This file portion of www.watertownhistory.org website
William Hartig Brewery
William Hartig
1851 - 1923
The brewery was
started in 1884 by cousins William Hartig and Carl Manz, both of
MIlwaukee. William Hartig had come from
Slinger where he had been in the brewery business with Charles Storck.
Hartig's mother was a
Krug and somehow related to Joseph Schlitz.
His father's name remains unknown at this time.
In 1896 he bought out
Manz and the brewery became known as the William Hartig Brewery and operated
until Prohibition. William Hartig died
in 1922 and is buried in Oak
Hill Cemetery in Watertown.
His family re-opened
the brewery in 1933 and ran it with modest success until the early 1940s when
they sold it to out of town investors.
The quality began to suffer and it shut down in 1946 and declared
bankruptcy in 1947. The buildings were
torn down in 1953 and a supermarket was built on the
site in 1954.
William Hartig Family Genealogy & Brewery History
1897 Ad
Is one
of the most complete and the quality of Beer that is turned out can not be
excelled. The plant covers an area of 80
x 300 feet and is complete in every detail.
The annual product is about 20,000 barrels of Beer and 200,000 bushels
of Malt. Bottled Beer For Family Use.
1897 image
Click to enlarge
1897 image labeled
with following areas of the brewery complex:
Office, Bottling
Department, Wash House, Shipping Room, Cold Storage, Malt House, Elevators,
Boiler House, Fermentation, Stables.
1906
04 20 1906
William Hartig the
enterprising and progressive brewer has equipped his institution with a large
new boiler, reshingled his barn and removed the old ice house north of the
brewery and cleaned things up generally and is making everything about the
establishment as neat as a new pin.
1948
Brewery tunnels, cellars, of early days discovered
1952-53
The Hartig brewery
buildings were torn down in 1952-53 to make way for a National Tea Store. Today this is the site for Tom’s Grocery
(United Foods)
1971
Relic of
a Happier Era
An object which many
older residents of Watertown will view as a sentimental relic of a happier era
was taken from Rock River here the other day by Bruce Kaesermann, aged 11, son
of Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Kaesermann,
The keg still has on
it a brass plate bearing the name of the Hartig Brewing Co. whose plant was
located in the block which now houses the National Food Store in
The brewery was the
largest single building in Watertown. It
was but one of several breweries here, but it was the last to survive, having
gone through the Prohibition era when it converted to making “near beer” and
ice cream. When Prohibition ended it converted back to making beer. Along, with most smaller breweries in the
state, it finally faded from the scene, leaving the field to the major
breweries and monopolies which now turn out beer that does not even approach
the fine brew which Hartig’s and other smaller breweries produced years and
years ago.
Image
Portfolio
Click to enlarge
1902 1911 1912
Picturesque Watertown
Hartig Beer Labels:
Bock Beer, Vintage bottle and neck labels
Old Wisconsin Premium Beer label
Bock Beer, Vintage bottle and neck labels
Goose Brand Beer Cross reference to Watertown
Stuffed Geese
Cross-References:
No 1: Philip Hartig, president of Hartig Co after
his father’s (William) death and up until time business was sold to outside
interests in about 1945.
