History of the Bellingham Bay Brewery:

PLANNING & PRE-CONSTRUCTION

3-B trade mark - image The history of the Bellingham Bay Brewery [3-B] began when Leopold F. Schmidt, president and owner of the Capital Brewing Company of Tumwater, soon to become the Olympia Brewing Company, chose the site for the company's newest brewery. He selected the city of Whatcom as the site for his new plant as it was ideally located on the northern end of Puget Sound, in the northwest corner of Washington State.

Situated on Bellingham Bay, the mill town made an excellent distribution hub. It had, not only a fine seaport with the largest and most perfect landlocked harbor on the Pacific Coast, 25miles nearer the ocean and l00 miles nearer Alaska than any Puget Sound rival, but was also served by the Bellingham Bay & British Columbia Railroad. Plus, the BB & BC connected with a terminus of three transcontinental railroads: the Great Northern, the Northern Pacific, and the Canadian Pacific railways. This water & rail distribution advantage was reflected in the 3-B trade mark [at right] - reg. 31 Sept. 1902. Schmidt stated that the plant will be employed almost entirely in supplying the growing foreign trade in export lager beer from the Pacific Coast.

The story of the Bellingham Bay Brewery would be incomplete without the mention of Henry Schupp. Henry emigrated from Germany in 1882, and arrived in Montana Territory in 1889, there befriending Leopold Schmidt. The two friends soon formed a partnership and established the Merchants Hotel. While Henry was at Basin, he and Leopold, then living in Butte, formed another partnership to drill an artesian well and build a waterworks system at Basin. When Leopold moved to Washington Territory to build his new brewery in 1895, Henry joined him the following year. He became secretary/treasurer of newly established Capital Brewing Company, and when plans were made to build a new branch plant in Whatcom [to become Bellingham in 1904] Leopold chose his most trusted associate to be the on site representative. The 1901 Whatcom City Directory lists Henry Schupp, manager of the Capital Brewing Co. Depot at Ohio & N. Elk (site of the new brewery). See obit of H.H. Schupp

Schupp was receiving constant instructions from Tumwater during these planning stages in 1901. In February plans were laid for a cold storage building to the east of the railroad tracks, and for a rail head to deliver mill goods to the construction site. A local newspaper, the Daily Reveille, announced:

"It is reported that a brewery will be erected in New Whatcom, Wash., at a cost of about $70,000, by the Capital Brewing Co., a site for that purpose having already been secure."

On the 5th of March the contract was let for ½ million bricks, and on the 31st of March instructions were issued to commence building the Ice Factory & Cold Storage facility. The plan was for the 83' X 45' structure to be finished as soon as possible, as machinery was arriving from Chicago and Schmidt wanted to be able to freeze by 15 June. The brewery was to be constructed adjacent to the Ice plant. The Ice plant project apparently stayed on schedule. The 1902 City Directory carried an ad on the back cover stating:

"For Pure Beer, For Pure Ice, call the Olympia Brewing Company, telephone Main 31....No. Elk & Ohio."

CONSTRUCTION

Actual construction of the Bellingham Bay Brewery began on January 10, 1902, but this was not the first brewery to bear the 3-B name. While not affiliated with Schmidt's future brewery, a "Bellingham Bay Brewery & Saloon" was est. in 1885 by Jacob Beck. The source for his brewery's water was Chinook Creek, and it's probable that it was a water quality issue that terminated production of his 5¢ a glass "Whatcom Beer" for after only one year he closed his brewery. He later built the landmark Beck's Theater at a cost of $155,000, then the largest and finest opera house in the West, seating 2,200.

