Today is the birthday of Anton Heeb (April 11, 1811-January 23, 1888). He was born in Hesse-Kassel, Germany, and emigrated to the U.S. in 1835, when he was 24 years old, originally landing in Baltimore, Maryland. Here, Tavern Trove picks up the story:

He lived in that city for a short time then moved to Newark, New Jersey.  By 1838 he had moved to the St. Louis, Missouri, a city that at the time was on the western frontier of America.

In August of 1838 Anton Heeb married Elizabeth Fleischhauer and they had one child before she died a few years later.  Heeb married again to Carolina Knopf in 1845, but she also died just a few days after giving birth to their first child Laurenz in February 1846.  In November of that year Heeb married once again to Katharina Gehrig.  In addition to being a very brave woman she was the daughter of Joseph Anton Gehrig, a brewer who had just arrived in St. Louis from Switzerland.

The elder Gehrig at age 49 had obtained employment at the Washington Brewery in St. Louis and there he met and took under his wing fellow brewer and Swiss emigre 22 year old Matheus Tschirgi.

Gehring was not in America to be in somebody’s employ.  He wanted a brewery of his own.  He saw opportunity in the Territory of Iowa, specifically in the river town of Dubuque.  In the spring of 1846 Gehrig and Tschirgi journeyed 350 miles up the Mississippi to a brand new town that had never before seen a brewery.  But when Gehrig died in August he left a fully functioning brewery in the hands of the apprentice brewer Tschirgi.  Heeb and his betrothed received the terrible news along with a request to come help young Tschirgi in the Dubuque brewery.

Reports say that Heeb was an experienced brewer and maltster, but the St. Louis City Directory of 1847 lists Anthony Heeb as a brick maker.  Nonetheless Heeb got married, wrapped up business in St. Louis and by the next spring he and his wife had arrived in Dubuque.

Iowa had now become a state and Dubuque was growing quickly.  With Heeb in charge the Dubuque brewery started making money and the Heeb family started growing as well. Ultimately Anton and Katharina had nine children together.

The Heeb brewery grew too.  In addition to being the first brewery in Iowa it maintained its position as the largest brewery in Iowa too.  Tschirgi eventually moved on to found other breweries throughout Iowa.  Heeb stayed put, ultimately guiding the brewery for 41 years until his death at age 76, on the 23rd of January 1888.

In 1892 the Dubuque Brewing and Malting Company was brought into the Iowa brewery syndicate, and over the next four years Iowa anti-saloon laws convinced the brewery to close.

This obituary of Anton Heeb is from the Daily Times on January 24, 1888

Mr. Anton Heeb Dies at His Home on Couler Avenue Yesterday Afternoon.

Biography of the Most Prominent Brewer in the Northwest.

Mr. Anton Heeb died at his home, 2125 Couler avenue, at a quarter after 3 o’clock yesterday afternoon, his bedside being surrounded by his immediate relatives. The cause of death was a complication of diseases of which rheumatism was the most prominent. He had been subject to the latter disease for about twenty-five years, but about a year ago he was attacked by his old complaint in such a manner that he was greatly enfeebled and kept gradually growing weaker until the lamp of life flickered for the last time. He demise had been expected for two weeks by his family, but the public were not aware that his end was so near, and when it became known it occasioned deep regret.

Mr. Heeb was born in Kurhessen, Germany, on the 11th of April, 1811, and accordingly lacked but a few months of being 77 years of age. He emigrated to America and landed in Baltimore, in 1835. He remained in Baltimore a short time, and then moved to Newark, N.J., where he also remained a short time, and then removed to St. Louis, remaining there until 1846, when he came to Dubuque to seek a location for a brewery. Finding this a suitable place, he, in 1847, established one here and conducted it up to about the time he was taken sick, something over a year ago, being in the business forty-one years. His business grew until it became the most extensive in Iowa, if not in that portion of the Northwest, west of the Mississippi, and he was known far and wide. In January , 1846 he was united in marriage to Miss Katharina Gehrig, a distant relative of the Late Joseph Gehrig, of the Jefferson House, also a native of Germany, who was his second wife, his first wife being Miss Carolin Knapp. He leaves two children by the latter, Jacob and Lawrence of LeMars. His surviving children are: Caroline, who is the wife of Mr. Fred Tschudi; Julia, the wife of Mr. Michael Zwack; Bertha, who is Mrs. L.J. Baumhover; Emily, who is in a convent at Redwing, Minn., and whose name in religion is Sister Cassilda; Anna, the wife of Mr. Frank Hellman of Sioux City; Ben and A.F. Heeb. Mr. Louis Heeb, another of his sons, and one of the most excellent young men Dubuque has ever had, died three of four years ago.

