beautiful home there again, in 1888. Several of his adult children were still listed as living there in the 1922 city directory: Ann Ermine and her husband, D. J. Geary (who then owned the house); plus Martin V. Monarch, Jr. with his wife, Nettie, and their daughter, Dorothy.
On January 31, 1925, the home became an infirmary or (according to one newspaper article) a "rest home for all medical cases not contagious or infectious." This was also the home which was later owned by an order of Passionate nuns who kept a vow of silence. Eventually, the home was knocked down in 1970 to make room for a work wing for them. The Passionate nuns remained on the property until they moved to Whitesville, Kentucky on December 21, 1995.
His brother Richard's home is also gone. The property was purchased in 1927 by the local school district and became the Daviess County High School until 1958. The home was torn down in 1960 to make room for a gym for the middle school.
In 2016, two homes still remained: One owned by Sylvester Monarch called the La Vega Clements home; and one owned by P.E. Payne called the Monarch-Payne home. Both are on the National Register of Historic Places.
The whisky business in the 1880s in Kentucky was owned by just a few families, which made them millionaires quite quickly. However, during the national financial depression of 1893 people began to buy less and less whisky and business suffered greatly. Production eventually exceeded demand and during this time period the whisky boom turned into a bust. Soon liabilities exceeded securities for the whisky on hand. By 1898, M.V. Monarch had filed for bankruptcy. His brothers had similar difficulties.
That said, M.V. Monarch was one of the most well-liked and popular men in Owensboro. While he was wealthy he and his wife were extremely generous with their charitable donations, although they did this quietly and did not make this well-known. He was devoted to his family, and a member of St. Paul's Catholic Church in Owensboro. He and his wife were one of the 1890 donors of the bell for the church, which was the largest in Owensboro at that time. His name is engraved on it. The bell was still being used by St. Paul's in 2022.
According to the Biographical Cyclopedia of Kentucky (1896), pages 71-72:
"M. V. Monarch of Owensboro, king of the whiskey trade in Kentucky, known throughout the world as the manufacturer of the famous 'Monarch' brand of whiskey, respected and loved by his neighbors and fellow-citizens, charitable toward those who need a helping hand, phenomenally successful in business and possessing a magnificent fortune, is a native of the county of which he has been a resident all of his life."
He attended Cecilian College in Hardin County, Kentucky, graduating in 1865.
He started off buying and selling tobacco and was fairly successful at it. However, in 1870 he went into the bourbon distilling business, partnering with P. E. Payne. His distilling businesses were incorporated under many different names including The John Hanning Distillery Company, the Sour Mash Distillery Company, but the most prominent being the M. V. Monarch Company. His whisky brand became well known all over the world. He was also stockholder in the Owensboro National Bank, and had many other investments in Owensboro.
He and two of his brothers, along with P.E. Payne, built four very grand homes overlooking the river in Owensboro in the late 1880s and early 1890s. At the time, they were just outside the eastern city limits of Owensboro on Hardinsburg Rd., or E. Fourth St. His original home there burned on 23 June 1887. The fire, which originated in the roof, caused a large loss. Some of the contents were saved, but much was not. M.V. Monarch rebuilt a beautiful home there again, in 1888. Several of his adult children were still listed as living there in the 1922 city directory: Ann Ermine and her husband, D. J. Geary (who then owned the house); plus Martin V. Monarch, Jr. with his wife, Nettie, and their daughter, Dorothy.
On January 31, 1925, the home became an infirmary or (according to one newspaper article) a "rest home for all medical cases not contagious or infectious." This was also the home which was later owned by an order of Passionate nuns who kept a vow of silence. Eventually, the home was knocked down in 1970 to make room for a work wing for them. The Passionate nuns remained on the property until they moved to Whitesville, Kentucky on December 21, 1995.
His brother Richard's home is also gone. The property was purchased in 1927 by the local school district and became the Daviess County High School until 1958. The home was torn down in 1960 to make room for a gym for the middle school.
