Delving into the origins of the City Brewery presents a fascinating historical puzzle. Records from the 1850s are scarce, and local newspaper archives only begin in 1861, leaving the brewery’s precise founding shrouded in some mystery. However, by piecing together available accounts, we can trace the story of this early establishment and its connection to the burgeoning Pioneer Beer scene in Walla Walla.
According to One Hundred Years of Brewing, a comprehensive historical text published in 1903, the City Brewery’s roots extend back to 1855, attributing its establishment to Emil Meyer. The account states:
“This is one of the oldest breweries on the Pacific coast, having been founded by Emil Meier in 1855. In 1870 it was purchased by John H. Stahl and others; subsequently Mr. Stahl became sole proprietor. The brewery was operated for many years in his name, and since his death the business has been continued by his widow. The product of the plant was confined to steam beer until 1888 when the manufacture of lager beer was commenced.”
While this publication firmly places the brewery’s inception in 1855 with Emil Meyer, further investigation, particularly insights from Meyer’s great-granddaughter, challenges this widely accepted timeline and paints a more nuanced picture of the brewery’s early days and the pioneer beer it produced.
The Pioneer Brewer: Emil Meyer’s Journey to Walla Walla
Emil Meyer’s personal history offers crucial clues to the brewery’s actual beginnings. Born in Braubach, Hesse-Nassau, Germany, on January 1, 1833, Meyer’s path to becoming a pioneer beer brewer in Walla Walla was far from direct. He arrived in the Walla Walla region after serving in the Army, where he played a role in escorting immigrant wagon trains westward. This military service was necessitated by the Northwest Indian Wars (1855-1858), a period marked by significant unrest and conflict, including the Yakima Wars. During these turbulent times, civilian settlement in the region was restricted.
Historical records indicate that Emil Meyer’s arrival in Walla Walla didn’t occur until 1859. This timeline directly contradicts the 1903 publication’s claim of a founding date of 1855. Adding to the discrepancy, the town of Walla Walla itself was only beginning to take shape around 1858, making an 1855 brewery establishment in that location highly improbable.
Joseph Hellmuth: An Earlier Pioneer in Walla Walla Brewing?
While Emil Meyer’s exact founding date remains debated, evidence points to another figure, Joseph Hellmuth, as potentially an even earlier pioneer in Walla Walla’s brewing history. Census records from July 1860 list a Joseph Helmeth engaged in the grocery business in Walla Walla. Intriguingly, the adjacent entry enumerates Emmel Myer, a 29-year-old brewer hailing from Hesse, Germany.
By December 20, 1861, both Hellmuth and Meyer were advertising the sale of their beer in the newly established Walla Walla Statesman newspaper. This simultaneous emergence raises questions about their relationship. Were they competitors vying for the pioneer beer market in Walla Walla, or were they operating as separate divisions within a shared business venture?
A historical account from the Walla Walla Union Bulletin in 1946 offers further insights, adding another layer to the story of pioneer beer in the region:
“The business is believed to be the oldest brewery in the Northwest having been founded by John Hellmuth in 1855. The Hellmuth brewery was sold to Emil Meier in 1862 and a deed dated 1864 lists as assets: hops, kettles and a brewery wagon, among other things.”
This account suggests that Joseph Hellmuth, not Emil Meyer, might have been the original founder in 1855, and that Meyer acquired an existing brewery from Hellmuth in 1862.
Expansion and Evolution of a Pioneer Brewery
Further records indicate that in 1862, Emil Meyer undertook an expansion of the brewery, constructing a larger facility in a new location just south of Walla Walla’s city limits. The 1946 newspaper account also mentions a deed dated 1864, listing brewery assets transferred from Hellmuth to Meyer, seemingly confirming the sale and the resolution of any outstanding notes.
However, the brewing landscape in Walla Walla remained dynamic. In May 1864, Hellmuth sold a brewery to Picard & Businger, only to have it back in his possession by December of the same year, suggesting a failed contract. Interestingly, 1864 also marked Joseph Hellmuth’s expansion beyond Walla Walla. He established another brewery in Placerville, Idaho Territory, capitalizing on the booming population fueled by the Boise Basin Gold Rush. His Placerville establishment, known as the Boise Brewery, also functioned as a saloon, as indicated by the Pacific Coast Directory for 1867, which lists “Joseph Helmuth, brewery; liquor & billiards merchant.”
From 1864 to 1867, Hellmuth remarkably managed breweries in both Placerville and Walla Walla, locations separated by over 188 miles, a distance made traversable by a tri-weekly stagecoach service. After the gold rush boom subsided in 1867, Hellmuth closed the Boise Brewery, focusing his efforts back on his Walla Walla operation. Records suggest Joseph Hellmuth remained active in the Walla Walla brewery scene until at least 1869.
Meyer & Businger and the City Brewery’s Transition
The Pacific Coast Directory of the era also lists “Meyer & Businger, brewers” in Walla Walla. This suggests that following the failed 1864 deal with Picard & Businger, Businger partnered with Emil Meyer. In 1867, Emil Meyer sold his City Brewery. While the buyer isn’t explicitly documented, it’s plausible that Businger acquired Meyer’s share of the business, continuing the legacy of this pioneer beer producer.
Emil Meyer’s decision to sell might have been influenced by declining health. Tragically, he passed away just months after the sale, on February 19, 1868, at the young age of 35. He left behind his 24-year-old widow, Mary Anna Becker (whom he married in 1862), and three young children: Louisa, William Henry, and Josephine.
Joseph Hellmuth’s life also met a premature end, just eight years after Meyer’s death. In 1875, while embarking on a European tour with his wife Odelia, they were passengers on the steamship Pacific. Sadly, the Pacific sank off Cape Flattery on November 11, 1875, resulting in the loss of two hundred lives, including Joseph and Odelia Hellmuth.
Conclusion: Remembering the Pioneer Brewers of Walla Walla
The story of Emil Meyer’s City Brewery and its pioneer beer is intricately woven with the narrative of early Walla Walla and the Pacific Northwest brewing industry. While the exact details of its founding remain somewhat unclear, the available historical records reveal a dynamic period of entrepreneurship, competition, and the enduring legacy of individuals like Emil Meyer and Joseph Hellmuth who helped establish the foundations of brewing in the region. Their efforts contributed significantly to the development of what we might consider the earliest examples of pioneer beer in the Walla Walla Valley.
