Early Kalamazoo Breweries (1915-1933)
“The Brew from Kalamazoo”
1830s—1840s | 1850s | 1860s—1880s | 1890s—1915 | 1915—1933
Prohibition Years: “Wildcat” Brewers
When Kalamazoo’s local option went into effect in 1915, the police made it known that they intended to “close down hard on every ‘club’ operating after May 1,” and that “bootleggers” would “receive drastic punishment if caught” (Gazette). The first such offender to face charges was Thomas Westmoreland, who was arrested in July 1915 for selling liquor on Portage Street. He and others were believed to have been manufacturing a mixture of alcohol, water, and coloring, which was then sold as “whiskey.” A subsequent raid on a “blind pig” (aka a blind tiger or speakeasy) in a second-floor room above North Rose Street found “a large quantity of whiskey, beer and other intoxicants” (Gazette). Hattie Evans, who was operating a “blind pig” in the basement of her home on North Pitcher Street, was the first woman to be arrested in Kalamazoo County for violation of the local option.
Grand Rapids area interurban ticket and freight office, c.1915. Grand Rapids Public Museum
“Booze Special”
Prohibition made it unlawful to manufacture, sell, or otherwise distribute alcoholic beverages, but that didn’t necessarily mean it was illegal to consume. Once the electric interurban railroad lines were established in and out of Kalamazoo, travel between communities like Battle Creek and Grand Rapids became much easier. This also made for interesting trade routes during the times of local options, when certain areas remained “wet” while their neighboring communities went “dry.”
By 1910, 37 Michigan counties had gone completely dry under local option laws, including neighboring Calhoun County. But thanks to the newly opened interurban railroad line between Battle Creek and Kalamazoo, “a lively interurban trade” (American Brewers’ Review) went on between the two cities. Riders from Battle Creek could easily catch a car to Kalamazoo, drink their fill, and then return home without breaking any laws, so long as they returned home empty handed.
“With this announcement all hopes, that have been entertained by many, for a ‘booze special’ over the Kalamazoo-Grand Rapids interurban line, are shattered for officials of the Michigan Railway Engineering company announce that this line will also observe the law to the letter.”
—Kalamazoo Gazette, 1 May 1915
A similar scheme went on for a brief time between May 1915 when Kalamazoo went “dry” and November 1916 when most of Kent County followed suit. During that eighteen-month period, Kalamazooans who wished to imbibe could simply take the interurban to Grand Rapids where strong drink was still legal, although they were warned that “intoxicated persons found aboard any train [would] be subject to arrest” (Gazette). This also applied to those who attempted to return with packaged liquor, as Kalamazoo police were instructed “to maintain a close watch for ‘wet goods’ coming into the city” (Gazette). After a string of alcohol-related arrests, certain “arrangements” were supposedly made with the conductor to slow the train down when it reached Kalamazoo’s north side, so those who desired could jump off with their “goods” before entering the city.
“The Kalamazoo police were forever on the lookout for people who would board the interurban in Kalamazoo with large, very light, suitcases and return later that night with large, very heavy, suitcases.
Kalamazoo residents who remember say that heavy suitcase-carriers usually made friends with the motormen on the interurban. He’d slow way down as the cars squealed around the curve at Gull Road near North and Harrison so the carrier and his suitcases could hop off into the night.”
—Kalamazoo Gazette, 28 December 1969
Spot where passengers could exit the incoming interurban car. Kalamazoo Plat Map, 1928. Local History Room | Library of Congress
“Malt Extract and Hops”
Over time fresh beer became increasingly more difficult to come by. Rather than risk detection by buying and transporting bottled beer, some simply went back to the old ways of brewing their own …without telling anyone, of course.
“Sign in a West Main street window ‘This place will open with a full line of brewery supplies on or about August 6th. Malt, hops, crowners and cappers. Phone us. We deliver.’ What is your best guess as to what it is all about?”
—Kalamazoo Gazette, 4 August 1919
As Prohibition expanded, a cottage industry soon developed around the manufacture and sale of malt syrup or extract. While marketed above board as a tonic for use by bakers, candy makers, and soda fountains, enterprising individuals immediately recognized the stuff as a basic ingredient for beer making. Some companies advertised openly using familiar beer names like “Budweiser,” “Stroh’s,” and “Blatz,” while others were a bit more covert, opting for “proper” sounding names like “Puritan” and “Pilser.”
Malt extract and hops were sold individually at first, but they were later blended into a malt flavored syrup “with the hops and sugar right in it.” (Gazette). When combined with warm water and given time to “age,” a 16-ounce can of malt extract could yield a gallon or so of suitable home brew. By 1929 the Bureau of Prohibition estimated that Americans were brewing up to 700 million gallons of homemade beer each year.
Location of Mastak & Burr, 104 Eleanor St., c.1920. Sanborn Map Company, 1932. Library of Congress
Mastak & Burr
Kalamazoo Gazette, 22 August 1920
In early 1919, a machinist for the Fuller & Sons Manufacturing Company named Joseph Mastak and cigar maker Frederick Burr went into business near the corner of Burdick and Eleanor streets selling extracts of malt and hops. Their ads emphasized just how easy and inexpensive it was to make soft drinks, but their list of product offerings made it clear what their “real” products were. Quarts of malt extract sold for $1.00 and packages of fresh hops were 34¢ each. A $10 bill would buy a dozen quarts of extract and enough hops to go with them.
