Today is the birthday of John Jacob Saltzmann (March 7, 1828-May 21, 1892). He was born in Alsace, France, moved to the U.S. around 1852, bounced around New York, Buffalo, before opening the John J. Saltzmann Brewery in 1867, which was also known as the Palace Hill Brewery (which is the neighborhood where it was located) in Oil City, Pennsylvania. He brought in two of his sons, junior and Albert to help with the brewery and the year before senior’s death they, in 1890, they carried on running the brewery, renaming it Saltzmann Bros. Brewery, which it remained until prohibition. After repeal, it reopened briefly as Oil City Brewing Co., but closed for good in 1936.

Here’s Saltzmann’s obituary: