Bulletin of the Historical Society of Montgomery County Pennsylvania Vol. XXXIX, No. 1 2023.
A Tale of Two Breweries (With Apologies to Charles Dickens)
By Rich Wagner, Pennsylvania Brewery Historian
The village of Gulph Mills has quite a storied past dating back to colonial times. General Washington used it as a munitions depot and a local mill supplied flour for the troops on their way to Valley Forge.1 Gulph creek flows eastward through West Conshohocken where it empties into the Schuylkill River in the middle of the “Conshohocken Curve,” a bend in the river made famous in local traffic reports. Located on the east side of the curve, Conshohocken grew like a number of towns on the river with the advent of the Schuylkill Navigation Company’s canal which, in addition to providing transportation, especially for coal, supplied water to power mills which also promoted industry. Railroads soon followed and ultimately served both sides of the river.
It is interesting that two breweries were formed around the same time on either side of the river: one on a large tract of land, formerly a mill with a colonial mansion overlooking the property, the other in an industrial neighborhood of Conshohocken. Both were built as modern plants, taking full advantage of all manner of technological advances available in the 1890s. Refrigerating machines could manufacture ice and cool entire buildings so there was no longer a need for lagering beer in underground vaults. Steam provided power for boiling, pumping and grinding, and electric generators powered motors and illuminated buildings.
Gulph Mills
Gulph Creek, had been dammed to form a series of ponds to supply mill races with water for power and were a source of ice in winter.2 Tinkler’s textile mill was operating into the early 1890s when it burned down. John H. Griffith repurposed remaining portions of the mill as an ice factory,3 and in January 1892 together with William Haywood, Oscar Knecht, John H. Stemple and J. A. McFarland formed the Gulf Ice and Brewing Co. The company purchased 21 acres of ground along the Gulph Creek for $45,000 which included the ice plant and cold storage buildings. The Philadelphia & Reading Railroad agreed to extend tracks to the brewery.4
PHOTO 000 Baist Atlas 1889. Gulf Mills, West Conshohocken and Conshohocken showing the locations of the breweries.
PHOTO 00 Tinkler’s Mill. HCMC.
PHOTO 01 Smith Atlas 1893.
PHOTO 02 Conshohocken Recorder April 24, 1891.
Wets and Drys weighed in on the question of licensing. John H. Moore, one of the leading farmers of Upper Merion, filed an affidavit that the brewery would benefit the farmers in that section saying that the lime-tempered grain of Upper Merion would produce a fine brew. Patrick Quigley, preeminent local wholesale liquor dealer, filed an affidavit stating that $52,000 was spent on malt liquors manufactured outside the county. A petition was presented signed by fifty local liquor dealers, hotel and restaurant keepers. Another, signed by 300 local businessmen said the brewery would create jobs, industry, commerce and tax revenue. Another petition signed by 200 people in favor was also introduced.5
The Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (W.C.T.U.) of Conshohocken presented a petition which had been circulated throughout the county containing over 2,000 signatures. According to The Western Brewer, “the objection to the license was made by the cranks, who held that the law says a license shall be issued to ‘persons’ and that corporations are not ‘persons.’ The court very properly overruled the objection as not pertinent-not to say impertinent.” 6
A license was granted March 1, 1892 to the applicants: John H. Griffith, Wm. Haywood, John Stemple. Capital investment of $5,000 of 50 shares of stock at $100.00 a share. The shares of stock were divided: 25 shares to Griffith, 5 shares each to: Haywood, Stemple and Messrs. Tracy, Johnson and Knecht.7
In June the company hired J.W. Butler, who had built Griffith’s ice plant, to build the brewery8 which was up and running in eight months. The brew house was designed to produce 150 barrels per day and the refrigerated stock house had a capacity of 4,000 barrels. The ice plant had a capacity of 50-tons per day [1,750 ft.3] and the pond was a source of natural ice. The property included a farm where horses for delivery wagons were housed.9
The brewery extolled the virtue of the sparkling spring water flowing from the Gulf hills, claimed to be the purest water in the Schuylkill Valley. It was reported they brewed dark lager beer called Culmbecker [sic Culmbacher] said to be in demand by trans-Atlantic steamers. They also brewed porter and brown stout. Gulf Beer was analyzed by a nationally recognized authority and found to have medicinal properties and was credited with being among the highest grade of goods he had ever examined.10
