Arlene Nimtz-Schweitzer posted this photo on February 1, 2014 in the Facebook Group “You know you are from Sebewaing, MI when …”.  She asked the question: “Match holder from Chas. Beckman, where was this in Sebewaing??

Here are the responses/comments from the post:

Mark W Rummel No idea, Arlene. He probably ran it from his house, or a garage. Anyone have other ideas?

Scott M. Thede According to the Ellen Taschner report related to the Sebewaing Brewing Company, the location of this business was the brewery sometime after the start of Prohibition and 1924. Here is a quotation from Ellen’s paper: “Shortly after the 18th Amendment took effect, the Sebewaing brewery building had been bought by Charles Beckman, a dealer in hides and furs who needed a storage place for his wares. The basement of the brewery was an ideal place for hides and furs, because a low, even temperature could easily be maintained. Beckman used the building until 1924 when a group of business men bought it from him and setup equipment for the manufacture of liquid malt, which they sold to people who wanted to make their own brew. The name of the company was now changed to Sebewaing Products Company.” The entire paper can be ready here:https://sebewaingbrewingcompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Sebewaing-Brewing-Company-1968-Ellen-Taschner-Final.pdf

Mark W Rummel Wow – makes perfect sense to me. They had to do something with that building during Prohibition, so a hides/fur guy could find uses for it. They also made home products for people to make their own beer as Sebewaing Products Company (I believe that’s true, Scott M. Thede ?) To show how dumb Prohibition was, people could make their own beer, for personal use, but couldn’t buy real beer. Sheesh.

I met a man in 1972 named William Wreford, who said his father had moved the family to Sebewaing to run the Brewery right after prohibition had ended. So, after Prohibition ended, we went back to brewing beer, as we should have.

Scott M. Thede Yes, your info is correct Mark on the product offered before Prohibition ended. I assume this was a son and his father also named William B. Wreford was the President of the brewery from 1933-1936 and passed away on May 8, 1944.

William Harder (Posted the Malt Extract container photo)

Thank you to Arlene Nimtz-Schweitzer for posting the photo.