The Park Brewing Co.

13 Aug 2021, last revised 16 Jun 2024

In the early 1900s, the mining industry was reaching its peak production years (6) and Houghton Country was nearing its peak population of over 88,000 (5). So even though there were two well-established breweries in Houghton, the A. Haas Brewing Co. and the Scheuermann Brewery, local capitalists apparently felt there was room for one more. After some back-and-forth prospects, however, the Park brewery was built in Hancock instead.

In Apr 1906, Joseph Haas was organizing a stock company with others to build and operate a brewery in Houghton, with the proposed site being at Haas Park (17). Joseph, formerly of the A. Haas Brewing Co., owned and resided at Haas Park (17). About a week later, the men involved went to Detroit and Cleveland to make arrangements to purchase the construction material and machinery for the brewery (18). The Park Brewing Co. was incorporated by Joseph Haas, William. H. McGann, Frank Voith, R. Rourke, F. C. Toelle, and E. R. Bathrick with a capitalization of $150,000 divided into $100 shares (25). Papers of association, filed with the county clerk on 21 May 1906, stated that the company was incorporated for "the purpose of manufacturing and selling ale, beer, porter and other malted and brewed liquors..." (1). The organizers elected officers: Joseph Haas, president; Richard Rourke, vice president; Frank J. Voith, secretary; and William McGann, treasurer (20). The company was named The Park Brewing Co. after the fact that it was intended to be located at Haas Park (39).

At a meeting of the Hancock Businessman's Association in May 1906, the council was asked if Hancock could donate a site for the brewery since most of the businessmen involved preferred the brewery to be located in Hancock (19). Bathrick stated that "the enterprise is already an assured success" (27). Mayor A. J. Scott, who had a drug store in Hancock (see Scott's Drug Store), thought the city could donate a site from the land near Anthony's farm (19). The promoters visited the site and Mayor Scott said the city would sell three acres for $1, allow the use of all the water needed for free, and exempt the brewery from taxation for a period of five years (13). But even before visiting the Hancock site, the company had already decided on the Haas Park site and thanked Scott heartily for the generous offer (13). It was Hancock's interest that allowed the company to leverage many concessions with the Haas Park site (13). Then in early Jul 1906, Joseph Haas withdrew from the company and the deal to build at Haas Park was off (21).

The promoters next move was to petition the Hancock city council to deed a site for a nominal price or to lease land on the lake front near the city pumping station for 99 years at low rent (22). In response, a large number of businessmen and residents expressed their opposition to selling or leasing the lake front property, citing concerns that the city water would be contaminated (23). They also felt that they city should not sell or lease land for less than full value with no exemption on taxes (23). At the next city council meeting, Batherick reported that the company had purchased a site in Hancock and did not want free water, taxes, or light (24). The property was purchased on 06 Jul 1906 (26) for $3,100, which was $6,900 less than the asking price for the Haas Park site (11). It consisted of seven lots in the Condon addition in west Hancock, and was bounded by Railroad Ave., Ethel Ave., Emma Ave., and Atlantic St. (26).

A. J. Scott accepted the nomination to be president of the company in Jul 1906 (10). By early Aug, stockholders consisted of over 80 saloon keepers and about 250 men in the liquor trade (11). The organizers would take their pay in stock (11) and the officers would not collect a salary for the first year (19).

The concrete foundations and railroad spurs were set, and once the architect delivered plans revised for the Hancock site in late Aug 1906, erection of the brickwork could commence (28). In late Sep 1906, the cornerstone inscribed with "Park Brewing Co." was laid and a time capsule containing newspapers, the officer's names, and cards of several spectators was sealed up in stone (30). In Nov 1906, the main building was ready for the construction of the third story and the washhouse and boiler room were ready for a roof (31). The bottling plant and offices were would separate buildings (29).

In Mar 1907, Scott, Voith, and McGann went to Chicago to purchase supplies for the brewery, including barrels, bottles, and cases (32).