PHOTO 03, 04 Bottle. (Wagner Collection)
The Economic Panic of 1893 deeply affected the nation for a number of years. In January 1894 local men were returning to work after having been idle for months, including all twenty employees of the Gulf brewery.11
In June the company issued a new series of bonds to finance expansion of buildings and equipment which included doubling the capacity of the ice plant. There was a large meeting of stockholders with 533 shares voting in November 1895. John H. Griffith, primary stock holder, was named supervisor of the brewery and property manager. John Tracy was named treasurer.12
The brewery had financial difficulties. Despite being capitalized with $75,000, they were carrying a $57,000 debt. In September 1897, F.M. & H. Brooke, malt dealers, took them to court to collect $11,000. Tracy was appointed Receiver by the Court, permitting the company to continue operating pending a settlement. The two parties reached an agreement outside of court.13
At the annual meeting in November, officers were re-elected.14 In December John C. Tracy advertised the plant would go for sale at 10 o’clock January, 26, 1898:
The brewery consists of 19 acres and 42 perches [rods] of land in Upper Merion township about one mile from Conshohocken, having on it a dam, water right, five dwelling houses, brewery buildings, stable, ice houses and sheds.
The brewery is a very complete one consisting of a bottling establishment with all the vaults, pumps, engines, cooking apparatus, etc., to make an up-to-date brewery. The capacity is 35,000 barrels a year [sic 3,500 barrels].
Everything will be sold. The buildings, land, good will, business and material on hand.
The brewery has a good trade established and is now doing a good business.
$1,000 must be paid down at the time of the sale and the balance within ten days after the confirmation of the sale by the court. It will be sold clear of all encumbrances.15
The company was re-organized as the Conshohocken Brewing Co. with $150,000 capital, divided evenly between common and preferred stock. The new company purchased the brewery for $53,000 in March. John Rothacker was named president. He was one of the sons of G.F. Rothacker & Sons’ Lion Brewery in Brewerytown, Philadelphia. Robert Morris, secretary/treasurer, and A.H. Harley and W. Curren, were named additional directors. They said the company would be back in business in a matter of days.16 Their license fee was $500 which covered production of 3,000-5,000 (31-gallon) barrels.17
Six months later a spark in the mill house ignited malt dust which caused an explosion and fire which destroyed the adjacent boiler and engine house. The roof over the brew house was completely burned. The brew house was 2-story brick and 2-story frame.
Firemen arrived within twenty minutes of being notified and quickly had three streams of water battling the fire. They managed to save the storage and refrigerator rooms. Owing to the absence of wind, the two-story office building and a storage shed next to the brew house were uninjured, as were the stable a few feet away and the bottling shop beyond that. None of the surrounding houses were affected and the fire was put out in six hours.
John Rothacker was on his way to the brewery and did not know of the conflagration until he arrived around one o’clock, about an hour after the fire started. He immediately took charge. Damage was estimated at $50,000 with $40,000 insurance on the buildings and stock. He assured customers that his family’s brewery would supply them until the plant could be rebuilt.18
The insurance claim amounted to $37,000 which was paid in December 1898. The company said workmen had begun clearing the ruins and announced plans for a 30,000 barrel-a-year brewery with an ice plant, all of brick, stone and iron, which was expected to be completed by summer.19
In March 1899 the company announced it was going out of business. Their efforts to get the Board of Trade involved and attract additional investors were unsuccessful. F.M. & H. Brooke were the primary owners and when no one showed interest in the property they did not re-license the plant20 which was never rebuilt and the property was offered for sale in May 1907.21
Three years later it was reported that local liquor dealer Nicholas Talone expressed interest in operating an ice plant there.22 There were two buildings remaining on the property which had been used as office and storage space for both Tinkler and Griffith. In 1913 a Mr. Thompson purchased the property with the intention of converting them into a residence.23
PHOTO 05, 06 Dave Montalvo and Marianne Hooper Furman of the Upper Merion Historical Society on the bridge, looking upstream. The house was a renovation of buildings used by the mill and brewery where Jones road crosses Gulf Creek. Wagner, May 2023.