In 1902 Whatcom, the quality of brewing water was still as much an issue for Schmidt's 3-B as it was for Beck in 1885. The town used Lake Whatcom for its primary water source. "It's the Water" was not only an Olympia Beer slogan (adopted that year), it was also Schmidt's guiding principle. This lake water was rejected as lacking in purity. Instead the 3-B drilled private wells and established a waterworks on its property "at an expenditure of $8,000" according to a newspaper account. As construction neared completion a local newspaper detailed the project. The following is from the Daily Reveille of November 28, 1902:

"Bellingham Bay Brewery to Commence Operations - The big Bellingham Bay Brewery is completed. The machinery has all been installed and tested and is now ready for operation. The first brew will be made next Monday or Tuesday. The Bellingham Bay Brewery is the finest brewery west of Chicago and the equal of any in the United States. There are many breweries in the United States as large and some larger than this one, but none with such a combination of modern machinery and appliances. All the latest and most modern appliances known to the manufacturers of beer have been installed in this magnificent plant without regard to cost. When completed it will have cost from $250,000 to $300,000.

The brewery is located on North Elk street; it is an imposing five-story structure, with a frontage of 182 feet, 85 feet high and 84 feet deep, a brick smokestack 100 feet high, fourteen feet in diameter at its base and seven feet on top. The structure is built entirely of stone, brick and iron with concrete and asphalt floors and may be classed among the few fireproof buildings in Washington. It required in its construction one million bricks, forty carloads of stone, ten carloads of cement and eight carloads of structural iron, besides the lime, sand, concrete, stone, etc.

The structure was built after the plans and specifications made by the well known brewery architect, Rich. Griesser, of Chicago, and the construction was superintended by Robt. Weismann of the same city who has been busily engaged ever since the 10th of January in pushing this work to completion.

This brewery has many unique features, chief among them which is its equipment. The brewhouse (right) and cellars are furnished the most modern appliances known to science in the art of brewing. Among the most noteworthy of these appliances may be mentioned the Jos. Schneible Co. system which stands unique in its simplicity and perfectness for producing a healthful, brilliant and sparkling beer. This system has never before been installed in any brewery on the Pacific coast, although it is well known in the east in the larger breweries. Most of this machinery will be electrically driven by separate motors, distributed through the various floors and rooms. The building is also lighted throughout with electricity, the company furnishing its own current.

The most prominent features in this machine room (left) are a 150 horsepower Corlise engine and two forty- ton ice machines, furnished by the Vitter Manufacturing Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There is a 65 horsepower Ide high-speed engine, one 300 volt dynamo, various large power pumps, a Gardner Air compressor, and a complete carbonic gas-collecting plant and compressor. The wash house (right) and racking room are furnished with the most modern and improved labor-saving devices so far invented for the use of breweries.

This plant will have the capacity or rather yearly output of 50,000 barrels of beer. To Mr. Leopold F. Schmidt, president of the Olympia Brewing Company, Olympia, belongs the credit of selecting Whatcom for this great enterprise, he having long ago recognized the advantages and great future of Whatcom and Whatcom County. Mr. Schmidt is well known for his great business ability and boundless energy, upright, straight and strict in his dealings and has the esteem of all his fellow citizens and there will be no question but that he will make as grand a success of this new plant as he did out of the now famous Olympia brewery.

F. L. Fitch, who has been connected with the Schneible Company for the past fifteen years, superintended the installing of the Schneible machinery. In speaking of that system of brewing to a Reveille reporter yesterday Mr. Fitch said:
"We claim to make a beer freer from any foreign matter by the Schneible system than can be made by any other system known to the manufacturers of beer. While the beer is being manufactured under this system it never comes in contact with the atmosphere and is consequently free from microbes and all foreign substances which naturally exist in beer that is exposed to the atmosphere while being manufactured. All the air that is used is sterilized and filtered besides. The beer manufactured by this system contains no fermented substance when it goes on the market, unlike beer made under any of the old systems. In one of the filters alone there are forty sheets of ducking through the beer passes under pressure while hot. The finished beer is filtered under a very low temperature. This operation is also carried on under heavy pressure."

The Bellingham Bay Brewery Company occupies nearly an entire block of ground with its brewery, storehouses and ice plant. It is admirably situated on the B.B. & B.C. railroad and has a side track of its own to which cars from any of the roads may be switched.

The cellar of the brewery has a storage capacity of 50,000 barrels (left) and by using the brew-house 100,000 barrels of beer can be stored in the establishment at one time. Six carloads of malt have already arrived and there are five more cars on the road.

