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A Brief History of Brewing in Central Indiana
Also see Indianapolis and Terre Haute.
Anderson
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T.M. Norton Brewing Company
1900 - 1939
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After T.M. Norton died the firm was taken over by his son, Martin C. Norton who, in 1913, moved to become the manager of Berghoff Brewing in Fort Wayne.
Mark Norton then seems to have then taken over the brewery. He participated in Democratic politics in Madison County.
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"A liquor plot in which it is alleged that beer made In Anderson was marketed In Cincinnati, Hamilton and others In Ohio through a series of agencies is believed to have been uncovered by Federal officers under the direction of Bert Morgan, Indiana prohibition officer, here early today.
Prohibition Enforcement Officer Morgan, a squad of six of his operatives, Sheriff Daniels and the local police surrounded the Norton brewing plant here last night. About 1 o'clock this morning the officers watched two large auto trucks loaded with barrels at the loading platform of the Norton brewery, which is located in the heart of Anderson and is adjacent to the jail.
After the trucks had been loaded, Morgan and Federal officers accosted the drivers, placing them under arrest. The driver of the two trucks gave their names as William Schramm, agent for Indianapolis Brewing Company at Hamilton, Ohio and Frank Houser.
The officers confiscated forty half barrels and nine barrels of beer which were found on the trucks. The beer, which Federal officers say is believed to test 5 per cent, was confiscated by the officers as evidence and placed under lock and key In the basement of the county jail here." - Indianapolis Star, June 18, 1923
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U. S. DRY OFFICERS TAKE INVENTORY OF BREWERY
"ANDERSON. Ind. State Prohibition Officers George Winkler and Seth Ward of Indianapolis and William Ray arrived here this afternoon and started taking an Inventory of the property of the Norton Brewery. Following completion of the Inventory a return will be made to United States Commissioner Howard S. Young. The Inventory marks seizure of the brewery by United States authorities. The Federal officers state that a warrant has been sworn out for the arrest of William Norton, owner of the Brewery" - Indianapolis Star, June 26, 1923
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William J. Norton was sentenced to a prison in Atlanta for "violation of the liquor law".
The brewery was just past the jail from the railroad station. The building became Ralston Purina feeds in the 1950s.
The also produced ice for retail sale.
It is possible the company was originally named Norton & Crawley "Manufacturers of XXX Ale and Porter".
Brands included Norton's, Old Pal, and Gold Band.
(photo courtesy Bruce Mobley)
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Greenwood
| Oaken Barrel Brewing Company
1994 - Present
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Brewpub formed by Bill Fulton, Brook Belli and Kwang Casey. Brook Belli was the brewer until 2004 when Ken Price, formerly with Upland Brewing Company of Bloomington became the brewer. Ken left in 2006 to Yazoo Brewing Co. in Nashville, TN. At that time Jeff Helm became the brewer.
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Lafayette
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Spring Brewery
1855 - 1872
Newman & Bohrer
Bohrer
1872 - 1918
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The Spring Brewery was founded by Dietrich Herbert and John Newman. Water was brought through a 3-inch pipe from a spring "some distance away", giving it the name.
The brewery started to pipe its water to neighbors in 1858. It also installed a fire plug on the street in front of the brewery.
George A. Bohrer, an immigrant from Bavaria, moved to Lafayette from Cincinnati in 1872 and bought Dietrech Herbert's interest in the firm. It was renamed Newman & Bohrer.
By 1910, wholly owned by George A. Bohrer and refered to as "Bohrer's brewery"
Located on South 4th St. at Alabama.
Continued for a time under prohibition making ice cream.
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Wagner & Herbert Co.
1848 - 1862
Thieme & Wagner
1862 - 1918
Lafayette Brewery, Inc.
1933 - 1952
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 Founded by John Wagner and Dietrich Herbert in 1848 at 151 N. Fourth St. near Union. Dietrich Herbert who sold his interest to Frederick Thieme in either 1858 or 1862 (accounts vary).
John Wagner was an immigrant from Weimar, Germany. With the proceeds from the successful brewery he bought interest in several Lafayette banks. He died in 1904 and his house at 715 N. Fourth St. still stands.
Lafayette Artificial Ice Co was a spin-off company in the 1890s. That company became the Lafayette Ice & Coal Co.
On April 1, 1901, Frank Wagner, John's son, is reported to have owned Lafayette's first automobile. It was a red steamer built in Indianapolis.
T & W brands included Star City and Tavern Brew.
By prohibition the building was enlarged to a 5-story structure.
Made near beer and Apella brand apple beverage during prohibition as the National Fruit Juice Company.