Mr. Heeb was a man of a great deal more than ordinary intelligence, and on several occasions was honored by his fellow citizens with offices of honor and trust. He served his ward as a member of the Council; and was also a member of the Board of Supervisors, in both of which positions he performed his duties in a manner which reflected the highest credit upon himself and his constituents. At the time of his demise he was a member of the Board of Directors of the Dubuque Fire and Marine Insurance Company. Mr. Heeb was the soul of honor, a thorough gentleman, kind-hearted and charitable, and his death will be sincerely regretted by all. He has lain down the burdens of this life with the silvered crown of honored age upon his head, and his memory will be revered in the years to come.

And this account is from Encyclopedia Dubuque:

HEEB, Anton. (Hesse Cassel, Germany Apr. 11,1811–Dubuque, IA, Jan. 23, 1888). Heeb once operated the largest brewery in Iowa. He emigrated to America and landed in Baltimore in September, 1835; in 1836, he went to St. Louis; he came to Dubuque in 1846. The following year, 1847, he came here, located permanently, and established the A. HEEB BREWING COMPANY at Couler and Eagle Point avenues (later Central Avenue and East 22nd Street). In July 1875 records in the United States Revenue Office in Dubuque indicated that Heeb had sold 904 barrels of beer. In 1879 the Dubuque Herald stated that he had purchased $7,000, equivalent to $166,166.67 in 2016, in hops. At the time of his death, the company had an annual production of 15,000 barrels. Heeb’s brewery was among those which formed the DUBUQUE BREWING AND MALTING COMPANY.

Heeb served as a director of the GERMAN TRUST AND SAVINGS BANK and the DUBUQUE FIRE AND MARINE INSURANCE COMPANY. At the time of the building of the Chicago, Dubuque and Minnesota and the Chicago, Clinton and Dubuque railroads, he was involved in construction contracts with Mr. Morgan. He was elected an alderman to the city council and a county supervisor.

And here’s a second obituary of Anton Heeb from the Daily Herald, also on January 24, 1888

DEATH OF A. HEEB

Another of Dubuque’s Prominent Citizens Answers the Last Summons

Yesterday afternoon at a quarter past three, death ended the sufferings of one of Dubuque’s most prominent citizens, Hon. Anton Heeb. For the past twenty five years he had been afflicted with rheumatixm, and for the past year had suffered almost continually with it, though able at times to be up and around. For about two weeks it had been feared hourly that the disease, combined with his advanced age, would result fatally. Yesterday morning he was somewhat brighter than hehad been, and his family were hopeful, but a relapse set in and at the hour stated, he died.

Anton Heeb was born April 11, 1811, at Kurheasen, Germany, and emigrated to this country in 1835, landing at Baltimore. From there he went to New Jersy, and in 1836 went to St. Louis. He came to Dubuque in 1846 and in the following year established the foundation of the great business which bears his name. During the more than forty years in which he has conducted the brewing business it has constantly grown so that it became the largest institution of the kind in the state. He was also known to be most scrupulousin all his business dealings, and has left as a precious heirloom, a most enviable name for honesty and integrity. He did not devote his entire attention to the brewing business, but found time to engage in many public enterprises. At the time of the building of the Chicago, Dubuque and Minnnesota and the Chicago, Clinton and Dubuque railroads, he was largely interested in construction contracts in connections with Mr. Morgan. He was a director of the German Bank, and also of the Dubuque Fire and Marine Insurance Company, and was interested in other institutions of the city. He was an honorary member of the Pius Benevolent Society.

Mr. Heeb was twice married his first wife being Miss Caroline Knapp. In 1846 he was united in marriage to Miss Kathrina Gehrig, a native of Germany and a relative of the late Jos. Gehrig. Besides his wife, he leaves surviving his several children, Jacob and Lawrence of LaMars, Iowa, sons by his former wife, and Caroline (Mrs. Fred Tschudi), Julia (Mrs. Michael Zwack, Bertha (Mrs. L. J. Baumhover), Emily (Sister Cassilda, of Red Wing convent), Ben, Anna (Mrs. Frank Hellman of Sioux City), and A. F. The oldest child by his second wife, Louis, died a few years ago.

Mr. Heeb was a most exemplary citizen and was deeply loved by all the members of his family and respected by all who knew him or had business dealings with him. He was a staunch Catholic, and in his last moments received the sacraments and the consolations of his church.

He was during his lifetime, a staunch Democrat and was elected a county supervisor and twice as a member of the city council. His official record was typical of the man, and he endeavored in every way to serve the public with the most scrupulous honesty and with the utmost regard to the public welfate. Dubuque has lost in his death one of her best and most public spirited citizens, and one who will be sincerely mourned.

The funeral will take place from the family residence, 2125 Couler avenue, Thursday morning at half past 9, to St. Mary’s church, of which Mr. Heeb was during his life, a most faithful and liberal communicant. The interment will be at the German Catholic cemetery.

And these are from an article in 1932 speculating about whether or not the brewery would reopen after prohibition.