An addition to the new ice plant (right), that was erected a year ago, will be enlarged to almost treble its present capacity, which will be about twenty tons of ice daily."

Through November and December of 1902 local newspaper ads proclaimed: "On the First Day of the New Year - will appear - Bright and Clear - 3-B BEER." On the 30th of December an inaugural reception and banquet was hosted at the brewery, continuing the next day with a gala New Years Eve celebration, where the public was treated to the first batch of "Bellingham Bay Beer" or "3-B Beer" as it became popularly known. On January 17, 1903, the Fairhaven Times reported that "3-B is turning out 400 barrels per week." On 30 June, the city of Whatcom licensed the brewery for retail sales to the public. 3-B's beautiful color plate first appeared in the 1904 Whatcom City Directory opposite the Brewery's listing.

The brewery's first label (below) depicted three bees as an obvious play on the 3-B brand name. Also the label uses Whatcom instead of Bellingham, which became the city's name on October 1904. Along with Whatcom, the "three bees" were also discontinued, and no other label or advertising used the bees again.

3-B Beer label c.1903 - image

"3-Bee label" c.1903-04 - Bob Kay collection

COMPETITION & PROMOTION

With the brewery on-line 3-B now had to secure the local market, as well as a west coast market, to utilize its capacity and maximize profits. The only local competition was from the Whatcom Brewing & Malting Co., and "imports" from Seattle and Tacoma. Founded in 1899 by Fritz Grathwohl, and after an unprofitable two and a half years, he sold out to a group of Bellingham businessmen for $20,000. This group was comprised of the brewery's superintendent and local saloon owners - and it appears that Leopold Schmidt was behind this takeover.

The new management invested in improvements and initiated an aggressive advertising campaign. It was now at full capacity and enjoying an increased demand for its product.

The 3-B had been in operation a mere two weeks when Schmidt completed his planned takeover. On 13 January of 1903, after only nine months, the revitalized brewery was absorbed by 3-B for $50,000. A number of the saloon owners took stock in 3-B for part of their holdings, and all ten saloons were now "tied-houses".

Dealing with the "imports" required a different strategy. With the hometown advantage, 3-B made its presence known in the town's many saloons through intensive promotions and "sweetheart" deals to pour 3-B Beer to the exclusion of all others. Thus established brands like Rainier Beer from Seattle Brewing & Malting, and Pacific Beer from Tacoma's Pacific Brewing & Malting, saw their market share dwindle.

Saloon token

"spinner"

½ pint

Saloons were also important in introducing the 3-B Beer to Fairhaven &
Whatcom - soon to become Bellingham.

Tokens for a free glass of 3-B Beer, and
a tin bar spinner (right) are examples of promotional items given to saloon patrons.

Nor could these "imports" from Seattle & Tacoma compete with 3-B's free home delivery. Fairhaven's Evening Herald of July 6, 1903 announced:

"Two dozen ½ pint bottles of 3-B Beer - Delivered to your home for $1.00 - Just think of it, it's cheaper than city water. Try a case."

The ½ pint bottles mentioned in the ad (above - right) were manufactured by the Holt Glass Works of West Berkeley, CA. Since the bottles name Whatcom instead of Bellingham, we know that these bottles were made before October of 1904, and may have used the "three Bees" label (above). The cases of beer were delivered by a fleet of horse drawn wagons, in the same manner that the milkman delivered his wares. All of the beer bottled at the brewery was bottled with the "modern" crown closures. The bottles were un-embossed, brown glass, bottles which then had paper labels affixed (left). The brewery's Bottling House shows quart bottles being filled (right).

Cap lifter or "church key" c. 1910. It was meant to be placed on a key chain and had the additional feature of a Prest-O-Lite key. This square hole served as a wrench to open the valve on carbide tanks located on the running boards of early autos. When the valve was opened, it supplied gas for the headlights.

