THE BEGINNINGS
- Of Bavarian Brewery
THE BEGINNINGS
- Of Bavarian Brewery
ADS - From Newspapers
4. The Early 1900s:
THE LATER RIEDLIN YEARS (1900 - 1918)
By 1900 the population growth in Cincinnati was still increasing, but not as significantly as in other cities. As a result, its population was no longer ranked within the top 10 largest cities in the U.S., as it had been for several previous decades. The population of Covington was also growing, but also not at the same pace as previously. Nevertheless, both areas still maintained significant population gains in the beginning of the 20th century. At the same time the U.S. was experiencing population growth, the industrial revolution was also transforming America in the 1800s and early 1900s. Electricity, the telephone and the combustion engine began having profound impacts upon America and other countries in the late 1800s. Even though automobiles were being built in the mid-1890s, it wasn't until 1908 that Henry Ford utilized assembly lines and introduced the Model-T until 1908. This not only had a strong stimulating effect to the U.S. economy, but it caused a transformation allowing people to more easily travel and reside outside of major cities. These changes influenced many industries. Some companies, like the Bavarian Brewing Co., took advantage of them.
THE BREWERY CONTINUES TO EXPAND
In the 1880s and 1890s the brewery expanded with new buildings on its narrow site. However, it began to exceed the capacities of these structures by the beginning in the 20th Century. Consequently, in early 1903, a newspaper article entitled "BIG" indicated that the brewery announced plans to make it one of the largest and finest in the country. Buildings were designed to consist of a new bottling house 45 x 151 feet, a two-story stable 46 x 188 feet, and a stock house. The stables were constructed first, and the stock house thereafter. In conjunction with this construction, the brewery would also need structures that would support the power needed to operate a larger brewery, such as a new Engine Room, a Boiler House and a Tall stack. These support facilities would precede such other buildings that were contemplated, including a new ice house, a new bottling house and an executive office building. Therefore, a building program was conceived around 1900 that would take place in the coming decade, as discussed below.
PROPERTY ACQUISITIONS (Early 1900s)
However, a daunting challenge the brewery faced while anticipating this future development is that it was subject to land constraints. It was becoming landlocked in the middle of a block that included a combination of business and residential uses. The brewer needed to acquire some adjoining properties for the new structures it planned to build. Even though discussions probably began in previous years, Bavarian officially did not acquire L.H. Deglow Tannery off of Pike Street, known as the "Tan Yard" property, until 1904. It was acquired from the Louis and Julius Deglow family, and from George Lubrecht in another transaction that same year. Additional acquisitions occurred in 1906 and 1908 with purchases from Blanch and Carl Wiel, as well as Monika and Anton Ruh, respectively. These acquisitions ultimately allowed the brewery to extend its site from what is shown on the accompanying 1894 Sanborn Insurance Map to what is shown on the 1909 map below.
BAVARIAN WORKERS AS THE 1900s BEGIN
The Bavarian Brewing Co. was positing itself for significant growth when this picture of workers below was taken on December 19, 1902. With regards to some of the items in the photo, the sign in the center of the photo was made by the Cincinnati Sandblast Co. It was also used in other photos on this website of the Bavarian Rathskeller and Tap Room. "The Stein," as it was sometimes referred to, was made by Mettlach in Germany and was also known as the "Germania Stein." The noted items are enlarged and shown on the right. Additionally, the barrel with the star indicates Bavarian Beer was made according to the German Purity Law, known as Reinheitsgebot.
1902. William Riedlin Sr. is standing second from the right and the brew master, Anton Ruh is to his right. William Riedlin Jr. is seated third from the right.
Stein & Sign c. 1900. Only a monochrome picture of the sign was available. However, it had bright colors on reverse glass with glue chip lettering in a zinc frame. The "Germania Stein" includes shields of various German states around the bottom. Click either image for more information and also see the Tap Room section for more steins.
