Title: Oshkosh Brewing Company
Inclusive Dates: 1894-1971 (bulk 1950-1971)

Creator:

• Oshkosh Brewing Company

Call Number: Oshkosh Mss CA; PH 3845

Quantity: 40.0 cubic feet (39 archives boxes, 30 flat boxes, and 7 records center cartons) and 2 photographs and 7 pieces of ephemera (1 folder)

Repository:

Housed at the Archives & Area Research Center, Polk Library, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh; owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

UW-Oshkosh Polk Library / Oshkosh Area Research Ctr. (Map)

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Abstract:

Records, mainly 1950-1971, of Oshkosh Brewing Company, a brewery incorporated in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, in 1894 which operated until 1971. Included are minutes and other records dealing with the company's establishment and its predecessor companies, the oldest of which dated to 1864; executive correspondence of members of the Schwalm, Kuenzl, and Glatz families who controlled the company for three generations and of David V. Uihlein who purchased a majority share in 1961; advertising and promotional material; and financial records, floor plans of the brewery, product labels, and union contracts. Also present are records from the Oshkosh Colytic Egg and Storage Company operated by the brewery. Information is included on the soft drink and malt syrup production of the Prohibition era; responses to competition experienced during its final years; and relations with the Brewers Association of America, the U.S. Brewers Association, the Wisconsin State Brewers Association, and Associated Industries of Oshkosh. Also includes a few product labels.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-osh00ca

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The origins of the Oshkosh Brewing Company, once one of the oldest breweries in the United States, lie in three independent Oshkosh breweries, the oldest of which dates to 1864. The earliest of these brewers was Lenhardt Schwalm, who immigrated to the United States from Saxony and who began brewing beer in Oshkosh in 1864. In 1866 he was joined by August Horn, a native of Bavaria. Together they operated the Horn and Schwalm Brewery in a large two-story, frame brewing plant in the section of Oshkosh known as Brooklyn. The plant included living quarters on the second floor for the owners and their families. The Horn and Schwalm Brewery, then the oldest brewing firm in the city, was leveled. by fire in 1879. The new brick building which replaced it later during that year was ultimately to serve the Oshkosh Brewery until its closing.

The J. Glatz & Son Brewery was originally established in 1869 as Glatz and Elser. In 1879 Glatz, who was born in Baden in 1829, purchased Elser's interest and conducted the business alone on Doty Street near 25th Street until 1886 when he was joined in the business by his son William. The third establishment, the L. Kuenzl Brewery, was originally established in 1875 as Kuenzl and Walter. This firm was located on Harney Street.

In 1894 these three firms merged to become the Oshkosh Brewing Company. August Horn served as the first president, John Glatz as vice president, Lorenz Kuenzl as superintendent, and William J. Glatz as treasurer. These family Dames were to remain associated with the company until 1961; subsequent company presidents included William J. Glatz (1904-1928), Otto C. Horn (1928-1941), and Arthur L. Schwalm (1941-1961). The Horn and Schwalm plant served as the main building and office, and the annual capacity of the combined plants was 100,000 barrels. In 1911 a new building was added to the Horn and Schwalm plant and the older building, previously used as the brewing house, was converted into a bottling department and office. The Kuenzl plant, which had been used as a bottling shop, was dismantled in 1913 and the Glatz plant, which had been used for manufacture and sale of draft beer, was dismantled in 1915. About this time Menominee Chief Oshkosh was adopted as the company's trademark, and Oshkosh (later Chief Oshkosh) lager became the brewery's major brand.

During Prohibition Oshkosh Brewing Co. turned to manufacturing “near beer,” root beer, and other soft drinks. In addition, as the Oshkosh Malt Products Co., the firm produced “Bakers Syrup,” “Happy Way” malt syrups, and other malt products. From 1919 to about 1926 the brewery also operated the Oshkosh Colytic Egg and Storage Company. With the repeal of Prohibition, the firm was able to begin selling “Chief Oshkosh” again by April 7, 1933.

In 1961 David V. Uihlein, a member of the prominent Milwaukee family which operated the Jos. Schlitz Brewing Co., bought controlling interest in the company and served as president from 1961 to 1968. During his tenure the company experienced increased pressure from both larger and smaller brewers. The smaller brewers offered lower prices, while the national and regional brewers had the advantage of better advertising. Uihlein placed new emphasis on updated public relations campaigns to boost sales and although the firm had previously marketed only in the Oshkosh and Fox River Valley area he expanded distribution to peripheral markets including Minnesota, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, and parts of Michigan. In 1964 the company marked the 100th anniversary of the founding of Schwalm's brewery. Among the celebration events was the launching of the Chief Oshkosh, a 65-foot riverboat which was used for promotional cruises and as the brewery's representative at community events. Uihlein also felt modernization was one of the best approaches to survival, and toward this end the firm introduced a new label in 1962 and non-returnable bottles in 1963. Uihlein also remodeled the brewery's facilities and installed new fermenting tanks. Despite these efforts the Oshkosh Brewing Co. was unable to market its product as cheaply as the national brands. In 1971 the company, which was then headed by Harold Kriz, was sold to the People's Brewing Co.