Burr & Burr
In September 1920 Mastak and Burr parted ways. Mastak sold his interest in the firm to Harry P. Burr and moved to Portage Street where he opened a similar business as Mastak & Heiney. That operation only lasted a short time, but Frederick and Harry Burr continued as partners on Eleanor Street until the mid-1920s, branding their business as “The Old Reliable Malt House.”
Burr & Burr advertised the “Best Grade Malt” and the “Purest 1920 Hops,” but they also carried a complete line of brewing equipment; bottle capping machines, rubber stoppers, empty barrels, bottles, caps… seemingly everything a home brewer might need. By 1926, Frederick Burr had become a sole proprietor and continued as a malt extract dealer until the repeal of Prohibition in 1933.
“It has been suggested that in the near future some time that certain well known people get together and lay a wreath at the foot of the former brewery in Lake Street.”
—Kalamazoo Gazette, 4 August 1926
“Wildcat” Brewers
Most home brewers followed the rules and made just enough for personal use, while others saw an opportunity and decided to push the limits. But large-scale beer brewing was a risky proposition; it required the right equipment, large quantities of ingredients, adequate transportation, and room to work where the producers wouldn’t be seen. When combined with the pervasive smell of brewer’s yeast, illicit brewing operations known as “wildcat” breweries became prime targets for detection. So, did anyone in Kalamazoo attempt large-scale commercial “home” brewing? Yes, of course. Did anyone get caught? Absolutely.
Christian VanLoo
During the summer of 1920, an enterprising Dutchman named Christian VanLoo was working for the King Paper Company when he began brewing and bottling beer at his home on Lake Street. According to VanLoo, several other individuals from Kalamazoo supplied him with the raw materials, which he then brewed in exchange for a portion of the final product. Each batch of VanLoo’s brew took approximately three weeks to complete and was then bottled and sold in quarts for $10 a case, or in pint bottles for $5 per case.
Chris VanLoo was evidently well skilled at his craft. “In fact,” reported the Kalamazoo Gazette, “so good was the beverage considered that VanLoo is alleged to have enjoyed a lucrative patronage and disposed of many cases.” Acting on a tip, officers raided VanLoo’s home on August 12th and found more than 100 bottles of “very good beer,” along with quantities of malt, hops, yeast, sugar, cooling vats, bottles, and other “evidence that a flourishing business had been done.” VanLoo was fined $200 for violating the liquor laws and set free. “I don’t think you’ll have any trouble with me again,” he told the judge (Gazette).
“The ax was applied to the beer vats and beer gushed in streams over the basement floor. All the 10-gallon containers were brought to the county building for storage. The contents will be dumped and the containers destroyed.”
—Kalamazoo Gazette, 21 June 1931
Harold Curry & Paul Butler
Kalamazoo Gazette, 21 June 1931
Numerous raids were conducted on bootlegging operations and “blind tigers” in and around Kalamazoo during the years that followed, but most paled in comparison to a large illicit brewing operation that was uncovered in June 1931. Responding to a tip, officers conducted a Saturday morning raid at the home of Harold Curry on the corner of Barnard Street and Springmont Avenue in the Oakwood Neighborhood, where they discovered a large-scale brewing operation, including some 2,000 gallons of beer and $6,000 worth of brewing equipment (nearly $130,000 in today’s dollars).
Curry and his partner Paul Butler were arrested as they were leaving the house with a truckload of 16 ten-gallon pressurized beer containers. (Trucks disguised as gasoline tankers were also said to have been used.) A secret entrance to the basement under the front porch steps revealed “a complete and high grade brewing outfit… one of the most complete and elaborate outfits ever confiscated here” (Gazette). A tunnel under the street connected to a house next door to further disguise their operation.
During the raid, the four investigating officers discovered an ice-filled cooler with six 500-gallon wood and copper vats, along with 71 ten-gallon pressurized containers, 31 five-gallon cans of liquid malt, ten gallons of alcohol, and a package of filter paper, plus other assorted pumps, filters, and equipment. According to the Kalamazoo Gazette, “The ax was applied to the beer vats and beer gushed in streams over the basement floor.” One longtime neighborhood resident recalled seeing beer “flowing like a river” down the street during the raid. There was also talk of a similar brewing operation on nearby Adams Street.
The two men were turned over to federal officials in Grand Rapids. According to the sheriff, Curry had “been doing a big business” (Gazette). Butler was questioned and released. Curry was sentenced to 15 months in the Chillicothe, Ohio penitentiary. Urban legend tied their operation to Al Capone’s syndicate. While certainly plausible, a connection to Capone has yet to be proven.
“(Capone) coordinated the importation of alcohol from different locations, including other states and even Canada, as well as the operation of hundreds of breweries and distilleries, many of which resided in Chicago. Capone also devised a system to distribute his alcohol, which involved delivery truck drivers, salespeople, speakeasies (equivalent to a bar), and of course heavily-armed bodyguards to protect these investments.”
—Taylor Hales and Nikolas Kazmers, 2004
Cullen-Harrison Act
After years of widespread corruption and an overburdened legal system, the Cullen-Harrison Act of March 1933 authorized the sale of “3.2” (low alcohol) beer, which allowed the first legal beer sales in the United States since the beginning of Prohibition. The Twenty-first Amendment, ratified later the same year, brought an end to federal prohibition, although certain forms of local prohibition lasted much longer. While the sale of beer in its various forms was legalized, the sale of liquor by-the-glass was banned in Kalamazoo until 1964. Sunday afternoon by-the-glass sales were prohibited until 1970, and in 2010, a change in state law finally allowed alcohol to be sold on Sunday mornings.