A nice promotional item was this nickel coated, "clam shell" match safe from 1903 . The match was removed by gripping it in the cutout and lifting the spring loaded lid enough to free it. There are grooved end plates for striking the match.
Another popular item was the watch fob. It's made of brass with a gold wash. On the reverse is embossed: "Compliments of Bellingham Bay Brewery, Inc. Bellingham, Wash."

Another way to promote the brand was to own a baseball team. The traditional link between beer and baseball is usually attributed to Colonel Jacob Ruppert, owner of the New York Yankees. However, it appears that Leopold Schmidt was just as innovative, and his team pre-dates the Yankees by about 10 years. While his Bellingham team never produced the likes of the class-A Bellingham Mariner's, Ken Griffey, Jr., it was still a local hit.

The most widespread method used by breweries to promote their brand of beer was to place their name on various items utilized by the primary purveyors - the saloons. The most obvious was the outdoor signs (right) many of which were quite decorative. Most were "reverse-painted-on glass" or porcelain, and are highly prized by collectors.

Another desirable item used to promote the brewery was the beer stein. 3-B had an especially nice example (left) which, due to the cost of manufacture, must have only been given to special accounts or share holders. Schmidt apparently contracted with the same German manufacturer to make steins for all three of his breweries. The steins for the Olympia, Salem, and Bellingham breweries are identical, and came out at the same time - 1907. This set of three can be seen on the Olympia Brewing Company page.

Another common advertising item was (and still is) the beer tray. 3-B ordered its first tray, an original graphic depicting the factory, from Chas. W. Shonk of Chicago, IL. The rest of its trays were "stock trays" which meant that they were not unique to 3-B, and the images were used by other breweries. This practice precluded the expensive of commissioning original art work. The brewery appears to have purchased these stock trays exclusively from the Meek Co. (1901-1909) of Coshoncton, OH. When Jasper Meek retired the firm remained in business as the American Art Works, and supplied 3-B with the "Old Heidelberg" trays after 1910.

An unusual piece, and one that is unique, is a display plate depicting the factory in high relief (below).
The beer glass is another item that could effectively promote the brewery's product. There are three major variations versions of etched glasses depicting the 3-B factory: one names Whatcom, WA (1903-04); another names Bellingham, WA (1904-10) (below); and the third names Bellingham, and adds the brand Old Heidelberg (1910-15). The Old Heidelberg items can be seen further below under the topic heading - "New Ownership."

3-B Whatcom porcelain stopper - image

This Ceramic stopper has the monogram of Joseph B. Cuneo, proprietor of the Bellingham Bay Brewery Bottling Works,
San Francisco, from 1904-1906.

Quart bottle, c. 1904-1906
"BELLINGHAM BAY BREWERY
3 B BEER SAN FRANCISCO, CAL"
Bottle made by the Holt Glass Works.

3-B porcelain stopper from SF - image

From 1906 to 1910 the 3-B Bottling Works was under the mgt. of Diedrich Meinke.
His stopper is on the quart bottle (middle image) as was the label shown above.
This label was also used on bottles embossed: "D. MEINKE - SAN FRANCISCO"

EXPANSION

The 1906 San Francisco earthquake provided unexpected opportunities for the 3-B, as well as other northwest breweries.
From the Puget Sound American of August 23, 1906:

"$1,000,000 ORDER FOR BEER - Local Plant Will Be Enlarged to Meet California Demands.

Orders for almost $1,000,000 worth of beer has led the Bellingham Bay Brewery to consider plans for $20,000 worth of improvements in its local plant. The cellar capacity, now about 150 barrels daily, will be doubled and the ice tanks also will be doubled in capacity. A story was recently added to the main building and the other addition will be built on the west side of the structure.
The unusual orders were received in California when Manager Shupp went to San Francisco. The local plant, in common with the Seattle and Portland breweries, has grasped the opportunity presented for trade since the earthquake and these concerns now enjoy the bulk of the business. The British brewery trust, whose plants were destroyed, has determined to re-enter the field to compete with its northern rivals, and it has announced that it will spend $2,000,000 in constructing breweries.”