Completed by early Jul 1907 (33), the brewery building was 100 x 100 ft and five stories at its highest section (40). Construction consisted of a frame of iron and steel, floors of asphalt and concrete, and walls of brick with compressed cork insulation and plaster (33). The only wood to be found was for the doors and window sills (33). Equipment was installed once arrived (33). The first floor had a boiler room, engine room, wash room, racking room, and cellars (40). The boiler room in the rear held a 150-horsepower boiler that powered the entire brewery (33). The adjoining engine room held a 30-horsepower generator, a 20-horsepower engine to drive the malt machines, malt mills, elevator, and other equipment, and a 60-ton refrigerating (ice) machine (33,40). A water jacket beer cooler, held either in the same room or another room, cooled the beer in pipes after brewing (33,40). A sheet-iron grain store, with nearly a 10,000-bushel capacity, was 10 ft in diameter and 35 ft high extending up to the fourth floor (33). The settling cellars contained a brine tank that held brine used to maintain the temperature of the beer and two 124-barrel capacity, glass-enameled tanks, which held the beer for 20 to 30 hours before it was pumped into the fermenting cellars (33,40). The fermenting cellars contained six 120-barrel capacity vats made of glass-enameled steel (29,40). The chip cellars contained ten 125-barrel capacity tanks (40), in which birchwood chips would draw out any toxins from the beer (33). The stock cellars contained 250-barrel capacity tanks (40). In the racking room, beer was pumped into barrels and kegs (33). The washing room was where kegs and utensils were washed (33). A brew room and a hop room on the second floor held a 115-barrel capacity, solid copper brew kettle with an air-tight lid, a wash tub for washing malt, a 120-barrel capacity mash tub, and a 165-barrel capacity hot water tank that boiled all the water used for brewing (33,40). The third floor had a malt mill with a flake hopper, grits kettle, weighing hoppers, and other equipment (33,40). The fourth floor held a 165-gallon cold water tank and malt storage bins (40). The fifth floor had a condensing room where ammonia used for refrigeration was cooled back to liquid form (40).

Aside from the brewery, the company also needed a bottling works. In Jul 1907, the company purchased three lots opposite Atlantic St. to be the site for the bottling works (34). Being separated by a wide roadway complied with requirements stating that the bottling department must be separated from the brewery by a considerable distance in order to avoid contamination during the bottling process (34). The bottling room floor and walls of the first story would be concrete, and the rest of the building would be brick with sandstone trim (35). The floor of the basement would be concrete (40). The basement would be used for storing bottles and shooks (40). The main floor would contain the bottling machinery and an office (40). The second floor would be used for storage and a cooperage shop (35,40). A large freight elevator would be installed (35) and a platform would extend from the building to facilitate the loading of wagons and cars (40). The building would be operated by electricity (35). Construction was expected to be completed no later than the middle of Dec (42).

Sanborn maps showed the brewery on the corner of E. Atlantic St. and Emma St., with the bottling works across the street.

With the brewery building constructed, it was near time to start brewing and setting plans to market the beer. The brewmaster, Charles Huhn, arrived from Chicago on 02 Jul 1907, and after some remaining machinery got installed, brewing could commence (33). In Aug 1907, the directors appointed McGann as manager and Voith as assistant manager (35). The first beer was made on 22 Aug 1907, and it was expected to be ready for market in late Nov (36). By mid-Nov, McGann had established branches in the principal towns of the Copper Country (39). The day finally arrived, 15 Nov 1907, when the company placed its beer on the market, and it could be found on tap in almost every saloon in Houghton County (41). About two weeks later, the company made its first shipment to Baraga County (2). Their ads specified that their beer was called Park Brew.