In 2016, two homes still remained: One owned by Sylvester Monarch called the La Vega Clements home; and one owned by P.E. Payne called the Monarch-Payne home. Both are on the National Register of Historic Places.
The whisky business in the 1880s in Kentucky was owned by just a few families, which made them millionaires quite quickly. However, during the national financial depression of 1893 people began to buy less and less whisky and business suffered greatly. Production eventually exceeded demand and during this time period the whisky boom turned into a bust. Soon liabilities exceeded securities for the whisky on hand. By 1898, M.V. Monarch had filed for bankruptcy. His brothers had similar difficulties.
That said, M.V. Monarch was one of the most well-liked and popular men in Owensboro. While he was wealthy he and his wife were extremely generous with their charitable donations, although they did this quietly and did not make this well-known. He was devoted to his family, and a member of St. Paul's Catholic Church in Owensboro. He and his wife were one of the 1890 donors of the bell for the church, which was the largest in Owensboro at that time. His name is engraved on it. The bell was still being used by St. Paul's in 2022.
"M. V. Monarch of Owensboro, king of the whiskey trade in Kentucky, known throughout the world as the manufacturer of the famous 'Monarch' brand of whiskey, respected and loved by his neighbors and fellow-citizens, charitable toward those who need a helping hand, phenomenally successful in business and possessing a magnificent fortune, is a native of the county of which he has been a resident all of his life."
He attended Cecilian College in Hardin County, Kentucky, graduating in 1865.
He started off buying and selling tobacco and was fairly successful at it. However, in 1870 he went into the bourbon distilling business, partnering with P. E. Payne. His distilling businesses were incorporated under many different names including The John Hanning Distillery Company, the Sour Mash Distillery Company, but the most prominent being the M. V. Monarch Company. His whisky brand became well known all over the world. He was also stockholder in the Owensboro National Bank, and had many other investments in Owensboro.
He and two of his brothers, along with P.E. Payne, built four very grand homes overlooking the river in Owensboro in the late 1880s and early 1890s. At the time, they were just outside the eastern city limits of Owensboro on Hardinsburg Rd., or E. Fourth St. His original home there burned on 23 June 1887. The fire, which originated in the roof, caused a large loss. Some of the contents were saved, but much was not. M.V. Monarch rebuilt a beautiful home there again, in 1888. Several of his adult children were still listed as living there in the 1922 city directory: Ann Ermine and her husband, D. J. Geary (who then owned the house); plus Martin V. Monarch, Jr. with his wife, Nettie, and their daughter, Dorothy.
On January 31, 1925, the home became an infirmary or (according to one newspaper article) a "rest home for all medical cases not contagious or infectious." This was also the home which was later owned by an order of Passionate nuns who kept a vow of silence. Eventually, the home was knocked down in 1970 to make room for a work wing for them. The Passionate nuns remained on the property until they moved to Whitesville, Kentucky on December 21, 1995.
His brother Richard's home is also gone. The property was purchased in 1927 by the local school district and became the Daviess County High School until 1958. The home was torn down in 1960 to make room for a gym for the middle school.
In 2016, two homes still remained: One owned by Sylvester Monarch called the La Vega Clements home; and one owned by P.E. Payne called the Monarch-Payne home. Both are on the National Register of Historic Places.
The whisky business in the 1880s in Kentucky was owned by just a few families, which made them millionaires quite quickly. However, during the national financial depression of 1893 people began to buy less and less whisky and business suffered greatly. Production eventually exceeded demand and during this time period the whisky boom turned into a bust. Soon liabilities exceeded securities for the whisky on hand. By 1898, M.V. Monarch had filed for bankruptcy. His brothers had similar difficulties.
That said, M.V. Monarch was one of the most well-liked and popular men in Owensboro. While he was wealthy he and his wife were extremely generous with their charitable donations, although they did this quietly and did not make this well-known. He was devoted to his family, and a member of St. Paul's Catholic Church in Owensboro. He and his wife were one of the 1890 donors of the bell for the church, which was the largest in Owensboro at that time. His name is engraved on it. The bell was still being used by St. Paul's in 2022.
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