Exterior-Heidelberg Brewery. Taken from across busy Jefferson Avenue on May 15, 1957, the Heidelberg Shipping Depot can be spotted in the center of the photograph. Other Heidelberg buildings are to its left. Heidelberg was well known for its Columbia Ale and Heidelberg beer. The brewery was purchased by Carling Brewery in 1959 and closed its doors twenty years later.

Heidelberg Brewing Co. (Tacoma); Brewing industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;

ca. 1900. An emblem of Columbia Brewing Company's trademark, a large circle with an ornament at the top, shows a female figure holding a sheaf of barley in one hand and a glass of beer extended above her head in the other. A bald eagle behind her grasps barley and hops in his claws and a barrel with the initials CB Co. on the end is beside her. Mountains rise in the background. Drawings of barley and hops also wreathe the banner around the circle of stars completing the design. The name "Dawes, P'gh, Pa." appears at the bottom of the emblem. Copies of old prints ordered by Heidelberg Brewing Company in December 1954. TPL-6695

Brewing industry--Tacoma--1900-1910; Columbia Brewing Co. (Tacoma); Trademarks;

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. 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. 1937. One of the chemists at Columbia Breweries is examining a sample under a microscope. Other glass slides with labled samples are seen lying on a towel next to the paper the chemist is using to take notes. Beakers with larger samples are seen on the counter with cotton stuffing in their necks. Copies of old prints ordered by Heidelberg Brewing Company in December 1954. The photographer's name in the lower right shows, "Associated Photographic Service, Commercial Photographers, 714 Market Street, Tacoma".

Brewing industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Tacoma)--1930-1940; Chemistry--Tacoma; Scientists--Tacoma; Microscopes;

ca. 1935. Two teams of horses are shown with a wagon full of barrels of Alt Heidelberg, brewed by Columbia Breweries in Tacoma, at the 1935 Yakima Frontier Days celebration. On May 17-19, 1935, the town of Yakima celebrated the 50th anniversary of its founding. The Frontier Days events included a parade, pageant, Indian village, grand ball and entertainments in "Old Town". Copies of old prints ordered by Heidelberg Brewing Company in December 1954.

Brewing industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Tacoma)--1930-1940; Horse teams--Yakima; Carts & wagons--Yakima;

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. 1938. The dark exterior of Columbia Breweries has the name Alt Heidelberg beer painted on the north edge of the top of the main brewery. West Coast Grocery's Coffee Department is seen on the right at 2114 South C Street. West Coast Grocery was at this location from 1928 through 1945. Copies of old prints ordered by Heidelberg Brewing Company in December 1954.

Brewing industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Tacoma)--1930-1940; West Coast Grocery Co. (Tacoma);

ca. 1948. A drawing of the Columbia Breweries facilities in approximately 1948 has been inset over a photograph of the business district of Tacoma. Columbia Breweries focused on their Tacoma and Northwest location in their advertising. This photograph may have been used in promotion of the brewery's top-selling products, Alt Heidelberg and Columbia Ale. 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. 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. An aerial view of Columbia Breweries along South C Street in the snow. A sign spells out Columbia Breweries around the top of the main building. The elevated runway that crosses over the railroad tracks between the receiving depot on the Jefferson Street frontage and the bottle shop on South C Street can be seen. Copies of old prints ordered by Heidelberg Brewing Company in December 1954. The photographer's name in the lower right shows, "Associated Photographic Service, 714 Market Street, Tacoma." Associated Photographic Service was open from 1935 through 1949. Chapin Bowen was with the company from 1939 through 1949.

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

ca. 1952. For eight years, beginning in 1949, "Raye & O'Dare," also known as the "Heidelberg Harmonaires," were the voice of Tacoma brewed Heidelberg beer on radio and television. Claude "Raye" Frankforter, at the piano, and Scott O'Dare (whose original name was believed to be Easton Skogsbergh) were heard from three to five nights a week on over 31 radio stations in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska. Sponsored by Columbia Breweries, the Harmonaires provided song, patter and piano and signed off as "Your Tacoma Neighbor, the Columbia Breweries." Claude (Raye) Frankforter died in 2001. Photograph by Robert Dudley of Seattle and believed to be dated around 1952. Copies of prints ordered by Heidelberg Brewing Company in December 1954. (information on Raye from online quote of Skagit Valley Herald obituary)

Brewing industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Pianos; Music ensembles--Tacoma; KOMO-KJR Radio Station (Seattle); Radio broadcasting--Tacoma--1950-1960; Raye, Claude; O'Dare, Scott; Advertising--Tacoma--1950-1960;

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. 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;

The interior of Columbia Breweries is shown after the completion of a program of expansion begun in 1948. During the processing of beer, barley malt and hops are first boiled in copper brew kettles and then the wort is strained and cooled. It is then fermented with yeasts. After fermentation, most of the yeast is removed and the beer would be decanted into storage tanks where it would be aged up to several months. Shown here is one of the finishing filters through which every drop of the brewery's products passed. Specially devised filter pads were changed at regular intervals. Ordered by Columbia Breweries. (TNT, 1/8/1952, p.B-6)

