Early Breweries in Iowa (1846-1901)

An old time brewery

Here’s some interesting information on early Iowa breweries taken from One Hundred Years of Brewing, published in 1901.

 

The first brewery in Davenport, Iowa, was established by Mathias Frahm in 1848 or 1849 and was later known as the City Brewery. In 1853, Dr. C. H. Dries erected the Pacific Brewery, and in 1857 A. Severance came from Canada and built the Severance Ale Brewery. P & A Lyttig founded the Eagle Brewery in 1858. At about the same time, Messrs. Knepper in Shieley established the Arsenal Brewery.

 

In 1865 and 1866, Julius Lehrkind and his brother built the Blackhawk Brewery, and after its destruction by fire, Mr. Lehrkind founded another plant on Second and Taylor Streets, which he christened the Lehrkind Brewery.

 

The Zoller Brothers built a plant in Black Hawk, which they called the Black Hawk Brewery, in 1892. The City, the Eagle, the Lehrkind, the Arsenal, and the Black Hawk (Zoller Bros.) were then abandoned, and a new brewery was erected on the site of the old Lehrkind Brewery. After the Davenport Malting Company was established, the Zoller Brothers sold out their interests and organized the Independent Malting Company, building the brewery in Second and Davis Streets, which they now conduct.

 

W. H. Decker of Davenport, Iowa, founded the malt house in that city in the early fifties, being the first to engage in the business separate from a brewery in the state. Part of the original building is still standing and is now occupied by the Pittsburgh plate glass company.

 

In 1888, the Northwestern Malting and Construction Company was established at the north malt house in East Davenport, Iowa. The plant was destroyed by fire the following year when the Decker Malt House was leased. It also burned. In 1897, the company leased the Geise Malt House at Council Bluffs, Iowa, the season’s output being 125,000 bushels. The floor system is in use. The company also operates the Krug Malt House of Omaha, Nebraska, owned by the Krug Brewing Company but detached from the brewery.

 

In 1889, the Davenport, Iowa, Malt and Grain Company was organized, and the business commenced in the fall of the succeeding year. The capacity of the plant is 250,000 bushels.

 

In 1849, Charles Mueller founded a brewery in Burlington, Iowa, which of late years, has been conducted by Casper Heil. It was a lager beer plant from the start and continued in operation until August 1889, when it shut down on account of prohibition measures. It remained closed until November 15, 1890, since which time it has been in operation.

 

Mathias Tschirgi, the pioneer brewer of Iowa in 1846, located at Dubuque and founded what afterward became the Heeb Brewery. Then followed the Iowa, the Western, and the Northern Breweries, whose beer made Dubuque famous. 

 

The demand finally became so great that the proprietors determined to consolidate and build a complete modern brewery. In May 1892, therefore, they formed the Dubuque Malting Company and subsequently planned, built, and equipped the present brewery plant, which covers 10 acres of ground at the cost of $500,000. 

 

It has an annual capacity of 300,000 barrels of beer, its output being 91,000 barrels, and lager beer its sole product. Artificial refrigerating apparatus was installed in 1896, bottling works having been in operation since the plant commenced business.

 

A. Werthmueller and Charles Ende, under the firm name of Werthmueller and Ende, commenced brewing lager beer at Burlington, Iowa, in 1865 and have continued the business since, with the exception of (1889-1892) when the brewery closed because of the prohibition laws.

 

I’m 1866; A. H. Peaslee founded an ale and porter brewery at Dubuque, Iowa; it now being owned and conducted by E. C. Peaslee.

 

In 1871, John Dustal founded a small brewery in Iowa City, Iowa, and operated it with some success until 1882. The prohibition laws forced him to close his plant thereafter for many years. In fact, he did not resume business until 1897, the plant now being conducted by Dustal Brothers.

 

In 1852, Henry Kohler emigrated from Germany to America, being employed for some months in Lemp’s Brewery, St. Louis. He then engaged in brewing at Fort Madison, Iowa, for about ten years, returning to St. Louis and establishing the Excelsior plant. In 1872, he located in Davenport, Iowa, and with Rudolf Lange, bought the Arsenal Brewery, founding the business in that city, which is now owned and conducted by the Davenport Malting Company.

 

The brewery at Keokuk, Iowa, operated under the name of Pechstein & Nagel, was founded by Peter Herbert in 1855. It has been in continuous operation since and now produces about 3500 barrels of lager beer yearly.

 

The brewery operated by the Sioux City, Iowa, Brewing Company was founded in 1859 by Simon Hotz, its original output being 500 barrels annually. For several years subsequent to1888, the plant was closed on account of the prohibition laws.

 

The brewery in Iowa City, Iowa, now operated by the Conrad Graf estate, was founded in 1860 by Simon Hotz. From 1889 to 1894, the plant was closed on account of the prohibition laws but has been in operation since the latter year.