The records of the Oshkosh Brewery are one of the largest collections of brewery records held by the Historical Society. Although they are an incomplete collection which leave many important aspects of the company's history undocumented, they provide an important complement to other historical records at the Society concerning the operation and ultimate demise of many of Wisconsin's smaller brewers. Unlike the records of the Potosi Brewing Co., a comparable collection held by the Society, the Oshkosh Brewery collection includes only limited executive correspondence, Board of Directors minutes, or other papers concerning the development and implementation of corporate policy. However, also unlike the Potosi collection, the Oshkosh operation is represented with an extensive group of financial records which permit researchers to reconstruct an unusually complete picture of the company's economic status. As a result researchers can examine, for example, the company's situation during Prohibition when it turned from beer to soft drinks and malt syrup, but information on the development and impact of these changes is virtually nonexistent. In addition to the administration of the company, other areas which are under-represented in the collection include advertising and labor relations.

The collection dates from the company's incorporation in 1894, with the bulk of the collection covering the 1950s and 1960s. The records include articles of incorporation and bylaws, minutes, correspondence, ledgers and journals, audits and tax returns, reports and statements, contracts, blueprints, and artifacts organized into three series: Background Material, Correspondence, and Financial Records.

The BACKGROUND MATERIAL includes historical miscellany and information on the formation of the company in 1894. Present are two souvenir editions of the Oshkosh Daily Northwestern, correspondence relating to the company's anniversary in 1956, and newspaper clippings. Also listed here is an assortment of labels, letterhead stationery, two photographs, beer cans, bottle caps, and other artifacts, the originals of which are available in the Visual and Sound Archives at the Historical Society. Photocopies of these items are included with the papers.

Records on the 1894 merger include the original articles of incorporation with amendments and bylaws, handwritten minutes of a few stockholders meetings (which include a list of property each partner brought to the merger), treasurer's reports, contracts, and miscellaneous records of the Oshkosh Colytic Egg and Storage Co. and the Gilt Edge Realty Co., both apparently subsidiaries of the brewery. Unfortunately, additional minutes of the Board of Directors still in existence when the records were donated to the Society in 1979 were retained by company officers and are unavailable.

CORRESPONDENCE exists only for the years 1953-1966, with the years 1953-1957 most extensively covered. The correspondence is arranged as a chronologically-arranged general file and as a separate file of correspondence with trade and business organizations. The majority of the general correspondence is that of company president Arthur L. Schwalm, vice president Earl S. Horn, and treasurer Lorenz Kuenzl and later in the 1960s, of president David V. Uihlein and brewmaster Wilbur M. Strottman. There is also a separate file for Earl S. Horn which consists of letters exchanged with his sister Lucile H. Otto and other relatives who were holders of Oshkosh Brewing Co. stock; it contains information on the general status of the company, sales figures, future plans, and news of corporate officers. Only a few letters concern personal matters or his family's other investments.

The general correspondence covers a wide variety of topics. Company officers frequently wrote their representative in Washington, D.C., about the reduction of taxes, regulation of taverns, the needs of small businesses, and labor matters. A large portion of the general correspondence pertains to relations with suppliers of brewing products and manufacturers of office equipment. There is also some correspondence with insurance companies concerning machinery and workers' injuries and with freight companies and local taverns.

Also prominently documented in the general correspondence are the company's public relations efforts, although some additional coverage of this topic occurs with the financial records. Included here are communications with advertising and printing agencies about the printed materials used in marketing Chief Oshkosh beer and with local radio stations concerning radio advertising. There are also requests for Chief Oshkosh advertising items, for tours of the brewery, and for information about the brewing industry and the promotional contests sponsored by the company. The correspondence also refers to the company's participation in community affairs and its contributions to individuals, organizations, and institutions.

The trade association correspondence consists of files on the company's involvement with several state and national trade associations and with the Associated Industries of Oshkosh. The AIO files, which are particularly interesting, contain surveys on wages and conditions in the Oshkosh labor market as well as a strike manual prepared for members in 1964. The correspondence with the national and state brewers' organizations concerns conferences, taxation, and proposed legislation. The U.S. Brewers Association files include some promotional kits prepared for tavern owners.