Conshohocken
George Frank, a Philadelphia brewer, purchased property from Joseph L. Jones, near Jones st. on Hector in December 1889. He had not renewed his Philadelphia brewery license and began building a brewery on the site when the local temperance people announced their plans to oppose him getting a license.24 He built the brewery but in April 1890, his application for a license was denied due to previous brushes with the law which included serving nine months in prison for murder, being charged with perjury and defrauding the Federal Government of revenue.25
The following year Frank X. Rieger, a German immigrant who was in the grocery business in Philadelphia made his bid to get the brewery started. He purchased three lots, one with the brewery building another for a refrigerated stock house and a third for machinery. John S. Hipple was the contractor for all the construction.26 In May, 1892 Rieger got a license for what became known as the Conshohocken Brewery and was in operation by December, announcing he would have beer on the market by the first of February.27 A new refrigerating machine was added the following year.28
PHOTO 07, 08, 09 F.X. Rieger, obverse Weiss Beer. (Wood Collection) F.X. Rieger Conshohocken Brewery. (Von Mechow Collection)
Mr. Rieger cut his finger on a rusty nail while handling beer cases and died of blood poisoning in April 1895 at the age of 62.29 His widow and son ran the brewery for a short time after his death.
Conshohocken Recorder Feb. 4, 1896 Sheriff’s Sale. By virtue of a writ of Levari Facies issued on of the Court of Common Pleas of Montgomery county, to me directed, will be sold at public sale on
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 19, 1896, AT 2 o’clock, p.m. in court Room No., 2 at the Court House in the borough of Norristown in said county, the following described real estate:
All that certain Brewery and lot of land, situated in the borough of Conshohocken, said county, to wit; Beginning at the northeast corner of Hector and Jones streets having a front on said Hector street of 60 ft. 6” by 41 ft., with a brick vat house attached 28 ft. 7” by 40 ft. 8 in., brick boiler house 20 ft. by 9 ft., attached, frame coal house, 16 ft. by 10 ft. attached. The appurtenances are a 60-h.p. boiler, 16 h.p. engine, 10-ton ice machine, artesian well and pump. 1 brine pump, one boiler pump, mash-tub and kettles, water tank, 15 vats in vat room, 15 vats in fermenting room, 16 vats in stock room, brine tub etc. Frame stable 22 ft. by 19 ft., stabling for 4 horses, frame bottling house 14 ft. 5” by 20 ft. 5” with 15 h.p. bottle washing machine.
Seized and taken in execution as the property of Frank Rieger, and to be sold by Charles Johnson, Sheriff. Sheriff’s office, Norristown, Pa., January 14, 1896.30
George Frank purchased the property for $13,800. Included in the estate was a house and lot in Philadelphia which was purchased by Leonard Reiger [sic Rieger] for $4,400. 31 Frank sold the brewery to Frederick A. Loeble in November and he purchased five adjoining lots from Joseph L. Jones32 and sold the property to James A. McGrath and Henry J. Barrett in August 1897.33 They formed the Conshohocken Brewing Co. and received a license for $300 to cover production of between 1,000 and 2,000 barrels.34
PHOTO 10, 11, 12 Conshohocken B.C. (Von Mechow Collection), Crystal Spring B.C. (Wagner Collection)
Robert Baizley purchased the brewery in September 1898 for $13,500.35 His family had an iron works in Philadelphia and manufactured boilers and appliances for breweries. In October Crystal Spring Brewing Co. was incorporated in Camden, New Jersey.36 John H. Griffith, who had organized and been supervisor of Gulf Brewery became manager.37 Despite its name, the brewery was nowhere near the “sparkling spring water from the Gulf hills.”
PHOTO 13 Baizley Ad. U.S.B.A. Souvenir 1896
The company planned to quadruple the capacity of the plant with a four-story brick and iron malt house adjacent to the existing buildings which would be enlarged and outfitted with new machinery. A new boiler was in the process of being installed. Plans had been made for a refrigerating machine house equipped with a 30-ton per day ice machine.38 It was natural for a brewery to be in the ice business. Crystal Spring would become the only local manufacturer, giving them a competitive advantage over the ice being imported from Norristown.
PHOTO 14 Crystal Spring Brewery Ad.
Throughout 1899 Rudolph Weber, as proprietor, advertised: Crystal Spring Brewery, Guaranteed Pure Malt Beer. Bottled at the Brewery for private or hotel trade.39 But the local press noted that the brewery kept making news owing to levies by the sheriff, disputes regarding control of the company and other matters.
Conshohocken Recorder Sept. 21, 1899 …A.W. Morris, the manager of the Crystal Springs Brewery, did a neat piece of detective work last week. A number of articles were taken from the brewery one day while he was in Norristown, during the time when he was in charge of the plant for the Sheriff. Mr. Morris said nothing when the articles were missed but determined to find them. He did this last week and on Friday got out a warrant for the arrest of Rudolph Weber and his accomplices, charging them with the stealing of the articles. He also got out a warrant for the searching of the premises of Daniel Kirkner at Barren Hill.
Mr. Morris with Constable Sowers and two deputies went to Barren Hill and searched the premises of Mr. Kirkner, [proprietor of a local hotel]. A valuable beer filter, set of single harness and a Dearborn delivery wagon were found there. All are the property of the brewery.
On Saturday morning Magistrate Saylor gave Mr. Kirkner a hearing. He was held on his own recognizance under bail for his appearance at court. We understand that a warrant is now out for the arrest of Mr. Weber and others are likely to follow.40
15 PHOTO Crystal Spring Brewery Announcement.
A.W. Morris was appointed receiver of Crystal Spring Brewing Co. in October 1899. He explained that the brewery was purchased by Mr. Rudolph Baizley and Mr. Rudolph Weber who formed a partnership in 1898. Weber subsequently purchased Baizley’s interest. A misunderstanding occurred and the two were meeting to try and resolve their dispute.41
Conshohocken Recorder Oct. 20, 1899 To the Public: Rudolph Weber is no longer connected with the Crystal Springs Brewery, of Conshohocken, and all patrons and customers of said Brewery are hereby warned from making any payments of money to said Weber on account of goods sold and delivered from said Brewery, and any payment made to him by its customers will not be considered a payment to the owner of the Brewery, and repayment will be required.
A.W. Morris, Manager, For Rudolph R. Baizley.
Conshohocken, Pa., October 18, 1899.
In June 1900 Crystal Spring Brewing Co. was reorganized by Rudolph R. Baizley, H.D. Smith, R.V. Page, Robert Blackman, Albert Stecker and Frederick W. Schultze, all of Philadelphia with $50,000 capital stock: 2,000 shares at par value of $25.00 a share.42 The company announced plans for extensive improvements to the plant starting with an enlargement of the refrigerated stock house.43 They increased capital stock in August 1901.44
Production stood at 1,000 barrels a week. In January 1902 the company let the contract for a new five-story stock house45 to Philadelphia architect Emil H.C. Hartmann.46 In February they had plans prepared for a single story, fully equipped bottling house.47
During construction, Crystal Spring Brewing Co. made an assignment to George I. Vandergrift for the benefit of creditors and as the press reported, “The company is now having a four-story addition built to its plant, and its officers claimed that it was doing a good business. This brewery has had many ups and downs. Its owners are continually in trouble of one sort or another, and the assignment is no surprise to those who have been conversant with the methods in vogue there.” 48 They also had gotten into trouble with the Federal Government over not putting tax stamps on the kegs, all of which spelled the end for Crystal Spring Brewing Co.
Gustave Schindler applied for a license for the brewery in February 1904, saying his top priority would be to install an ice machine and get into the ice business. No ice had been harvested from the river that year and all the manufactured ice available in Conshohocken was coming from Norristown.49 In June 1904 Philadelphia architect Wm. F. Koelle, was awarded a contract for: Brew House, Wash House, Boiler House and Stock House alterations.50
Local Drys opposed the license. The Conshohocken W.C.T.U. thought the money would be better spent putting up water fountains, so the Norristown W.C.T.U. filed a remonstrance in Court, signed by over 100 local residents, against the issuance of the license. They claimed Schindler was a front man for Baizley and there was no demand by saloonkeepers so the brewery would be supplying speak-easies. They also claimed sales to clubs and minors led to debauchery along the river banks.51
Schindler got his license in April with the Court stating: “The application of Agustus [sic Gustave] K. Schindler for a brewers’ license at this place was granted the Court saying, however, that if they could have passed on the question of necessity, the license would have been refused.” Despite getting the license, the brewery never produced beer.52
In September 1908 it was reported that improvements were being made at the Crystal Spring brewery by New York capitalists with the intention of manufacturing yeast cakes.53
That was followed by at least two fires by arson, one in the old office building in 1908 and another in March 1909 when the stable was set on fire.54
The Baizley Estate sold the property to a Mr. Boesch [sic Bausch] in September 1910. He immediately began remodeling and announced plans for a 50-ton per day ice plant and a stable for a dozen horses. Mr. Seger, superintendent, told reporters that 100 men would be employed.55
Max Schmidt, Rudolph R. Baizley and Frank Bausch’s wife, Lucie made an oral agreement which spelled out how the formation and operation of the Bavarian Brewing Co. was to proceed.