Kalamazoo Gazette, 7 April 1933, page 1. Local History Room
Some 70 years would pass between the closing of the old Kalamazoo Brewing Company and the time when a new “Brew from Kalamazoo” would bring one of the local community’s earliest industries back to life. Much has changed since local brewers like Barney Locher, Nicholas Baumann, Dorothy Burchnall, and George Neumaier walked the streets of Kalamazoo, but thanks to careful craftsmanship and a few basic ingredients like water, malt, hops, and yeast, things somehow remain the same. Cheers!
Written by Keith Howard, Kalamazoo Public Library Staff, 2011. Additional revisions and corrections, March 2024.
Continuing Research
Like many of our Local History essays, this article is by no means a definitive study; rather it is a continuing work-in-progress. If you have new information, corrections, photos, or items you’d like to share, please contact the author or the Local History Room.
An adaptation of this article appeared in the Autumn 2015 issue (Number 163, ISSN 0267 6753, pp. 66-75) of Brewery History, Journal of the Brewery History Society (Surrey, Great Britain). www.breweryhistory.com
Sources
Books
Johnston’s Detroit city directory and advertising gazetteer of Michigan
Detroit, MI : James Dale Johnston & Co., 1861, page 226 (C.W. Minard)
Harvard University Library
Compendium of History and Biography of Kalamazoo County, Michigan
Chicago, IL : A.W. Bowen & Co., 1906, page 268 (George Neumaier)
H 977.417 F53 (CEN)
Labadie’s souvenir of picturesque Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo, MI : E.E. Labadie; printed by Kalamazoo Publishing Company, 1909, page 99
H 977.418 P62 1909 (CEN)
Kalamazoo, the place behind the products : an illustrated history
Larry B. Massie
Woodland Hills, CA : Windsor Publications, 1981
H 977.418 M417 (CEN)
977.418 M417 (CEN, OSH)
Kalamazoo, the place behind the products : an illustrated history
Larry B. Massie
Sun Valley, Calif. : American Historical Press, 1998, (revised edition)
H 977.418 M417A (CEN)
977.418 M417A (CEN, OSH)
Last call : the rise and fall of Prohibition
Daniel Okrent
New York : Scribner, c2010
363.41 O418 (CEN)
Yes, there were Germans in Kalamazoo : a short study of the German element and its influence in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, 1830-1978
Elizabeth M. Mayer
Kalamazoo, MI : Kalamazoo County Historical Society, 1979
H 325.243 M468 (CEN)
Articles
“Improvements in Kalamazoo”
Kalamazoo Gazette, 15 April 1837, page 2
“Summer beer”
Kalamazoo Gazette, 5 May 1838, page 1
“…improvements now going forward…”
Kalamazoo Gazette, 4 December 1846, page 2
“To make beer”
Kalamazoo Gazette, 13 August 1847, page 2
“Brewery for sale”
Kalamazoo Gazette, 2 April 1852, page 2
“Kalamazoo, its business”
Kalamazoo Gazette, 17 October 1856, page 2
“Peter Herboldsheimer…”
Kalamazoo Telegraph, 9 March 1859, page 3, column 2
“Syke & Foegele”
Kalamazoo Gazette, 29 March 1861, page 3, column 5
“Fire.”
Kalamazoo Telegraph, 16 October 1867, page 4
“Ale, lager beer, and porter”
Kalamazoo Telegraph, 21 May 1869, page 4
“List of liquor dealers who have taken out the liquor tax license”
Kalamazoo Gazette, 11 June 1875, page 3
“Centennialities: the brewers…”
Kalamazoo Daily Telegraph, 2 March 1876, page 2, column 2
“Report of tax collected on the business of selling and manufacturing liquors in Kalamazoo County for the year ending December 25, 1877”
Kalamazoo Gazette, 1 January 1878, page 4
“Kalamazoo. A general review of the business and commercial interests of the ‘Big Village.’”
Kalamazoo Gazette, 4 July 1878, page 3
“Mortgage sale”
Kalamazoo Gazette, 30 September 1879, page 4
“A scarcity of water. Old brewery building totally destroyed by fire”
Kalamazoo Gazette, 13 June 1886, page 2
“Local gleanings”
Kalamazoo Gazette, 17 July 1890, page 5
“He was a true patriot”
Kalamazoo Telegraph, 24 September 1891, page 6, column 2
“On draught Saturday”
Kalamazoo Gazette, 18 January 1895, page 1
“Where beer is made”
Kalamazoo Gazette, 26 April 1899, page 6
“$30,000 in improvements”
Kalamazoo Gazette, 28 October 1900, page 8
“City Union Brewery”
Kalamazoo Gazette, 14 February 1904, page 10
“Irish pioneer is ninety today”
Kalamazoo Gazette, 3 June 1905, page 8, column 2
“Brewing company directors”
Kalamazoo Gazette, 16 January 1907, page 9
“Call for the brew from Kalamazoo”
Kalamazoo Gazette, 2 August 1907, page 5, column 5
“High approval given Kalamazoo Brewing Co.”
