Oshkosh, Wisconsin

Horn & Schwain Brewery Fire

March 30, 1879

BREWERY BURNED

Total Destruction of Horn & Schwain's Brewery.

About five o'clock Sunday morning the brewery on Duty street just south of 16th street owned by A. Horn and Leonard Schwain estate was totally destroyed by fire.  It seems that a fire broke out in the brewery about the boiling kettles early on Saturday evening but was put out entirely as it was thought with pails of water.  Evidently, however, some smouldering embers remained unextinguished for about four o'clock the building was discovered by the neighbors in a mass of flames. Two or three of the employees slept in the brewery and they barely had time to escape.  The fire department were on hand, but the long distance to the brewery permitted the flames to get beyond control before the steamers could reach the spot.  The steamers were mainly used in protecting adjoining property and saving the ice house.  The ice house was badly burned but a large portion of the ice can probably be saved by repacking with sawdust.  The brewery itself was totally consumed together with a large amount of stock both in grain and beer.  The loss is estimated at $18,000, about $10,000 on building, $5,000 on [stock] $3,000 on machinery.  The building was insured for $5000, the stock for $2,000 and the machinery for $1,000.

Oshkosh Daily Northwestern, Oshkosh, WI 31 Mar 1879

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