Union Brewery
Scheuermann Brewing Co.

11 Aug 2021, last revised 23 May 2024

Union Brewery was one of the earliest breweries in the Copper Country. The brewery was established in 1857 (1) by William Alt (7) in the hamlet of Adam two miles west of Houghton (1) on the Portage Canal. William's surname has been spelled as "Ault" (3,7,17), but "Alt" is the correct spelling based on Michigan State directories (8,18), IRS Tax Assessments (19), and his death record (12). The 1859 directory listed William Alt as a brewer and liquor dealer in Houghton (8).

Phil Scheuermann

In 1863, Alt sold the brewery to Philip Scheuermann, Frank Mayworm, and Adam Youngman (7). Frank's surname has been spelled as "Maywood" (7) or "Mayworth" (17), but "Mayworm" is the correct spelling based on Michigan State directories (6,9,18), the U.S. Federal Census (10,20), the newspaper (23), and IRS Tax Assessments (19). The IRS Tax Assessment for Aug 1864 showed that Alt continued as a liquor dealer after selling the brewery (19). His death record stated that he was from Germany, his occupation was saloon keeper, and he died on 20 Nov 1872 in Nankin Township, MI at the age of 64 (12). It was reported that the trio named their firm "Union Brewing Co." (7), but the 1873 directory specified the firm as F. Mayworm & Co. for the Union Brewery (9). A newspaper article from Aug 1863 (23) suggested that Alt was the one to establish the "Union Brewery" name. Mayworm & Co. hosted a gala in Aug 1863 to formally open the brewery to the public (23,25). Tax records for Mayworm & Co. showed that they produced an estimated 1,400 barrels in 1864 and 2,100 barrels in 1865 (19).

Philip Scheuermann was born in Bavaria, Germany on 16 Sep 1822 (16). He apprenticed in the carpentry and mill-wright trade and worked as a journeyman (1). In 1850, he immigrated to Copper Falls where he built the mill for the Copper Falls Mining Company and remained for about five years (1). He then went to Missouri where he built and operated a saw mill for five years (1). He returned to the Copper Country in 1859 and built the Quincy Stamp Mill on Portage Lake near Hancock in 1860 and became its superintendent (1).

Frank Mayworm died on 07 Oct 1872 at the age of 47 from typhoid fever (12). In 1875 (1,5,21,24), Scheuermann purchased the interests of Mayworm's widow (7) and Youngman and rebuilt the brewery, which increased production to 5,000 barrels per year (1). Production in 1877 was 4,231 barrels (28). Scheuermann began bottling his beer around 1879-80, as indicated by the bottles, as did many brewers across the country at this time following the advent of pasteurization. He continued to use the Union Brewery name as indicated by newspaper ads and the bottles.

Polk Directory ad - 1883

Holland Directory ad - 1887

In Jan 1888, the brewery received five enormous beer casks, no less than five feet in length, from Milwaukee (30). In 1890, the brewery replaced its vats with new vats having a total capacity of 1,000 barrels, which increased the brewery's capacity to 10,000 barrels (29).

The business was incorporated on 01 Jan 1895 with Phil Scheuermann as president, his daughter, Anna as vice-president, and his son, Philip Jr. as secretary and treasurer (7). The capital of $50,000 was divided into 5,000 shares at $10 each (31). Upon incorporation, the company declared that the Union Brewery would thereafter do business as the "Phil. Scheuermann Brewing Co." (31). We see this name change reflected on the bottles. However, a Jun 1893 ad cited the name, "Phil. Scheuermann Brewing Co." and newspapers continued to refer to the brewery as the "Union Brewery" (e.g., 11,32,33,37).

Newspaper ad - Jun 1893

Newspaper ad - May 1898

The location embossed on the bottles changed from Portage Lake to Hancock to Houghton County to Houghton, and then to Hancock. The reasoning behind this succession of locations is intriguing, especially when the brewery was clearly located in Houghton. "Portage Lake" was not a town name, but the 1863 directory used "Portage Lake district" to describe the location of the mines in the Houghton/Hancock area (6). Even in the late 1890s, The Copper Country Evening News used "Portage Lake" to refer to the towns of Houghton and Hancock. The 1887 Holland directory listed Phil Scheuermann in the Hancock (not Houghton) directory and noted that the Union Brewery office was located at the Quincy Mill where Phil Scheuermann was superintendent (5). Scheuermann was also a resident of Hancock (5). Thus, the use of Hancock as the location may have been based on the office location.