Each party was to contribute $1,000 to Schmidt and John Baizley, Jr., son of Rudolph R. Baizley, to act as trustees and use the money towards equipment for the brewery. The agreement also provided upon incorporation, Max Schmidt would pay $3,000 for capital stock, Mrs. Bauch $5,000, both to be credited to their initial deposit of $1,000.
Mrs. Bausch was to secure her husband as manager for five years beginning October 1, 1910, to be paid $250 per month until February 1, 1913 and $300 per month thereafter. The salary was to be paid in stock until February 1, 1911 and then $150 in cash and stock for two years, thereafter to be paid in cash.
The rental of the property was to begin January 1, 1911. The terms of the agreement were that the company would pay $1,000 taxes for 1913-1915 and $1,500 for 1916-1919. Also, that the company could buy the property for $30,000, with a down payment made prior to December 31, 1920. The mortgage to bear 5% interest with the principal paid by January 1, 1939.
In September 1911 Max Schmidt filed a bill in equity in which Rudolph R. Baizley and Herbert F. Stetser were defendants. Schmidt requested the Court to restrain the defendants by injunction of conveying any of the brewery property, and requested an accounting of all money used in the alteration and improvements made to the property. Schmidt maintained that he and Mrs. Bausch had fully complied with the terms of the agreement and that they had been unable to get control over the property and that R.R. Baizley refused to account for the money spent on improvements. Schmidt claimed $2,000 had been expended and he was seeking to get his original $1,000 investment plus costs.56
Two months later thieves broke into the old brewery in broad daylight and started dismantling machinery and removing parts including a heavy steel connecting rod, a brass eccentric strap and some expensive valves. James Scanlin, proprietor of the hotel across the street, called Mr. Baizley. Scanlin entered the building but the thieves heard him and got away with their plunder. A representative of the owner was sent out but didn’t report the robbery to the police for two days.57
By 1913, Mr. Lukens, a local wireless radio buff had put a 70-ft. tall mast atop of the building as an antenna for the radio station he built in his home.58
In August, 1915 Ernest Altmarer & Sons, Distillers of Colognes of Philadelphia were looking into adapting the brewery for their purposes.59
PHOTO 16 1924 Sanborn Map
PHOTO 17, 18 View of East side of building Aug. 1981 and Aug. 2009. Wagner
PHOTO 19, 20View of West side of building Aug. 1981 and Aug. 2009. Wagner
More recently it was home to Acme Saw Co. and now the building has been converted to housing.
Summary
It is interesting that these two breweries were established at the same time. One by a German immigrant who had established himself in business, the other by a group of investors that formed a corporation. Both were getting into business just in time for the Panic of 1893 which was later referred to as The Great Depression, until an even greater Depression collapsed the economy in 1929. Industrial production fell 15% and unemployment rate was 17-19% nationwide.60
John Griffith probably converted the ruins of Tinkler’s mill into an ice factory with the intention of forming a brewing company. The resulting Gulf Ice & Brewing Co. was undercapitalized and was bailed out by reorganizing as the Conshohocken Brewing Co. with an infusion of capital, presumably from a well-known Philadelphia brewery. Unfortunately, a fire brought things to a halt. The brewery was never rebuilt, Conshohocken Brewing Co. sold the property and went out of business.
