Today is the birthday of August Koch (April 1, 1807-May 10, 1873). He was born in Wurttemberg, Germany and served as a soldier before learning the milling trade. When he was 43, in 1850, he moved his family to the United States, settling in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The same year, he founded Koch’s Brewery, which was known by a variety of names, and for a time included his brother, and even Excelsior Brewery in the name. It continued after Koch’s death in 1873 and even despite being shut down for a year for brewing during prohibition, it did reopen afterwards and was known as Kochs Brewery until finally closing in 1943.
Here’s a short biography from Koch’s Find-a-Grave page:
August Koch Sr, was born in the Kingdom of Wurttemberg German April 1 1807, grew to manhood in his native land, and served three years in the German army. He received a limited education which he improved as he grew older by self application. He learned the millwrights trade and at an early age commenced taking contracts for erecting flouring mills and built some of the largest ills in Wurttemberg, Bavaria, Baden and Hungary. In the spring of 1850 he sold his property at sacrifice, and with his family emigrated to the United States, finally settling in Williamsport. By the time he had settled down in this city his means were sadly reduced, he was in a strange land, with whose language and customs he was unacquainted. He went to work and in 1851 established a small brewery in South Williamsport which he carried on until 1868. He also erected a flour mill. These business were left to his sons after his retirement under the name of A Koch & Sons. He died in Philadelphia while under medical treatment for an affection of the throat. He married Wilhelmina Farber, and they had four children: August, Edmund G, Alvina and Minnie.
And this long obituary is from the Daily Gazette and Bulletin, and is unfortunately hard to read.
And this story is from two decades after Koch died but the brewery was still going strong at that point.