Thieme & Wagner was bought by W. A. Hanger during prohibition for $200,000. He had been running Lafayette Ice & Coal. It was reorganized as the Lafayette Brewing Company and the brewery facility was completely rebuilt utilizeing 40 men starting in April, 1933.
W. G. Gude was the president of the new company. It's possible they had some property at 716-814 N. Fourth St.
The original Ye Tavern was the same recipe used for Tavern Brew before prohibition. It used hops from Oregon and Czechoslovakia. The brewmaster was Louis F. Panther who had worked for 21 years at the Bohrer brewery (above).
LBI's brands included Kopper Kettle (1935 - 1942), Tippecanoe (1934 - 1940), Tavern, and Ye Tavern.
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"In its mammoth new plant which has been in the course of construction for the past six months at the north end of Fourth Street, Lafayette Brewery, Inc., is now engaged in the manufacture of 'Ye Tavern Brew' beer. The first will be ready for market before Christmas.
The first run of the beer, in which the same formula is employed as that used [until 1918] in the Thieme & Wagner company's 'Tavern Brew' is now in receiving tanks and started on its way to aging, kegging and bottling. There are three cellars of aging tanks, and it requires many days to complete the process after the beer is manufactured before it is ready for consumption. In all there are 65 huge tanks used in the ripening of the beer." - Journal and Courier, Oct 12, 1933.
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Star City Bottling Works
1880s - 1918
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Founded by German immigrant, John A Ries as a backyard enterprise at 141 S. Fourth St. By 1896 they made beer. They also made champagne, cider, soda, seltzer, ginger ale, and other soft drinks. Employees included Nelllie Ries (wife), Flora Ries, Bohn S. Ries, William A Ries, and Laura Ries. John died about 1900 and the business was run by his wife, Nellie.
About 1909, Henry W. Gagen became the proprietor and the business moved to 201 S. Fourth St. During prohibition they continued to bottle soft drinks. By 1930 Star City was gone. article
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| Lafayette Brewing Co.
1993 - Present
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 Brewpub founded by Greg Emig, former brewer at Broad Ripple Brewing Company. Christopher Johnson is the brewer. The building is at 622 Main St.
Greg's father, Joe, subsequently started the Aberdeen Brewing Company in Valparaiso.
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"At about 1 a.m. lightning struck Emdee's Brewery." - Tippecanoe County Historical Association - July 27, 1851.
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The Indiana Business Directory for 1868 lists the City Brewery, J & H Emdee, on Third Street between Ramsy and Alabama.
In 1868 the county rolls record a "Wabash Brewery, Frederick Newman, prop, cor Canal and South". It's not known whether this is connected to the Spring Brewery (above).
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During the summers of 1878 through 1882 temperance people, mostly women, had protested in vain against licensed beer and gambling stands at the Tippecanoe County Agricultural Association's annual fairs. Now they petitioned against the same practices for 1883, but were turned back on grounds the $1,000 licenses brought money and people to the fairs while the women "did not contribute to the industries of the county and therefore should have no voice in the matter." - Tippecanoe County Historical Association
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In 1880, at least, the temperance forces boycotted the fair. In 1883 and 1884 the fair was not held because of the effect these boycotts had. In 1885 the fair returned, although dry.
In 1881 the two Lafayette breweries totaled 486,000 gallons (or 4.1 million 50cent glasses) of beer.
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"Partners Stephen J. Hannagan and Patrick L. Fitzgerald had tried a short-lived brewing operation about 1900, producing "Pride Of the State" beer." - Tippecanoe County Historical Association
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 Sometime in the late 20th century a brewery marketing firm, Tippecanoe Brewing Company, distributed William Henry Harrison Ale contracted from the Oldenburg brewery in Fort. Mitchell, KY.
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Marion
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Indiana Brewing Association
Marion Brewing Association
1887 - 1913
(photo courtesy Bruce Mobley)
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This was reputed to be one of the largest and best-equipped breweries in northern Indiana at the time.
It was located at 1550 Railroad Ave (now 525 Lincoln Blvd.
In 1909 it bought the local paper, The Dawn. This was during a "local option" temperance campaign.
Brands included Bottled Tiger and Indiana Beer "The Pride of the State".
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"Marion Brewing association has made announcement that it will retire from business at the end of this month. This is the first brewery of any considerable size to quit business in Indiana since the anti-liquor agitation started several years ago.
The Marion brewery is a big one and for years it turned out a great output of beer. Its owners were among the leaders in the brewing business in Indiana, and in the state associations organized by Indiana brewers from time to time. They were leaders and took a prominent part in every brewery activity or movement. They were also powerful in local politics at Marion, because there were more than a hundred saloons in Grant county a few years ago, and nearly all of them sold Marion beer.