A different group of investors formed another Conshohocken Brewing Co. and purchased Rieger’s brewery. The Crystal Spring Brewing Co. was formed shortly thereafter. The brewery was purchased by Robert Baizley whose family manufactured iron and equipment for breweries. John Griffith, who started the Gulf Brewing Co. became manager of Crystal Spring which went out of business in 1902.
Eight years later there was an effort to form a new company, Bavarian Brewing Co., but Baizley did not follow the terms of incorporation and left the building idle. A few years later Gustave Schindler made improvements to the plant and received a license, but never went into production.
Gulf lasted six years, the brewery in Conshohocken lasted for ten years. In 1898 five breweries in Montgomery county produced just over 40,000 barrels of beer and the Adam Scheidt brewery in Norristown accounted for the vast majority of that.61
Around the time the Gulf and Conshohocken breweries were going into business, the Scheidt brewery just upstream in Norristown had already purchased the nearby Cox brewery in order to increase production and in 1894 built a large modern brewery. Having begun as a family run firm it continued as such even after incorporation. Scheidt became the largest brewery just outside of Philadelphia with production capacity of half a million barrels, and continued as a branch of Philadelphia’s Schmidt brewery from 1954-1974.62
Endnotes
2 Smith Atlas 1893
3 Conshohocken Recorder Aug. 8, 1911 Old Brewery Property Changes Hands.
4 Conshohocken Recorder March 25, 1892 The Gulf Brewery
5 Conshohocken Recorder March 25, 1892 The Gulf Brewery
Conshohocken Recorder April 1, 1892 Against the Brewery.