The FINANCIAL RECORDS of the Oshkosh Brewing Co. include statements, audits and tax files; ledgers and journals; and records on property, promotion, sales, distribution, production, and employment. These records are arranged alphabetically by type.

Of the financial records, the most generally useful are the summary records such as audits (1933-1969), state and federal tax returns (1912-1970), trial balances (1898-1966), and financial statements (1949-1970). The state and federal income tax returns are unusually complete. Also useful although more detailed are the general ledgers which provide transaction data for the majority of the company's history. A separately-filed set of sales ledgers include records on direct sales to customers (1913-1966) and to distributors (1917-1966). In addition to the summary records, the collection also includes a variety of useful comparative financial data, the majority of which appears to have been assembled during Uihlein's tenure as head of the company. Unfortunately, records pertaining to the sale and final disposition of assets in 1971 are not included.

In addition to the accounting files the collection includes financial and statistical files on other aspects of the company's operations such as records pertaining to distribution, employment, inventories, property, and promotion.

The distribution records include federal and state label registration forms containing sample beer labels, lists of distributors, some comparative data, and correspondence.

Employment records consist of payroll journals for the general workforce and for company managers and salesmen and an earnings record of summarized data arranged by department. Other than these files, there is no other biographical information in the collection about its employees. Also with the employment records is an alphabetical subject file which contains background information and some correspondence pertaining to labor matters. Very little in this section pertains to collective bargaining, although the workforce was unionized before the turn of the century. There is, however, a file of final contracts (1930-1970) with Local Union #90 Brewery, Soft Drink, and Distillery Workers.

Production records include statistical data and product inventories as well as some files pertaining to quality control. The records, some apparently maintained by the production department and others kept by the brewmaster, contain entries of various types for materials used in brewing and for various stages of the brewing process. Quality control records include metered readings of alcoholic content, sampled reports from the chemical firm retained by Oshkosh to monitor quality, FDA approvals, and other information.

The promotion records include little of the actual advertising produced for the company, but there is some correspondence and reports from agencies which the brewery hired to study its market and to raise sales and information about several public relations campaigns including contests, the Chief Oshkosh, and activities surrounding the company's 90th anniversary. Of special note are scripts for television ads and lyrics for radio jingles with comments on the projected target audience.

Property records consist of appraisals and inventories, both arranged by time period and both becoming increasingly detailed and comprehensive during the documented period. Of note is information on a bar operated by the company in 1898, lists of bottle beer customers in that same year (with the 1923 list), detailed and extensive inventories of the J. Glatz and Son and the Horn and Schwalm plants, and an inventory for the Oshkosh Colytic Egg and Storage Co. The property records also include blueprints and floor plans of the Oshkosh Brewing Co., floor plans for two taverns apparently owned by the brewery, and maps indicating the location of brewery properties.

Acquisition Information

Presented via Andrew Thompson, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, 1979. Accession Number: M79-284

Processing Information

Processed by Loralee J. Bloom, 1988-1989.

