St. Louis's German Brewing Industry
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ST. LOUIS’S GERMAN BREWING INDUSTRY: ITS RISE AND FALL A Thesis presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School University of Missouri In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts by EOGHAN P. MILLER Dr. Robert Collins, Thesis Advisor AUGUST 2008 © Copyright by Eoghan P. Miller 2008 All Rights Reserved We the undersigned, appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School, have examined the thesis entitled ST. LOUIS’S GERMAN BREWING INDUSTRY: ITS RISE AND FALL Presented by Eoghan P. Miller a candidate for the degree of Masters of Arts and hereby certify that their opinion it is worthy of acceptance. Robert Collins _____________________________________ Susan Flader _____________________________________ John Galliher _____________________________________ PREFACE In the weeks since my thesis defense, an unexpected and seemingly impossible saga has unfolded as Anheuser-Busch brewery, the maker of the self-proclaimed “King of Beers,” fought to stave off a hostile take-over bid from InBev, the multinational brewing giant. Now, as I add my final remarks, it appears as if the ordeal has reached its conclusion. However unlikely the outcome might have seemed only a short time ago, the headline from this evening’s paper dispels any remaining doubts: “Anheuser-Busch sells out to Belgium’s InBev.” The announcement, which in and around St. Louis amounts to a bombshell, is tempered with reassurances from InBev that it has no plans to close any of the company’s breweries, lay off existing workers, or move the headquarters from its traditional home in St. Louis. In reality, however, time and the unrelenting desire for increased profits may ultimately prove InBev’s promises to be of little value. The prospect of St. Louis losing a company which last year alone accounted for $17 billion in revenues, paid more than a half-billion dollars in wages to workers throughout the state as well as $37 million in state and local taxes or fees, and employed 6,000 people in the greater St. Louis metropolitan area is almost too much to bear for a city already suffering from decades of economic despair.1 Yet despite the magnitude of the potential loss, it would be untrue to say that the city’s inhabitants have not experienced similar disappointment. Anheuser- Busch, although the most significant, is after all only the latest in a string of prominent local companies to be bought out, downsized, and moved elsewhere. The famous 1 “King of Beers has long ruled St. Louis,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, (June 12, 2008). ii brewery may be destined to follow in the footsteps of May’s and Famous-Barr department stores, McDonnell Douglas and TWA airlines, Pulitzer Inc. publishers, and the A. G. Edwards & Sons brokerage firm. Despite the economic ramifications from the potential loss of the city’s second most profitable company, the news of Anheuser-Busch’s impending sale comes as perhaps an even bigger psychological blow to St. Louis and its inhabitants.2 For many in St. Louis—as well as countless more throughout the nation—Anheuser-Busch brewery, its world-renowned eagle- crested trademark, and its famous Clydesdale horses have come to symbolize not only the brand or beer but the city itself. Indeed, for many St. Louisans the brewery continues to be a point of pride, one of the few remaining from an era when the city was one of the largest, most populous, and most prominent in the nation. It is perhaps the one thing in St. Louis which remains—at least until the recent turn of events—as important and highly regarded today as it was during the second half of the nineteenth century, when St. Louis’s German element effectively controlled not only the prosperous brewing industry, but the city itself. Although things have changed a great deal in the last few decades with increased mechanization and computers, the 150- year old brewery also represented one of the last and best places for blue-collar union laborers to secure reliable and well-paid work, just as German immigrants and their offspring had done prior to the turn of the century. It is hard to find anyone in city, or the state for that matter, who views the sale of the brewery as being anything less than a disaster. Yet, as is always the case, the general public had no say in the matter. Even prominent opponents of the takeover, including the governor, state and federal lawmakers, and—if the press is to be believed—the Busch 2 Ibid. iii family itself, could do little to prevent the sale. Instead, Anheuser-Busch’s board acquiesced under pressure from the stockholders and surrendered the company’s independence—not to mention its heritage—for a mere $5 more per share. With the completion of the sale in the coming months, one of the final pieces of St. Louis’s storied