Kalamazoo Gazette. 20 August 1911, page 6
“Home made beer, its advantages”
Kalamazoo Gazette, 19 June 1912, page 24
“Kalamazoo County goes dry with majority of 890”
Kalamazoo Gazette, 6 April 1915, page 1
“Your last chance”
Kalamazoo Gazette, 25 April 1915, page 11, column 4
“Booze specials into this city tabooed”
Kalamazoo Gazette, 1 May 1915, page 1, column 8
“County bars close their doors, Friday”
Kalamazoo Gazette, 1 May 1915, page 9
“Kazoo Brewing property sold”
Kalamazoo Gazette, 3 May 1917, page 1
“Brewing company is now dissolved”
Kalamazoo Gazette, 5 September 1917, page 7, column 4
“Creamery buys brewery plant”
Kalamazoo Gazette, 25 February 1919, page 5
“Kazoo in olden days had five breweries…”
Kalamazoo Gazette, 30 May 1920, page 7
“Kalamazoo had four breweries in operation half century ago”
Kalamazoo Gazette, 19 April 1933, page 23
“One-time brewery tumbles”
Kalamazoo Gazette, 4 November 1968, page 21, column 3
“The impact of organized crime in the city of Chicago”
Taylor Hales and Nikolas Kazmers, English 217 Student Projects
University of Michigan, 2004
“Michigan’s beer boom: for craft brewers, the glass isn’t just half-full, it’s overflowing”
Kalamazoo Gazette, 20 February 2011, page 1
“Former Kalamazoo Creamery building on Portage Street to be demolished as officials look to redevelopment possibilities”
Kalamazoo Gazette, 4 May 2011 [MLive online]
“Former Kalamazoo Creamery Co. building being razed with plans for property redevelopment in the future”
Kalamazoo Gazette, 15 November 2011 [MLive online]
Databases
Ancestry Library (In Library Only)
New York, Passenger and Crew Lists (including Castle Garden and Ellis Island), 1820-1957
United States Federal Census (1850, 1860, 1870, 1880)
U.S. IRS Tax Assessment Lists, 1862-1918
Michigan Census, 1827-70
Census Records
Nicholas Bauman household, 1860 United States Federal Population Census [database on-line]
Census Place: Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan, page 108, dwelling 788, family 788
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
Nicholas Bauman household, 1880 United States Federal Population Census [database on-line]
Census Place: Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan, page 47, dwelling 498, family 498
57 Burdick Street
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
Joseph Burchnal household, 1860 United States Federal Population Census [database on-line]
Census Place: Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan, page 10, dwelling 148, family 139
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
Joseph Burchnal household, 1870 United States Federal Population Census [database on-line]
Census Place: Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan, page 19, dwelling 67, family 69
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
George Foegle household, 1860 United States Federal Population Census [database on-line]
Census Place: Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan, page 86, dwelling 634, family 634
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
George Foegle household, 1870 United States Federal Population Census [database on-line]
Census Place: Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan, page 35, dwelling 10, family 10
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
Benjamin Hall household, 1850 United States Federal Population Census [database on-line]
Census Place: Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan, page 16, dwelling 122, family 124
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
John Hall household, 1860 United States Federal Population Census [database on-line]
Census Place: Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan, page 132, dwelling 963, family 965
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
Jacob Harlan household, 1840 United States Federal Population Census [database on-line]
Census Place: Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan, page 5, Line 25
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
Jacob Harlan household, 1850 United States Federal Population Census [database on-line]
Census Place: Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan, page 48, dwelling 362, family 375
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
Jacob Harlan household, 1860 United States Federal Population Census [database on-line]
Census Place: Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan, page 107, dwelling 783, family 783
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
Peter Harboldsheemer household, 1860 United States Federal Population Census [database on-line]
Census Place: Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan, page 28, dwelling 207, family 205
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
George Judge household, 1860 United States Federal Population Census [database on-line]
Census Place: Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan, page 111, dwelling 807, family 807
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
George Judge household, 1870 United States Federal Population Census [database on-line]
Census Place: Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan, page 227, dwelling 1387, family 1349
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
George Judge household, 1880 United States Federal Population Census [database on-line]
Census Place: Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan, page 39, dwelling 492, family 492
