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.
