ca. 1923. The rear of Columbia Breweries showing the Northern Pacific Railway tracks and properties across the tracks that faced west to Jefferson Avenue including J.J. Gunlocke Auto Tops who were located at 2121 Jefferson Avenue from 1918 through 1925. Copies of old prints ordered by Heidelberg Brewing Company in December 1954. (This was a copy print made by the Richards Studio of a Marvin D. Boland photograph #B14364)

Brewing industry--Tacoma--1920-1930; Columbia Brewing Co. (Tacoma);

ca. 1917. A print of a photograph of the Columbia Brewing Company as it appeared in 1917 has been outlined, the date added and measurements written on the left and bottom margins, possibly for use in an advertisement. Stamps have been affixed to the back of the mock-up for Sterling Engraving Company at 1417 Fourth Avenue Building and How. J. Ryan & Son, R Advertising in the Joseph Vance Building, Seattle, Wash. Copies of old prints ordered by Heidelberg Brewing Company in December 1954.

Brewing industry--Tacoma--1910-1920; Columbia Brewing Co. (Tacoma);

ca. 1937. A man sits at his desk at Columbia Brewing Company wearing a tweed three-piece suit, smoking a cigarette. A Portland Telephone Directory (it appears to be fron 1937) hangs from a nail in the woodwork around the windows behind him and a map of Oregon is pinned to the wall at the side of his desk along with important phone numbers and business cards. His telephone and a floor lamp, whose stem is made of a stack of bottle caps, are at his left side. Albert H. Greenberg was manager of the Portland branch in 1935 and 1936. Richard N. Lanser was manager in 1938. Copies of old prints ordered by Heidelberg Brewing Company in December 1954.

Brewing industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Tacoma)--1930-1940; Smoking--Portland; Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Portland); Desks; Offices--Portland;

ca. 1923. Two men are seen in the racking room at Columbia Brewing Company filling wooden barrels with beer. The man on the left is checking the brew for clarity before he cheks it for taste.Copies of old prints ordered by Heidelberg Brewing Company in December 1954. TLP-7957

Brewing industry--Tacoma--1920-1930; Columbia Brewing Co. (Tacoma); Barrels--Tacoma;

ca. 1900. Columbia Breweries remained proud of their beginnings in 1900 when Emil Kliese, William Kiltz and John Smith incorporated the Columbia Brewing Company. This photograph of the entire staff of the brewery in 1900 was used in several newspaper stories during the 1940's and 1950's when the company announced new additions to the brewery. Seated in the front are, L-R, William Kiltz, sales manager, and Emile Kliese, president and brew master. The five men in the back are not identified. Copies of old prints ordered by Heidelberg Brewing Company in December 1954. TPL-9625

Brewing industry--Tacoma--1900-1910; Columbia Brewing Co. (Tacoma); Columbia Brewing Co. (Tacoma)--People; Kiltz, William; Kliese, Emile;

ca. 1949. In December of 1949, an aerial view of Columbia Breweries (center, located between South C Street and Jefferson Avenue and between South 21st and 23rd Streets) showed the brewery covered with a light dusting of snow. The brewery facilities spanned more than three acres. The plant had recently completed a major expansion, including a 20,000 square foot, two story building that housed a new bottle shop and a can beer line as well as a 39,00 square foot warehouse for case goods and a new receiving and shipping depot. The plant, constructed in 1900, closed in June of 1979. The winter of 1949-50 was one of the most severe on record, ushering in six weeks of alternating rain, snow and high winds. The numerals 7734 have been inscribed on the bottom of the photograph. Copies of old prints ordered by Heidelberg Brewing Company in December 1954.

Brewing industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Tacoma)--1940-1950;

ca. 1949. This aerial photograph featuring Columbia Breweries (center) was taken either in December of 1949 or early January of 1950 as snow has blanketed the rooftops and surrounding streets. It appears identical to C87485, image 8, except for the missing Heidelberg logo in the upper left corner. The massive plant had opened in 1900 as the Columbia Brewing Co., underwent several remodels and expansions and purchases, and would survive until 1979 when it finally closed.

Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Tacoma)--1940-1950; Brewing industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Aerial views; Aerial photographs; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1940-1950;

ca. 1910. Back in the early days of the 20th century, there were not many automobiles in Tacoma and even fewer delivery vans. Bottled beer was transported in cases via a tried-and-true method--by horse and wagon. Here two patient horses pause while their driver has his photograph taken. He has removed his sturdy work coat which is laid on the covered seat. There are several cases of beer in the open wagon bed. The beer had been brewed by the Pacific Brewing & Malting Co., then one of Washington's largest breweries and located in downtown Tacoma on South 25th St., between "C" and Jefferson. State prohibition laws went into effect in January of 1916, effectively halting the thriving business. (Photograph courtesy of the William Cammarano Collection) TPL-10424

Beer--Tacoma; Brewing industry--Tacoma--1910-1920; Pacific Brewing & Malting Co. (Tacoma); Carts & wagons--Tacoma--1910-1920; Horses--Tacoma--1910-1920;

Undated pre-Prohibition photograph of two unidentified men posing next to what may have been Tacoma's first beer truck. The large vehicle held three layers of Pacific beer cases in its open bed. Pacific Brewing & Malting, manufacturers of Pacific and Tacoma beer brands, was the second largest brewing company in Washington by 1909. It occupied thirteen big buildings on South 25th St., between "C" and Jefferson, and was busy producing 200,000 barrels of beer per year. The advent of Prohibition caused the concern to shut down in 1916. (Meier: Brewed in the Pacific Northwest, p. 114-article) (Photograph courtesy of the William Cammarano Collection) TPL-10425

Trucks--Tacoma; Beer--Tacoma; Brewing industry--Tacoma; Pacific Brewing & Malting Co. (Tacoma);

ca. 1907. This was the Pacific Brewing & Malting Co. Sample Room known as the "Potomac House" circa 1907. In May of 1907 the familiar East Side three-story building was moved from its original corner site of 302-04 E. 25th St. to 2511 E. "C" St. The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul yards took its place. A large sign is hanging from the right advertising "Rose Valley Whisky" and the Potomac Sample Room. In front of the building are thirteen men, including one long-aproned bartender, with most hoisting mugs of beer. (Photograph courtesy of the William Cammarano Collection) TPL-10426

Beer--Tacoma; Brewing industry--Tacoma--1900-1910; Pacific Brewing & Malting Co. (Tacoma); Signs (Notices);

ca. 1979. Faded Columbia Brewery mural on side of building, circa 1979. "Everybody knows it's better, Alt Heidelberg," accompanied by a stein lifting image of the company's signature student prince. The "ghost sign" dates back to 1933 when Columbia Brewery was still making its special lager brew Alt Heidelberg (Old Heidelberg.) In later years, Columbia Brewery sold to Heidelberg Brewing and Carling Brewing. The brewery closed in 1979. (TNT 12/18/2005, Soundlife section "Ghost signs beckon Tacoma toward its future")

Heidelberg Brewing Co. (Tacoma); Brewing industry--Tacoma--1970-1980;

ca. 1942. In this advertising photo, a white uniformed waitress carries a working man's lunch- a sandwich wrapped in waxed paper, a strong cup of coffee, a glass carafe of milk and a Sick's Select 6 beer, manufactured locally by Sick's Brewing Co.

Beer; Brewing industry--1940-1950;

ca. 1942. In this advertising photo, a waitress or car hop carries a tray with a wax paper wrapped sandwich, a coffee cup and saucer, a clear glass carafe of milk and a can of Acme beer. The ads for Acme in July of 1942 advocated adding a refreshing, thirst quenching beer to your lunch. It, according to the ad, put an "edge" on your appetite and made good food taste better. It further said that being a "light beer," it caused no after lunch slow down when you returned to work. Acme, according to its ads, was brewed with Pacific Northwest hops and barley. It was made by Acme Brewing in San Francisco and distributed in Tacoma by Century Distributing Co., 2523 Jefferson Ave. TPL-10215

Beer;

Seventy five members of the brewing and allied industries gathered in Tacoma October 24, 1942 to pay tribute to Otto Birkmaier. Mr. Birkmaier was celebrating his 25th anniversary as brewmaster at Columbia Brewery, a position he had held since 1917. He held the longest record of continuous service of any brewmaster in the district. Some of the guests are pictured at the Saturday afternoon luncheon at the Brewery.

