Huth & Scholl's Puget Sound Brewery (1888-1891)

The following is from: "Tacoma Illustrated ...Her History, Growth & Resources - A Comprehensive Review of the City of Destiny"
published by Baldwin, Calcutt & Co., 1889

PUGET SOUND BREWERY

"When Messrs. Scholl & Huth established the Puget Sound Brewery just a year ago, they proved themselves enterprising and energetic business men. Previous to that time Tacoma was sadly in need of a first-class brewery that would be able to supply beer of a superior quality and in sufficient quantity to supply the ever increasing demand for this popular beverage. At the cost of many thousands dollars these gentlemen constructed a four-story building, 80 X 80 feet, at the junction of Jefferson Avenue and 25^th Street, and later a wing has been added on the southeast corner that is of the same height, and 40 X 40 feet. The building erected, Messrs. Scholl & Huth spared no expense in fitting it up with machinery which is of the most approved pattern, and of the very best material. Two Corliss engines, one of ninety, and the other of sixty horse power, furnish the necessary propelling power, and they are in constant operation. A beer boiler, heated by steam, with a capacity of 4,300 gallons, is connected with a patent mashing machine that holds 6,500 gallons. The brewery also has a apparatus for the manufacture of their own ice for cooling the beer. With this machinery Messrs. Scholl & Huth are enabled to produce 260 barrels of beer per day. The Puget Sound Brewery has gained an enviable reputation for the manufacturing of the "Walhalla" and "Der Goetten Trank" beers, which are, as the name of the last implies, drink that is suitable for the gods. Before this brewery was started considerable beer was shipped to Tacoma from the largest and most popular breweries in the East, but now saloonkeepers are rapidly withdrawing their patronage from these Eastern houses, and supply the public with an excellent beverage made from Washington hops by a process that insures a drink equally as good, in fact, superior owing to its freshness and purity. The distance of the transportation of Eastern beer is said to have had a decidedly bad effect upon those drinking it, however, that may be, those who have drank the beer of this brewery enthusiastically concede its good effects.

Under the supervision of Mr. P. A. Kalenborn, who at one time owned a large brewery in Kansas, and who thoroughly understands his business, the Puget Sound Brewery is now on of the best paying and most prosperous business institutions in Tacoma."

The brewing plant described above was a lager beer brewery, the plant being  designed expressly for this style of beer. The Bay View Brewery in Seattle was the first brewery in Puget Sound area to bottle Lager beer and now Tacoma too had its own lager. The Puget Sound Brewery was located on So. 25th between C & Jefferson Sts.

Puget Sound Brewing Company
(1891-1897)

The Puget Sound Brewing Co. was incorporated on Aug. 7, 1891 with a capital stock of $600,000. John D. Scholl was the firm's president, with Anton Huth, treasurer and Peter A. Kalenborn, secretary.

Just three years after the new business was formed, Anton Huth bought out his partner, John Scholl. Huth then assumed the position of pres. & treas., and. Peter Kalenborn became vice-pres. & sec. The company's management remained unchanged for the next six years, when Huth took on another partner and plans for expansion were made.

Scholl relocated to Chico, Calif. and purchased the 32 year old, Chico Brewery.

The quart size beer bottle, at right, would have been used during this six year time span (1891-1897).

Pacific Brewing & Malting Company
(1897-1915)

In 1897, William Virges joined Huth in establishing a new company. Virges was to assume the position of treasurer, and Huth woulld remain as president. The new partnership then commenced with plans to absorb their local competition.

Samuel S. Loeb agreed to merge his Milwaukee Brewery in forming a new corporation. They were equitably joined, and Loeb took the position of vice-president and secretary of the new Pacific Brewing & Malting Company (PB&M).

The Milwaukee plant remained in operation for two years, then with the purchase of the Donau Brewery in 1899, the Milwaukee branch was closed. As a major shareholder, Loeb remained with the company, now as secretary.

They then undertook major expansion projects at the main PB&M plant, referred to as the Puget Sound branch, which cost half a million dollars. However, their expansion plans included more than enlarging their primary plant, but included the continued acquisition of additional breweries.

In October of 1899 the firm purchased property in the city of Everett for a proposed branch brewery there. The following Spring, another investment group was in production with the Washington Brewing Co.  So, PB&M bought an interest in this group with plans to build a new brewery on the purchased property and buy out the competition.

At the same time, a new brewery was planned for Tacoma, the Columbia Brewing Company. A major portion of the $50,000 capital was provided by PB&M through their agent, Wm. C. Kiltz - one of Columbia's incorporators. The Columbia plant operated independent of Pacific.

The following year, Kiltz assumed the role of proprietor and manager of the Washington Brewery in Everett.

In 1903, after operating it for only four years, Huth and Virges closed the twenty year old Donahue Brewery. By now, it was reported that the business extended throughout Washington and Alaska, to China, the Philippines, and the Caroline Islands.

By 1905, PB&M had completed their half million expansion plan, but shareholders weren't happy about the meager dividends that were otherwise underwriting the expansion. One minority stockholder, Samuel Loeb, brought suit requesting that PB&M sell its stake in Columbia and Everett in order to pay stockholders larger dividends. Loeb was now owner of the Independent Brg. Co. of Seattle, and had been the chief owner of the Milwaukee Brewery that was absorbed by PB&M eight years earlier.

Just four years later, in '09,  PB&M was one of the largest brewing companies in the Northwest - second only to Seattle Brewing & Malting, brewers of Rainier Beer. On Sept. 12, of that year, local newspapers reported that Pacific Brewing & Malting had taken over the Everett Brewing Co. for the sum of $200,000. This would imply a controlling interest, rather than 100% ownership. However, this did take place on May 1st, 1913, when the remaining stockholders were bought out.

The spectacular success of the business was cut short by state-wide Prohibition, which went into effect in 1916 - four years before national Prohibition. But like Seattle Brewing & Malting, Pacific too chose to build a plant in San Francisco - certain that the country would not vote to go "dry."
Carlton Huth (Anton's son) was overseeing operations in San Francisco. Their brewmaster, and superintendent, was William Schick¹ of Munich.

Anton Huth died in September of 1916 and never saw the total destruction of his business. When state-wide Prohibition took effect, many brewers chose to ride it out by making soft drinks and near-beer. The Columbia brewery took this tact in Tacoma, as did the Rainier Products Co. in Seattle. Pacific gave it a try for a couple of years with a non-alcoholic beer called "Pacific Foam" but chose to concentrate on the still legal brewing in San Francisco.

Virges left the Tacoma plant idle, but when national prohibition was passed in 1919, he converted the Tacoma plant to the making of soap. As late as 1930 the plant was still producing soap with the widow, Huth, serving as vice-president, and son, Carlton, secretary of the firm.

When Carlton Huth died on October 17, 1944, he left an estate of $650M to his two sisters and a niece.

The plant was later put to other uses but never again as a brewery. The old brick structure was named an historical landmark in 1978.

The San Francisco plant was sold to Rainier in 1925. Rainier then owned the "Pacific" and "Tacoma" brands and used them during and after Prohibition. 

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