United States Brewing Company

United States Brewing Company
Life Span: 1890-1955
Location: Several
Architect: NA

Chicago and Its Resources Twenty Years After, 1871-1891, The Chicago Times Company, 1891

THE UNITED STATES BREWING COMPANY Offices, Monadnock Building
This is a combination under one general management of several brewing companies located in Chicago and Milwaukee, whereby considerable economies are effected in the conduct of the business. The concern is composed of what were formerly the Val. Blatz Brewing Co. of Milwaukee, the K. G. Schmitt Brewery Co., the Bartholomae & Roesing Brewery, the Ernst Bros. Brewing Co., the M. Brand Brewing Co., and Bartholomae & Leicht, all of Chicago. The officers are Val. Blatz, Esq., President; Leo Ernst, Esq., Vice-President and General Manager; M. Brand, Esq., Treasurer, and M. E. Pavy, Secretary. The general office of the company is at Room 831 Monadnock Building, Chicago. The combined output of’ the concern is about 800,000 barrels of lager beer per annum. From an economic standpoint this combination of interests has been a great saving in many ways, first in the purchase and handling the raw material, second in the distribution and transportation of the product, and third in the collection of accounts, and keeping of the books. Already the sales of beer since this company’s incorporation show an increase over the corresponding period of the year previous, of over 14,000 barrels, notwithstanding the much colder weather that prevailed during the time. The first annual report of the company is dated September 30, 1891, and shows a very gratifying condition of business up to that time, with a flattering prospect for an increase in future.

United States Brewing Companies
Bartholomae & Leicht, M. Brand, Ernst Bros. and K. G. Schmitt
1891

K. G. Schmidt Brewing Company, North Clark Street and Grant Place
Karl Schmidt he came to the United States, leaving Havre, France, on February 10, 1854, and landing at New York after a voyage of eight weeks.A few weeks later he left New York for Chicago. lie secured employment at a small machine shop on Franklin Street, between Randolph and Lake streets, owned by Trub & Huchmann, but soon afterward engaged with Mr. Moses, whose establishment was located at the Polk-street bridge, with whom he continued six months. His health failing he was advised by his physician to seek country air and quiet, accordingly he went to Sterling, 111., and remained one year on Levi Breshau’s farm. On his returning to Chicago he resumed work with Mr Moses, and, upon the failure of his employer, he purchased a horse and wagon and delivered beer for a Milwaukee brewery on commission. The business being quite profitable he contracted with Lill & Diversey to sell their product for three years. At the end of that time, in connection with William Siebert, he began brewing beer, in a small way, on North Clark Street, between Chicago Avenue and Superior Street. Four years later the firm dissolved, Mr. Schmidt purchasing the business and the brewery which they had erected at the corner of North Clark Street and Cane Street (now Grant Place), where he was burned out by the fire of 1871. Shortly afterward he resumed business with Herman O. Glade as a partner, which continued until February, 1882, since which time it has been operating in the form of a stock company. Their main building is brick and covers an area of 125 x 325 feet, is five stories high, and their force of seventy-five men produce about 48,000 barrels of malt liquor annually.

Michael Brand and Company 2519 Eliston Avenue.
This company was organized and chartered in 1876. Michael Brand, president ; Rudolph Brand, vice-president; and Virgil M. Brand, secretary and treasurer, The business done by the company is large, the sales averaging over $1,000,000 annually. Michael Brand commenced business in the spring of 1853, on Cedar Street, in company with Valentine Busch and was organized as Busch & Brand Brewery Company in 1864 and continued with him until Mr. Busch’s death, which occurred in 1872. They had succeeded in building up a large trade, when the fire of 1871 came and entirely destroyed the business. Mr Brand soon re-built on a much larger scale, but finding his business increasing so rapidly that more room became a necessity he purchased several tracts of land on Elston Road near Fullerton Avenue. In 1876-77, he erected and placed the best machinery in a very large substantial brick brewery at an expense of $300,000 in 1877, moved his business there, and was very successful up o May 13, 1885, when disastrous fire consumed his valuable property again, leaving nothing but blackened walls. Mr. Brand redoubled his usual energy, and the company, in about six weeks’ time, were again ready to do business. Mr. Brand is the oldest brewer now doing business in the city, and is a large land owner at Brandsville, Howell Co., Mo., where he has a flourishing mill, sawmill and store on his farm of eighteen thousand acres.

Trade names for the brewery at 2519 Eliston Avenue:

Issued Special Government Permit No. ILL-H-14980 Allowing the production of low-alcohol beer for “Medicinal Purposes” 1920

Chicago Evening Mail, May 17, 1872

A LARGE BREWERY.
C. H. Gottig, architect, has prepared the plans for Busch & Brand’s brewery, to be built on Cedar street, near the lake, 200 feet front, by 148 feet deep. It is to be three stories high, with stone trimmings, and very handsome exterior finish. It will be furnished with separate rooms for malting and for storing ice, and is intended to be the finest brewery ever build in Chicago.
The work is under way.

Brand Brewing Company
2530 Eliston Avenue.

The Ernst Brothers Brewing Company
The Ernst Brothers Brewing Company is a chartered corporation under the laws of the State of Illinois, the charter being granted in 1884. The brothers built their commodious brick brewery in 1884 at 59-65 Larrabee street.

Chicago Tribune, June 10, 1900

Branch No. 3 of the United States Brewing company, Hawthorne and Larrabee streets, which was closed last week by the brewers’ trust, was formerly the property of Ernst Bros., and was one of the last breweries absorbed by the trust. It was one of three breweries controlled by the United States Brewing company and carried more than 100 employes on its salary roll. The building is entirely closed and the office doors and windows are locked and boarded up. Even the stable of the brewery is now being used for another concern. No announcement has been made to the former employes of a future resumption of business and they believe the shut-down to be permanent.

BARTHOLOMAY & BURGWEGER BREWING COMPANY
This work, to be a comprehensive reflection of the trade, commerce and industries of Chicago, would be incomplete without mention of this house. The brewery was established in 1865, by J. L. Hoerber. In May, 1882, a stock company was formed and chartered under the above name, with a capital stock of $50,000. The company is now controlled by the following named officers: William Kucht. president; Leonard Burgweger, vice-president and superintendent; Edward F. A. Thielepape, secretary; and Phillippe Bartholomay, treasurer. The building occupied by the company is 140 x 175 feet in dimension, and three stories in height, giving them thirty-four thousand five hundred feet of floor surface. Underneath the building are capacious cellars for storage purposes. The establishment is provided with every known appliance for manufacturing, not only the best grades of lager beer, but also malt. The company gives employment to over forty men, and in those branches requiring thorough knowledge of brewing none but the most skilled are engaged. The sales will reach thirty thousand barrels annually, the value of which is $160,000. The business of the company is increasing each year, necessitating large additions and improvements. The capital stock, as stated above, is $50,000, but the actual investment is over $100,000. The trade, though chiefly a local one, reaches many neighboring cities.

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