Residence: 132 North Burdick Street
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
C.W. Minard household, 1860 United States Federal Population Census [database on-line]
Census Place: Census Place: Detroit Ward 9, Wayne, Michigan, page 36, dwelling 243, family 260
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
George Neumaier household (w/ Alfred Neumaier), 1880 United States Federal Population Census [database on-line]
Census Place: Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan, page 7, dwelling 60, family 60
Address: 6 Lake Street
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
Alfred Neumaier household, 1910 United States Federal Population Census [database on-line]
Census Place: Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan, page 13, dwelling 170, family 178
Address: 825 Lake Street
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
Alfred Neumaier household, 1920 United States Federal Population Census [database on-line]
Census Place: Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan, page 2, dwelling 12, family 12
Address: 825 Lake Street
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
Alfred Neumaier household, 1930 United States Federal Population Census [database on-line]
Census Place: Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan, page 22, dwelling 252, family 279
Address: 803 Lake Street
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
Jason Russell household, 1850 United States Federal Population Census [database on-line]
Census Place: Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan, page 16, dwelling 122, family 124
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
J Sessaman household, 1860 United States Federal Population Census [database on-line]
Census Place: Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan, page 23, dwelling 169, family 169
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
Joseph Slater household, 1870 United States Federal Population Census [database on-line]
Census Place: Brady, Kalamazoo, Michigan, page 11, dwelling 87, family 87
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
Joseph Slater household, 1880 United States Federal Population Census [database on-line]
Census Place: Brady, Kalamazoo, Michigan, page 2, dwelling 13, family 14
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
John Stern household, 1860 United States Federal Population Census [database on-line]
Census Place: Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan, page 86, dwelling 634, family 634
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
Sebastian Syke household, 1860 United States Federal Population Census [database on-line]
Census Place: Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan, page 72, dwelling 535, family 535
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
Sebastian Sykes household, 1880 United States Federal Population Census [database on-line]
Census Place: Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan, page 38, dwelling 395, family 395
Address: 1 Lovell Street
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
Leo Wagenman household, 1900 United States Federal Population Census [database on-line]
Census Place: Toledo Ward 1, Lucas, Ohio, page 27, dwelling 296, family 306
Address: 1825 Ontario Street
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
Peter Harpoldshimer, 1860 U.S., Selected Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, [database on-line]
Census Place: Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan, page: 1; line: 11; Schedule Type: Industry
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
Syke & Fogle, 1860 U.S., Selected Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, [database on-line]
Census Place: Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan, page: 1; line: 16; Schedule Type: Industry
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
Gustavus Sipaman (Sesemann), 1860 U.S., Selected Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, [database on-line]
Census Place: Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan, page: 1; line: 8; Schedule Type: Industry
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
James S. Holmes, 1860 U.S., Selected Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, [database on-line]
Census Place: Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan, page: 1; line: 20; Schedule Type: Industry
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
Nonpopulation Census for Michigan – Industry (1850, 1860)
Deeds and Land Records
Walnut Street Brewery (& related)
4/16/1851: Lorenz Brentano from Caleb Sweetland. Liber Q, page 439. Sec 28 (T3S, R11W) (see deed) $4,950
10/15/1857: Lorenz Brentano from Louis R. Davis. Liber 4, page 38. (T2S, R11W) Lot 4, ep(east part?) $1,100 Village lot numbered four (4) in Alexis Ransom’s Addition (East side of Burdick Street between Walnut and Cedar Streets)
8/11/1858: Lorenz Brentano to Matilda Haeflin. Liber 5, page 153. Sec 8 (T3S, R11W)
3/26/1859: Caroline Brentano from Matilda Haeflin. Liber 8, page 131. Sec 8 (T3S, R11W) NW ¼
10/15/1859: L. Brentano to Gustav A Brooks. Liber 8, page 716. Sec 8 (T3S, R11W) NW ¼
9/22/1862: Lorenz Brentano and Caroline Brentano to F.A. Jensch (Frederick Augustus Jensch). Liber 16, page 182. Sec 22 (T2S, R11W) Lot 240 den Bleyker Addition ($800 mortgage due to P. den Bleyker)
