American Breweriana Journal March/April 2025
E.C.B.A. Tray Collector: Western Pennsylvania
by Larry Handy
History
by Rich Wagner
Brackenridge Brackenridge Brewing Co. 1933-1940 1 (Old Anchor Beer)
In 1896 John G. Wellinger (1839-1910) founded the Anchor Brewing Co. in Tarentum as president with his three sons as officers of the company. They remodeled and modernized an existing brewery located on Anchor Alley. Theodore Hetzel was brewmaster.
In 1904 a combination of breweries which would become the Independent B.C. of Pittsburgh (IBCP) was in the process of being formed as Duquesne B.C. It was reported that Anchor was among the fourteen breweries that had signed on. IBCP was incorporated that year with $15M and Anchor was not part of the syndicate.
The company installed a 17-ton Frick ice plant, upgraded the brewhouse with a 200-bbl. kettle and added new storage tanks. Subsequently they expanded the ice plant and added a 100-bbl. per day bottling house. Annual production was around 30,000 bbl. In 1913 Tarentum was absorbed by the adjacent borough of Brackenridge.
After repeal, Norman Alderdice was president and Brackenridge B.C. was rolling out 14,000 cases (1,000-bbl.) per week with 65 men employed. Robert J. Alderdice was executive vice-president, treasurer and general manager, said to be responsible for a 150% increase in sales with the introduction of two new products: pilsener and light brown ale. The brewery was in the process of being outfitted with modern machinery. In April 1935 the company was incorporated with 400,000 shares of stock. In 1940 they petitioned the government for permission to re-organize and went out of business.
Bradford Bradford Brewing Co. 1899-1920 2 (Stock Tray)
Bradford B.C. was organized in the fall of 1899 and held the grand opening of a new 25,000-bbl. brewery in February 1901. In 1907 they added a 100-ton refrigerating machine, 25-ton ice plant and new cellars. Peter F. McCool had been involved in establishing the Warren B.C. and in 1911 became sole proprietor of Bradford B.C. Franz Koop was hired as brewmaster and production was 4,000-bbl.
During prohibition the brewery manufactured malt syrup and soft drinks. The brewery reportedly was sold to Pittsburgh interests in 1922. The company was re-organized with Isreal Rosenbloom as president and Henry Sutter became brewmaster. In December 1932 the press reported that the brewery was set to make beer “at a moment’s notice” and wooden tanks had been re-hooped and filled with water to make them tight. Fifty men were being employed to get the plant operational. Management said the equipment had been well serviced during prohibition and with some new equipment and supplies they expected to have product on the market by May. They installed a new pasteurizer, received a permit and had beer on the market by July. An ad stated that “Old 76 Real Lager Beer” (4% a.b.v.) was “The Modern Brew With the ‘Old Time Spirit’,” and was a union-made brew. They registered the trademark for their label in January 1934 but by the end of the year the company went out of business.
Kittanning Elk Brewing Co. 1896-1937 2 (1 Stock Tray) & (1 Custom Tray)
The Smith Brothers had Beyer & Reutert of Chicago design a 10,000-bbl. brewery in 1894. The $40,000 project included a 30-ton ice plant. They incorporated as Elk B.C. and produced 5,000-bbl. in 1895. The brewery was included in the original efforts to form the Duquesne B.C. in 1904 but did not become part of the resulting IBCP. H.H. Wehylman became president and in 1910 they added a $10,000 bottling house capable of packaging 100-bbl. per day which included a modern pasteurizing unit. Production stood at around 30,000-bbl. By 1916 they doubled the capacity of the ice plant, installed grains drying equipment and sunk two new wells. They produced “Elko” a cereal beverage and sold ice during prohibition and invested $40,000 in improvements after repeal. The company went to court over their trademark for “Red Top Beer” and a judge ruled their trademark only covered 25 local counties while the Red Top B.C. and Malt Co. of Cincinnati’s trademark covered the rest of the nation. In 1934 Elk B.C. went into receivership. Despite efforts by two different receivers to keep it afloat, the brewery went up for sale at public auction in December but there were no takers.
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Meadville Meadville Brewing Co 1906-1916 3 (Stock Tray)
Nicholas Dudenhopper & Frank Schwab started a brewery in Meadville in 1870. Schwab took sole possession in 1874. He retired in 1903 and sold it to Otto P. Hauch for $78,000. Hauch and his brother Gustav had run their father’s brewery on the South Side of Pittsburgh before selling out to the Pittsburgh Brewing Co. In April 1904 Hauch, together with his father-in-law Jacob Gaub and his son Otto C. Gaub incorporated the Meadville B.C. with capital stock of $20,000. Jacob’s other son, George W. Gaub was secretary. A representative from Erie Local 61 of the Brewery Workers Union showed up shortly thereafter. Hauch signed on giving his product “Union Made” cred and his workers got a big raise. Valentine Hoffman was brewmaster and the product was rebranded as “Meadville Beer.” In 1911 they invested $40,000 adding 1,000-bbl. capacity to the cellars and two 260-h.p. boilers. Production was just under 12,000-bbl. Rudolph Leichtwitz of Jefferson, WI became brewmaster in 1915. The brewery closed in 1917.
