Torch Lake Brewery
Bosch Brewing Co.

10 Aug 2021, last revised 23 Sep 2023

Perhaps the most celebrated name in Copper Country brewing history is that of Joseph Bosch. Born into a family well adept at the art of good beer making, Joseph carried on the family trade by learning the brewing business under his father. He accumulated additional knowledge and experience on his own, which eventually led him to establish a small brewery in Lake Linden in 1874 (1,2). This small enterprise would grow to produce preferred varieties of beer recognized throughout the Upper Peninsula for 99 years. This record will remain as a lasting tribute to Joseph Bosch and to all the people associated with the Bosch Brewing Company.

Joseph Bosch was born in Baden, Germany on 11 Feb 1850 and immigrated to New York in 1854 with his family at the age of four (2,5). In 1862, when he was 12 years old, his family moved to Port Washington, WI where he worked under his father in the brewing industry (2,5). In 1867, they moved to Torch Lake (5) and Joseph erected the first house in Lake Linden and worked at the Calumet & Hecla stamp mill for four years (2,3). To gain better knowledge of the brewing business, he moved to Milwaukee, WI to work at Schlitz Brewery, and then to Cleveland, OH and Louisville, KY (2). He returned to Lake Linden in 1874 and established the brewery (2).

Bosch operated the brewery on his own for the first two years (1,2) and produced 1,717 barrels of beer in his first year (1). In 1876, he partnered with Joseph Wertin & Sons of Hancock (3) and they called the firm Joseph Bosch & Co. (2). This partnership may have stemmed from Bosch being Joseph Wertin's son-in-law (2,3). The firm of Wertin & Sons operated a general store in Calumet (8) and then a second store in Hancock (9). In 1877, the brewery produced and sold 2,124 barrels of beer (15). By 1883, they were producing 4,000 barrels per year, one-fourth of which was bottled (3). Bottling started in 1877-1878, as indicated by the bottles, following the advent of pasteurization. The bottles during this partnership bear the name, TORCH LAKE BREWERY. The firm name was specified on the bottles as J. BOSCH & CO., JOS. BOSCH & CO., or JOSEPH BOSCH & CO.

In 1886, the plant was enlarged to meet the growing demand (1). A 790-ft deep artesian well was bored and its water, claimed to treat kidney, liver, and stomach troubles, was used in brewing (1). On 20 May 1887, fire, which started at Neumann & Trelease's store (28), destroyed nearly all of Lake Linden including every building belonging to the firm (1), but the artesian well survived (27). The brewery was rebuilt and started selling beer again by Oct 1887 (1). In 1889, the brewery's production ranked 11th within the state of Michigan (29). The Sanborn map placed the brewery on the southeast corner of Center St. and Schoolcraft St.

In May 1891, Bosch had plans to wire the brewery, bottling works, and office for electric lights (18). In 1892, the brewery expanded with new kettles and mash tubs, and a refrigerator that maintained the desired temperature for fermentation and storage, thus eliminating the need for ice (1). The improvements doubled the storage capacity of the brewery (22). In Aug 1896, a new bottling works was near completion (30). It was constructed of Portage Lake sandstone and the floor was caulked and waterproof (30). It was equipped with a patent bottle cleaning machine with a capacity of 3,000 bottles per hour and a steam corker or sealer (30). This building is shown on the 1900 Sanborn map.

In Nov 1892, the company claimed that a few competitors imitated their labels sufficiently enough to deceive some customers into believing they were purchasing Torch Lake beer (23). In late Nov 1892, they announced that all their bottles now bear a trademark, as shown in the advertisement (24).

George Wertin died in 1890 (7). After Joseph Wertin Sr. died in 1893 (1), Bosch purchased his interest and that of Joseph Wertin Jr. (2). On 01 Mar 1894, Bosch formed a stock company, the Bosch Brewing Co., for which he maintained controlling interest and served as president (1,2,5,26). We see this change reflected on the bottles now being embossed, BOSCH BREWING CO. / LAKE LINDEN, MICH.

Jos. Bosch & Co. released Bavarian beer in Jan-Feb 1892 (19), and then about a month later, changed its name to Ulmer to distinguish it from the Bavarian beers of other breweries (16,20). The company then released Export beer in Feb-Mar 1892 as a low-alcohol beer brewed from only malt and hops (21), and Bock beer in Apr-May 1892 made from selected malt and imported hops (17).

The company pamphlet described the three types of beer produced by 1899 (1):

"Superior Stock", a beer second to none, is brewed from the choicest imported hops and malt especially manufactured for this Company. The "Ulmer" is a rich, dark and heavy beer, brewed after the Bavarian process. The "Export" is a mild, light beer, but highly nutritious.