1/3/1865: Nicholas Baumann from Abraham Silas. Liber 19, page 406. Sec 22 (T2S, R11W) Lot 236 den Bleyker Addition
7/14/1866: B. Locher from F.A. Jensch. Liber 24, page 232. Sec 22 (T2S, R11W) Lot 240 den Bleyker Addition
2/24/1866: Lorenz Brentano to Lucia E. Lorenz. Liber 16, page 440. Sec 22 (T2S, R11W) Lot 4 Ranson’s Addition
7/9/1867: Bernhard Locher from Dorothy Bradley. Liber 25, page 375. Sec 22 (T2S, R11W) Lots 236, 237, 238, 239 den Bleyker Addition
3/26/1869: Caroline Brentano from Matilda Haeflin. Liber 12, page 379. Sec 8 (T3S, R11W) NW ¼
Winsted Street Brewery (& related)
6/10/1852: Nicholas Baumann from Abraham Letti. Liber 19, page 271
6/28/1856: Nicholas Baumann from Rice & Van De Walker. Liber 1, page 467. Sec 22 (T2S, R11W) Lots 8 & 9 (Rice & Van De Walker Addition)
7/16/1859: Nicholas Baumann to Gustav Sesemann. Liber 5, page 785. Sec 22 (T2S, R11W) Lot 7, 8, 9 (Rice & Van De Walker Addition)
1/26/1860: Nicholas Baumann from P. den Bleyker. Liber 18, page 359. Sec 22 (T2S, R11W) Lot 165 den Bleyker Addition
9/17/1860: G Sesemann to Phebe Hughes. Liber 11, page 366. Sec 22 (T2S, R11W) Lots 7 8 9 (Rice & Van De Walker Addition)
1/28/1866: Nicholas Baumann to B. Meadin. Liber 18, page 360. Sec 22 (T2S, R11W) Lot 165 (den Bleyker Addition)
7/10/1869: Nicholas Baumann from Merritt Goff. Liber 23, page 548. Sec 20 (T2S, R11W) Lot 205
11/8/1870: Phebe Hughes to Fredrich Sieferth. Liber 31, page 340. Sec 22 (T2S, R11W) Lot 9 and part of Lot 1 (Rice & Van De Walker Addition)
North Burdick Street Brewery (& related)
3/6/1841: H.H. Comstock to James F Cooper. Liber F, page 225. Sec 15 (T2S, R11W) Village lots (block 16)
11/16/1846: William H. Averill from J. Fennimore Cooper. Liber P, page 390. Sec 15 (T2S, R11W) Lot 1 Block 16
5/6/1848: James S. Holmes from Luther Trask. Liber Q, page 525. Sec 16 (T2S, R11W)
5/5/1852: John Dudgeon from William H. Averill. Liber S, page 189. Sec 15 (T2S, R11W) Lot 1 Block 16, Lot 5 Block 15
5/4/1853: Jacob Harlan from T.C. Sheldon. Liber Y, page 238. Sec 15 (T2S, R11W) Part of Lots 237, 235
5/23/1854: John Dudgeon to Cock & Thomas (Henry F. Cock and Alfred Thomas). Liber V, page 542. Sec 15 (T2S, R11W) Lot 1 Block 16 “ex yrd 4 rods front on Burdick St, south end of lot”
1/4/1855: James S. Holmes from Warren Barrell. Liber V, page 73. Sec 16 (T2S, R11W) part of lot 17
5/26/1856: Jacob Harlan to John Mentz. Liber 2, page 164. Sec 15 (T2S, R11W) E ½ of Lot 235
11/1/1856: Hall & Holmes from Rollin Wood. Liber 2, page 75. Sec 15 (T2S, R11W) part pf Lot 1 Block 16
3/20/1857: Jacob Harlan from Horace Moran. Liber 5, page 612. Sec 15 (T2S, R11W) part of lot 235
3/26/1857: Jacob Harlan to Horace Moser. Liber 2, page 468. Sec 15 (T2S, R11W) W ½ of Lot 237
8/24/1857: Jacob Harlan to Joseph Miller, Jr. Liber 3, page 395. Sec 15 (T2S, R11W) part of lot 235
5/20/1857: Jacob Harlan to Horace Moser. Liber 2, page 468. Sec 15 (T2S, R11W) west ½ of lot 237
8/24/1857: Jacob Harlan to Joseph Miller, Jr. Liber 3, page 395. Sec 15 (T2S, R11W) part of lot 235
2/15/1859: Jacob Harlan to Lawrence S Welty. Liber 5, page 692. Sec 15 (T2S, R11W) Part of lot 235
7/7/1859: Benjamin Hall to John W. Breese. Liber 5, page 753. Sec 15 (T2S, R11W) lot 263
7/12/1859: Benjamin Hall to John Hall. Liber 8, page 698. Sec 15 (T2S, R11W) Part of Lot 1 Block 16 & brewery
10/10/1859: John Hall to James S. Holmes. Liber 8, page 708. Sec 15 (T2S, R11W) (see deed)
Michigan Avenue Brewery (& related)
10/22/1844: Jason Russell from Anthony Cooley & wife. Liber J, page 74. Sec 15 (T2S, R11W) 1st W of Lot 1 (first lot west of Village Lot #1, south side of Water Street)
2/6/1845: Jason Russell from W.R. Watson. Liber M, page 137. (T2S, R11W) Lot 9 Block 21
4/19/1845: Jason Russell to Anthony Cooley. Liber J, page 223. (T2S, R11W) 4 x 8 rods
4/21/1845: Jason Russell from Anthony Cooley & wife. Liber J, page 224. Sec 15 (T2S, R11W) (see deed)
6/15/1846: John Hall from Lovett Eames. Liber K, page 443. Sec 21 (T2S, R11W) Agreement
9/7/1846: John Hall from J.G. Abbott. Liber K, page 592. Sec 21 (T2S, R11W) 1 acre
6/24/1847: John Hall from Sam Clark. Liber M, page 102. Sec 16 (T2S, R11W) Lot 7
7/3/1847: John Hall from Sam Clark Liber M, page 176 Sec 16 (T2S, R11W) Lot 7
7/10/1847: Jason Russell to Brown & Garrett. Liber M, page 138. (T2S, R11W) Lot 9 Block 21
6/5/1848: John Hall and others from Russell & Allard. Liber N, page 352. (Contract between John Hall & Andrew Taylor and Jason Russell & Rip Allard for water use rights)
4/14/1849: John Hall from Jason Russell. Liber ‘O’, page 194. (T2S, R11W) (see deed)
1/5/1849: Jason Russell to George W. Russell. Liber ‘O’, page 14. (T2S, R11W) (see deed)
4/14/1849: Jason Russell to John Hall. Liber ‘O’, page 194. (T2S, R11W) (see deed)
4/14/1849: John Hall to Caroline Russell. Liber ‘O’, page 250. Sec 21 (T2S, R11W) 1 acre
12/8/1849: John Hall from D.B. Webster. Liber N, page 482. Sec 16 (T2S, R11W) (see deed)
4/26/1851: Jason Russell to Ansel. K. Post. Liber S, page 458. (T2S, R11W)
4/26/1851: Jason Russell from Ansel K. Post. Liber Q, page 583. Sec 21, 28 (T2S, R12W)
4/26/1851: Ansel K. Post to Jason Russell. Liber Q, page 583. Sec 21, 28 (T2S, R12W)
1/2/1852: John Hall to Adeline Green. Liber S, page 179. (T2S, R11W) (see deed)
2/12/1852: Jason Russell to George Thomas Clark. Liber R, page 650. Sec 21, 28 (T2S, R12W) (see deed)
6/10/1852: Nicholas Baumann from Abraham Letti Liber 19, page 271 (see deed)
8/7/1852: Ansel K. Post to John Ell. Liber S, page 474.