The main offices of the company were established in Houghton, since that was where the company was organized and incorporated, and at the time, it was understood that the brewery would be built in Houghton (37). But because the brewery was built in Hancock instead, some stockholders felt that the offices should be located in Hancock (37). In Nov 1907, the stockholders voted unanimously to move the head offices to Hancock, to be located at the brewery (38). By 01 Jan 1908, the company had moved its offices into temporary quarters at the bottling works (43).

The company first released its product in bottles a few days prior to 01 Jan 1908 (43), which means their first bottle dates to 1907. The bottling works was practically completed by 21 Feb 1908, with only some interior painting remaining (44).

In late Jan 1908, the company decided to double the capacity of its plant and ordered the appropriate equipment (45). The building was constructed to accommodate such growth, but it was not expected to be necessary so shortly after marketing its product (45). A month later, several carloads of cooperage arrived (44); and about a week after that, 16 large, glass-lined, steel storage tanks arrived (44,46). At this time, the directors decided to purchase a new duplicate boiler (46).

The stockholders held their annual meeting in May 1908 (47). The officers were re-elected and they, along with William C. Kauth, comprised the board of directors (47). The company had 100 stockholders, nearly all from the Copper Country (3). The brewery cost approximately $186,000 to construct (3), and it was running at full capacity (47). The only construction expected for the season was the stables, and its foundation had already been laid north of the brewery (47). It was expected that the remaining small debt would be paid and dividends would be issued within a few years (48).

At the May 1911 annual meeting, A. J. Scott resigned as president and new officers were elected: D. J. Norton of Ontonagon as president, James Vignetto of Laurium as vice president, and William H. McGann of Houghton as secretary, treasurer, and general manager (9). In addition to the officers, new members of the board of directors were elected: A. B. Saxby and Louis T. Saam, both of Hancock (9).

The brewery had 31 employees in 1910 (14) and 19 employees in 1917 (15). In 1913, 20 unionized employees went on strike with the following demands: employ only union men, a 9-hour work day and a 6-day work week, time-and-a-half overtime pay, higher wages, and no hiring based on a saloonkeeper's recommendation (12). With the support of striking copper miners, the workers got their demands and went back to work (7).

When Prohibition hit Michigan in 1918 (7), the brewery tried to stay open by manufacturing "soft drinks" (16), but then closed in 1918 (7). Upon the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, the company reorganized, and the building was sold, renovated, and reopened (7). Business prospered again, and then in 1941, the brewery was sold and the A. Haas Brewing Co. moved in (7). The building no longer exists today.

Some of the bottles are embossed with THE PARK, while others have just PARK. It seems these two designs alternated several times and extended into the ABM period. The aqua bottles likely contained a special brand of beer, like it did for other breweries. This special brand was likely Elite since the Elite label was found on some unembossed aqua ABM bottles. The Park Brewing Co. bottles represent a critical period of Copper Country history, marked by a rise of stock corporations, labor disputes, strikes, and a subsequent decline of the local copper mining industry.

