SCHMID BREWERY

Photo courtesy: Jim Massey

SCHMID BREWERY. Dubuque's first brewery to bottle beer for drinking at home. Located behind what became the municipal bus garage at 24th Street and Central Avenue, Schmid Brewery was constructed in 1855 by Titus Schmid. Built of stone, the brewery rose four stories while a dry kiln and malt house reached three stories. The family lived below the brewery on Central. The brewery also offered lager Swiss cheese and Holland for sale. (1) After Schmidt's death, the brewery was operated by his sons Alphonse, Titus and Albert.

One of Dubuque's largest BREWERIES, the company's name was later changed to the IOWA BREWERY at the time the ownership and management was transferred to Michael Blumenauer and a Mr. Meuser. (2) The annual production reached 5,000 barrels as the weekly wages earned by twelve employees totaled $820.

The consolidation of the brewery with three others in town led to the creation in 1892 of the DUBUQUE BREWING AND MALTING COMPANY, the largest firm of its type between Omaha, Nebraska, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Moving into the vacated site of the b was the DUBUQUE WEISS BEER COMPANY. This company became the ARTESIAN BOTTLING COMPANY in 1910 as the brewery was discontinued. The bottling company offered soda water in nearly every flavor including its popular grapefruit drink. In 1938 John Shanahan purchased the plant from Gus Meyer. The plant continued to produce soda until the building was destroyed by fire in 1945.

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Source:

1. "Schmid's Brewery," Dubuque Herald, July 26, 1874, p. 4. Online: https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=uh8FjILnQOkC&dat=18740726&printsec=frontpage&hl=en

2. "Iowa Brewery," Dubuque Herald, November 9, 1875, p. 4. Online: https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=uh8FjILnQOkC&dat=18751109&printsec=frontpage&hl=en

"Abandoned Brewery Switched to Soda Pop," Telegraph Herald, July 24, 1960, Dubuque News, p. 1