The brewery's plans for the $20,000 expansion were completed, doubling its capacity to 100,000 barrels a year.
With the loss of brewery production in San Francisco, Leopold Schmidt decided to establish his own brewery in that city. So, in late 1906 the Acme Brewing Company became the newest of Schmidt's breweries.

OPPOSITION

From the time the Bellingham Bay Brewery commenced production, the business was threatened by the era's crusade against alcoholic beverages. The primary adversaries were the Women's Christian Temperance Union and The Anti-Saloon League, both of which were gaining influence with lawmakers.

The following was taken from a Temperance newspaper published by the Anti-Saloon League:

"What the Brewers Brew....
They brew crime of every sort. Sweep away the breweries and the distilleries, and you will secure municipal reform, banish the most prolific causes of poverty, insanity and crime, and clean the cities of most of their moral rottenness. What a crime the manufacturers and dealers themselves commit by making money out of the bodies and souls of men, and wringing wealth from the dripping blood of broken-hearted women and from the hungry mouths of starving innocent childhood! What a hell broth indeed is this which brews poverty and rags, hunger and cold, crimes dyed in a thousand hues, sickness and death to vast numbers, wrecking both body and soul!"

With over 60 saloons in Bellingham by 1906, there was no shortage of sensational stories reporting anti-social behavior in these establishments. In 1908, Bellingham enacted a "lid", a ban on Sunday sales of alcohol. As this was most working man's only day off, it was quite a blow to shut the saloons on the busiest day for beer & billiards.

In 1909, possibly because of the "lid" and expected further opposition in Bellingham, Schmidt purchased the Port Townsend Brewing Company across Puget Sound on the Olympic Peninsula. Apparently anti-saloon sentiments were not as strong in Port Townsend as in Bellingham.

However, later that year the situation grew more ominous for Washington brewers and saloon owners. The State Legislature passed a "local option" bill that gave each municipality the right to completely ban saloon operations within their city limits.

While Bellingham had yet to vote on whether to go "dry" or remain "wet", the anti-saloon leanings were strong, and the November 8, 1910 election was looming. So Schmidt made some public ultimatums in hopes of thwarting the prohibitionists.

On January 11, 1910 the Bellingham Herald announced that the 3-B was to be sold, however finalizing the sale was contingent upon the "local option" vote. If the "drys" win, the recently secured lease, by Andrae & Stowe, will be declared off and the property returned to Leopold Schmidt, president, and Henry Schupp, secretary. They "threatened" that if the City votes "dry" it is probable the Brewery will close. They added that they were ".. not inclined to operate their own plant in the City because they have all they can handle with their other breweries."

Two months later, the Bellingham Herald announced that Schmidt had purchased the Byron Hotel for $100,000. Schmidt said that he bought the property outright to avoid the payment of heavy installments on the lease he had taken out in 1907. Leopold Schmidt and Henry Schupp had earlier recognized the Temperance threat to 3-B, and laid plans to diversify business operations in Bellingham. In October 1907, a year prior to the Sunday "lid", Schmidt had taken out a 10 year lease on the Bryon Hotel. Now Schmidt and Schupp announced plans to erect a new hotel on the present site, but they warned "only if the local option does not carry."

Their efforts to effect the election were in vain, and effective January 1, 1911, Bellingham was "dry." And it appears that Schmidt's ultimatums were but empty threats. Andrae and Stowe's lease to purchase the brewery was not cancelled, and the Brewery was not closed. Also, in September of 1913 the Bellingham Herald reported that construction of the new Byron Hotel has resumed "on a grand scale."

Upon completion the Byron was renamed the Leopold Hotel and had its Opening on May 24, 1914. The Bellingham Herald proclaimed: "Leopold Hotel one of the most modern on the Sound."

Unfortunately it's namesake was to enjoy the fine new hotel a mere four months. On 24 September, Leopold Schmidt died in his suite at the Hotel.

