January, 1798 : George Washington established a gristmill to produce flour and cornmeal. In 1791, Washington's farm manager, James Anderson, suggested he build a distillery. By 1797, Washington's distillery was the largest in America and by 1799 it produced 11,000 gallons of whiskey a year. The photo above is Washington's meticulous plan for rotating crops on one of his Mount Vernon Farms.
Source: American History. Feb2004, Vol. 38 Issue 6, p64-78. 11p.