Rahr Brewery & Malting

All things Rahr and related

Rahr family history – C. 2021 manitowoctavernhistory.

William Rahr I & Natalie Rahr – The following images of William and Natalie Rahr (Founders of Rahr Brewery) were donated to this site by Michael Duescher who received them from his wife’s uncle, William Rahr Torrison. William Rahr Torrison received them from his grandmother, Martha (Rahr) Spindler, who was the daughter of William Rahr II, the first son born to William and Natalie Rahr.

William Rahr I – circa 1849. Image credit: Michael Duescher.

Natalie Rahr – circa 1849. Image credit: Michael Duescher.

Rahr Brewery – January 4, 1851. Ad – The Manitowoc Daily Herald.

The poem above – spelled out.

Rahr Brewery – Saturday, May 14, 1853. The Manitowoc Daily Herald.

Rahr Brewery – 1860. Manitowoc Weekly Tribune.

The William Rahr Sons’ Company – May 29, 1897. Letter to Ogden, Utah Malting company.

William Rahrs’s Sons – Eagle Brewery Employee photo taken in 1897. This brewery operated from 1849 until 1920. This photo cannot be copied or reproduced without the written permission of the Manitowoc Public Library.

Rahr Brewery – Thursday, June 18, 1903. Ad – The Manitowoc Daily Herald.

Rahr Brewery – Tuesday, June 30, 1903. Ad – Manitowoc Daily Herald.

Rahr Brewery – August 8, 1903. Ad – Manitowoc Daily Herald.

William Rahr Sr. – circa 1900. William Sr. was the son of William, the founder of the Rahr Brewery. In 1900 he resigned as president of the brewery and devoted all his energies to operating Manitowoc Malting Company with his two sons, Max Jr. and William Jr. along with his wife, Olga.

Manitowoc Malting Company, circa 1900. From the book, 100 Years of Brewing, H.S. Rich & Co., 1903.

The William Rahr Sons’ Company – Illustration – circa early 1900s. Image courtesy of Dan Brunner.

The William Rahr Sons’ Company – August 22, 1913. Letter to Becker Brewing Co., Odgen, Utah.

William Rahr Sons’ Company – Monday, August 11, 1913. Article – Manitowoc Daily Herald.

The Manitowoc Malting Company – May 12, 1914. Letter to Becker Brewing Co., Odgen, Utah.

William Rahr Sons’ Company Eagle Brewery – circa early 1900’s pre-prohibition beer glass.

William Rahr Sons’ Brewery – 1916. From an old postcard. Image courtesy of Michael Novak.

Cereal Products Company, 1926. Ad found in the brochure for the Manitowoc County Fair. Since this was during the time of prohibition, Rahr Malting became a cereal products maker to survive.

Rahr Malting Company – July 1, 1943. Letter to Tennessee Brewing Company.

Rahr Malting Company – letter, page 2.

Rahr Malting Company – letter, page 3.

Rahr Malting Co. – circa 1940s. Matchbook – front.

Rahr Malting Co. – matchbook, back.

Rahr Malting Co. – matchbook – circa 1940s.

Rahr Malting Co. – matchbook – inside cover.

Rahr Malting Company – June 1945. Roasting department.

Rahr Malting Co. – June 1945. S. 7th & Washington St. Horse head images on brick siding (removed a number of years ago by the Rahr family). Gottscho-Schleisner photography (slightly blurred image).

Rahr Malting Company – May 26, 1946. Elevator construction.

Anheuser-Busch Grain storage towers – located at S. 7th & Washington St. This postcard photo is circa 1960s. This facility was sold by the Rahr family to Anheuser-Busch in 1962.

Rahr Malting Co. – circa 1980’s. Toy Cardboard Train Car holding 25 books of matches. The pencil shows the size of the train car.

Rahr Horse Stable building – located on the brewery grounds at S. 7th and Washington St. This photo was taken in 1990 before the Horse heads were removed from the side of the building. Photo courtesy of Michael Novak.

Rahr Horse Stable – This photo was taken in 2008 after the horse heads had been removed from the side of the building. Photo courtesy of Michael Novak.

Anheuser-Busch article – August 1, 2011. Courtesy of Manitowoc Herald Times/Gannett.com

Riverland AG Marine Tower – November 21, 2011. This was the former Anheuser-Busch malting facility sold to Riverland AG in 2011.

The oversized vinyl beer bottle banners on the side of three downtown Manitowoc Riverland Ag. Corp. grain silos are coming today and Thursday. One local businessman, Dr. Freud’s Jim Vogel called them an iconic symbol of the city. The banners have been a highly visible downtown landmark for nearly 20 years. Beneath the banners are a painted mural on the concrete silos depicting two cans and a bottle of Anheuser-Busch beer, the former owners of the mammoth malting plant until sold the summer of 2011 to Riverland. A representative of the company removing the banners indicated the murals also would be removed within a week. Photo taken on Wednesday, November 7, 2012. Sue Pischke/HTR

Riverland Ag towers – November 19, 2012.

Briess Malting towers – April 22, 2021.