NEW MANAGEMENT

The operation of the Bellingham Bay Brewery was passed to Edward L. Stowe and Pierre J. Andrae, despite the victory of the drys. Due to loopholes in the "local option" legislation, the Brewery could remain open. They then began selling the 3-B's output under the brand "Original Heidelberg" (right), a brand co-opted from the Columbia Brewing Co. of Tacoma.
While all the saloons were now closed, one could still consume alcoholic beverages in their own home, and the brewery could make home delivery of sealed cases. The Brewery could also ship its beer outside of the city limits, and out of State. Since California was still its largest market the business remained solvent. However, for reason unknown, Andrae suddenly left the business on April 12, of 1911.
Stowe then changed the brand name from "Original Heidelberg" to "Old Heidelberg", which was even closer to Columbia's brand since Alt means Old in German. He also adjusted the wording on the label. The "Original" label claims the beer to be "Old Type German Beer", but the label was changed to say: "A Purely American Beer." This may have been a response to growing anti-German sentiments resulting from the war in Europe.

Original Heidelberg Beer label from the Bellingham Bay Brewery

Stowe also used beer trays and etched glasses as promotional items for the Brewery. Below are some examples (c. 1910). These Old Heidelberg trays were all "stock" trays manufactured by American Art Works, of Cosoncton, OH, successor to the Meek Co.

etched glass

"Mildred"

"Join Me"

"Good Morning"

"The Invitation"

While able to survive under the sanctions of the "local option," the Brewery was about to be dealt a fatal blow.

PROHIBITION

In 1910 women had been granted the right to vote, and the Woman's Christian Temperance Union was still at work. So it's no surprise that on November 3, 1914, Washington State citizens voted to prohibit the manufacture and sale of alcohol, including beer. Shortly before the Statewide Prohibition vote, Leopold Schmidt passed away. He spent his last days at his Leopold Hotel in Bellingham, dying on September 24, 1914, without having to witness the destruction of his brewery business.

Photo of the Bellingham Bay Brewery in 1917
From the Howard Buswell Collection c.1917 ~ Center for Pacific NW Studies

Prohibition was to take effect on January 1, 1916. Stowe immediately announced plans to sell his remaining stock and pack up the brewery's equipment for San Francisco, probably for the Acme's Fulton plant expansion. On March 19, 1917, stockholders of the Bellingham Bay Brewery met for the final time and unanimously opted for dissolving the corporation.

While brewing was terminated and some of the brewing equipment was removed, On 28 May 1917 the Olympia group announced plans to utilize 3-B's remaining equipment to make fruit drinks. The plant was to operate as a branch of the Schmidt family's Northwest Fruit Products Company and the three ex-breweries were depicted on the company's letterhead. The Salem plant was already making a Loganberry product called "Loju" and the Olympia plant a sparkling apple champagne called "Applju".

CONVERSION & DEMOLITION

The plans for manufacturing fruit juice did not materialize. The following year Floyd Dillabough bought the former Bellingham Bay Brewery and converted it into a new home for his Royal Dairy. The cold storage annex lent itself well to the making of ice cream. The keg shed was used for "milk evaporating" and the wash house became a creamery.

The Whatcom County Dairyman's Association and Darigold used the building from 1927 to 1967. After Darigold moved out, the old brewery would remain vacant until being torn down on February 8, 1970.

3-B COLLECTIBLES - For Sale

	Pre-Prohibition tray c.1902, from the the Bellingham Bay Brewery of Whatcom, WA (became Bellingham in 1904). Tray belonged to Ed Stowe, the last proprietor of the brewery. Go to: TRAYS
	Pre-pro, "Old Heidelberg Beer" from the Bellingham Bay Brewery, c.1910. Go to: GLASSES

Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro

While the Bellingham Bay Brewery is long gone, Bellingham still has a brewery to be proud of. The Boundary Bay Brewery on Railroad Ave. is producing award wining beers.

On June 1, 2007 the North American Beer Awards were held in Idaho Falls, ID. Boundary Bay brought home a gold medal for their ESB, a silver for their Dunkles Bock, and a silver for their 10th Anniversary Ale.

And, the Bistro and serves excellent food as well! If you come to Bellingham - and you enjoy good food, expertly crafted beers, and live music - Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro is not to be missed.