The Dick Brothers Quincy Brewery
Quincy has a rich brewing history. It was host to over ten well-known breweries at the turn of the 20th Century. Perhaps, most famously, it was the site of the Dick Brothers brewery. The Dick Brothers brewery was a widely advertised and popular brewery amongst patrons of the Midwest for nearly a century. New technologies in the brewing field ultimately led it to bankruptcy in 1951 but nevertheless the old brewery still stands on the corner of Ninth and York. In fact, the brewery’s storage tunnels still remain in great shape underneath the brewery’s building.
Beginnings and the Dick Brothers
The Dick Brothers Brewery opened in 1857 by three brothers: John, Jacob, and Matthew. The three Dick brothers originally hailed from Ruppertsberg, Thein-Pfalz, Bavaria where their father was a wine-maker. Having that background, the brothers moved to the United States in 1852 although they did not originally move to Quincy, Illinois. At first they lived in Belleville, moving to Quincy in 1856. The brothers were making their way to Iowa when they stopped in Quincy. Upon their arrival, they discovered a clear, cold, bubbling spring on the property of William Shanahan. With this knowledge in mind, the brothers purchased the land for $5,000 and set to work erecting their own brewery. They basically lived at the brewery until it was fully established and they could hire enough men to work.
If you are interested in learning more about the Dick Brothers Brewery and Quincy's Brewing District, click the link below:
(Courtesy of Historical Society of Quincy & Adams County)
Litho Tray of the Dick Brothers Brewery Factory. Tray produced from 1857-1888.
View from the west. Street shown in foreground is 9th Street.
Courtesy of The Trayman.net, a website of collections of Beer AdvertisingTrays
3rd Floor West Side Interior by Liz Glasgow Solaro©2011