4/4/1853: John Ell to George Thomas Clark. Liber V, page 741. Power of Attorney
10/22/1853: J.M. Johnson to Lovett Eames. Liber U, page 232. (see deed)
9/15/1857: George Foegele from Lawrence Welty. Liber 4, page 375. (T2S, R11W) part of Lot 193
12/16/1858: George Foegele to Lawrence Welty. Liber 5, page 214. (T2S, R11W) part of Lot 193
1/26/1960: Nicholas Baumann from P. den Bleyker. Liber, 18 page 359. Lot 165 den Bleyker Addition
9/29/1860: George Foegele to Latham Hull. Liber 24, page 286 (see deed)
4/2/1862: Nicholas Baumann from Bassett & Bates. Liber, 12 page 363. Sec 20 (T2S, R11W)
12/27/1862: Baumann & Foegele from J.G. Abbott. Liber, 14 page 433. Sec 21 (T2S, R11W) (see description)
12/27/1862: Foegele & Baumann from Silas Trowbridge. Liber, 15 page 260 (see deed)
3/21/1863: Baumann & Foegele from Silas Trowbridge. Liber 15, page 260. Sec 21 (T2S, R11W) (see description)
11/12/1866: George Foegele from Louisa V Bryant. Liber 27, page 30. NW ¼
Olmstead Road (Lake Street) Brewery
6/11/1853: Walter R. Watson to Levi S Hodge. Liber 7, page 594. Sec 22, 23 (T2S, R11W) (see deed)
6/17/1853: Levi S. Hodge to Waldron Van Den Brink. Liber T, page 684. Sec 22, 23 (T2S, R11W) (see deed)
10/23/1855: Isaac C. Birdzell to Lewis Reky. Liber Y, page 527 (536). Sec 22 (T2S, R11W) (see deed) $200
9/26/1856: Richard Taylor from W.H. Rice. Liber 18, page 199. Sec 30 (2, 10) W ½ of SW ¼
10/2/1865: Richard Taylor from Garrett Brooks. Liber 20, page 484. Sec 30 + 31 (2, 10) (see deed) 6 acres
10/11/1867: Lewis Reky & Wife (Ann Reky) to Richard Taylor. Liber 28, page 40. Sec 22 (T2S, R11W) (see deed) $800
7/14/1869: Elizabeth Taylor from John Thackwray. Liber 29, page 329. Sec 31, 30 (T2S, R11W) (see deed)
7/13/1869: Richard Taylor from John Thackwray. Liber 33, page 329. Sec 22 (T2S, R11W) (see deed)
7/14/1869: John Thackwray from Richard Taylor. Liber 29, page 325. Sec 31, 30 (T2S, R11W) (see deed)
7/28/1869: Reuben J. Taylor from Elizabeth & Richard Taylor. Liber 33, page 340. Sec 22, 23 (T2S, R11W) (see deed)
6/17/1878: George Neumaier from S.H. Malley. Liber 48, page 557. Sec 22, 23 (T2S, R11W) (see deed)
6/26/1886: George Neumaier from T.P. Sheldon. Liber 71, page 155. Sec 23 (T2S, R11W) 2 ¾ acres
11/5/1887: George Neumaier from Dewitt C. Reed. Liber 74, page 223. Sec 22 (T2S, R11W) (see deed)
Additionitional property of interest north of Lake Street
3/18/1844: Jacob Harlan from J. Burdick. Liber J, page 577. Sec 22 (T2S, R11W) 28 4/10 acres
7/8/1850: Jacob Harlan to Richard Gilbert. Liber Q, page 606. Sec 22 (T2S, R11W) 28 4/10 acres
4/6/1851: Richard Gilbert, Jr. to A.B. Mullinell. Liber R, page 207. Sec 22 (T2S, R11W) 28 4/10 acres
8/16/1851: A.B. Mullinell to Martin Healey Liber R, page 209. Sec 22 (T2S, R11W) 28 4/10 acres
3/8/1864: Martin Healey to Edmond Atkins. Liber 20, page 84. Sec 22, 23 (T2S, R11W) (see deed) 28 4/10 acres
Other Records
Nicholas Baumann, U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current [database on-line]
Death: Apr 1895, Burial: Mountain Home Cemetery, Sec 6, Lot 22, Grave 4
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
Lorenz Brentano, New York, Passenger and Crew Lists, 1820-1957 [database on-line]
Year: 1849; Arrival: New York, New York; Ship Name: Splendid
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
Joseph Burchnell [sic], U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current [database on-line]
Death: 20 Apr 1873, Burial: Riverside Cemetery, Section E
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
Dorothy Nichols Burchnell [sic], U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current [database on-line]
Death: Apr 1892, Burial: Riverside Cemetery, Section E
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
Benjamin Hall, U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current [database on-line]
Death: 12 Feb 1859, Burial: Mountain Home Cemetery, Sec I, Lot 416, Grave 6
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
John Hall, U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current [database on-line].
Death: 14 Mar 1866, Burial: Mountain Home Cemetery, Sec I, Lot 416, Grave 12
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
George Judd [sic], New York, Passenger and Crew Lists, 1820-1957 [database on-line]
Year: 1850; Arrival: New York, New York; Ship Name: Ocean Queen
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
George Judge, U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current [database on-line]
Death: 7 Apr 1893, Burial: Riverside Cemetery
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
Leo Kinast, New York, State and Federal Naturalization Records, 1794-1943 [database on-line]
Declaration Date: 22 Oct 1868
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
Leo Kinast, New York, Passenger and Crew Lists, 1820-1957 [database on-line]
Year: 1866; Arrival: New York, New York; Ship Name: Floride
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
Alfred Neumaier, U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current [database on-line]
Death: 26 January 1937, Burial: Riverside Cemetery
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
George Neumaier, U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current [database on-line]
Death: 10 Aug 1907, Burial: Riverside Catholic Cemetery
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
George Neumaier, New York, Passenger and Crew Lists, 1820-1957 [database on-line]
Year: 1866; Arrival: New York, New York; Ship Name: Floride
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
Gustav Sesemann, New York, Passenger and Crew Lists, 1820-1957 [database on-line]
Year: 1853; Arrival: New York, New York; Ship Name: Hermann Chevdorg
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
Gustav Sesemann, New York, Emigrant Savings Bank Records, 1850-1883 [database on-line]
Transaction Date: 4 Oct 1862; Emigrant Savings Bank Transfer, Signature, and Test Book.
