Today is the birthday of Pierre ‘Peter’ Littig Sr. (August 26, 1794-August 3, 1881). He was born in Spechren, Lorraine, France and was a war hero in his native France, serving in Napoleon’s army. He apparently engaged in heroic actions during the Battle of Leipzig in 1813 and again in 1815 during the Battle of Ligny in Namur, Wallonia, Belgium. He also took part in the Battle of Waterloo on Sunday, June 18, 1815. The following February 15 in 1816, when he was 21, he married Anne Marie “Mary” Blaser in his home town. His three eldest sons were born there, too, followed by a daughter when they were living in Paris. By March of 1836, the family left France and settled in the francophone community of Orleans Parish in New Orleans, Louisiana. Unfortunately, his wife died of malaria the same year. Fearing for his children’s safety, he moved the kids and they relocated to Davenport, Iowa briefly, before moving again (maybe) across the river to nearby Rock Island, Illinois, where he married Sidona Bomberg. They had four children together. She passed in 1853, and the following year he married Mary Bailey.

In 1854, along with his son, Peter Littig Jr., he opened a brewery they called the Peter Littig, Sr. & Jr., Brewery and traded under the name Atlantic Brewery. They only operated the brewery for four years before selling the business to Joseph Schmid. The brewery went through two more owners before closing for good in 1897.

This is his obituary from The Morning Democrat of Davenport, Iowa:

And this history is from the an 1882 history of the county where he lived: