Cape Brewery and Ice Company, 1891-1940

Brass foot rails and spittoons adorned many a saloon before the turn of the century. It was during this time Cape Girardeau businessmen realized much of the city's money was going to St. Louis breweries. The Cape Girardeau Democrat, for instance, mentioned the summer of 1891, "The Ulhs beer depot on the levy received a train car of Anheuser Busch."

Soon, two St. Louis brewers, Frank Feuerbacher and Adolph Nenninger assessed the situation and bought the defunct Henninger Brewery on Morgan Oak Street, in the Haarig area where every corner had a saloon. No secret. Haarig was a German area, and the Germans liked their beer.

It's interesting to note here how the street, Morgan Oak, received its name. It seems when the brewery excavators were working on the lot on the corner of Morgan Oak and Middle, they saved a beautiful oak tree. The brewmaster from Germany walked by the old tree every morning. He'd tip his hat and say, "Gut Morgen Oak" (Good Morning Oak), thus the name stuck. (From Lee Albert's "Memories of Cape Girardeau").

The Democrat newspaper kept the public informed as to the brewery's progress. "The building is being remodeled completely with a large addition and ice machine added with the capacity of 30 tons per day. Tony Haas and his sons contracted to do the stone work."

On Dec. 12, it was announced a water pipe was being laid from the river to the new brewery for the brewing of the beer and making the ice. By 1895 the brewery housed ice from Cape LaCroix Creek.

The Prescott House Saloon on Main Street displayed signs it sold Cape Brewery beer.Hazel B. and B.W. Harrison photo ~ Southeast Missourian archive

Members of the Board of Directors were A. Lang, L. Klosterman, H. Peironnet, A. Ruediger, F. Feuerbacher and E. Engleman. Over 225 stockholders received a 10% dividend.

Success was at hand for the brew brand names of Standard Lager, Drummer's Choice, Royal Export and Ideal, which was introduced at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.

A new beer wagon with a team of matched horses -- "the prettiest team in town" -- was purchased in 1905 along with 18 new beer casks, arriving by train for the enlarged cellars. The capacity of the brewery had doubled, with again Haas doing the construction.

All beer sales came to a halt with Prohibition 1920. To improvise, the board extended operations to include dairy products, the manufacture of candy, non-alcoholic beverages and continued ice production, now from the city waterworks.

In 1933 Henry H. Vogelsang, owner of the Cape Brewery and Riverside Ice and Fuel, became an district agent for Anheuser-Busch. A year later, Vogelsang, assisted by his sons, Leo and Erwin, decided to install new equipment in Cape Brewery and make their own beer. The smell of hops soon permeated the Haarig air with the production of 30 barrels a day under the old name of Ideal Beer.

Unfortunately, it didn't last long. By the end of the 1930s, Cape Brewery face more competition from the larger St. Louis breweries. It closed in April 1940.

Other businesses used the building until it was destroyed by fire Dec. 27, 1952.