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Hiram Walker

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Entrepreneur

The Resume

    (July 4, 1816-January 12, 1899)
    Born in East Douglas, Massachusetts
    Founded Hiram Walker & Sons Distillery (1854)
    Best known brand was Canadian Club whiskey

Why he might be annoying:

    Despite being known for Canadian Club whiskey, he was never a Canadian citizen.
    He had moved his distillery from Detroit to outside of Windsor, Ontario, when Michigan passed a prohibition law.
    He created a company town around the distillery to control his workers' lives.
    He shut down the town's church when the preacher delivered a sermon on the evils of drink.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He was the first distiller to put his name on the barrels of his whiskey.
    He originally sold his whiskey as 'Hiram Walker's Club Whiskey' until American distillers got the US government to pass a law requiring foreign whiskeys to state their country of origin on their label (1880).
    The move backfired as Walker's whiskey became even more popular under the Canadian Club name.
    He donated the funds to establish the Children's Hospital of Michigan (1887).

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 8 Votes: 37.50% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 99 Votes: 45.45% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 10 Votes: 90.0% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 18 Votes: 5.56% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 3 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 5 Votes: 20.0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 6 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 9 Votes: 55.56% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 25 Votes: 56.00% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 17 Votes: 52.94% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 19 Votes: 31.58% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 22 Votes: 27.27% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 23 Votes: 21.74% Annoying