Brewing industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Tacoma)--1940-1950;

Seventy five members of the brewing and allied industries gathered in Tacoma October 24, 1942 to pay tribute to Otto Birkmaier. Mr. Birkmaier was celebrating his 25th anniversary as brewmaster at Columbia Brewery, a position he had held since 1917. Some of the guests are pictured at the Saturday afternoon luncheon at the Brewery.

Brewing industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Tacoma)--1940-1950;

ca. 1963. Studio display of Hartz Western Style Pilsener beer. Packaged in a convenient cardboard open-end container, the six-pack of canned beer was brewed by the Silver Springs Brewing Co. in Tacoma. Specifically targeting the western market, the cans and container are decorated with totem poles, deer, and tall fir trees.

Beer--Tacoma;

ca. 1963. Studio display of bottled Hartz Western Style Pilsener beer. The six-pack was conveniently packaged in an open-end cardboard container. The customer would not have to bother with returning the used bottles as no deposit was taken at the time of purchase. Brewed by Tacoma's Silver Springs Brewing Co., each bottle contained 11 fluid ounces.

Beer--Tacoma;

ca. 1964. 1964 Stock footage. Exterior of Olympia Brewing Co. facilities. Visitors were made welcome daily at the Olympia Brewing Co. plant in Tumwater, south of Olympia. The Olympia Brewing Co. grew out of the Capital Brewing Co. in 1902 at which time they chose the phrase "It's the Water" to describe why their beers tasted so good. The Leopold Schmidt family owned and operated the brewery from 1896 to 1983. The All-American Bottled Water Corp. purchased the brewery from the Miller Brewing Co. on April 2, 2004, and would concentrate on bottling water, not beer. TPL-9323

Brewing industry--Olympia--1960-1970; Olympia Brewing Co. (Olympia);

ca. 1964. 1964 stock footage. The Olympia Brewing Co. plant is reflected in the large pond on company grounds in 1964. Visitors were invited to tour the facility daily from 8:00 to 4:30 pm to see how beer was made. The Olympia Brewing Co. had a long history in the Tumwater area, just south of Olympia. It was owned and operated by the Leopold Schmidt family for nearly 100 years. The company slogan, "It's the water," was very well known in the Western states. The brewery received its cold, pure water from deep artesian wells.

Brewing industry--Olympia--1960-1970; Olympia Brewing Co. (Olympia); Reflections;

Columbia Breweries was about to begin a massive expansion project, this would enable them to increase production of their Heidelberg beer and Columbia Ale. Columbia advertised "We are serving Alt Heidelberg. So good--and good for you." Aerial view of Columbia Breweries plant, prior to expansion project, located between Jefferson and C Streets.

Brewing industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Aerial photographs; Business enterprises--Tacoma; Remodeling--Tacoma; Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Tacoma)--1940-1950;

Equipment used in excavating at Columbia Breweries' property acquired in 1948 along Jefferson Avenue from 21st to 23rd Streets South. Columbia Breweries were adding a 20,000 square foot, two story building that would house a new bottle shop and a can beer line as well as a 39,00 square foot warehouse for case goods and a new receiving and shiping depot. Ordered by Lige Dickson Company, co-owned by Lige Dickson and William B. Dickson, general contractors, located at 3315 South Pine. TPL-10447

Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Tacoma)--1940-1950; Lige Dickson Co. (Tacoma); Building construction--Tacoma--1940-1950; Excavation--Tacoma--1940-1950; Brewing industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;

In 1948 Columbia Breweries appointed four new officers and President Norman Davis announced that they would be going through an extensive expansion program. The expansion project was to include a 20,000 square feet two story building housing a new bottle shop, and a can beer line. View of the new canning machinery at Columbia Breweries.