Scheuermann brewery

Scheuermann bottling house

The buildings for the brewery were incrementally rebuilt and expanded. The 1888 Sanborn map showed only wooden frame structures. The 1893 map showed one stone building attached to the bottling house. It was reported in May 1898 that the company built a new framed bottling house on the lake shore equipped with a refrigerator (22). The 1900 map showed this bottling house, as well as a stone front and stone addition to the brewery.

Sanborn map - June 1888

Sanborn map - Aug 1893

Sanborn map - June 1900

Sanborn map - Feb 1908

Philip died on 30 Mar 1898 at the age of 75 and was buried in Forest Hill Cemetery, Houghton (16). Frank Scheuermann, Philip's son from his second marriage (1), then managed the brewery and continued to make improvements (33). In Jan 1899, the company was taken over by the Bosch Brewing Co. but Frank still retained his interest and remained as manager (3). Bosch continued to operate the brewery as the Scheuermann Branch of the Bosch Brewing Co. (2). Despite the change in ownership, the Scheuermann name remained, but it changed from PHIL. SCHEUERMANN BREWING CO. to PHIL. SCHEUERMANN BREWERY on the bottles and ads, or simply SCHEUERMANN BREWERY on later ads. The Polk directories also marked this name change, being "Phil. Scheuermann Brewing Co." in 1897 (13), not listed in 1899 (14), and "Scheuermann Brewery" in 1901 (15). This name change makes sense, since it was no longer the Phil. Scheuermann Brewing Co. (it was the Bosch Brewing Co.), but the facility was still known as the Scheuermann brewery.

Newspaper ad - Mar 1899

Newspaper ad - Dec 1909

Newspaper ad - Aug 1912

In Jun 1899, work commenced to improve the Scheuermann plant, which Bosch contemplated when he acquired control (34). When finished, it was expected that the plant would be almost entirely new. A new main building would enclose the present main building, and be divided into a racking room, washhouse, machine room, boiler room, and brewhouse. New machinery would be installed piece by piece so not to interrupt current operations. It was estimated that the plant would be able to produce 50,000 barrels annually.

On or after 01 Aug 1900, the brewery released "Royal Brew" (35). It had a rich brown color and was sold "only in white bottles" (recognized as aqua today).

In May 1904, a new 70x30 ft brick, two-story bottling house with a basement was completed (38). The basement stored new bottles, while the first floor contained the washing, labeling, filling, and corking machines (38). The bottles were cleaned by tumbling them for 20 minutes in a "hot solution of soda" and then rinsing them in a tank of cold water, 16 bottles at a time (38). The bottles were then labeled, filled, and corked at a rate of 60 - 80 barrels bottled in ten hours (38). Cases for the bottles were constructed in the upper floor (38). The old framed bottling works would be moved and used for storage (38). The photograph and 1908 Sanborn map above show this new bottling house. In Jan 1908, extensive improvements were completed, which included a new refrigerator plant (36). The renovation totaled $18,000, which "practically represent the rebuilding of the entire brewery" (36).

The brewery had 12 employees in 1904 (26) and a peak of 25 in 1909 (27).

When Prohibition hit Michigan in 1918, operations ceased. After the repeal of Prohibition, Bosch opened the Bosch Brewing Co. at the Scheuermann plant, and ceased brewing in Lake Linden (4). The Scheuermann name passed into brewing history, but the Union Brewery and Scheuermann names continue to provide bottle collectors with wonderful old glass artifacts more than 150 years after the brewery was established.

