The following is the composite of biographies published in 1917, 1937, his obituary,
and independent research.
Elmer Hemrich was born 18 Sept. 1890 in Alma, WI, a son of Alvin Hemrich
(see
biography)
and Wilhelmina "Minnie" Rutschow. Minnie was born in Ganchendorf, Germany,
and his father,Alvin, in Alma, WI. Elmer's father was engaged in the brewing industry
his entire life, beginning when he assisted his brother, William, manage the
family brewery in Alma. He then brought his wife and young son Elmer to the West
coast to join his father and another brother, Andrew, who had a brewing
enterprise in Seattle (the
Bay View Brewery). Alvin
then took a position at the
Victoria Brewing & Ice Co. in Canada, where Elmer's brother Andrew was born
in 1892. Alvin returned to Seattle and the family remained their, making it
their home. In 1905 Elmer's youngest brother, Walter, was born in Seattle.
Elmer passed his school days in Seattle attending public schools, as well as Wilson's Modern Business College.
His father had purchased the
Aberdeen Brewing
Co. in
1902, and Elmer spent all his time away from school assisting with the numerous
duties entailed in brewing process. By 1910,
he had become proficient enough to take over
the post of assistant manager of the Aberdeen plant. In the following
year, just prior to his twenty-first birthday, he was placed in full charge of
the brewery. With Elmer now manager and vice-president of the brewery, Alvin was
free to devote all his attention to his other
responsibilities in Seattle as president of the
Hemrich
Bros. Brewing Co. as well as the Claussen Brewing
Assn., and Independent Brewing Co., all in
Seattle.
Surf Packing Company -
In February 1915, the Surf Packing Co. was organized, with Alvin Hemrich
as president; Elmer E. Hemrich, vice president and manager; and Paul F.
Glaser secretary and treasurer. The cannery produced the Hemrich brand of
clams and clam nectar. They erected a building ninety by one hundred and
thirty feet, installed all modern machinery and electric motive power and
they have a steam plant for cooking. They employ thirty-five people and had
the capacity for thirty thousand cases each season. Elmer E. Hemrich also
became one of the organizers, and was a vice president, of the Security
Savings & Loan Association in Aberdeen.
In 1919 the family expanded their razor-clam packing business when Elmer
built a second cannery at Snug Harbor, on the east side of the Alaska's Cook
Inlet. This cannery, in addition to packing clams also prepared salmon, was lost
by the Hemrich family during the panic of 1922.
However, in spite of these set backs the family decided to give it another
try. In 1923 Elmer found another site, and proceeded to build a new cannery at Kukak Bay in Southwest Alaska. This
became one of the most successful fish preserving establishments in the North.
In 1925 Elmer, leased the Alaska cannery to another packing company, and
concentrated on helping his father reopen the old Bay View plant in order to
brew near-beer.
Also in 1925, Elmer took on additional responsibilities. On May 25, at San
Rafael, California, Mr. Hemrich married Nina Irene Beckwith, daughter of
Elmer Gridley and Lucina Beckwith. They were the parents of twin daughters:
Zonya Mina and Zarya Lou, born June 13, 1935.
In 1929 Elmer was involved with his father in the start-up of Hemrichs Inc.,
which operated as the Hemrich Brewing Co. He stayed on brewing near-beer
with his father until new opportunities in the brewing industry became
available. In August of 1932,
recognizing the possibility of repeal, seven and one-half months before it
actually occurred, Elmer and some Seattle interests, purchased the
Columbia Brewing Co. of Tacoma.
Since the brewery had been producing near-beer during Prohibition, it didn't
require as extensive remodeling as might otherwise been necessary. In April
1933 sales of his Alt Heidelberg Beer commenced under U-Permit No. 1204. He
remained the president of Columbia Breweries, Inc. until October of 1935, when
he sold his interest to Joseph F. Lancer.
With no intention to quit the brewery business, he founded Elmer E. Hemrich's
Brewery, Inc. immediately after retiring from the Tacoma concern.
The company was incorporated by Elmer and his wife, Nina, on 1 November,
1935. They had agent/distributors in Seattle and Everett, but company
headquarters was located at 2601 So. Holgate St, Tacoma. While not manufacturing the product, their new company
functioned as a "contract" brewer. They distributed various
beers under their "Gold Seal Brands" banner which had been brewed
and bottled by breweries under contract.
One example was their "Union Beer" made by the Balboa
Brewing Co. of Los Angeles
(shown below). An identical label from the Mutual Brewing Co. shows that
they were also producing Union Beer, but possibly after Elmer's companies
were sold in 1940.
Another brand of Elmer's, made in California, was his "Gold Seal Beer"
(shown below). This beer was "As Good as Gold from Breweries of Old" and
was brewed by the Regal Amber Brewing Company of San Francisco.
Elmer also contracted to have his Gold Seal Beer produced in his
father's brewery - the Hemrich plant No. 1, which then became the
Apex Brewery. After his father death in February of 1935, the plant was still being supervised
by his younger brother, Walter.
In 1936 Elmer changed the name of his company to Gold Seal
Breweries, Inc. and moved the company from So. Holgate to So. Tacoma Way.
Elmer was also the founder and president of the Hemrich Wineries Corporation,
which was devoted to the manufacture of wines and brandies from Washington fruit and
berries. The plant was located at 6200 So. Tacoma Way, and was also
headquarters for his contract brewing Company.
The plant was the previous
home of the Western Rubber Company, built in 1919.
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