BUILDING CONSTRUCTION
The Bavarian Brewing Co. began a continuous building program between 1902 and 1913 consisting of nearly a dozen structures. Some of the construction required the razing of a couple buildings, such as the original Bottling Department and the original brewery building. The new structures were much more functional and allowed the capacity of the brewery to be increased. Even though some buildings were separate from one another, such as the ice houses and the Bottling Department, most were connected. For example, the Stock House, its Addition, the Wash House, and the new Brew and Mill Houses were all connected together with interior access. However, they were also separately identified. Further, the new Office Building adjoined the original Mill and Brew Houses. Another group of connected buildings included the Engine Room and Boiler House. A listing of these buildings in chronological order is presented on the accompanying table.
A lithograph c. 1912 and site map dated 1909 below both correspond to the chronological numbers on the side. Each building is briefly discussed in the following. Most are accompanied by photographs obtained from the Kenton County Library and the Schott Collection at the Behringer-Crawford Museum.
A diligent effort was made to address each structure built in the early 1900s. However, due to the gaps in historical evidence it is possible a couple have been omitted. If anyone has any information about any omissions, or believes we need to modify or add any descriptions, please contact us.
Building Summary (1902-13)
1. Water Cooler & Ice Plant (1902)
2. Stables (1903)
3. Stock House - with Racking Room & Wash House (1903-5)
4. Tall Stack (1906)
5. Boiler House (1906)
6. Engine Room (1907)
7. Bottling Department (1908)
8. Ice Plant (c. 1908)
9. Executive Office Building (1910)
10. Brew & Mill Houses (1912)
11. Stock House Addition (1913)
THE BREWERY COMPLEX BEFORE PROHIBITION
The initial structure for the Bavarian Brewery was located at 369 Pike Street. As it grew, the facilities were rebuilt to the south and to the north side of 12th Street, and also expanded to the west and the east. This growth occurred during a period of substantial industrial evolution. In the more recent lithograph below (dated c. 1912), the building numbers correspond to those presented in the side bar above and with the descriptions below. Those buildings that are shown in red were removed; those shown in blue remained, although they were repurposed for non-brewery uses.
Lithograph. The image below dates from c. 1912. The letters on it correspond to buildings described in the previous section, Early Riedlin Years. The numbers that correspond to the building descriptions below. Those number in red were demolished, but those in blue were repurposed and still exist. The lithographs above were prepared by the Cincinnati Lithograph Co. and were used on Bavarian Brewing Co. stationery. They were obtained from the Schott Collection at the Behringer-Crawford Museum. (See Stationery.) These lithographs were enlarged into a large wall exhibit now located on the second floor of the Kenton Co. Gov't Center. See Lithographs.
1909 Sanborn Map. This map above represents a site plan of the Bavarian Brewery around 1909 and provides another perspective of the brewery complex. Please note, the orientation of this site plan is from the opposite direction as the lithograph. (The lithograph is view to the south with W. Pike St. in the bottom, the top of the map faces north.) The numbers on the map correspond to the sidebar above, those numbers shown on lithograph on the left above and the descriptions below. The letters shown on both the lithograph and map are for those buildings constructed a decade or two earlier, as mentioned in 3. Early Riedlin Years. Additionally, please note that the 1909 map does not reflect the outlines of some of the buildings constructed around 1909 and afterwards such as the Brew & Mill Houses (10) and the Stock House Addition (11).
In analyzing the above diagrams, please note the Original Brewery Plant (A) was replaced with an Ofiice Building (9) and the Bottling Plant (E) was razed and replaced with a new one (7). Several additional buildings were constructed while some of the other structures were used for other purposes. For example, in the lithograph the earlier Ice Plant F is not properly displayed; and the Engine & Boiler Houses (5 & 6) have too many stories and are not accurate. The river shown is actually situated in the opposite direction, and a train on the far right in the lithograph would probably not have been visible from the view shown. For more details, please click on any of the images.
INDIVIDUAL BUILDING DESCRIPTIONS & IMAGES
Each of the buildings identified in the c. 1912 lithograph and in the 1909 Sanborn Map above are briefly described below.
1. Water Cooler & Ice Plant (1902)
The water cooler was a large structure built around 1902. It was situated just south of the Brew House. It helped produce up to 200 tons of ice daily and was powered by 90hp and 60hp engines. A photo of the tower is shown on the far left of the photo on the side. It was taken in 1911 while the Brew and Mill Houses, on the right, were being built. It is also shown in the site plan below, directly to the left of the Stock House.