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

Columbia Breweries included an additional 39,000 square foot unit to warehouse case goods and a new shipping and receiving depot in their expansion program begun in 1948. The facilities provided for thousands of cartons of Alt Heidelberg to be stored on pallets and moved by forklifts until needed to fill orders throughout the Pacific Northwest. The shipping depot extended for practically two blocks along Jefferson Street. Packaged beer was conveyed from the bottle shop to the shipping depot through an elevated bridge which crossed the railroad yards. Ordered by Columbia Breweries. (TNT, 1/8/1952, p.B-7)

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

Columbia Breweries had come a long way from the early steam plant powered by wood as seen in this newly refurbished control room. There are plenty of tubes, pipes, tanks, guages and dials to provide more stringent levels of control than ever before. The pumps seen in the middle of the room were manufactured by the Wittemann Company in Buffalo, New York. A large "W" can be seen as added to the tops of two of the tanks towards the left. Ordered by Columbia Breweries.

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

A sparkling glass of Alt Heidelberg has been set within a frame with the beer's logo of the Student Prince. Heidelberg was Columbia Breweries' lager-style beer. A studio set-up for Columbia Breweries ordered by Marshall Riconosciuto, advertising manager.

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

Columbia Breweries had two enormous brewing kettles each with a capacity of 330 barrels each and of nearly 2,000 barrels in 24 hours. An average of six brews were made each day. Water was obtained from two artesian wells located on the brewery's property and approximately 50 tons of grain were used each day. Ordered by Columbia Breweries.

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

ca. 1912. The name painted on the side of the brewery is the Columbia Brewing Company. The building was built in 1900 when the brewery was established. Like most early breweries this building was tall and took advantage of gravity in moving materials through the brewing process. Grain storage and milling was often located high in a brewery on the 3rd or 4th floor. The copper brew kettle was commonly located beneath the mash tun at ground level. Copies of old prints ordered by Columbia Breweries in 1951. (Brewed in the Pacific Northwest, Gary and Gloria Meier)

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

ca. 1918. Columbia Brewing Company was established in 1900 on South C Street not far from the giant Pacific Brewing and Malting Company. Emil Kliese was the owner, president and brewmaster of the plant until statewide prohibition in 1916. He died the next year. National Prohibition lasted 13 years, from 1920-1933. During that time the company manufactured soft drinks: "Birch Beer", "Chocolate Soldier", "Blue Jay" (a grape drink), and "Green River". Copies of old prints ordered by Columbia Breweries in 1951. (Brewed in the Pacific Northwest, Gary Meier)

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

The name Columbia Brewing Company is seen on the side of the building. A fence has been added along the sidewalk on the right. The building is at least five stories high and has a flat roof. A small pediment adorns the cornice. The name of the brewery was changed in 1933 to Columbia Breweries, Inc., when it was purchased by Elmer Hemrich. Copies of old prints ordered by Columbia Breweries in 1951.

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

ca. 1919. Much of the work handling beer at Columbia Brewing Company was done by hand. Men are seen working in a chilled room bottling and racking beer into wooden barrels. A sign against the wall on the left advertises "Columbia Golden Drops Beer". Copies of old prints ordered by Columbia Breweries in 1951. TPL-7953

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

ca. 1918. Drivers pose in front of the Columbia Brewing Company with five delivery trucks. The truck second from the right is loaded with barrels. Copies of old prints ordered by Columbia Breweries. A copy of Boland print #B1495.

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

Group portrait of Columbia Breweries' accounting and office staff in 1951. Columbia Breweries was a well established business by the early 1950's; their Tacoma staff alone would have totaled over 350 workers. Names are listed in the newspaper. (TNT, 1/8/1952, p.B-9)

Brewing industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Group portraits--1950-1960; Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1950-1960; Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Tacoma)--People;

Group portrait 32 Columbia Breweries employees from the brewhouse, cellars and wash house posed for their photograph on October 30, 1951. Columbia Breweries had undergone massive expansion in the late 1940's; it would enable them to increase production of their Columbia Ale and Alt Heidelberg brands. Names are listed in the newspaper. (TNT, 1/8/1952, p.B-9)

Brewing industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Group portraits--1950-1960; Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Tacoma)--People;

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 Brewing Company, interior of dining room, as pictured on October 29, 1951. Long utilitarian tables, folding metal chairs and checkered linoleum floor. Two vases of flowers help to brighten the room.

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

Several people checking bottles in the bottle shop.

Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Brewing industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;

The bottle shop at Columbia Breweries included an inspection section. Five employees are seated by lighted screens where each individual bottle was inspected as it passed through scientifically-lighted and image-magnifying inspection stations on their way to the labeling machine and to a packing machine for cartoning. (TNT, 10/13/1951, p.24)

Columbia Breweries, Inc. (Tacoma)--1950-1960; Brewing industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Bottles;