Sebewaing began in 1845 as Auchville, when a Lutheran minister, Reverend J. J. F. Auch, established a mission.  Sebewaing Township was organized in 1853 with Frederic Shilling as the first Township Supervisor. Reverend Auch started the first school in 1854. In the 1860′s, barrel making was a thriving industry, using the plentiful oak trees of the region. Other early industries in Sebewaing included farming, coal mining, fishing, shipping, and ship building. Sebewaing later became a center for making sugar out of sugar beets with a major factory of the Michigan Sugar Company built in 1902.

Map of Michigan Thumb Area and Sebewaing Location

Sebewaing was the home under the latest and most well known name of the Sebewaing Brewing Company.  The names and ownerships are documented in American Breweries II by Dale P. Van Wieren (ISBN # 0-9646167-0-X).  Before 1875, E. O. Braendle, between 1875-1879 under Sophia Braendle, 1879-1880 under Veit & Graf, and 1880-1884 under Henry Graf.  The first appearance of of the name of Sebewaing Brewing Company, LTD was from 1893-1896.  It is believed the building’s chimney sparked a fire that destroyed the wood frame building on June 3, 1896.  With the help of partner Leonard Eberlein followed by Fred Kroll, it was rebuilt with brick walls that were three feet thick to help make it more fire proof. It went under various names with the longest before Prohibition being the Huron County Brewing Company.  It prospered until April 30, 1918, when beer making was outlawed by the State of Michigan. During the time under the Huron name and earlier, there were other beverages made that were nonalcoholic such as temperance and soft drinks.  The Sebewaing name that saw a brief appearance from 1893-1896, took hold for more than three decades when during Prohibition in 1927, the Sebewaing Products Company was organized to produce malt extract which was legal during prohibition because it could be used for baking, but in reality was usually used for home brewing. Like many other malt companies, Sebewaing did well selling its product.

To find out more about the most successful period of the brewery, read the next section 1933-1966.  This is the most well known period of the brewery and is definitively the period that put Sebewaing on the map.  A small story about the lions even appeared in the New York Times!  What do lions have to do with this brewery?  Read on by clicking here.

Original Wooden Structure Destroyed by Fire in 1896

Rebuilt Brick Structure

A building currently standing across the road from the brewery site on the corner of East Main and South 4th Street displays the name of “F. Braendle 1890” .  It is presently a Chiropractic office and is built out of brick similar to the brewery.  This can be seen in the photos below.  Notice the crown cap along the roof line for the photo of the back (top row 4th from the left).  That type of construction was on the brewery roof lines from the Boiler Room all of the way back to the Bottling House and on all other brick levels.  Also, looking at the bottom row of pictures, the brick color underneath the paint looks familiar as well.  The definitive building mark is the very second picture in the table of the inset at the very top front of the building.  This type of building origin was on the top center of the brewery in which the name Braendle appeared.