The company stated that bottling was the most substantial aspect that extended its reach (1). Superior Stock and Ulmer were sold in kegs and bottles, while Export was sold only in bottles (1). In Jun 1893, the company announced that Superior Stock can now be purchased in pint bottles, with a 24-bottle case selling for $1.25 (25). By 1899, the company bottled 1,063,452 bottles and thousands of kegs of its number one beer, Superior Stock (1). The company had branches and storehouses in Hancock, Calumet, Ishpeming, Eagle Harbor, and Baraga (1). In the late 1890s, the embossing on the bottles changed to the script Bosch design.

Aside from brewing, Joseph Bosch was a prominent member of the community. He helped to organize the First National Bank of Lake Linden in 1888 and then became its president (2). He became a partner in a general merchandise store in Lake Linden, which was purchased from D. W. Sutter in 1885 (5). He served as mayor of Lake Linden for four years (5). He was known to have a charitable disposition: giving his time freely to worthy enterprises, extending a helping hand to the needy (2), and contributing to the development of Lake Linden and neighboring towns (5). He was elected president of the Upper Peninsula Brewers Association in 1905 (35).

In Dec 1899, the company launched Gilt Edge and marketed it in "clear white bottles" (recognized today as aqua glass). In May 1902, the company started to sell Porter in bottles and claimed it equaled any imported brand (34). More beer varieties were marketed in later years. In 1902, annual production was about 20,000 barrels (10).

The company continued to make improvements to the brewery over the years as business grew. In Jan 1900, the company received a new bottle washer with the capacity for washing 1,000 bottles per hour (39). In Nov 1901, a pipeline was being installed so beer could be piped from the vats to kegs or bottles under pressure so "there being no chance for it to lose its life" (32). Ten new vats were also being installed (32). In Apr 1902, a new concrete floor was being laid in the cellar where new tanks would be installed (33). Pipes would connect the tanks to a new revolving bottling machine in the bottling works that could automatically fill 12 bottles at a time (33). In Nov 1905, an addition was being built to house a new boiler with a new 26,000-gallon tank (36). The boiler would be used to generate electricity to power the brewery in the future (36). In Jan 1906, the company installed a new generator that would drive a 25-ton motor, supply water to power other machinery, and generate electricity to light the plant (37). They also installed new steam feed pumps to supply the boiler with water, and received a new ice machine (37). Three months later, the new electrical system powered by the generator was nearly in full operation (38). All machinery at the plant would now run by electricity, including an electric bottle labeling device (38). They were also installing an improved private telephone system for employees and an automatic oiling device for the machinery (38). In Aug 1907, Bosch installed an automatic bottle filling machine from the Bishop & Babcock Co. (31). It could fill 72 pint bottles or 48 quart bottles per minute, and was said to be sanitary because the workers did not touch the bottles during filling (31). With such continual improvements, Bosch maintained one of the most up-to-date operations in the Upper Peninsula (37). The brewery and its bottling works had 24 employees in 1905 (12) and 44 in 1913 (13).

When Prohibition hit Michigan in 1918, Bosch was listed as manufacturing "soft drinks" (14), but then shortly suspended operations (4). After the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, Bosch re-opened at the Scheuermann plant in Houghton (4). Thus, ABM bottles and wooden cases with HOUGHTON as the location date to post-Prohibition. Joseph Bosch died on 09 Jan 1937 at the age of 86 (4) and was buried in Mount Calvary Cemetery, Lake Linden (6). His business continued to operate in Houghton, with peak sales of 100,000 barrels per year occurring from 1955 to 1961 (11). Sales then dwindled down to only 22,000 barrels in 1972 (11). The brewery closed on 28 Sep 1973, marking 99 years of existence (4). It suffered from higher grain prices, high taxes, and shrinking patronage; and couldn't compete with regional giants like Pabst, Stroh, and Anheuser-Busch (4,11).

