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McHenry Ready-Mix Co., Inc. Brewery Established In City During 1868 Workmen are pictured inside the old McHenry Brewery which was located at the corner of Green and Pearl streets in the late 1890's. Gottlieb Boley purchased the brewery in 1880 for $1,400. He added improvements until the business stood second to none in the county for manufacturing facilities. Its capacity was 1,200 barrels. The original brewery was built in 1868 and is one of the oldest buildings in McHenry. Since then, it was operated by a number of different parties. However, the time in which it was owned and Operated by Gottlieb Boley, and later by his son "Patsy" and son-in-law Michael L. "Mike" Worts, is perhaps the most noteworthy. In 1880, Gottlieb Boley purchased the brewery from a Mr. Herbes for $1,400. Mr. Boley was born in Wurttemburg, Germany, in 1844 and learned the brewery trade in Europe. He came to McHenry in 1874 and found employment in the brewery which he eventually bought. Over the years, Mr. Boley made many improvements in the brewing equipment. This, coupled with his brewmaster skill , resulted in greater production an.d improved quality in the beer. In addition to the brewery, he owned the facili t ies by which he was able to manufacture all of his own malt. Mr. Boley owned and operated the brewery until his death in 1900. The brewery was then operated by Grott and Damgard for aboyt five years. In 1906, Gottlieb's son, Patsy* and Mike Worts acquired the brewery. They successfully operated the business until the brewery was closed by the federal law of Prohibition. • Taken l-oii: . - i <• ' ' ' .ursday. Juh Mr.:, s - - . i i <.1 the M. II . ' iua P ai , ' I .m As in the good old days of yore McHenry«will again have a brewery, with the work of installing modern equipment and remodeling already under way in the old brewery building which has served in this capacity for the past seventy- five years. H.J. Schnaitman will be the manager of the brewery, which will be operated under the name of McHenry Brewing company. Mr. Schnaitman has had twenty years experience in the brewery business and is making plans for a successful business. The old equipment is being replaced with the newest aftd most modern tanks and machinery and it is expected that when full capacity «is reached the yearly output will be 75,000 barrels. All local men will be employed at the brewery and six men were added to the force this week, with the possibili ty of adding employment as time goes by. The new tanks are installed and the contract has been let for the drill ing of a well and much activity is evident in the new preparations for an up to date business. Five big steel tanks, each weighing two tons, will hold the brew and a large ice machine will run night and day in the big cooling system. How different from the days of fifty years ago or seventy- five years ago, when the brewery was first built and the most primitive methods were used in the manufacture of beer. The brewery is one of the oldest buildings in McHenry, being built about seventy-five years ago. about the same time as the Riverside hotel was put up. King & Herbes were probably the first brewers in McHenry when the building was much smaller than the present structure, the brick part being the old original building ^ y . Nearly sixty years ago. in I874. the business.came into the possession ot ( if holey. V\ ho had worked tor Kinn and Herbes tor three years as a brew'master and continued m the same place until his death on Sept. 18. 1900. Mr. Boley was an experienced brewmaster, having worked at it all of his life and learning jt as a trade when a boy in Germany. In his native land every boy was expected and obliged to learn a trade of some kind and that of brew master w as chosen for Mr Bj»ley when as a boy he lived in Wurttemberg, Germany. When a young man he came to America, first coming to Chicago and then working in Stengel 's Brewery at Aurora and one at Naperville. While in Chicago, he met his wife, who was born in the same town that the Late Mayor Cermak of Chicago came from, coming to America in the year of the Chicago fire. In 1873 they were married, coming to McHenry to make their home, living in the brewery building until the time of his death when Mrs. Boley moved to her home on the adjoining corner, where AUGUST 6, 1975 PLAIN DEALER CENTENNIAL EDITION PAGE S she now lives alone at the age of 86 years. Mr. Boley had only reached the prime of l ife when death called him at the age of t ifty-six years. . In 1899. just before his death, Mr Boley remodeled the brewery and built on an ad­ dition at an expense of about $5,000 and installed steam boilers and an up to date plant at that t ime. Previous to that t ime there were no boilers or tjmks. the beer being boiled in a huge brew kettle over a rudely constructed furnace fueled with wood. The mashing process was done by hand as they made their own malt. There was no ice plant in those days, but the basement walls were built of three layers of brick and dirt was banked against the walls to keep the interior cool. During {he last year or two of Mr. Boley's l ife he was assisted -by Mike Worts, who had married one of his daughters, and who gave up a good offer to go to Mobile, Ala., to come here- and help his father-in-law. After the death of Mr Boley in 1900 the brewery was run for five years by Grott and Damgard, after which it was again taken over by Mike Worts and G.C. Boley, better known as "Patsy" and younger son of the former owner. In 1916 'he brewery was closed until 1924 when the building was sold to William Kline of Chicago, present owner of the place. During the last tew years malt has been manufactured here until now the building will again come into its own as a brewery Thus with the advancing years the progress and im­ provement of the t imes is made evident in the changes which have taken place in this business enterprise of McHenry. From the most primitive days of hand power, then through the age of hor­ sepower, up to the present age of electricity and superlative modern equipment the progress of a century be traced. With the more modern equipment a greater output can be realized It is hoped that this new business undertaking will bring employment to several in McHenry and be an advantage to the city in many ways. DRUG STORE IN 1908--The slogan of the Besley drug store. Main street, McHenry, many years ago is shown in window. It reads, "Vote For Who You Like and Eat Ice Cream". Next to the drug store located on the south side of the street, is a familiar grocery sjore to old timers, owned for so many years by John Stoffel. A SUBSIDIARY OF McHENRY SAND AND GRAVEL 920 N. FRONT ST. PH. 385-4920 McMENRY READY MIXED CONCRETE • • • • • Correctly Proportioned Convenient - Low Cost Dependable Service Prompt Deliveries Any Quantities The McHenry Ready - Mix Co. was started in L952 by Chuck, Gene and Jerome Miller. The company is a subsidiary of McHenry Sand and Gravel which started prior to the war. The two companies later became incorporated. Plants Centrally Located In Lake & McHenry County. O