2. Stables (1903)
Automated vehicles were in their infancy at the turn of the 20th century, and deliveries of beer and ice were still largely dependent upon horse-drawn wagons through the first decade of the 20th Century. The uses of horse deliveries didn't suddenly disappear, but gradually declined. To accommodate the need for more delivery horses as the brewery was expanding, a new two stable was built measuring 46 x 188 feet. It was believed to be made primarily of wood, but no photos or additional information of this structure have been obtained. It is believed to have been located as shown on the diagram below.
3. The Stock House (1903-5)
With Racking Room & Wash House
This structure was four stories tall, measured approximately 175 x 124 feet and cost a total of $150,000. It had a storage capacity of 20,000 barrels, grain storage on the upper floor, a main floor including the Racking Room (to fill barrels with beer) and some storage rooms. It also adjoined a one-story Wash House, which was next to the Pitch Shed. The date on this building appears to indicate 1903. But it appears it wasn't opened until a couple years later. The grand opening of this Stock House was in January 1906 with hundreds invited to an afternoon and evening banquet. It was made of fireproof construction materials, consisting of steel, masonry and brick. The Stock House had thick walls—from 17 to 25 inches in width—with 8-inch cork insulation. A diagram of this structure is provided and photos during its construction are below. This building was demolished in 2017.
4. The Main (Tall) Stack (1906)
The brewery had a Boiler House that was coal-fired and that provided steam heat. In order to prevent airborne particles from affecting the immediate neighborhood, a tall reinforced concrete stack was built. This Tall or Main Stack measured 9 feet in diameter and 153 feet in height. It was constructed by the Weber Steel and Concrete Stack Co. under the supervision of the brewery plant engineer at that time, Whitey Brackman. The location of the Main/Tall Stack is depicted on the diagram shown for the Stock House above, and is identified on the photo on the side.
5. The Boiler House (1906)
The brewery contained an earlier Boiler House with twin stacks in the center of the first photo below (D); it was replaced by a new Boiler House shown on the right of the first photo below. Standing next to this new structure are William Riedlin Sr. and Jr., along with a worker. This photo was taken looking east down what would eventually become Lehmer Avenue. The new structure depicted here had coal-fired steam boilers equipped with automatic stokers and underground cinder-clearing devices that provided steam heat. The second photo shows the opposite side of the twin stacks facing west down Lehmer Avenue. The Boiler House is left center in the background. The Engine Room (shown below) would be built next to the Boiler House a year later. On the right of this photo is an entry to an office in the back of the first Ice Plant, built in 1895. Please click the first photo for descriptions and dates of the various brewery buildings.
6. The Engine Room (1907)
After the Boiler House was constructed, an Engine Room was built next to it. It is depicted under construction in 1906 in the photo on the side, but was fully completed in 1907. Beside it is a photo of this structure taken years later, during Prohibition. The completion date of the building is noted above the entrance, with A D (After Death) inscribed on either side of the date. In proximity to other buildings, the Engine Room was located on the west side of the brewery and became located on the south side of Lehmer Street. This street, also referred to as Riedlin Avenue, actually divided the brewery property behind Pike and 12th Street to the north and south. The tall stack mentioned above and built only a year earlier is visible behind the engine room.
7. The Bottling Department (1908)
As the brewery expanded, it needed a new structure to replace the framed Bavarian Bottling Department. On the same site, a new two-story brick and masonry building was constructed and completed in 1908. It measured 45 feet x 150 feet. Due to the sloping elevation of the land, the front and north side of the building facing Pike Street was one-story in height with elevated loading docks, while the south side of the building was two stories with direct access to the lower level.
The completion date of the building was engraved above one of the loading docks and is visible in the older photo above. In addition to this photo, both the outside and inside of this building was depicted on postcards, shown below. The address of this structure was 367 Pike St. (This building remains in place today. It was used for a dairy in the 1950s and for Glier's Goetta since the mid-1960s.)