References

1. anonymous. (1906, May 22). Papers are filed. The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 8.
2. anonymous. (1907, Nov 30). Local items. The L'Anse Sentinel (L'Anse, MI). p. 1.
3. anonymous. (1908, May 30). Park Brewery Co. officers. The L'Anse Sentinel (L'Anse, MI). p. 1.
4. Nancarrow, A., V. Elizabeth, and Houghton Centennial Committee. 1961. Houghton Centennial Souvenir History and Program. City of Houghton, MI.
5. US Decennial Census. US Census Bureau. www.census.gov.
6. wikipedia.org. accessed 2021. Copper Mining in Michigan. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper_mining_in_Michigan
7. Magnaghi, R. M. 2015. Upper Peninsula Beer: A History of Brewing Above the Bridge. American Palate. Charleston, SC.
8. Van Wieren, D. P. 1995. American Breweries II. Eastern Coast Brewiana Association. West Point, PA.
9. anonymous. (1911, May 18). Park Brewery meeting. The Calumet News (Calumet, MI). p. 1.
10. anonymous. (1906, Jul 15). Hancock brevities. The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
11. anonymous. (1906, Aug 03). Park Brewing Company. The Evening Journal (Hancock, MI). p. 8.
12. anonymous. (1913, Jul 12). Strike on the Park Brewery. The Calumet News (Calumet, MI). p. 3.
13. anonymous. (1906, May 22). Hancock site turned down. The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
14. State of Michigan Department of Labor. 1911. Second Annual Report of the Department of Labor of the State of Michigan. Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford Co., State Printers. Lansing, MI.
15. Michigan Bureau of Labor and Industrial Statistics. 1918. Thirty-Fifth Annual Report of the Department of Labor of the State of Michigan. Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford Co., State Printers. Lansing, MI.
16. 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.
17. anonymous. (1906, Apr 27). A new brewery. The Evening Journal (Hancock, MI). p. 1.
18. anonymous. (1906, May 08). Men interested in brewery go on trip. The Copper Country Evening News (Calumet, MI). p. 2.
19. anonymous. (1906, May 16). To ask for site. The Copper Country Evening News (Calumet, MI). p. 2.
20. anonymous. (1906, May 19). Country brevities. The Copper Country Evening News (Calumet, MI). p. 2.
21. anonymous. (1906, Jul 01). Park Brewing deal off. The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 8.
22. anonymous. (1906, Jul 03). Brewing company asks for site. The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
23. anonymous. (1906, Jul 04). Many people do not favor plan. The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
24. anonymous. (1906, Jul 07). Brewing co. buys site in Hancock. The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
25. anonymous. (1906, May 10). Park Brewing Co. The Evening Journal (Hancock, MI). p. 5.
26. anonymous. (1906, Jul 07). The new brewery. The Evening Journal (Hancock, MI). p. 8.
27. anonymous. (1906, May 16). Brewery project before council. The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
28. anonymous. (1906, Aug 30). Brewery plans. The Evening Journal (Hancock, MI). p. 8.
29. anonymous. (1906, Sep 08). The Park Brewery. The Evening Journal (Hancock, MI). p. 8.
30. anonymous. (1906, Sep 28). Had a good time. The Evening Journal (Hancock, MI). p. 8.
31. anonymous. (1906, Nov 10). Progress on brewery. The Evening Journal (Hancock, MI). p. 8.
32. anonymous. (1907, Mar 20). Hancock brevities. The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
33. anonymous. (1907, Jul 03). The new brewery. The Evening Journal (Hancock, MI). p. 8.
34. anonymous. (1907, Jul 20). Buys more land. The Evening Journal (Hancock, MI). p. 8.
35. anonymous. (1907, Aug 15). Contract for new bottling works let. The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
36. anonymous. (1907, Aug 24). Hancock brevities. The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
37. anonymous. (1907, Nov 09). Move head offices. The Dainly Mining Gazeete (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
38. anonymous. (1907, Nov 12). Move head offices. The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
39. anonymous. (1907, Nov 11). New beer will Be put on market in few days. The Calumet News (Calumet, MI). p. 4.
40. anonymous. (1907, Nov 15). The Park Brewery. The Evening Journal (Hancock, MI). p. 9.
41. anonymous. (1907, Nov 16). New beer on tap. The Daily Mining Gazeete (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
42. anonymous. (1907, Nov 24). Will wire bottling plant. The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 8.
43. anonymous. (1908, Jan 01). Hancock brevities. The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
44. anonymous. (1908, Feb 21). Additional equipment for Park Brewery is received. The Calumet News (Calumet, MI). p. 3.
45. anonymous. (1908, Jan 24). Will enlarge plant. The Calumet News (Calumet, MI). p. 4.
46. anonymous. (1908, Feb 29). Purchase new boiler. The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
47. anonymous. (1908, May 21). Park Brewing Company meets. The Calumet News (Calumet, MI). p. 2.
48. anonymous. (1908, May 21). Brewing company election. The Evening Journal (Hancock, MI). p. 8.