Today is the birthday of Christian Kalmbach (September 5, 1846-February 5, 1932). He was born in Wörnersberg, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. When he was twenty, in 1866, he emigrated the U.S., finding work as a brewer at the Croh Brothers Brewery and later the Schmitt & Kofen Brewery in New York. After ten years as a journeyman brewer, he moved to Springfield, New York in October of 1876 and partnered with Theodor Geisel (the grandfather of Dr. Seuss) and bought Oscar Rocke’s brewery on Boston Road. They renamed it the Christian Kalmbach & Theodore Geisel Brewery. In 1894, he retired and Geisel remained and they started trading under the name Highland Brewing Co., but five years later they merged with two more local breweries and became the Highland Branch of Springfield Breweries, at least until it was closed permanently due to prohibition.

Here’s his obituary from the Springfield Daily Union in 1932:

And here’s another obituary, this one from the Springfield Daily Republican: