Today is the birthday of Benedictus Sigg (August 22, 1824-July 19, 1901). He was born in Jestetten, Waldshut, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. I’m not sure when he came to the U.S., but it must have been before 1857, because that year he married Anna Maria Spielmann in Dubuque, Iowa, and started going by Benedict. He was initially in the saloon and grocery store business in Dubuque, and even opened a second location in Poynter. In 1869, he started a one-man brewery operation in nearby La Porte City known simply as the Benedict Sigg Brewery.
Unfortunately, the brewery didn’t last very long, so there’s very little … okay, no … information whatsoever about the beer or the brewery, apart from this, from Tavern Trove.
Benedictus operated a tavern [in Poyner] from 1864 through 1867. By 1869 he had established a one-man brewery 13 miles south of there, in La Porte City, on the banks of Wolf Creek. The brewery sustained his family until 1877 when he was arrested and found guilty of re-using revenue stamps. The brewery at this time was over mortgaged and as a result fell under the auctioneers hammer.
The Siggs moved back to Dubuque and Benedictus returned to the saloon and grocery business. He died some time around 1901.
And his Find-a-Grave page has this short obituary, though I couldn’t find the original.
