Narragansett Brewing Company

Narragansett Brewing Company: 1890-1981

The Brewery as it appeared at the Turn of the 20th Century

Without a doubt, the largest and most widely known brewery to ever operate in the state of Rhode Island was the Narragansett Brewing Company. A true "Neighbor" in every sense of the word, it was a mainstay in the Ocean State for nearly 100 years.

The Narragansett Brewing Company was originally established in 1888 by six Providence businessmen of German descent. One of these investors included John Fehlbert, an immigrant who ran a successful dairy business. His most popular and lucrative product was called "Butterine", an early precursor to margarine. The other five investors included Jacob Wirth (you can read more about him in another section of this website), Constand A. Moeller, George M. Gerhard, Augustus F. Borchandt, and Herman G. Possner. These gentlemen took the profits from Fehlbert's "Butterine" and formed a capitalization between $120,000-$150,000 and built a brand new brewery building. It was located just outside the city of Providence at the corners of Cranston Street, New Depot Avenue and Garfield Avenue in Cranston, Rhode Island. The brewery's location was ideal. The area was well known for it's superior water quality and the site was conveniently located along the New York-New Haven-Hartford Railroad line. With everything set in place, the company hired George Wilhelm as it's first Brewmaster. The Narragansett Brewing Company produced it's first run of beer after becoming incorporated in 1890.

Late 19th Century Lithograph

Late 19th Century Lithograph featuring a Corked Bottle

The Narragansett Brewing Company would thrive during it's first thirty years of operation. During this time, it steadily became the largest brewery in all of New England. From the beginning, the brewery's hallmark products were Half Stock Ale and Export Lager (Beer).

During it's first year of operation in 1890, the Narragansett Brewing Company produced a meager 397 barrels of beer and ale. The following year, that number dramatically rose to 27,887 barrels.

As the 20th Century dawned in 1901, the Narragansett Brewing Company had an annual production capacity of 114,182 barrels. By 1908, it was turning out 196,173. These figures would double in the years leading up to Prohibition with it's production of Half Stock Banquet Ale, Select Stock Lager, and, on a more limited basis, Porter and Bock Beer. The expanding brewery took a tremendous amount of pride in it's slogan, "The Famous Narragansett...Made on Honor, Sold on Merit".

1895 Lithograph Calendar

Lithograph artwork for a Narragansett Tray

Early Image of Soldiers Holding A Narragansett Tray Fabricated from the Above Artwork

Early 20th Century Lithograph

From it's meager beginning in 1890, the physical plant of the Narragansett Brewing Company expanded tremendously. Much money was reinvested in the company over it's first thirty years of existance. By 1915 the brewery spent over $4,000,000 in improvements and occupied 42 acres of land with thirty buildings. One of these buildings was a new hygienic bottling plant. Now, the brewery could bottle it's own beers and ales.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was a quite common for independent bottling companies to bottle a brewery's products at a site distant from the brewery itself. With the brewery's new bottling facility, the Narragansett Brewing Company could now act self sufficiently. The brewery also built new boiler and engine rooms as well as two cold storage basements. A cooperage shop was constructed at the brewery so that the wooden barrels required for ale and beer production could be fabricated on site.

Early 20th Century Brewery Workers Photograph

Narragansett Lager Bottle Label with Overmark Proudly Claiming "Brewery Bottling"

Oval Tray featuring Narragansett Lager (with a label similar to the one above) and Ale Bottles

In the early years, the Narragansett Brewing Company relied heavily on the horse and wagon to distribute and transport it's products locally. For their shelter, a stable and garage for 50 wagons was built on the brewery's property. To keep it's horses well shod and cared for, the brewery also built a blacksmith shop and carpenter shop. In later years, the horse and wagon would eventually be replaced by motor wagons. Despite this, select horse and wagon teams would be kept by the Narragansett Brewing Company as romantic symbols of the brewery's past and proud heritage. They were commonly used for promotional purposes and were often seen at regional fairs and parades up until the early 1960s.

Early 20th Century Photograph of a Narragansett Brewery Wagon

Once the Narragansett Brewing Company delivered it's products to the neighboring establishments, the delicious product had to be dispensed. In those local bars, inns, and restaurants that sold ale and beer by the keg, this was done by the "tap" system. To keep the brew at it's ideal temperature (it was not served ice cold), the kegs were stored in the basement. They were then connected by a line to a stanchion "tap" located at the establishment's bar where the product was pumped up by hand from down below. In 1917, the Narragansett Brewing Company conceived a plan to ensure that it's customers were receiving the product they so desired. They promoted a "Point to the Tap Sign" campaign in which brass and porcelain markers were mounted on the proprietor's bar in front of his generic tap pulls. This way, a customer was assured they were receiving Narragansett if they ordered it!

Early 20th Century Postcard featuring two Narragnsett Corner Signs on a Bar

1917 Newspaper Ad for Narragansett "Point To The Tap Sign"

Bar Counter Tap "Signs" used in the 1917 "Point To The Tap" Advertising Campaign

1917 Newspaper Ad for Narragansett "Point To The Tap"

Bar Interior Photograph featuring multiple Narragansett Signs and Pennants

Early 20th Century Photograph of the Silver Hook Hotel featuring Signs for Narragansett Lager & Ale

For the transportation of it's many products beyond the local market, the Narragansett Brewing Company would rely on it's own line of refrigerated railroad cars. A railroad line ran adjacent to the brewery which allowed for the importation of raw goods (such as hops, malt and barley) and the exportation of finished products to distant locations. With the refrigerated railroad car, spoilage was less of an issue in the days prior to Pasteurization. Narragansett ale and lager could now be found throughout New England and beyond. Indpendent distributors could be found everywhere. With shipping available through the local ports in Narragansett Bay, Narragansett Export could also be found in more exotic locations such as Turkey, Panama, the West Indies and Egypt.