For many years, however, there existed a strong prohibition sentiment in which for years cast more prohibition votes than any other county. There has never been any cessation of activity on' the part of the temperance people of Grant county. Not only the prohibitionists, but the Woman's Christian Temperance union has been strong there. Grant county temperance people were leaders in the fight for the enactment of the county option law and did as much as any other county in the state to bring it about and they have fought to retain the old liquor laws and to prevent their repeal by the democrats; so when the county option law was passed and the temperance people had a chance to make the fight they brought on a local option election and made Grant county dry. The matter was fought through the courts and the drys won, and the usefulness of the brewery at Marion was over. The saloons of Grant county went out of business and the brewery lost its trade.
Later, when the county option law, was repealed and city and township option, was substituted, the temperance people of Grant county did not lose heart, but they went at it and succeeded In making Marion and all the rest of the county dry again. This was the straw that broke the back of the (brewery and) it had to quit.
The brewery has announced that it will turn over to the revenue officers whatever beer is on hand at the close of the month. In some of the counties of the state, breweries closed or greatly curtailed their output when the county option law was in force, but this is the first time that a brewery of considerable size has found it necessary to quit business under the fire of the temperance people.
The Anti-Saloon league is in rather a quiescent stage, judging from the little noise that has been made for some time past in liquor circles by that organization. It is said that some of the members cannot see much to be gained by any special activity at this time, or while the democrats are so firmly entrenched in power in Indiana, for the democratic legislation on the liquor proposition has been such as to leave little for the anti-saloon people to hope for from them. But the Anti-Saloon league is going ahead in its own quiet way. keeping its lines well drawn and standing ready to make a fight at any when the occasion calls for it. Persons who have the idea because the league is quiet it is riot in a healthy condition have another think coming." - Fort Wayne News, June 26, 1913
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The Kiley Brewing Company bought the assets after prohibition.
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Kiley Brewing Company
1934 - 1941
Fox Deluxe Brewing Company
1942 - 1951
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 Their main brand was Patrick Henry. The address was 525 Lincoln Blvd.
They advertised heavily in Ohio and Wisconsin in the 1930s.
Slogans: "Masters of All Ale, Stout, Half-and-Half", "Patrick Henry, The beer with an ale base".
In 1942, Kiley and the Patrick Henry brand ended up in the Grand Rapids, MI division of Peter Fox out of Chicago (brands Fox Deluxe and Silver Fox). This brewery had a history dating back to 1838 - it closed in 1951.
Peter Fox also had a brewery in Oklahoma City.
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Muncie
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Birkenstock Brewing Company
Muncie Brewing Company
1902 - 1912 or later
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 The Birkenstock Brewing Company of Allentown, PA opened another brewery in Muncie in 1902 and John Birkenstock, then 42 moved to Muncie.
Birkenstock was an immigrant from Hessen Darmstadt, Germany. His wife, Elizabeth Scholl was born in 1868 in the William Penn house in Philadelphia - the first house in America made of English brick.
The brewery building was designed and built by a Philadelphia firm. It was/is at the northwest corner of Hoyt and Willard Streets.
A major stockholder and city scion, John Griesheimer, went personally bankrupt in 1907. This did not affect the brewery operations.
(photo courtesy Bruce Mobley)
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New Castle
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LaBoyteaux
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 A very obscure brewery. The local historical society doesn't even have any information.
There was a Laboyteaux family from New Castle who had several members serving in the Civil War. Thomas Laboyteaux was killed, possibly in the Sultana sinking, while returning from the South.
(photo courtesy Bruce Mobley)
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Noblesville
| Barley Island Brewing Co.
1999 - Present
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 Brewpub. Owner: Jeff Eaton. Brewer: John Lamb.
Motto: Home of the Fifth Basic Food Group.
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The 1868 Business Directory for Indiana lists a brewery owned by Joseph Xauer on Conner St.
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There's an interesting text on the Conner Prairie web site - From Temperance to Prohibition - "Dark Beverage of Hell" The Transformation of Hamilton County's Dry Crusade, 1876-1936
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Richmond
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Minck Brewing Company
Pre-prohibition
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 The brewhouse was just east of the Main Street bridge over the Whitewater River, near the Wayne County courthouse.
(photo courtesy Bruce Mobley)
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“In the course of the summer of 1807, however, the pioneers established a nearer route, running to Eaton into Wayne’s Trace, which led to Hamilton. A county road was early established along the lands of Jeremiah Meek, Alex. Grimes, &c., down the hill-side to Cox’s Mill, and thence up the ravine between Boat-hill and Buhl’s brewery; the land on which Richmond stands then having no roads passing over it.” - Reminiscences of the History of Richmond, John Plummer, 1857.
