Stories and Folklore from Skagway, Alaska
I saw that this little label sold on Ebay for $417 recently. The Eagle Brewery was run by William and Bertha Schwartzenberg who were from Germany. It ran from 1905 to 1910 here in Skagway. Cheers to Bill and Bertha!
1910 census; online at gustavushistory.org
William Shape was born on this day, March 1, 1867 in Milwaukee to a hard working Wisconsin family. His mother and father were from Germany and his father ran a beer bottling plant. The middle child of a brood of 8, he was well schooled and had traveled widely in Europe before he left his wife and two children to seek even greater wealth in the Klondike.
Fritz, or Anton Frederick Gansneder was probably born in Oberellenbach, Bavaria. His father Jacob immigrated from Germany with his 12 kids in the early 1880’s. The importance of this is that the family brought their knowledge of growing grain and producing cheese, sausage and beer to the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area. Following the surge of German immigration America benefited from the traditional methods of brewing good ales. Certainly Skagway benefited from Fred’s contribution: the Beer by the Quart Saloon in 1898. Fred and Frank moved to Portland around 1896 and established businesses there. Fred came to Skagway briefly to run his saloon and then probably went back to Washington. Here’s a tip of the hat and a clank of a mug to Fritz!
Gold Rush Grub: From Turpentine STew to Hoochinoo by Ann Chandonnet page 207; the Mascot Saloon by Spude p. 70 (misspelled as Gausnider).
William J. Blackwell was born in 1843 in New Jersey. He married Adelaide M. Blood in 1883 in California and owned bottling and brewing companies in Seattle and Slocan, British Columbia before he came to Skagway in 1898. Here he started the B&B Bottling company with Mr. S.E. Beazley. He moved on probably to Nome where he was a member of the Eagles until 1915. He was also a member of the Arctic Brotherhood from 1898 to 1902 in Skagway. One account says he died in Alaska on this day, October 5, 1922. Washington state census records show him in a Sedro Wooley mental institution in 1930 and that he died there in May 1930. Not sure which is correct, but nevertheless he did have a business here on 5th Avenue until 1907. He manufactured and bottled soda water, sarsaparilla, ginger ale, champagne cider, sarsaparilla and iron, as well as all kinds of mineral waters with syrup.
Washington state records; business directories; 1900 census; Daily Alaskan 1900.
Ed Hatch was born in 1872 in West Farmington, Ohio. He came to Skagway from Port Angeles, Washington in 1897 and was Secretary for the Brackett Road as well as a river pilot in the Yukon. He opened a store in Skagway which he ran until 1901 when he moved back to Washington and opened a clothing store in Bellingham. In 1913 he became the manager for the Pacific Brewing & Malting Company. However, prohibition was only a year and a half down the way, so his tenure there was short lived. He became a prominent industrialist in Everett and in 1917 moved to Seattle where he managed a manufacturing concern until his retirement in 1931.
Hatch was a counselor for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, at one time president of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce and vice president and manager of the Arctic Club at his death. He died on this day, July 7, 1942 in Seattle.
Seen above is an ad from the B&M Company – they just don’t make ads like this anymore!
1900 Skagway census; Skagway News 12.31.1897; 1910 Everett census; Olympia pioneers website; Illustrated History of the Everett Brewing Company.
I had heard over the years of the 80+ Saloons in Skagway so I decided to make a list. This list is of the Gold Rush Saloons in Skagway, Dyea and on the trail, and even at White Pass city. I have the owners also if anyone is interested. Seen above is an early picture of Skagway in 1897 with the Cripple Creek Saloon (owner John Doe) on the right.
5th Ave Hotel and Saloon
Alert Saloon
Al-ki Saloon
Annex Saloon
Arctic Hotel
Arctic Saloon
Astoria Hotel
Balmoral Saloon
Bay View Hotel
Beer by the Quart Saloon
Bloom & Korach
Board of Trade Saloon
Brady’s Saloon
Broadway Saloon
California Pack Train Saloon
City Brewery
Clancy’s Saloon
Club Saloon
Colosseum
Comet Saloon
Comique Variety Hall & Saloon
Commerce Saloon
Cosy Saloon
Cripple Creek Saloon & Peoples theatre
Dewey Saloon
Everyman’s Saloon & Douglass Lodging House
First and Last Chance Saloon
Gem Saloon
Hannah Marr Bar
Hoff & Gem Saloon
Horseshoe Saloon
Hotel Chilkoot
Hotel Grand Bar
Idaho Saloon
Jeff’s Place
Jewell Saloon
Jimmy Ryan Nuggett Saloon
Klondike Saloon
La Fiesta Saloon
Little Star Saloon
Lobby Music Hall or Libby Saloon
Log Cabin Saloon
Louvre Saloon
Merchant Saloon
Midway Saloon
Miner’s hotel
Mint Saloon
Mirror Saloon
Montana Saloon
Monte Carlo Hotel
New Brewery Saloon
Owl Saloon
Pack Train Saloon
Palace Hotel Bar Bennett
Palace of Delight
Pantheon
Hot Scotch Saloon
Payne & Peterson saloon
Picture Saloon
Pioneer Saloon
Princess Saloon
Pullen House Hotel
Rainier Saloon
Red Onion Saloon
Seattle Bar
Seattle Saloon or the Gentleman’s Saloon
Skagit Saloon
Smug Saloon
Summit Roadhouse
Surprise Saloon
The Bank
The Kentucky House Saloon
The Monogram Saloon
The Monte Carlo Bar
The Office Saloon
The Palace Royal
The Peerless Saloon
Theatre Royale
Victoria House Lodging & Saloon
White Navy Saloon
Wonder Saloon