Today is the birthday of Charles ‘Carl’ Hebrank (January 27, 1809 or 1811-March 18, 1887). He was born in Hohen Neuendorf, Germany, where he trained as a brewery. After marrying Catherine and having three children, around 1853 he moved his family to the United States, settling in Parkersburg, West Virginia.

He soon after partnered with Marcus Rapp (who was also a recent immigrant from Germany) to open a brewery in 1850 they called the Rapp & Hebrank Lager Beer Brewery, but in 1874 shortened to the Hebrank & Rapp. His two eldest sons, Lewis (or Louis, accounts differ) and John, were also trained in brewing and later opoened their own breweries in Kansas and West Virginia. Shortly after Hebrank died in 1887, the brewery was reorganized as the Parkersburg Brewing Co. but closed for good in 1914, thanks to West Virginia passing Anti-Saloon laws that took effect that year, even before the nationwide prohibition.