A Narragansett Refridgerator Car with Brewery Employees

2 Inch Tall Narragansett Calendar for a Manchester, NH Distributor, A.W. Glines - 1902

Connecticut Distributor, Emil Schierholz, Lithograph - early 20th Century

Early 20th Century Photograph of Coutu Bros., probably 34 Railroad Street, Woonsocket, RI

A Trade Card from P. Coutu's, Wholesaler & Retailer of Liquors and Beers - Danielson, CT

Metal over Wood Narragansett Sign for a New Haven, Connecticut Wholesaler

In order to promote it's products, the Narragansett Brewing Company put it's name on anything from Signs and Trays to Matchbook Covers, Pennants, and Pocket Knives. Such a heavy marketing campaign for a quality product ensured great success in an era before the invention of the radio or television (or widespread use of electrical lighting or the telephone for that matter).

Early 20th Century Tip Tray

Early 20th Century Porcelain Tray

Early 20th Century Cardboard Sign Prototype

C. 1905 Providence Journal Advertisement

Narragansett Porcelain Corner Sign

Souvenier Match Holder Narragansett Lager , Fraternal Order of Eagles Convention, Providence

Early 20th Century Holder for Wood Matches

Early 20th Century Bock Beer Cardboard Sign

1912 Trade Card for Narragansett Bock Beer

Lithograph Sign Featuring Conanicus, King of the Narragansett Indians

An Early 20th Century Coaster for Narragansett

Early 20th Century Cloth Pennant

Early 20th Century ROG Corner Sign

Early 20th Century "Billboard" Tray

Early 20th Century Tray featuring Narragansett Select Stock Lager, Banquet Ale and "Gansett" Pilsner

An Assortment of Early 20th Century Pocket Knives

Early 20th Century "Gansett" ROG Sign

A Turn of the 20th Century "Gansett" Pilsner Glass

There's probably nothing more American, or anything that goes better with beer, than baseball! Taking advantage of Rhode Island's local teams, the Providence Grays, and Boston's Americans (known as the Red Sox in 1907) and Nationals (a.k.a. the Braves), the Narragansett Brewing Company promoted it's products by putting out team schedules. In many years to come, the brewery would be very active in sponsoring the local nine.

1910 Schedule for the PROVIDENCE GREYS Baseball Club!

The Reverse of the Celluloid above reveals a 1910 Providence Greys Schedule!

1916 Schedule for the BOSTON RED SOX and BOSTON BRAVES!

In addition to producing ales and beers, the expanding Narragansett Brewing Company also operated a large artificial ice facility. There were nine artesian wells on the brewery's grounds and the brewery also had it's own ice pond and ice house. In addition it also had three refridgerating machines. As ice was the only means of refridgeration during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Narragansett Brewing Company was kept very busy stocking it's neighbor's wood and metal ice boxes. At the dawn of the 20th century, it has been said that 25 tons of ice per day were distributed to 1500 customers.

Photograph - Turn of the Century Ice Delivery Wagon - Narrgansett Brewing Company

An early 20th Century Narragansett Ice Pick and Foam Scraper

In the years prior to prohibition, the officers of the Narragansett Brewing Company included:

President: Constand A. Moeller
Vice-President: John H. Fehlberg
Treasurer: Joseph H. Gerard
Brewmaster: Otto Henn
Plant Manager: Emil Schierholz

These gentlemen, and the Narragansett Brewing Company as a whole, would soon face very difficult times in the years to come. To start with, the United States would enter a very long and costly European war against the Kaiser in April of 1917. While the events of World War I were difficult enough for all Americans in general, having Germanic roots certainly didn't help the Narragansett Brewing Company in an era of rapidly growing anti-German sentiment. Throughout the country, all companies, the Narragansett Brewing company included, would face employee shortages as it's young men would enter into the service of their country and go off to war.

In addition to being involved in the "War that would end all wars", the United States would also begin to succumb to an ever increasing pressure being placed on lawmakers at this time from a rapidly growing, and now national, temperance movement. This movement would dramatically change the lifestyle and livelihood of all Americans, particularly those in the beer and liquor industry. On January 19, 1919, the United States ratified the 18th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. This occurred despite an earlier veto of the proposed bill by President Woodrow Wilson after it had passed in the Senate. Known as the "Volstead Act", the production, importation, exportation and selling of alcoholic beverages essentially became illegal throughout the United States. This National Prohibition Act was approved by 36 of the United States and went into effect on a national level on January 29, 1920.

A final blow to New England would occur just as Prohibition went into effect. In the offseason of 1919-1920, Harry Frazee, principle owner of the Boston Red Sox, would have a liquidation sale of his ball team and began selling off players. Among them was one George Herman "The Babe" Ruth, Jr. Ironically enough for beer-thirsty New Englanders, he was sold to none other than beer baron and New York brewer, Jacob Ruppert, principle owner of the New York Yankees.. With this and other heinous acts, the beloved Boston Red Sox, winners of five World Series Championships since 1903, went from being the greatest dynasty in the "modern" baseball era to one of the worst teams in professional ball.

If there was ever a time for a New Englander to need a good beer, this was it! Oh, Whoaaaaaaa is Prohibition!

Prohibition Era (1928) Financial Statement for the Brewery

In order to sur