Rheingold label

Bock label

Citations

1. anonymous. 1883. History of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The Western Historical Company. Chicago, IL.
2. anonymous. 1903. Biographical Record: Houghton, Baraga and Marquette Counties, Michigan. Biographical Publishing Company. Chicago, IL.
3. anonymous. (1899, Jan 26). untitled. The Copper Country Evening News (Calumet, MI). p. 3.
4. Monette, C. J. 1978. Joseph Bosch and the Bosch Brewing Company. Welden H. Curtin. Lake Linden, MI.
5. Holland, A. H. 1887. Hand-book and Guide to Hancock, Mich. Mining Journal Book and Job Print. Marquette, MI.
6. C. F. Clark. 1863. Michigan State Gazetteer and Business Directory for 1863-4. Charles F. Clark. Detroit, MI.
7. anonymous. 1895. Memorial Record of the Northern Peninsula of Michigan. The Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, IL.
8. G. W. Hawes. 1859. Michigan State Gazetteer and Business Directory for 1860. F. Raymond & Co. Detroit, MI.
9. J. E. Scripps and R. L. Polk & Co. 1873. Michigan State Gazetteer and Business Directory for 1873. Tribune Book and Job Office. Detroit, MI.
10. U.S. Census Bureau. 1870 United States Federal Census. accessed on ancestry.com.
11. anonymous. (1904, May 27). Bottling plant. Hancock Evening Journal (Hancock, MI). p. 8.
12. Michigan Department of Community Health, Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics; Lansing, Michigan; Death Records (accessed on ancestry.com).
13. R. L. Polk & Co. 1897. Houghton County Directory 1897-98. R. L. Polk & Co., Publishers. Detroit, MI.
14. R. L. Polk & Co. 1899. Houghton County Directory 1899-1900. R. L. Polk & Co., Publishers. Detroit, MI.
15. R. L. Polk & Co. 1901. Houghton County Directory 1901-02. R. L. Polk & Co., Publishers. Detroit, MI.
16. Find a Grave. accessed Aug 2021. Philip Scheuermann. findagrave.com/memorial/182276421/philip-scheuermann
17. Van Wieren, D. P. 1995. American Breweries II. Eastern Coast Brewiana Association. West Point, PA.
18. G. W. Hawes. 1860. Michigan State Gazetteer and Business Directory for 1860. F. Raymond & Co. Detroit, MI.
19. Records of the Internal Revenue Service. Internal Revenue Assessment Lists for Michigan, 1862-1866. The National Archives at Washington, DC (accessed on ancestry.com).
20. U.S. Census Bureau. 1860 United States Federal Census. accessed on ancestry.com.
21. anonymous. 1903. One Hundred Years of Brewing. H. S. Rich & Co., Publishers. Chicago and New York.
22. anonymous. (1898, May 02). Portage lake news. The Copper Country Evening News (Calumet, MI). p. 3.
23. anonymous. (1863, Aug 15). The Union Brewery. The Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 5.
24. anonymous. (1875, Jul 29). Notice. Portage Lake Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
25. anonymous. (1863, Aug 08). Gala day for beer. The Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 5.
26. Bureau of Labor and Industrial Statistics. 1905. State of Michigan Twenty-Second Annual Report of the Bureau of Labor and Industrial Statistics Including the Twelfth Annual Report of State Inspection of Factories. Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford Co., State Printers. Lansing, MI.
27. State of Michigan Department of Labor. 1910. First Annual Report of the Department of Labor of the State of Michigan. Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford Co., State Printers. Lansing, MI.
28. anonymous. (1879, Jul 24). Amount of lager beer made and sold in this district last year. Portage Lake Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
29. anonymous. (1890, May 29). About Portage Lake. Portage Lake Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
30. anonymous. (1888, Jan 12). Local jottings. Portage Lake Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
31. anonymous. (1895, Jan 08). untitled. Torch Lake Times (Lake Linden, MI). p. 3.
32. anonymous. (1898, Dec 15). Improvements being made at the Union Brewery. The Copper Country Evening News (Calumet, MI). p. 3.
33. anonymous. (1899, Mar 02). Torch Lake news. The Copper Country Evening News (Calumet, MI). p. 4.
34. anonymous. (1899, Jun 05). Portage Lake news. The Copper Country Evening News (Calumet, MI). p. 3.
35. anonymous. (1900, Aug 01). A new candidate. The Copper Country Evening News (Calumet, MI). p. 3.
36. anonymous. (1908, Jan 29). Extensive improvements. The Calumet News (Calumet, MI). p. 4.
37. anonymous. (1909, Sep 17). Brewery team runs away. The Calumet News (Calumet, MI). p. 3.