Brewing industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Machinery; Laborers--Tacoma; Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Tacoma)--1940-1950; Cans;

Columbia Breweries began expanding and rebuilding their facilities in 1949, throughout 1948 the company had been preparing to go through a massive expansion project. View of the new canning machinery at Columbia Breweries, three unidentified laborers are working with the new machine.

Brewing industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Equipment; Machinery; Laborers--Tacoma; Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Tacoma)--1940-1950;

Large machine at Columbia Breweries. Columbia Breweries had added a 20,000 square foot, two story building that housed a new bottle shop and a can beer line earlier in 1949. They added new machinery for their expanded production. The company was founded in 1900 or 1902 depending on which account you read. In 1953 the company changed its name to Heidelberg Brewing Company. The company was purchased by Carling Brewing Company in 1956 and was sold again in 1979 to G. Heileman Brewing Company.

Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Tacoma)--1940-1950; Brewing industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Trucks--Tacoma--1940-1950; Machinery;

A group of 23 salemen from Columbia Breweries for Washington, Oregon, California and Alaska pose in front of the company facilities in Tacoma during a recent sales meeting. Robert S. Jamieson, seated fourth from the left, was sales manager of the company. Names are listed in the newspaper. (TNT, 1/8/1952, p.B-10)

Brewing industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Sales personnel--Tacoma; Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Tacoma)--People;

A tall glass of Columbia Pale Ale stands next to a bottle with their attractive label for the ale. A drawing of the Statue of Liberty, barley and the words "True Top Fermentation" decorate the label. Columbia Breweries followed the traditional brewing method for ale using a top-fermenting yeast that was faster acting and fermented at a higher temperature than lager.

Brewing industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Beer--Tacoma;

A large group of drivers was given a tour of the Columbia Breweries on July 28, 1951. Over thirty drivers from Everett participated in the tour of the plant which had undergone massive expansion and modernization. They are posed on the sidewalk before the main entrance to the plant. Columbia Breweries manufactured Alt Heidelberg and Columbia Ale, two very popular beverages.

Brewing industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Business enterprises--Tacoma; Industrial facilities--Tacoma; Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Group portraits--1950-1960;

Chemist lab at Columbia Breweries. Two employees of Columbia Breweries shown at work in the chemist's laboratory in an October, 1951, photograph. According to a large ad placed in the News Tribune on November 13th, the four staff chemists carefully monitored every step in the brewing process from the selection of choice ingredients to the total sterilization of final kegs. All brews were scientifically checked and technically controlled in the company's modern and well-equipped laboratory. Columbia Breweries were well known for their production of Columbia Ale and Heidelberg beer. (TNT, 11-13-51, p. 11)

Brewing industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Chemistry--Tacoma; Laboratories--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Kegging operations at Columbia Breweries. A Columbia Breweries employee, mallet in hand, stands behind a large black manifold which is part of the kegging process in this October, 1951, photograph. Tanks such as the above would serve as buffers between the flow of beer from filters and to the kegs. Columbia Breweries was well known for their Heidelberg brand of beer and Columbia Ale. (Additional information provided by a reader)

Brewing industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Industrial facilities--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Columbia Breweries began operation in Tacoma in 1900. By 1951 Alt Heidelberg beer and Columbia Ale, produced by Columbia Breweries, were being sold in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Northern California and were two of the fastest selling brews on the market. Chief Chemist Edward Ehmke, head of the breweries technical staff, helped maintain quality as the company expanded production to meet increased demand. By 1954 they were producing 750,000 barrels of beer a year. The Columbia plant was sold to Carling Brewing Co. in 1959. It closed in 1979. (TNT, 1/8/1952, p.B-4)

Brewing industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Chemistry--Tacoma; Scientists--Tacoma; Laboratories--Tacoma; Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Ehmke, Edward; Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Tacoma)--People;