6 The Western Brewer August 1892 p. 1555
7 Breweries Folder Montgomery County Historical Society (McLaughlin Dec. 11, 1980)
8 Conshohocken Recorder “Weekly Recorder.” May 20, 1892 The Breweries.
9 Conshohocken Recorder Feb. 17, 1893
10 Conshohocken Recorder Nov. 26, 1895 The Gulf Brewery.
11 Conshohocken Recorder Jan. 16, 1894 Hundreds of Idle Workmen in Conshohocken Given Employment.
12 Conshohocken Recorder Nov. 26, 1895 The Gulf Brewery.
13 Conshohocken Recorder Sept. 28 1897 Receiver For Gulf Brewery.
14 Conshohocken Recorder Nov. 30, 1897
15 Conshohocken Recorder Dec. 28, 1897 The Gulf Brewery to be Sold.
16 The Western Brewer March 1898 Conshohocken B.C. purchased Gulf B.C.,
17 Conshohocken Recorder April 22, 1898 Liquor License Money.
18 Conshohocken Recorder Friday Sept. 9, 1898 The Brewery Burned.
19 Conshohocken Recorder Dec. 30, 1898 Brewery to be Rebuilt.
20 Conshohocken Recorder March 7, 1899 Brewing Company Quits Business
21 Conshohocken Recorder May 14, 1907
22 Conshohocken Recorder Feb. 11, 1910
23 Conshohocken Recorder May 13, 1913
24 Conshohocken Recorder Dec. 20, 1889 Our Brewery.
25 Conshohocken Recorder April 18, 1890
26 Conshohocken Recorder “Weekly Recorder.” May 20, 1892 The Breweries.
27 Conshohocken Recorder Dec. 30, 1892.
28 Conshohocken Recorder May 5, 1893.
29 The Western Brewer May 1895 p. 1018
30 Conshohocken Recorder Feb. 4, 1896 Sheriff’s Sale.
31 Conshohocken Recorder June5, 1896 Sheriff Sales.
32 Conshohocken Recorder Nov. 20, 1896
33 The Western Brewer Aug. 1897 p. 1472
34 Conshohocken Recorder April 22, 1898 Liquor License Money.
35 Conshohocken Recorder Sept. 13, 1898 Brewery Changes Hands.
36 Conshohocken Recorder Oct. 7, 1898
37 Conshohocken Recorder Dec. 2, 1898
38 Conshohocken Recorder Oct. 25, 1898 An Ice Plant for Conshohocken.
39 Conshohocken Recorder April 21, 1899
40 Conshohocken Recorder Sept. 21, 1899 The Crystal Spring Brewery.
41 Conshohocken Recorder Oct. 3, 1899
42 Breweries Folder Montgomery County Historical Society (McLaughlin Dec. 11, 1980)
43 Conshohocken Recorder Feb. 26, 1901
44 The Western Brewer Aug. 1901 p. 327
45 The Western Brewer Jan. 1902 p. 28
46 Philadelphia Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide, v. 16, n. 51, p. 830 (12/18/1901)
47 The Western Brewer Feb. 1902 p. 59
Philadelphia Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide, v. 17, n. 1, p. 862 (1/1/1902)
https://www.philadelphiabuildings.org/pab/app/pr_display.cfm/1604
48 Conshohocken Recorder May 30, 1902
49 Conshohocken Recorder Feb. 16, 1904 A Brewery For Conshohocken.
50 Philadelphia Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide, v. 19, n. 18, p. 273 (5/4/1904)
51 Conshohocken Recorder March 14, 1904 Protesting Against Licensing the Crystal Spring Brewery.
52 Conshohocken Recorder April 15, 1904 The Brewery Licensed.
53 Conshohocken Recorder Sept. 22, 1908
54 Conshohocken Recorder March 23, 1909 Stable Burned
55 Conshohocken Recorder Oct. 7, 1910 To Have a Brewery and Ice Plant.
56 Conshohocken Recorder Sept. 19, 1911 p. 1, cont. p. 2 Old Brewery Cause For Legal Action.
57 Conshohocken Recorder Nov. 21, 1911 Steal Machinery in Broad Daylight.
58 Conshohocken Recorder Jan. 10, 1913
59 Conshohocken Recorder Aug. 10, 1915 Manufacturers Investigating Here. Old Brewery is being Considered by a Cologne Distilling Firm
60 Panic of 1893 by Gary Richardson and Tim Sablik, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
https://www.federalreservehistory.org/essays/banking-panics-of-the-gilded-age
61 Conshohocken Recorder April 22, 1898 Liquor License Money.
62 Wagner, Rich. Brewing in Norristown. American Breweriana Journal 2022.
Works Cited
Van Wieren, Dale. American Breweries III, Mid-Atlantic Edition. PA: Self-published, 2016.
The Western Brewer and Journal of the Barley Malt and Hop Trades. Chicago, 1876-1933.
Philadelphia Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide, v. 16, n. 51, p. 830 (12/18/1901)
https://www.philadelphiabuildings.org/pab/app/pr_display.cfm/1752
Philadelphia Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide, v. 19, n. 18, p. 273 (5/4/1904)
The Conshohocken Recorder https://digitalarchives.powerlibrary.org/papd/islandora/object/papd%3Apcofl-creco
Journal of the American Revolution Valley Forge’s Threshold: The Encampment at Gulph Mills. Sheila Vance. Valley Forge's Threshold: The Encampment at Gulph Mills - Journal of the American Revolution (allthingsliberty.com)
HSMC Breweries Folder, McLaughlin notes. Gulf Brewing Co., Crystal Spring Brewing Co.
Federal Reserve History. Panics of the Gulded Age. Gary Richardson and Tim Sablik, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Banking Panics of the Gilded Age | Federal Reserve History
Atlas Map of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Compiled by M.A. Naeff, C.E. from Official Records, Private Plans and Actual Surveys.Published by J.L. Smith Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 1893 1893 J.L. Smith Atlas (lowermerionhistory.org)
United States Brewers Association. United States Brewers Association Souvenir. 1896. Baizley Ad.
1928 Sanborn Map Sheet 43 Conshohocken.
For Further Reading
McLaughlin, Joseph M. “The Adam Scheidt Brewing Co.” Bulletin of the Historical Society of Montgomery County Pennsylvania Fall 1986 Vol. XXV No. 3
Wagner, Rich. “Brewing in Norristown.” American Breweriana Journal Jan./Feb. 2023.
Links to Other Montgomery County Breweries
Wagner, Rich. "A Brewery in Green Lane." The Keg, Quarterly Newsletter of the E.C.B.A. Summer, 2005.
Wagner,
Rich. “Tour of the Scheidt Brewery.” Transcribed from the
Observer June 9, 1952.
Wagner, Rich. “Brewing in Norristown, Pennsylvania.” American Breweriana Journal Jan./Feb. 2023.
Wagner, Rich. “Breweries on the Schuylkill.” American Breweriana Journal. Nov./Dec. 2018.
Note: The online article contains edits which were not included in the printed version.