German-American history will—in many respects—be lost, sold to a Belgian/South American multinational conglomerate searching for greater profits in Asia’s “growing markets”. In the not too distant future, the distinctive and familiar smell of hops may no longer fill the south St. Louis neighborhoods which were for many decades the homes of the German immigrants and their native-born offspring who comprised the bulk of the brewery’s workforce. Anheuser-Busch’s giant earthen brick brew-house may, if InBev deems it fiscally prudent, someday stand empty. It is hard to imagine that the brewery, for so long a symbol of St. Louis, could ever close its doors. Then again, many St. Louisans must have had similar thoughts in 1921, when Anheuser-Busch’s rival, Lemp Brewery—the oldest and still the second most successful in the city—ceased production and sold off its imposing Soulard factory to a shoe company for pennies on the dollar. Let us hope that the same fate does not await Anheuser-Busch. But, fearing the worst, and as a sort of memorial, this manuscript is dedicated to all the immigrants and workers who helped make St. Louis the nation’s “Fourth City.” I would not have been able to complete this manuscript were it not for the assistance and contributions of a great many people. My debt to those friends, colleagues, professors, librarians, and archivists who helped make this work possible is profound and too great to repay with a single acknowledgement. Nevertheless, I would iv like to offer special thanks to my professors at both Westminster College and the University of Missouri for their dedicated teaching and inspiration. I am especially indebted to my advisors; Dr. Sam Goodfellow, who, since my undergraduate days, has been of constant assistance; and Dr. Robert Collins for his months of patient guidance and criticism. I owe an additional debt of gratitude to the members of my committee, Dr. Susan Flader and Dr. John Galliher, both of whom made the ultimate sacrifice by devoting part of their summers to read the manuscript and offer advice. In addition to faculty, I would also like to thank the countless professionals who offered assistance throughout the course of my research. From the exceptionally capable staff at the History Department, to the librarians and archivists at the University of Missouri’s Ellis Library, The State Historical Society of Missouri, the Missouri Historical Museum’s Library and Research Center, Saint Louis University’s Pius XII Memorial Library, the St. Louis Mercantile Library, Washington University’s Olin and West Campus Libraries, the New York Public Library, and the Anheuser-Busch Corporate Library. All were instrumental in providing me with materials and answering my research queries. A number of other people also deserve recognition for their unfailing advice. These include Carolyn Toft and Michael Allen of the Landmark Association of St. Louis, Sharon Smith of the Missouri Historical Museum, Dr. Susan K. Appel of Illinois State University, and Dr. Andrew Hurley of the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Each of these individuals was kind enough to provide me with professional expertise. I would be remiss if I did also offer a special thanks to Henry Herbst for his generous donation of his time and his considerable knowledge of St. Louis’s brewing history. To anyone else that v helped with the project and whom I have failed to mention, let me first offer my sincere apologies and second my heartfelt appreciation. Although it should be obvious that a great number of people played important roles in the completion of this work, any and all errors are the fault of the author alone, and as such, I assume full responsibility for any shortcomings contained herein. Finally, my greatest appreciation must be reserved for my family—Kerby, Patricia, Michael, Cara and April—and for their years of loving support. It is only appropriate that I also take this opportunity to thank my father for his help on this project and the countless other lesser ones throughout the years; although he was my first editor he undoubtedly remains my best. A special thanks is also due to April; while her knowledge of St. Louis and the German language alone have proven her to be a more than capable research assistant, it is her continuing love and companionship for which I am truly appreciative. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE……………….……………………………………………………………….ii LIST OF MAPS………………………………………………………………………..viii Chapter INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………….1 I. OLD ST. LOUIS—PRIOR TO GERMAN IMMIGRATION…………………….10 II. THE RISE OF ST. LOUIS: GERMAN IMMIGRATION……………………….13 III. THE POST-CIVIL WAR PERIOD: AN ERA OF OPTIMISM……………….33 IV. 1880 CENSUS: CHICAGO SURPASSES ST. LOUIS………………………….60 V. TURN OF THE CENTURY ST. LOUIS………………………………………….89 VI. 1914: WATERSHED YEAR……………………………………………………..112 VII.