8. Ice Plant (c. 1909)
This one-story structure was situated just east of the ice plant that was built in 1895 and north of the Stock House. Its exact date of construction is presently unknown, but it appears the outline for this building was included on a Sanborn Map dated 1909, indicating that this structure was not built after this date. This building was sold around 1930 and later used for an ice cream factory. In the mid-1950s, it was repurchased by Bavarian and used as a warehouse and for bottling. The building was demolished around 2010. This structure is shown center right in the 1932 photo on the right. Source: Kenton Co. Library.
9. The Bavarian Executive Offices (1910)
New corporate offices were constructed on the site of the original brewery, which had been established in 1866 off of Pike Street and then used as a Malt House in the 1880s and mostly for storage afterwards. This was a two-story brick building located at the entrance of the brewery complex. Across from it and on the other side of the entrance was the Bottling Department, discussed above. A photo of an office in this building, considered to possibly be Wm. Riedlin's, is also shown below. The address of this building was 369 Pike Street.
10. The Brew & Mill Houses (1911)
The Brew and Mill Houses were constructed off of 12th Street. They replaced the old Brew House that is shown in the Office Building photo above; it's the tallest building in the background. It was built with fireproof materials, including brick, stone and steel. The structure had floor openings on all five levels for large kettles, hop jacks, rice mash tubs, and stairwells with ventilation to large openings in the tower. There were also interior stairs and an electric elevator for grains that led to all levels. The interior featured white-glazed tile wainscoting. The five-story Mill House was divided for fire prevention purposed from the Brew House and the Mill House had ventilated bins for the storage of hops, grits, malt and rice. These structures adjoined the Stock House mentioned above, and had insulated and fire proof doors that provided access between these structures. These buildings also used a former lager cellar, which had been constructed decades earlier for beer fermentation, as a tunnel to connect the Engine Room with the power plant for the brewery. Other underground cellars and passageways that connected additional buildings, such as the Bottling Department and the Stock House, as shown on the Site Plan above. (See section 4B, the Bavarian Tunnels.) To provide more natural light to the top floors, a cupola was affixed atop the Brew House and a skylight roof to the Mill House. The first photo below shows the Brew House on the right and a portion of the Stock House on the left. The next photo shows mostly the Mill House, but a portion of the Brew House is shown the far left. These photos were taken couple decades after they were built. However, the last photo below shows Mill House from 12th Street under construction in 1911.
The first two photos were taken in 1932. All building photos are courtesy of the Kenton Co. Library.
Souvenir Tip Tray, 1912. The tray on the left was provided at the Dedication of the Brew House.The image was supplied courtesy of Tom Waller.
11. Stock House Addition (1913)
The last major structure built for the Bavarian Brewing Co. before Prohibition was the expansion of the Stock House built in about 1913. It was constructed similar to the Stock House with brick and steel construction and connected to the east side of the original Stock House. Primary access to the expanded Stock House was from Lehmer Street (a/k/a Riedlin Ave.), which bisected the brewery complex. This addition formed a long and contiguous set of buildings between 12th and Lehmer streets, which was connected to the Brew and Mill Houses. This addition is shown on the 1932 photo on the right. Source: Kenton Co. Library.
Summary of the Construction Activity Before Prohibition
It is apparent that the extensive building that occurred at the Bavarian Brewery during the first decade of the twentieth century was not random. As mentioned in the 1903 newspaper article, there where plans to make the brewery BIG, and a deliberate plan and effort to build certain structures in a particular sequence. For example, the tall stack was built just before the Boiler House and Engine Room, while the Brew House and Mill House were only built after the brewery had the boiler, engines and refrigeration capabilities it needed. The last structure - an addition to the Stock House - was only added after other buildings were completed. This allowed the production capacity to be substantially increased at a time Europe was entering WWI, was likely in anticipation that the war would reduce the availability of ingredients needed to brew beer, and that Prohibition would exclude restraints on beer.
Several of the brewery buildings no longer exist. However, possibly the most significant part of the brewery, the Brew House and Mill Houses, have been repurposed for use as the Kenton County Government Center. The other remaining buildings, such as the Bottling Department, Executive Offices and original Mill House, are used for other purposes. These structures represent one of more complete and significant vestiges of a former Pre-Prohibition brewery in the region. In addition, nearby structures associated with the brewery, such as the Covington Turners and the Riedlin Residence, also remain.
