B.P. Sexton Company

Idlewood Rye was just one of the products that was carried by the B.P. Sexton Company in Sandusky, Ohio. The company was incorporated in November of 1898, and was dissolved in 1920. Signers of the Articles of Incorporation were: J.C. Scheufler, C.L. Wagner, C.C. Bittner, Fred Beier, and George W. Zimmerman. The purpose of the company was buying, selling, and dealing in foreign and domestic beers, wines and liquors…and all other kinds of delicacies. The business was at 530 Market Street, near Wayne Street.

The namesake of the company, Burton P. Sexton was born in Catawba Island, Ottawa County, Ohio in 1866, to Mr. and Mrs. Philander Sexton. He married Viola Wolfe in 1890, and they had a son and three daughters. He was a superintendent at the American Crayon Company when his company was founded.

 Another brand the company distributed was Atmore Rye.

An advertisement in the April 10, 1916 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal said about Atmore Rye whiskey, “It is just like anything else – if you use it to excess, it’s harmful – used properly it’s beneficial.” A pint of Atmore Rye whiskey sold for 25 cents at local taverns (equivalent to about $6.37 today).

A third brand from Sexton was Cream of Kentucky whiskey. The slogan was “Next time you take a trip, put a bottle in your grip.”

In February of 1919, President Wilson passed a revenue bill which greatly increased taxes on liquor. At that time, the B.P. Sexton Company decided to halt liquor sales. By January of 1920, Prohibition was enacted in the United States with the passage of the Volstead Act. In 1921, Burton P. Sexton moved his family to England. He passed away in Bedforshire, England on February 15, 1931. His obituary appeared in the Sandusky Star Journal of February 19, 1931.