The John B. Busch Brewery
A fountain of German history in Washington, Missouri
You have probably heard of Busch Beer, but did you know that this brand would fail to exist had German immigrant, Adolpus Busch not come the Missouri in 1857? While Adolphus Busch moved on to create the infamous Anheuser-Busch Brewery in St. Louis, his younger brother quickly followed in his footsteps and created a smaller but equally important brewery in the heart of Washington. The John B. Busch Brewery preserved many German attributes such as German lager drinking culture and architecture, impacting the lives of Germans and Americans alike
The John B. Busch Brewery, formerly known as the “Washington Brewery,” was established in 1854 by three German immigrants; John Baptise Busch, Henry Busch and Fred Gersie. Located in Washington, Missouri, the brewery operated for almost 100 years until prohibition ended the brewing production in 1918. It was not the first brewery in the area, but by far the most successful, reaching 6,000 barrels per year at its peak in the 1870’s. During prohibition, John B. Busch Brewery sold all beer making machinery. Post prohibition, they continued to manufacture non alcoholic beer or “buscho”, as well as soda water, ice, and chips. In 1933 upon the repeal of prohibition, the brewery distributed Budweiser, but no longer produced its own brewed beers.
John B. Busch was born in Hesse, a city of the Rhineland region of Germany, in 1832. At the age of seventeen, Busch immigrated to the United states during a time of great social and economic unrest in Germany. He made his way to St. Louis, where his brother Adolphus founded the first Busch Brewery. After training there for several years and attending three years of college, at McKendree College in Lebanon, IL and Howard College in Fayette, MO, he eventually made his way to Washington where he established his own brewery. This brewery quickly became the largest brewery in Washington, and John B. Busch became the sole owner, with his wife, Antonia Busch, as the Vice President, a very rare appointment for a woman at this time. Busch was known to be a founder of the Bank of Washington, and additionally, a dedicated member of his church. In 1894, John B. Busch passed away at the age of 62 due to congestive heart failure. His son, John Jr. carried on the business until his death in 1937, and his son, Ulrich Busch Jr., continued the business until his death in 1953. It was then that the space was converted to storage rentals, eventually shifting to retail and restaurants, and now serves as an event center.
German lager beer is more than just a beverage to the German immigrants, rather it resembles a way of life and an extension of German culture in America. The production of beer at the John B. Busch Brewery was highly regarded and German brewers at the time were of great status. While the image presented by the duties of the job itself were debated, the general stature that came with John B. Busch’s position was well respected. The pastime of drinking German lager beer or ale was enjoyable to not only German immigrants, but all people. The advertisements for John B. Busch Beer all show happy, well dressed, men and women sitting around a table, demonstrating a “dream life” of relaxation, community and wealth.
The brewery itself is carved into a hillside, located in a southern region of Washington. It was built on Missouri River valley limestone, and sits near a spring of the Dubois Creek (which is now Busch’s creek). The brewery itself represents many aspects of its craftsmen and German Heritage in its entirety. Still standing today are the two ice buildings and the main two story brewery complex. Thick brick walls can be observed at the John B. Busch brewery, along with brick cornices and corbel tables. By the end of the nineteenth century, Germans were predominant in Washington’s brick industry, and the town became known as one full of brick, whether it be buildings, sidewalks, or streets. The brickwork itself is a testament to German heritage. The segmental arched windows and door openings are also notable. These structural choices match many of those of the Missouri-German architecture in the second half of the nineteenth century. Such architectural designs can be seen throughout buildings in surrounding areas of the time. It is noted that the brewery suffered a fire in 1888 and underwent necessary construction, yet this did not disrupt its success. Additionally, the additions made to the main brewery complex in 1917 demonstrate the shift in architecture at the turn of the twentieth century.
While John B. Busch’s brother Adolphus, the founder of the Anheuser Busch Brewery of St. Louis, focused heavily on industrial expansion, John B. Busch had a different approach to the brewing industry. His operation was run in a very traditional, German way, with the intention of taking care of the surrounding community. It did not focus on mass production, rather the quality of its lager and satisfaction of customers.
During the Civil War, John B. Busch spent several years serving in the Missouri Militia. It was during this time in October of 1864 that the confederate troops raided Washington under the authority of General Marmaduke. During this raid, which is frequently referred to as “Price’s Raid”, confederate soldiers confiscated many things from the Washington community such as horses, weapons, and other general supplies, and they did not skip John B. Busch Brewery. Significant amounts of beer were consumed by the soldiers, and all that remained was poured into Busch Creek. Later, in 1870, John B. Busch submitted a claim of all the materials that were stolen and damaged, summing it up to a total of 10,795 dollars worth of losses. This bill was never paid. This, however, did not greatly affect John B. Busch’s success, as the brewery continued to boom all the way up until prohibition.
The construction of the Pacific Railroad through Washington in 1855 also made Washington a more enticing area, in perfect timing with the brewery. German Immigrants continued to flood the Washington area throughout through the end of the nineteenth century and the social and cultural activities within it reflected German Heritage. The German Beer industry was a large example of this overflow of German Heritage into America. By the late 1870’s beer produced by the Busch Brewery was being shipped to customers as far as into California. Not only did this brewery impact Missouri, but its beer reached far places of the U.S..
From raids, to fires, to prohibition, the brewery underwent many tribulations, yet still stands to tell the story of German heritage which built it there.