Production & Storage Capacity
By the end of 1913, the Bavarian Brewing Co. was thriving. The brewery’s site comprised roughly 6 ½ aces between Pike and 12th Streets, and it was producing some 216,000 barrels of beer, ale and porter annually. It had a cellar capacity of 25,00 barrels, or 6 million gallons and 5-tons of refrigeration; the bottling department could process 32,400 bottles per day. The brewery employed about 200 people and was the largest employer in Covington, KY. (For a list of employees that worked at Bavarian both before and after Prohibition, please see A Tribute.)
In addition to the production of alcoholic beverages, the brewery had an ice house that produced 200,000 pounds daily for both brewery and public use. By 1915, according to Robert J. Wimberg in his publication Cincinnati Breweries, Bavarian had become the largest brewery in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, surpassing their nearby competitor in Newport, KY, Wiedemann Brewing Co.
In this period, Bavarian Brewing Co. made a lager beer as well as a Porter, Ale and Tonic, presumably all under the Bavarian name. However, it seems that Bavarian may have concentrated on making lager beer at this point and expanded their brands to include Bavarian (Standard) Beer and Riedlin's Select Beer. They may have also made a Riedlin's Blue Ribbon Beer, and shortly before Prohibition, they offered a Hop Malt, which had a somewhat lower alcoholic content that its other beers. Some of the labels for these drinks can be viewed below.
Drink & Credit Tokens
Before Prohibition, breweries and saloons often provided tokens, that were coin like, for a free beer or drink, or a specified credit, which began in the Cincinnati area during the mid-1800s. Such a practice was particularly commonplace among many of the more than 400 saloons that were once operating in Covington before Prohibition. Tokens were a way a saloon or brewery could promote a beer or their establishment, yet offered some control over the free beers or drinks provided.
It was known that the Bavarian night watchman would provide free beer to certain people, like policemen, firemen, politicians or simply local residents. Perhaps this may partially explains why such tokens are relatively scarce for the Bavarian Brewing Co. Nevertheless, Bavarian did use tokens as indicated by those below. The first image has a rather unique horseshoe shape. The middle two images are essentially the same token, showing one that was unused, while the other token was punched in the middle so that it could not be used again. The reason these round tokens were 5 cents is that this was typically the cost for a glass of draft beer at that time.
There are two theories on the abbreviation of "A. C." on the round token. It may have meant "Bavarian Athletic Club," as indicated on the first token. Alternatively, this term may have been a euphemism for a bar or Tap Room in one of the brewery buildings. It could allow a man to say to his wife or that he was going to the Athletic Club, when instead he was on his way to have a beer. The address shown on the token is not the original address for the brewery, but a more recent address, possibly for the Bavarian Office Building after it was constructed. (However, a concern about the time period of the first token is whether it was truly issued before Prohibition, or afterwards.)
A second theory for the use of A.C. is that it may have meant "Account Credit." It may have been possible that Bavarian issued tokens to a customer for credit to buy more beer when bottles or cases were returned. As shown by the accomplying flyer, the price for buying four dozen small bottles for Riedlin's Select Beer was $3.50 and $3.30 for the same quantity of (standard) Bavarian Style Beer. This flyer also mentions that credit was provided of 20 cents for four dozen bottles and another 50 cents when a wood crate was returned. So, the tokens shown above may have been provided to someone returning bottles and/or cases. On the reverse side of the flyer shown above is promotional material for "good and pure" beer that was brewed at the Bavarian Brewing Co. Please click here to view the back of this flyer.
Beer could be given to employees and guests for free before Prohibition with these tokens, but this was prohibited after Prohibition. A benefit working at most breweries is that an employee could usually have all the beer they could drink, as long as they were able to properly perform their work. Since the typical type of beer produced was a lager, which had an alcoholic content that was nearly half of an ale or other beers, intoxication would normally be stiffled with a combination of hard work and moderate consumption.
BAVARIAN BREWING CO. PICNICS
The Bavarian Brewery sponsored various outings and get-together for their workers and the workers’ families. Below are photos of the traditional summer picnic that was held at Riedlin's Farm in 1910 and 1911. The writing in the lower left photo is that of the youngest daughter of William and Emma Riedlin, Lucia. It identifies her brothers, her parents and herself. It may have been the last picnic her mother attended, as she passed away in October, 1912, possibly from an illness she suffered beforehand. In the winter around Christmas, the brewery would distribute $1,000 in gold coins to its workers.