Oshkosh Mss CA	Series: Background Material
Box   1 Folder   1-2	The Chief, 1950, 1952
Box   1 Folder   3	90th anniversary correspondence, 1955-1956
Box   1 Folder   4	Newspaper clippings, 1953-1965, undated
PH 3845	Photographs
Folder   1	“One of the oldest taverns in Wisconsin,” Butler's Tavern, circa 1940s
Folder   1	“Oshkosh Brewing Company, Oshkosh, Wisconsin,” 1953 September 24
Folder   1	Product labels, 1929-1964
Oshkosh Mss CA Box   1 Folder   5	Copies of product labels
Box   2 Folder   1	Articles of incorporation and by-laws, 1894-1945
Box   2 Folder   2-3	Minutes of directors and stockholders meetings, 1894-1912, 1950-1960
Box   2 Folder   4	Secretary's and treasurer's reports, 1895-1911
Box   2 Folder   5-6	Miscellaneous contracts, 1899-1969
	Subsidiary companies
Box   2 Folder   10-11	Oshkosh Colytic Egg & Storage Co.: customer ledger and miscellany, 1919-1925
Box   2 Folder   12	Gilt Edge Realty Co.: insurance policies and miscellaneous records, 1950-1959
	Series: Correspondence	⇧
	General correspondence
Box   3	1953-1957
Box   4	1958-1965
	Professional organizations
Box   75 Folder   1-5	Associated Industries of Oshkosh, 1958-1965
Box   75 Folder   6-10	Brewers Association of America, 1956-1965
	U.S. Brewers Association
Box   75 Folder   11-15	1956-1962
Box   76 Folder   1-3	1963-1966
Box   76 Folder   4-7	Wisconsin State Brewers Association, 1956-1963
Box   76 Folder   8	Miscellaneous state wholesalers' associations, 1964-1965
Box   2 Folder   7-9	Earl S. Horn file, 1953-1957
	Series: Financial Records	⇧
	Audits
Box   26	1933-1956
Box   27 Folder   1-13	1957-1969
	Distribution
Box   29 Folder   10-11	Correspondence and reports, 1950-1964
Box   30 Folder   1-3	Distributors' monthly sales comparison cards, 1949-1958
	Label registration forms
Box   30 Folder   4	Federal registrations, 1941-1970
Box   30 Folder   5	State registrations, 1951-1967 Illinois, , 1964
Box   30 Folder   6	Lists of distributors by state, circa 1964
Box   30 Folder   7	Distributors' prices, circa 1956
	Employment records
	Statistics
	General workforce records
	Payroll journals
Box   56	1933-1941
Box   57	1942-1947
Box   58	1948-1952
Box   59	1953-1956
Box   60	1957-1962
Box   61	1963-1970
	Departmental earnings record
Box   62	1937-1961
Box   63	1962-1971
	Management earnings record
Box   64	1947-1965
Box   65	1966-1970
	Subject file
Box   66 Folder   6-7	Contracts, 1930-1970
Box   67 Folder   1	Disability insurance, 1953-1963
Box   67 Folder   20	Employer/employee relations, 1953-1966
Box   67 Folder   18	Executive salaries report, 1952
Box   67 Folder   2-7	Liability insurance, 1953-1963
Box   66 Folder   1-5	Negotiating information, 1953-1964
Box   67 Folder   8-11	Unemployment compensation, 1953-1959
Box   67 Folder   19	Wage and salary adjustments, 1942-1945
Box   67 Folder   12-13	Welfare and pension plan, 1959-1964
Box   67 Folder   14-17	Workmen's Compensation, 1959-1962
	Expense records, Comparative
Box   25 Folder   11	Delivery expenses, 1933-1961
Box   25 Folder   12	Office and administration expenses, 1933-1961
Box   25 Folder   13	Selling expenses, 1933-1961
Box   25 Folder   14-15	Departmental expenses, 1935-1966
Box   25 Folder   16-17	Departmental costs per barrel, 1935-1966
Box   25 Folder   18-20	Total costs per barrel, 1935-1966
Box   25 Folder   21-23	Total costs per case, 1935-1966
	Journals
	General
Box   17	1894-1898
Box   18	1898-1902
Box   19	1918-1924
Box   20	1924-1928
Box   15 Folder   1-2	1931-1935
	Specialized
Box   15 Folder   3	Cash received, 1931-1935
	Check register
Box   15 Folder   4-5	Part I
Box   16 Folder   1-3	Part II
Box   16 Folder   4-5	Invoice register, 1931-1935
	Summary of accounts
Box   14 Folder   1	1894-1904
Box   14 Folder   2	1904-1921
Box   14 Folder   3	1922-1942
	Ledgers (General)
Box   5	1894-1897
Box   6	1897-1900
Box   7	1901-1905
Box   8	1906-1912
Box   9	1913-1918
	1919-1933
Box   10	A-S
Box   11 Folder   1	T-Z
	1936-1962
Box   11 Folder   2-8	Accounts 1-3022
Box   12	Accounts 3027-8068
Box   13 Folder   1-3	Accounts 8076-9142
	Production records
	Statistics
Box   53 Folder   1-2	Departmental production record, 1963-1971
Box   53 Folder   3	Brewmaster's production log, 1964-1971
	Daily product inventory
Box   53 Folder   4-5	1925-1933, 1952-1955
