KEY CITY BREWING COMPANY

KEY CITY BREWING COMPANY. Begun in 1852 by Ignatz SEEGER, the company was first known as the City Brewery. The "stone brewery," as it was known, was located outside the city limits but was well known to visitors coming to the city along South Locust. The 1868-69 Dubuque City Directory listed the address as the west side of Locust south of Dodge. (1)

For several years, Seeger manufactured beer, cream-ale, porter, and varieties of malt liquor. He then sold part of his interest in the company to the DUBUQUE JOINT STOCK BREWING COMPANY for $24,000. This company, which included Seeger, then operated the brewery until 1872 when it was leased to Ambrose Gleed who continued the business as GLEED'S BREWERY until 1876 when the business closed. (2)

In 1878 the brewery and its equipment was sold to John PIER. The brewery's capacity was ten barrels daily, most of which was sold in Dubuque and throughout the county. Six men were employed for a total cost of $70 per week. The company's annual revenue approached $20,000. (3)

In anticipation of the repeal of PROHIBITION in December 1933, an article in the Telegraph-Herald and Times-Journal predicted Iowa-brewed beer would be ready in time for Thanksgiving. (4) Beer (but only 3.2) was allowed beginning in April 1933 until full repeal could take place. (5) One brewery determined to make this true was the reopened Key City Brewing Company. The company was located at 136 Main and owned by Mercurio "Michael" Pusateri whose usual occupation was that of a retail fruit dealer. (6) Other employees of Key City Brewing included August Blum, brewmaster; M. Ernest Becker, bookkeeper; and Anton J. Kunnert, driver. (7)

Key City Beer availability before Thanksgiving in 1933, was announced in an advertisement November 16, 1933, p. 8 in the Telegraph-Herald and Times-Journal. Photo courtesy: Telegraph Herald

Key City Brewing did not survive as an enterprise. In 1937, according to that year's city directory, the building at 136 Main was listed as vacant, and Mercurio "Michael" Pusateri was again in the retail fruit business, operating under the name DUBUQUE FRUIT COMPANY. (8)

The only physical remains of the Key City Brewing Company in Dubuque is this cave.

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Source:

1. Oldt, Franklin T. History of Dubuque County, Iowa. http://books.google.com/books?id=u9xDAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA656&lpg=PA656&dq=IGNATZ+SEEGER&source=bl&ots=0CltEGFT1z&sig=0-EBpRHW69k6MDYykhvWzxg6_QM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=FuTgT5bXFOXo2gX28q2rCw&ved=0CE0Q6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=IGNATZ%20SEEGER&f=false

2. Ibid.

3. Ibid.

4. "Iowa Brewed Beer Will Be Ready For Thanksgiving," The Telegraph-Herald and Times-Journal, September 14, 1933, page 11. Online: https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=aEyKTaVlRPYC&dat=19330914&printsec=frontpage&hl=en

5. Tom Larson, e-mail, August 12, 2017

6. Dubuque City Directory (including East Dubuque, Illinois) 1934, "Key City Brewing Co Marcurio Pusateri pres 136 Main," page 205 http://cityofdubuque.advantage-preservation.com/Viewer/?key=brewing&pbd=01/01/1934-12/31/1934&fn=city_directory_usa_iowa_dubuque_19340101_english_207&df=1&dt=10&tc=16&cnt=United%20States%20of%20America&sn=Iowa&cn=Dubuque&pn=City%20Directory

7. Dubuque City Directory (including East Dubuque, Illinois) 1934, a."Blum, Aug brewmaster Key City Brewing h 1275 Washington" page 79 http://cityofdubuque.advantage-preservation.com/Viewer/?by=1934&pbd=01/01/1934-12/31/1934&fn=city_directory_usa_iowa_dubuque_19340101_english_81&df=1&dt=10&tc=526&cnt=United%20States%20of%20America&sn=Iowa&cn=Dubuque&pn=City%20Directory (81/526) b. "Becker M. Ernest (Grace) bkpr Key City Brewing h 351 Dorgan pl" page 71 http://cityofdubuque.advantage-preservation.com/Viewer/?by=1934&pbd=01/01/1934-12/31/1934&fn=city_directory_usa_iowa_dubuque_19340101_english_73&df=1&dt=10&tc=526&cnt=United%20States%20of%20America&sn=Iowa&cn=Dubuque&pn=City%20Directory (73/526) c. "Kunnert, Anton J (Mary) driver Key City Brewing h 2919 Burden" page 220 http://cityofdubuque.advantage-preservation.com/Viewer/?by=1934&pbd=01/01/1934-12/31/1934&fn=city_directory_usa_iowa_dubuque_19340101_english_222&df=1&dt=10&tc=526&cnt=United%20States%20of%20America&sn=Iowa&cn=Dubuque&pn=City%20Directory

8. Larson

Note: Special thanks goes to Tom Larson for the in-depth research into this topic.