INDUSTRIAL CHANGES IMPACTING BREWERS
At the end of the 19th century, changes in ice-making dramatically affected the brewing process, especially the making and shipping of beer. Bavarian expanded their Ice Plant and used excess capacity to sell to residents nearby and to provide free ice to saloons that would sell (often exclusively) their beer. But the value of ice would eventually be eliminated as electric refrigerators for the home became accessible in the mid-1920s. In response, the Riedlin Family sold the Ice Plant that had been used by the Bavarian Brewing Co. in 1925.
Another major change involved transportation. Motor-driven vehicles replaced horses used for beer delivery and encouraged urban dwellers to move to the suburbs. Consequently, some stables were converted to garages. (The first trucks Bavarian used for delivery are shown in the photos below.) Another transportation change was the shift from horse-driven trolleys to electric ones. The space above windows inside trolley cars provided a new place for advertising posters. The dawn of the airplane was also at hand, which—when combined with automobiles—would further change transportation, gradually lessening the importance of passenger trains. Although radio didn't develop until the 1920s, it ultimately provided an important medium for advertising and program sponsorship, followed by television in the late 1940s. These changes wouldn't occur overnight, but they would greatly impact brewers in the years ahead, particularly after Prohibition was repealed.
c. 1915. The top row shows similar Bavarian Brewing Co. delivery vehicles; each appears to be a 1.5 ton Wilcox Trux. A couple differences between the two trucks are the type of lettering used on the truck bed and the width of the back tires. The men on the upper left are unidentified; the men in the photo on the upper right are Fred Kleier (left) and George Kleier (right). The 1917 Auditor's report indicated that these trucks were eventually replaced with a couple Packard trucks. One of those is probably the truck in the photo on the right, taken in 1918 with George Kleier. (See Corporate Material.) Other Kleier family members also worked for the brewery. (See A Tribute.)
RIEDLIN REALTY CO. (1910)
In 1910, the officers of Bavarian Brewing Co. established the Riedlin Realty Co. to acquire, sell and hold real estate. It was incorporated by Wm. Riedlin Sr. and Jr., Walter Riedlin, Anton Ruh and Clarence Cobb. (The latter was the husband of Riedlin Sr.'s daughter Mayme, or Maime; the couple had married in 1909). One of the earlier buildings that this realty company constructed was for stables and a garage at Stevie's Resort in Fort Mitchell, which was at the end of the trolley line. Shown is a logo for this realty firm.
Often breweries owned corner buildings that were suited for saloons, where the brewery would provide furnishings and appurtenances as long as the saloon keeper agreed to only supplying the beer from that brewery. The term used for these relationships were "tied houses," because the saloon was obligated or "tied" to the brewery. It is unknown how many tied houses Bavarian owned, but they may have been part of Riedlin Realty Co. In addition, it is like that the ice plant and additional real estate was also part of the realty firm, but the actual brewery property was likely part of the Bavarian Brewing Co. The business address of the Riedlin Realty Co. was located in the same office building as the Bavarian Brewing Co. at 369 Pike Street. In addition to property owned by this realty concern, Wm. Riedlin and his wife personally owned over a hundred lots in Latonia and there was the Riedlin Farm near Decoursey, between Banklick and Decoursey creeks, next to the Licking River and off of Decoursey Pike containing about 160 acres. However, the L&N Railroad company acquired approximately half of this acreage along the river for its railroad line and car storage in 1904.
CHANGING TIDES FOR THE RIEDLIN'S
& THE BAVARIAN BREWING CO.
The zenith for the Bavarian Brewing Co. and the Riedlin family was probably around 1914, after all the major buildings were completed and the production of the brewery was reaching its optimal capacity. After William's wife Emma passed away in 1912, William’s two sons stepped in to continue his legacy and provide a prosperous life for themselves and their families. His son William, Jr. became Vice President of the brewery around 1906, and was the heir apparent to succeed him. William Sr.'s youngest son, Walter, had also become involved in the brewery, as the supervisor of the Bottling Department. Both sons played important roles in the operation of the brewery. William's daughters had also married and both had children within a few years of their weddings.