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The first brewery in Richmond was commenced by Ezra Boswell about the time the town was incorporated (1818 - ed). Of the quality of the beer we have now no opportunity of forming a judgment; but it is said that some of the Councilmen of that day—who, of course, served their fellow-citizens gratuitously—one day sent to Ezra for some of his brewing; and we presume, they quaffed it until they were satisfied; but, like all men in place, they, by this simple act, subjected themselves to the tongue of slander. By the citizens, who took it upon themselves to watch over the pecuniary interests of the place, a rumor was set afloat that the Councilmen were drinking beer at the expense of the corporation.
The price of beer, sold at taverns, was in that day fixed by the court at 12½ cents a quart; while the same authority rated whiskey, per half-pint, at 12½ cents; the same quantity of common brandy, at 18¾ cents, and cognac, rum, and wine were to be sold at 37½ cents by the half pint. The care of the Court in this particular is further evinced by their allowing George Hunt, clerk, a certain sum for the purchase of whisky, during the sale of lots in Salisbury. - Reminiscences of the History of Richmond, John Plummer, 1857.
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The 1868 Business Directory for Indiana lists a lager brewery on Main Street owned by Winterling & Paulus.
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Others
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Cambridge City
1820 - ~1830
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The 1868 Business Directory for Indiana lists a brewery owned by Henry Ingermann, an immigrant from Germany. It was located at the corner of Vandalia Ave. and Delaware St. in the town of Vandalia (now merged into Cambridge City). His son George joined the company as did Cleophas Straub who had previously owned another brewery in Vandalia, OH. Later a nephew, another Henry Ingermann, Charles Swim, and Tom Enyart owned the brewery.
The beer was sold in pints and quarts as "Ingermann's Ale" with XXX or XXXX indicia. more info
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Connersville
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John Uhl purchased interest in a brewery in Connersville in 1857. He was connected to that business for 2 years. He then opened a cooperage that employed 16 men and was sold to a consortium of people in the pork-packing business in 1865.
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Crawfordsville
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There was a brewery in Crawfordsville owned by a Mr. Lorenz which was remodeled in 1865.
"The brewery's beer was brewed for 24 hours, then run into the huge hogsheads that were stored in the cellar under Market Street. From the hogsheads, the beer was drawn into 4- and 80gallon kegs, then delivered to their retailers." - Crawfordsville, Athens of Indiana, 2003
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Greencastle
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The 1868 Business Directory for Indiana lists a Greencastle Junction Brewery, F. P. Winchell, prop. in Greencastle.
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Lebanon
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The 1868 Business Directory for Indiana lists a Lebanon Brewery owned by Jacob Halfman near the railroad depot.
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Carroll County
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The 1868 Business Directory for Indiana lists a Delphi Brewery, Geo Shillinger, prop. It was near the Deer Creek bridge in Delphi.
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Fountain County
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"There are in Fountain County ten flouring mills, twenty sawmills, one woolen factory, one brewery, one distillery, one foundry, two printing offices, between fifty and sixty stores and groceries, ten lawyers,. . " - Indiana Gazetteer, E. Chamberlain, 1849
The 1868 Business Directory for Indiana lists an Attica Brewery owned by Mrs. A. Smith in Attica on Perry Street.
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Franklin County
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 "This two story house is constructed of rubble limestone; it was built in the 1850's by John and Daniel Walker. They operated several businesses in Metamora, a general store, a distillery and a mill. This building served as a warehouse for the whiskey produced in their distillery. The barrels were loaded onto canal boats at a dock immediately below the Metamora Lock south of this building. By 1867, it was used as a brewery by A.I. Senior. In the late 1800's, it was converted into a residence. Two architectural changes have been made since that time, the addition of the east-facing porch and a recent third story." more info
J. Busald ran a brewery in Franklin County in 1882. There were three breweries listed in the Franklin County 1882 Atlas. One each in the towns of Brookville and Oldenburg, and one in Highland Township which may have been near Cedar Grove.
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Grant County
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The 1868 Business Directory for Indiana lists a brewery in Jonesborough owned by Robert Corder.
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Randolph County
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Conrad Meyer, an immigrant from Bayreuth, Bavaria, moved to Winchester in 1873 and operated a bakery and a brewery until 1880.
Joseph Lay and his son, Samuel Lay moved their Joseph Lay Company making brooms from New York state to Ridgeville, IN in 1886. "They took over an abandoned brewery (which looked something like an Eastern Orthodox church) and the buildings of a defunct college." according to company records.
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Copyright 2004, 2006, Bob Ostrander
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