"Benjamin Raupfer was born in Baden, Germany, November 3, 1838, was reared and received a good education in his native town. His father, Peter Raupfer, died in 1851, and that fall our subject went to Switzerland and engaged in teaming and selling silks and other goods, continuing thereat until 1865, when he embarked at Havre de Grace on the English ship "Belonia," bound for New York.

After a stormy voyage of twenty-two days, he arrived in safety at his destination and soon after cause to Columbia City, and took charge of an engine, which he ran for three years. He then opened a saloon, which he managed until 1879, when, in partnership with Fred Walter, he purchased the "Eagle" beer brewery, which the new firm enlarged and remodeled, and converted into one of the finest in the country, giving it a capacity of 6,000 barrels per annum, and the product is pronounced to be the best in Northern Indiana. - History of Whitley and Noble Counties, Indiana by Weston A. Goodspeed and Charles Blanchard - 1882.

"In September, 1889. Mr. Walter sold his interest to Mr. Raupfer and his brother-in-law, Anton Meyer, who still runs it and holds it in the front rank, fully competing with the large breweries of the cities. It has a capacity of nine thousand barrels per annum. - History of Whitley County, Indiana by Samuel P. Kaler, Richard H. Maring - 1907

"The brewery property of Messrs. Raupfer and Walter, on the banks of Blue River, is probably one of the most extensive of its kind in Northern Indiana. It is now in the very best of shape, ably managed and is turning out kegs of foaming beer that is said by the followers of Gambrinus to be of the very best quality." - History of Whitley and Noble Counties, Indiana, Weston A. Goodspeed and Charles Blanchard, 1882

"Jacob Portman, junk and feed dealer of this city, has for a private consideration. purchased the buildings of the Walter-Raupfer brewery, which closed down some time ago. The realty included in the deal, and the buildings six in number, are the brewery building which will be converted into cold storage, with its several miles of pipes: the ice plant, which will be refitted to manufacture ice for the public: the bottling works, which will be dismantled to make room for a coal yard: a malt house, barn an the office buildings. The buildings and realty were owned by the heirs of the late Benjamin Raupfer of this city and the heirs of the late Anton Meyer who now reside in Fort Wayne." - Fort Wayne News, April 5, 1917

"According to an article in the Huntington News-Democrat evening, the Commercial club of this city has been seeking for some time to the Huntington Brewing Company to move to this city. This, denied by officials of the brewery who state that the question is the first thing they had regarding the project. The News-Democrat, after springing this declaration, goes on to say that Messrs. Hoch and Kneipp (sic), owners of the establishment, do not care to move from Huntington, despite the fact that that place is dry. Instead of moving, it is declared that they have purchased land west of this city Wabash railroad, where they will erect an immense modern cold storage plant. The plan is for the brewing company to manufacture its beer in Huntington and then ship it to the cold storage plant here. From this place it will be sent out to the different places where the customers live." - Fort Wayne News, Feb 12, 1910

"BREWERY MEN SENTENCED
Escape Jail Sentences, However, and Pay Fines

HUNTINGTON, Ind June 12  - Hoch and William P. Knipp, proprietors of the Huntington Brewery, today were sentenced to thirty days in jail each for illegal sale of liquor, though Judge S E Cook suspended the sentence on their showing that they employed a number of men about their plant who would be thrown out of employment if they were deprived of their liberty." - Indianapolis Star, June 13, 1911

In 1877, he bought one-half interest in the brewery with William Seifert, which they conducted until the death of Seifert in September 1879, when Mr. Wichmann became the sole owner, and which he has conducted up to the present time, being now, by a subsequent change in proprietorship, manager for the owner, Henry C. Paul, of Fort Wayne. This brewery was built in 1867, by Louis Schwartzkopf and Geo. Aichele, subsequently becoming the property of Francis J. Beek, Seifert and Heinike, and the parties mentioned above." - Counties of LaGrange and Noble, Indiana, Historical and Biographical Illustrated, F.A. Battey & Co., publishers, 1882.

"KENDALLVILLE, Ind., May - East Lake Brewing company, the distributing agency for the Berghoff Brewing company, of Fort Wayne, has operations two weeks ago. Net Drake notified his customers in this city that he would be unable to furnish them with the Berghoff beer on account of the other firms making such inroads on the Berghoff business that it was no longer profitable for him to handle it, and that they would have to get it direct. Joseph Becker, the former owner of the company, has served notice on Mr. Drake of the intention of foreclosing the same. The Berghoff company also holds a mortgage on the property but It Is not known what they will do in the matter." - Fort Wayne Journal Gazette - May 3, 1908

"Barbara Alber Foust remembers the brewery owned by her father Jacob: 'I can sure picture that dark, damp old cellar with the big casks and little electric lights on cords from the ceiling. It was a scary place to go. Of course, we usually only went inside the big doors and to the left where the keg of beer was cold and so were the glasses. I never took out-of-the-family friends in there, but I liked a glass of beer.

'I can remember helping Papa once in a while to put labels on bottles. They were folded a certain way and placed on top of a wooden case which was painted with glue. I got so I could pick them up and put them on pretty quick-like.

'The kegs were washed on the ground floor outside on the wooden floor. The big cooking kettle was on the second level and we climbed the steep hill on the north of the building. There was a road going up there.' " - History of Wabash County, Indiana, 1976

"GETS AROUND THE LAW
THE WABASH BREWERY SELLS THROUGH FORT WAYNE MAN.

People Wanting Home Beer Send Orders Here and Delivery is Then Made.

The recent decision of the supreme court, construing the Beardsley law as preventing Indiana breweries from retailing beer, hit the Wabash Brewery rather hard, but through a clever scheme, in which Albert Weber, of this city, acts as agent, the concern expects to still retain its large Wabash trade and not suffer at all as a consequence of this decision. Under the new plan Wabash parties are to give their orders to Mr. Weber, who is the proprietor of the Weber hotel here, and he, in turn, will deliver the goods in Wabash free of charge.

The plan has been broached to the Wabash customers of the company In the following advertisement Inserted in the newspapers there: Wabash Beer For Sale. Since the decision of the supreme court, holding that a brewery cannot sell to a customer, I am buying and will continue to buy beer of the manufacture of the Wabash Brewing company in bottles and cooperage. I am prepared to sell such beer at my licensed place of business at Fort Wayne to you if you should see fit to favor me with your orders which will have my attention. All goods will delivered to you In Wabash free of charge, for delivery. I Have employed Sam Snyder to solicit and collect for me In Wabash. Thanking you In advance for any favors, I beg to remain, Yours respectfully, ALBERT WEBER, Fort Wayne" - Fort Wayne News, Dec 21, 1909

"The Wabash Brewing Co failed in its plan to have a Ft Wayne saloonkeeper to sell beer to Wabash citizens, has evolved a new plan. Andy Ward, a saloonkeeper in Indianapolis, agrees to accept written orders citizens of Wabash, when the is accompanied by cash, for the Wabash Brewing Company's beer. He will then order the brewery to deliver the beer direct to the consumer and will settle from time to with the brewery. It is claimed the prosecuting attorney of asserts that the plan is in of the law. It is another evidence however of the way the of Indiana Brewers is making its promise to obey the law by obeying it." - The American Issue, of the Indiana Anti-Saloon League, Jan 22, 1910