Master Brewers at Stevie's, 1914. This picture includes both the Riedlin and Schott families. Most of the ladies’ husbands may be in the right background. The husband of Riedlin's daughter Maime, Clarence Cobb, may be to her right in the photo.
The picture above, was taken at Stevie's during the summer a few years before Prohibition. It is the only one obtained thus far that shows members of both the Riedlin and Schott families together. Stevie's, also known as Stevie's Place, was a restaurant and resort located at the end of the trolley line on the Lexington Pike and Horsebranch Road (also near Orphanage Rd.) in Ft. Michell. It had a large clubhouse and expansive gardens, as shown in the photo. A few years before the photo, in 1910, the Riedlin Realty Co. built stables and a garage next to Stevie's to accommodate its many patrons. In September of 1914, a couple of months after the photo was taken, William C. Schott and Lucia Riedlin were married. They traveled to Havana, Cuba, for their honeymoon. (Please see the Schott Family.) A year later, Walter (who was not in this photo) passed away while visiting Asheville, NC, leaving a wife (Rose), a daughter (Rosemary) and a young son. Then, in 1918 - with WWI limiting the ingredients for beer production and the looming specter of Prohibition more eminent - the Bavarian Brewing Co. changed its name to the William Riedlin Beverage Co. The Riedlins were planning to operate through Prohibition. However, a few months before Prohibition went into full effect, William Riedlin died on February, 20, 1919, while trying to recover from asthma at an Asheville retreat. This was the same place where his son Walter had died four years earlier. On March 6, 1919, William, Jr. died, just a couple weeks after his father, likely due to the Spanish Flu. William, Jr. had no children, but was survived by his wife, whom he had wed just several months earlier. He was also a widower, as his first wife had died several years earlier in her mid-twenties.
Due to these events, the expectations that William Sr. would have his sons operate the brewery and his other business interests after he passed could not come to fruition. The early deaths of his sons - around the same time as his death and just before Prohibition began - drastically changed the history of the brewery. However, the business that William Riedlin had turned into a success could continue because of his surviving daughters and their husbands (his son-in-laws), his granddaughter, and his grandsons. Directly after Prohibition, the husband of Riedlin's granddaughter, Rosemary, would draw on her financial assistance and help reopen the brewery during the Great Depression. (See the Reopening.) Even though the brewery fell into bankruptcy within a couple of years, it remained within the Riedlin relations. His youngest daughter's husband, William (Will) C. Schott, Will's brothers, and eventually Riedlin's grandsons, would all become officers and owners of the brewery as well. The family legacy of William Riedlin's ownership would continue for a half-century after his death.
CONTINUE TO
Section 4A - The Brewery Tunnels
T I M E L I N E
To place the events described above in perspective, following are some major events that occurred in the Bavarian Brewery Time Period 4, 1901-1918:
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Theodore Roosevelt is President (1901-1905)
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Wright Bros. flight (1903)
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World’s Fair in St. Louis (1904)
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Model T Ford appears (1908)
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Wm. Howard Taft is U.S. President (1909-13)
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Titanic Sinks (1912)
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16th Amendment - Personal Income Tax (1913)
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Woodraw Wilson is President (1913-1921)
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WWI begins in Europe (1914)
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RMS Lusitania sinks (1915)
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U.S. in WWI (1917-18)
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Spanish flu (1918-1919)
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18th Amendment - Prohibition & Black Sox Scandal with White Sox & Reds (1919)
For a summary of all the periods in the history of the Bavarian Brewery, please see the entire Timeline.
SOURCES:
Holian, Timothy J., Over the Barrel, Volume I (1800-1919), Sudhaus Press, 2000.
Wikipedia.
Riedlin and Schott family items and information, including notations on photos by Lucia Riedlin.
Truesdell, C.B. History of Bavarian Brewery, 1954. pgs 27.
The background photo shows the offices of the Bavarian Brewing Co. in about 1911. The main entrance
to the other brewery buildings was to the left. An explanation of the photo is contained in the text above.