New Castle Standard Brewing Co. 1911-1920 1 (Stock Tray)
What would become Standard B.C. was established by Genkinger & Treser in 1850 and became known under various owners as the West Side Brewery. In December 1897 Standard B.C. was formed with the intention of building a 40,000-bbl. plant. Frederick L. Genkinger was the owner and he died the following year. Henry Grotefend, with twenty-four years’ experience, a decade of which at Hauch’s brewery in Pittsburgh, was hired as superintendent and brewmaster. The company held a grand opening to a crowd of 3,000 on December 15, 1898 and handsome nickel silver pocket match boxes were distributed as souvenirs. The following year they increased cellar space by 25,000-bbl. and in 1901 added another 100-ton refrigerating machine. Two years later they added an 80-ton refrigerating plant and a 250-h.p. boiler.
Lawrence county went dry and with 6,000-bbl. of beer in stock, Standard was refused a license for 1911. Newspaper accounts reported employment in the trade increased when the county was “wet again” in 1916, and said newcomers found housing among many properties left vacant by those who evacuated the city when the county turned dry. The brewery was back in business until war time prohibition which was soon followed by national prohibition.
Standard was re-organized as Union B.C. after repeal as a Delaware Corporation with 250,000 shares of common stock, including 150,000 at $1.00 par value. Louis G. Genkinger, head of the local Chamber of Commerce, was president. E.O. Haun was vice-president and general manager. He had been with the company since 1896. Albert Grotefend, Jr. became brewmaster. Thirty-five men were employed to completely upgrade the plant with new equipment and machinery. The company ordered 40 carloads of glass containing 1,500,000 bottles as well as 20,000 cases from local suppliers. Brands included Ye Olde English Ale and Pilsner Beer.
In January 1935 the company reported a net profit of $46,000. The following year they announced an 8% dividend. In 1944 the company was fined for exceeding its grain ration. Having survived repeal and all the subsequent challenges, the brewery closed in 1948 in the wake of a tsunami that would devastate local breweries as the nation’s largest brewers gained a virtual monopoly, generated in no small part by television advertising in the creation of national brands.
Punxsutawney Elk Run Brewing Co. 1902-1916 2 (Stock Tray)
Bernard Schneider learned the brewing trade in Baden and came to America in 1882. His resume is quite impressive: he started working at a brewery in Reading, managed one in Pottstown then worked at Fiegenspan in Newark. After attending the U.S. Brewers’ Academy in New York City, he formed a partnership with S.E. Christ of Brookville.
In Punxsutawney he went into partnership with Baumgartner (1897-1900). Schneider partnered with Edward Henderson to form the Elk Run B.C. and in November 1901 the press reported on the opening of the new 5-story brick plant powered by two 100-h.p. boilers and equipped with a 250-bbl. kettle. There were three cellars capable of storing 2,600-bbl., a 16-ton ice plant and a modern bottling facility. In 1904 Elk Run received high praise for the quality and success of their product in the Cincinnati Trade Report Journal.
In a rather unusual twist of events, when sinking a new artesian well the company got a “two-fer” when in addition to water, hit a gas deposit subsequently used to fuel the plant. In 1909 the brewery had a parade float with four big groundhogs, one on each corner. The largest tipped the scales at twenty-one pounds and was reported to be destined for the Governor’s banquet the next evening. Elk Run registered their “Ground Hog Brand Beer” the following year. In September the company was reorganized: E.B. Henderson, W.I. Rosenberger and Wasko Havarilla became holders of the license and production was just over 16,000-bbl. Jefferson County went dry in 1916, Elk Run obtained a State license, then went out of business the following year.
Punxsutawney Punxsutawney Brewing Co. 1904-1916 7 (Stock Tray)
C.A. Kraus & Son brewery formed a partnership with Joseph Baumgartner in 1893. The brewery vault was dug out of slate rock and extended 75-feet into the side of a hill. With the retirement of Kraus, Baumgartner took over then formed a partnership with Bernard Schneider in 1897. They invested $32,000 and built a modern 75-bbl. per day brewery. Powered by two boilers, 35-h.p. and 60 h.p., the plant included a 20-ton per day ice plant. In 1900 a bottling department was added and they introduced a Muenchener Bier. The partnership was dissolved and Schneider formed the Elk Run B.C. leaving Baumgartner as sole proprietor.
Frank Moesmer was brewmaster and Gregg Baumgartner was his assistant. He oversaw improvements that included the installation of a dynamo to illuminate the plant, new air compressor and expansion of fermenting cellars. He also set up a small zoo on the premises starting out with a couple of foxes and racoons in a large cage. After nearly a decade with Punxy, Moesmer purchased the Shullsburg Brewery and moved Wisconsin in 1913.