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
Joseph Slater, U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current [database on-line]
Death: 18 Sep 1885, Burial: McKain Cemetery, Pavilion, Kalamazoo County, Michigan
Online database, Ancestry Library (in library only)
Maps
Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Co., Mich., 1853
Surveyed & Published by Henry Hart, New York, 1853
Lithography: Sarony & Major, New York
Local History Room
Map of Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Co., Mich., 1858
C.F. Miller, New York : McKenzie & Simmons, 1858
Local History Room
Map of Kalamazoo Co., Michigan, 1861
Published by Geil & Harley, et al, Philadelphia, 1861
Library of Congress
Kalamazoo, Michigan, bird’s-eye-view lithograph, 1867-1868
Charles Shober & Co.
Publisher: Chicago Lithographing Co., Chicago, Illinois
Courtesy, Kalamazoo Valley Museum
Atlas of Kalamazoo County, Michigan, 1873. From recent and actual surveys and records
Published by F. W. Beers & Co., New York, 1873
Local History Room
Kalamazoo, Michigan, 1874
A. Ruger, J.J. Stoner, Charles Shober & Co., 1874
Publisher: J. J. Stoner, Madison, Wis.,
Chicago Lithographing Co.
Library of Congress / Local History Room
Bird’s eye view of Kalamazoo, Mich., 1883
Henry Wellge, A.F. Poole, J.J. Stoner, Beck & Pauli, 1883
Publisher: J.J. Stoner, Madison, Wis.
Library of Congress / Local History Room
Sanborn fire insurance map from Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, Michigan, 1887
Sanborn Map Company, Jul 1887
Library of Congress
Illustrated atlas, Kalamazoo County, Michigan, 1890
Published by WM. C. Sauer, C.E., 1890
Local History Room
Sanborn fire insurance map from Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, Michigan, 1891
Sanborn Map Company, Oct 1891
Library of Congress
Sanborn fire insurance map from Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, Michigan, 1896
Sanborn Map Company, Sep 1896
Library of Congress
Sanborn fire insurance map from Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, Michigan, 1902
Sanborn Map Company, Apr 1902
Library of Congress
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, Michigan, 1908
Sanborn Map Company, 1908
Library of Congress
Illustrated atlas, Kalamazoo County, Michigan, 1910
Published by Geo. A. Ogle & Co., 1910
Local History Room
Videos
The Michigan beer film
Kalamazoo, MI : Rhino Media, [2014]
H DVD 338.47663 M6242 (CEN)
Websites
Kalamazoo Craft Beverage Week
An annual weeklong series of events that support the local craft beverage experience through special tastings, dinners, and interactive events.
West Michigan Beer Tours
Celebrating and promoting the world class breweries through unique public and private tours.
Commercial Breweries currently operating in Kalamazoo:
Bell’s Brewery A regional craft brewery that employs over 100 people over an 18 state area.
Brite Eyes Brewing Co. Established in 2013 at 1156 South Burdick.
Brewery Outré Opened April 2022 at 567 E Ransom St.
Latitude 42 Brewing Company Established in 2013 at 7842 Portage Road.
One Well Brewing Established in 2014 at 4213 Portage St.
Presidential Brewing Co. Established in 2018 at 8302 Portage Road.
Saugatuck Brewing Co. Kalamazoo location opened in 2023 at 200 E. Michigan.
Texas Corners Brewing Co. Opened in 2015 at 6970 Texas Drive.
Wax Wings Brewing Co. Established in 2018 at 3480 Gull Road.
Local History Room Files
Michigan File: Michigan – Breweries
Subject File: Breweries
Subject File: Bell’s Brewery Inc.
Subject File: Buildings – Kalamazoo – Lake, 706
Subject File: Kraftbrau Brewery
Acknowledgments
Special thanks to Mary Hodges of Kalamazoo, Joseph and Dorothy Burchnall’s great-great-great-granddaughter, who alerted us to the photos of the Burchnalls in the KVM collection.
Thanks, also, to Kalamazoo Valley Museum for providing newly scanned photos.
Special thanks to the late Judy Kirk of Kalamazoo, John Bommerscheim’s great-great-great-granddaughter, who brought new information to light about George Judge and his son-in-law, John Bommerscheim.
Comments
“Your essay on the Kalamazoo breweries was very informative. My ancestors left Rochester, NY in 1856 or so and settled in Kalamazoo. My 3x Great Grandfather was Benedict Labigan(G), he was related through marriage to George Foegele, Matthew Grabenstetter, George Nagel. All of whom settled with him and his family in Kalamazoo. I believe they were all connected through Sebastian Sykes (Zeug) and his brewery. The various family members were cooper and involved in the lumber business. They also knew each other in Rochester. I have traced them together through church records on www.rcip.info (the Rochester Churches Indexing Project). My Grand Father (Labigan) was married to a Nagel, whose mother was a Foegele (Voegel). I always wondered what drew them to Kalamazoo. Again, thank you very much for the research you have made available online.”
—William Labigan, California, May 2016