Box   54 Folder   1-4	1955-1964, 1969-1971
Box   54 Folder   5	Daily bottling and packaging record, 1965-1969
Box   55 Folder   1	Materials inventory, 1954-1970
Box   55 Folder   8	Comparative barrel production, 1933-1966
	Quality control
Box   54 Folder   6	Alcohol content readings, 1955-1967
Box   55 Folder   4	Certificate of pure beer, 1933
Box   55 Folder   3	Chemists' reports, 1958-1961
Box   55 Folder   2	Contracts for products, 1957-1970
Box   55 Folder   6	FDA approvals, 1960-1963
Box   55 Folder   5	FTC malting industry investigation, 1957
Box   55 Folder   7	Ingredients list, 1970
	Promotion
	Advertising
Box   28 Folder   1-3	Correspondence and reports, 1952-1964
Box   28 Folder   4	Advertising expenses, 1935-1961
Box   28 Folder   5-6	Sign contracts, 1953-1970
Box   28 Folder   7	Billboard contracts, 1951-1971
Box   28 Folder   8	Radio advertising, 1964
Box   28 Folder   9	WBAY-TV - Green Bay, 1963-1964
Box   29 Folder   1-3	Marketing surveys, 1956-1960
	Public relations
Box   29 Folder   4	Contests, 1961-1966
Box   29 Folder   5	Christmas beer, 1958-1964
Box   29 Folder   6	Complimentary Oshkosh street directory, 1916
Box   29 Folder   7	Chief Oshkosh riverboat, 1963-1964
Box   29 Folder   8	Complimentary beer to newcomers, 1965
Box   29 Folder   9	Green Bay Packers tickets, 1966
	Property records
	Appraisals
Box   68 Folder   1-4	Appraisal book, 1904-1944
	Sheets
Box   68 Folder   5-15	1945-1955
Box   69 Folder   1-6	1957-1961
	Inventories
Box   69 Folder   8	Books, 1913-1925
Box   69 Folder   7	Book, 1898-1923
Box   69 Folder   9	Book, 1924-1941
	Book, 1942-1952
Box   69 Folder   10	Part I
Box   70 Folder   1	Part II
Box   70 Folder   2-3	Book, 1953-1961
Box   70 Folder   4-9	Sheets, 1962-1968
Box   71	Blueprints, floor plans, maps, 1932-1966, undated
Box   72 Folder   1	Building contracts, 1954-1957
Box   72 Folder   2	Property liability insurance, 1956-1957
Box   72 Folder   3-8	Automobile liability insurance, 1953-1963
Box   72 Folder   9	Miscellany, 1951-1957
	Sales records
	Distributors' sales
Box   31	1917-1920, 1925-1930
Box   32	1938-1941
Box   33	1942-1947
Box   34	1948-1953
Box   35	1954-1960
Box   36	1961-1966
	Wholesale and retail sales
	Records of sales and cash receipts
Box   37	1915-1918, 1927-1933
Box   38 Folder   1-3	1933-1969
Box   38 Folder   4	Drivers' daily sales record, 1971
	Customer records
Box   39	Daybook, 1923-1933
	Customer ledgers
	Early
Box   40 Folder   1	1913-1932
Box   40 Folder   2-4	1917-1933
Box   41 Folder   1-7	Infrequent customers (?), 1958-1966
	Frequent purchasers (?)
	1961-1962
Box   41 Folder   8-11	A-G
Box   42	H-SE
Box   43 Folder   1-3	SH-Z
	1962-1963
Box   43 Folder   4-7	A-F
Box   44	G-M
Box   45	N-Z
	1963-1964
Box   46	A-KD
Box   47	KE-V
Box   48 Folder   1	Y-Z
	1964-1965
Box   48 Folder   2-10	A-K
Box   49	L-T
Box   50 Folder   1-2	U-Z
	1965-1966
Box   50 Folder   3-10	A-K
Box   51	L-Z
	Statistics
Box   52 Folder   1-16	Yearly comparisons, 1934-1966
Box   52 Folder   17-18	Monthly comparisons (wholesale and retail), 1933-1966
	Statements
	Trial balances
Box   21	1898-1927
Box   22	1928-1938
Box   23	1939-1966
	Monthly financial statements
Box   24	1949-1959
Box   25 Folder   1-10	1960-1970
	Tax records
Box   73	Corporate income tax returns, 1912-1970
	Supplementary tax forms
	Federal tax records
Box   74 Folder   1	Appeal of over-assessment, 1924
Box   74 Folder   2-7	Beer tax returns (Form 2034), 1956-1971
Box   74 Folder   8	Brewer's bond, 1951-1971
Box   74 Folder   9-10	Brewer's monthly report of operations (Form 103), 1956-1963
Box   74 Folder   11	Brewer's notice of operational changes (Form 27C), 1949-1971
Box   74 Folder   12	Correspondence, 1953-1963
Box   74 Folder   13	Income tax examinations, 1956-1960
Box   74 Folder   14	Meter reading and bottling house inventory, 1956-1963
	State tax records
Box   74 Folder   15	Illinois report of alcohol shipped, 1961-1963
Box   74 Folder   16	Michigan report of excise tax transactions, 1953-1963
Box   74 Folder   17-18	Minnesota report of shipments and tax return, 1956-1960
	Wisconsin
Box   74 Folder   19-20	Audits, 1916-1924, 1930-1935
Box   74 Folder   21	Property tax reports, 1945-1970
Box   74 Folder   22	Miscellaneous tax records, 1962-1971