Jefferson County went dry in 1916 but the brewery received a State license. To comply with the dry law, they had to supply agencies in wet counties in order to continue their trade. War time prohibition went into effect in December 1918 and the brewery had six months to sell all stock on hand. The following year management and stockholders let the brewing license expire and continued in the ice business.
St Marys St. Marys Beverage Co. 1933-1940 2 (Custom Tray)
St. Marys B.C. was organized in January 1900 with $250,000 capital stock. William Kaul, president; Louis Streuber, vice-president; George C. Simmons, treasurer and Richard A. Cartwright, secretary. Egid Pfeiffer was brewmaster. In 1908 the company was incorporated as Elk County B.C. with $250,000 capital stock. A few years later they added a 100-bbl. bottling outfit with a bonded pipeline to the cellars and invested in improved filtration equipment. Chris Doeffinger succeeded Pfeiffer as brewmaster. In 1920 Wm. Kane was brewmaster. The company was re-flagged as St. Marys Beverage Co. with $25,000 capital by James McKay and Joseph P. Golden of Pittsburgh with A.C. Kronenwetter of St. Marys as treasurer, with a license to manufacture non-alcoholic beverages.
In 1927 prohibition investigators descended on the plant and when denied immediate entry, began destroying locks on the racking room doors with sledgehammers. The brewmaster came to the door and opened it, armed with an iron bar. The agents claimed the brewery possessed 45 gallons of beer containing more than 3% a.b.v. and that the company possessed unlabeled beer in violation of the terms of their permit. The high-test beer was seized. The company lost its license. Two years later a judge ruled the license revocation was capricious and restored the license. Within twenty-four hours, Prohibition Administrator John D. Pennington filed a motion to restore the license revocation. He said that subsequent to the 1927 license revocation, A.A. Straub, secretary-treasurer of the company sold eight cases of high-test beer between December 8 and 18, 1928. Pennington won his case claiming that the sales represented acts of bad faith and that the revocation should remain in effect. In November 1929 A.A. Straub was fined $500 and paroled for two years. In 1930 the company brought suit in Federal Court to regain their license.
The brewery continued as St. Marys Beverage Co. after repeal. Peter Straub was president and brewmaster. A.C. Kronenwetter was secretary-treasurer. The brewery employed thirty-five men. John J. Saltzman, of Oil City left his family’s brewery and became a SMBC salesman. The brewery was closed and in July 1940 it was reported that the Straub Brothers had purchased Col. Wm. Kaul’s interest in St. Marys Beverage Co. They planned to upgrade and have it back up and running in two years but those plans never materialized. The plant has been re-purposed as a graphite manufacturing facility.
St Marys Straub Brewery 1933-present 3 (Custom Tray) + 2 new custom trays
The town of St. Marys was settled around the turn of the nineteenth century as part of a religious colony established by Catholic clergy, formed to harvest timber, manufacture lumber establish commerce and develop the region. St. Marys’ would become home to ten different breweries, the first being formed in 1851 by Joseph Winfelder. The Luhr family purchased the plant which became known as St. Marys Brewery until 1908.
Peter Straub (1850-1913) became partners with B. Westnitzer at his brewery on N. Marshall St. and was sole proprietor from 1879-1884. Burgess & Westnitzer purchased the plant and formed the Mountain Brewery in 1884 which continued under different owners until1890.
Captain Charles C. Volk (1855-1873) had a brewery license associated with two different hotels, then established a brewery at the Benzinger Spring. Volk’s widow sold the brewery to Francis X. Sorg (1873-1876). Westnitzer & Straub who were partners in another brewery purchased it and in 1879 it became known as Peter Straub’s Benzinger Spring Brewery, producing around 1,000-bbl. In 1912 production was around 6,000-bbl.
Tucked away in Pennsylvania’s northern tier where it’s not much of a stretch to say that there are more deer than humans and where you can still hunt Elk in Pennsylvania; the Straub brewery survived the “beer wars” by attending to their local market with a single product, a demographic probably overlooked or not on the radar of the “big three.” Family members running the brewery said they only brewed so much, making sure work didn’t interfere with the time they devoted to hunting and fishing. They also joked that every time someone else went out of business it bumped up their standing, which at one point I believe was in the top fifteen breweries in the nation. Their production was around 30,000-bbl. and they sold cases with NR greenies in four plastic bags with drawstrings to facilitate keeping beer cold in “the run” while trout fishing.
Straub has changed with the times, probably beginning with the introduction of Straub Light during the light beer craze and more recently they have introduced a number of seasonal and specialty brews, none the least of which came in 2000 when Straub had a five-year contract to brew Ground Hog Light Beer with a portion of the proceeds going to Punxsutawney’s Groundhog club. The highlight of any tour is the “Eternal Tap” for which Straub has become famous.