References

1. anonymous. 1899. Compliments of The Bosch Brewing Co.: Bottlers and Brewers of Fine Lager Beer, Lake Linden, Michigan. Mining Journal Print, Marquette. (company pamphlet)
2. anonymous. 1903. Biographical Record: Houghton, Baraga and Marquette Counties, Michigan. Biographical Publishing Company. Chicago, IL.
3. anonymous. 1883. The History of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The Western Historical Company. Chicago, IL.
4. Monette, C. J. 1978. Joseph Bosch and the Bosch Brewing Company. Welden H. Curtin. Lake Linden, MI.
5. Sawyer, A. L. 1911. A History of the Northern Peninsula of Michigan and its People. The Lewis Publishing Company. Chicago, IL.
6. Find a Grave. accessed Aug 2021. Joseph Bosch. findagrave.com/memorial/167328156/joseph-bosch
7. Find a Grave. accessed Oct 2021. George Wertin. findagrave.com/memorial/193883878/george-wertin
8. R. L. Polk & Co. 1877. Michigan State Gazetteer and Business Directory 1877. R. L. Polk & Co. Detroit, MI.
9. R. L. Polk & Co. 1879. Michigan State Gazetteer and Business Directory 1879. The Detroit Free Press Company. Detroit, MI.
10. anonymous. 1903. One Hundred Years of Brewing. H. S. Rich & Co., Publishers. Chicago and New York.
11. Kent, E. (1973, Oct 03). Brewery Closes after 99 Years. Michigan Tech Lode. p. 8.
12. Bureau of Labor and Industrial Statistics. 1906. State of Michigan Twenty-Third Annual Report of the Bureau of Labor and Industrial Statistics Including the Thirteenth Annual Report of State Inspection of Factories. Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford Co., State Printers. Lansing, MI.
13. Michigan Bureau of Labor and Industrial Statistics. 1914. Thirty-First Annual Report of the Department of Labor of the State of Michigan. Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford Co., State Printers. Lansing, MI.
14. State of Michigan Department of Labor. 1919. Thirty-Sixth Annual Report of the Department of Labor of the State of Michigan. Fort Wayne Printing Co. Fort Wayne, Indiana.
15. anonymous. (1879, Jul 24). Amount of Lager Beer Made and Sold in this District Last Year. Portage Lake Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
16. anonymous. (1892, Mar 03). Our Merchants. Michigan Copper Journal (Hancock, MI). p. 5.
17. anonymous. (1892, Apr 28). untitled. Michigan Copper Journal (Hancock, MI). p. 1.
18. anonymous. (1891, May 19). untitled. Torch Lake Times (Lake Linden, MI). p. 3.
19. anonymous. (1892, Feb 02). untitled. Torch Lake Times (Lake Linden, MI). p. 3.
20. anonymous. (1892, Mar 01). Have changed the name. Torch Lake Times (Lake Linden, MI). p. 3.
21. anonymous. (1892, Mar 01). untitled. Torch Lake Times (Lake Linden, MI). p. 3.
22. anonymous. (1892, Aug 30). untitled. Torch Lake Times (Lake Linden, MI). p. 3.
23. anonymous. (1892, Nov 01). Imitation is the Sincerest Flattery. Torch Lake Times (Lake Linden, MI). p. 3.
24. anonymous. (1892, Nov 29). untitled. Torch Lake Times (Lake Linden, MI). p. 3.
25. anonymous. (1893, Jun 13). untitled. The Native Copper Times (Lake Linden, MI). p. 3.
26. anonymous. (1894, Feb 27). untitled. The Native Copper Times (Lake Linden, MI). p. 3.
27. anonymous. (1887, Jun 07). untitled. Torch Lake Times (Lake Linden, MI). p. 2.
28. anonymous. (1887, May 24). Lake Linden's Calamity. Torch Lake Times (Lake Linden, MI). p. 2.
29. anonymous. (1889, Jul 02). The Torch Lake Brewery. Torch Lake Times (Lake Linden, MI). p. 3.
30. anonymous. (1896, Aug 11). Second to None. The Native Copper Times (Lake Linden, MI). p. 3.
31. anonymous. (1907, Aug 03). Bottle Filler is Sanitary. The Copper Country Evening News (Calumet, MI). p. 4.
32. anonymous. (1901, Nov 06). Improvements. The Copper Country Evening News (Calumet, MI). p. 7.
33. anonymous. (1902, Apr 11). Improvements. The Copper Country Evening News (Calumet, MI). p. 7.
34. anonymous. (1902, May 20). Porter in Bottles. The Copper Country Evening News (Calumet, MI). p. 5.
35. anonymous. (1905, Sep 08). Officers Elected. The Copper Country Evening News (Calumet, MI). p. 2.
36. anonymous. (1905, Nov 13). New Addition to the Bosch Brewing Plant. The Copper Country Evening News (Calumet, MI). p. 3.
37. anonymous. (1906, Jan 22). Bosch Brewing Co. Installs Machinery. The Copper Country Evening News (Calumet, MI). p. 3.
38. anonymous. (1906, Apr 01). Bosch Brewing Company's Machinery. The Copper Country Evening News (Calumet, MI). p. 3.
39. anonymous. (1900, Jan 18). Lake Linden-Grover Briefs. The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 7.