# learned some history



## thetater (Jun 24, 2010)

First off I would like to say that I live in Burlington Ia. Today I was researching a bottle I found at the antique store. Priced way more then I would say its worth. It was a Moehn Brewery co. bottle and it was from Burlington. I thought that was pretty interesting and when I got home, searched on here to see if I could find anything about Moehn bottles. Nothing, I could not find anything. 
        So I dug around on the internet and discovered that at one point it was one of the largest breweries in Iowa, and the old building is only a couple minute car ride from my house. Here is a bit more info of the brewery. If anyone else knows about Moehn brewery bottle that would be awesome. So cool to discover something like this. 

 Chicago brewer* Greg Moehn *is the                 great grandnephew of *Martin Moehn, *founder  of the                old* Moehn Brewing Co. *(pronounced â€œmainâ€)                 in Burlington, Iowa. The majestic red brick building still  stands                at 922 Osborn Street in the town on the banks of the  Mississippi                River. 
                Before arriving in America, *Martin Moehn *worked                 as a cooper in his native Bavaria, barreling pickles and  sauerkraut                as well as beer. After training as a brewer, he emmigrated  to the                United States and eventually settled in Burlington, home  to a large                German population. Once there, he bought beer from local  breweries                and began putting it in his own bottles to sell.
                In about 1890, *Martin Moehn *bought the*                 Western Steam Brewery, *which he ran until 1903.  In the                meanwhile, around the turn of the century, Moehn saved his  money,                engaged investors and formed a company to plan for his new  brewery.                With capital of approximately $115,000, the *Moehn  Brewing                Co. *was launched and opened in 1904 with an  annual capacity                of 25,000 barrels. 
                â€œMy grandfather, *Walter Moehn, *who was  Martinâ€™s                nephew, had a job at the brewery shoveling coal into the  furnaces                that heated the kettles,â€ recalls *Greg Moehn, *of                 *Applied Beverage Technology, *and formerly  of *Hopcats                Brewing Co. *in Chicago and the old*  Chicago Brewing                Co.
*By 1915 the capacity at *Moehn Brewing Co.  *reached                30,000 barrels a year. The Moehn Brewing Co. brands  included *Moehn                Select *and* Moehn Export. *A near  beer called                *Malto-Dextrine *was also produced in 1916,  â€œbut,â€                according to *Greg Moehn, *â€œit just never  took                off.â€ The firm closed in 1917 when Iowaâ€™s Prohibition                hit.
                In the end, the copper tanks were melted down and shipped  to Middleton,                Iowa, where a munitions plant used the metal for bullet  casings.* 
*â€œI think the Moehn Brewing Co. building is a  great                example of German Gothic architecture,â€ says *Greg                Moehn. *â€œIt was designed by the Chicago architect*                 Bernard Bethel, *who designed and built between 40  and 50                other breweries in the Midwest. My family history of  brewing is                what started me on the craft brewing to begin with. Itâ€™s  in                my blood.â€


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## thetater (Jun 24, 2010)

front of the Moehn Brewery co.


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## thetater (Jun 24, 2010)

Backside. Apparently in May one of the western walls collapsed../


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## pyshodoodle (Jun 24, 2010)

$100 for a slugplate crowntop? Wow! That seems crazy to me. 
 Cool information you found there. Too bad the wall fell. Is it being used by any businesses? If not, the wall falling isn't a good sign for the building to remain standing much longer. These days, an old building gets torn down way too easily when there's an issue like that. (Especially around here.)
 So, Tater... are you just a shopper or are you a digger, too? If that bottle is that rare, I'd be wanting to dig one. Doesn't seem like it would be that hard to find.


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## thetater (Jun 24, 2010)

At this moment no one uses the building. But our town tries to keep most of the old buildings standing. 
        Well I just started to collect bottles two weeks ago, so pretty much just been lookin around in shops but I really want to dig them up. I am not sure really how to start though, learned about using a probe, but how can I learn about where to even start to look digging??


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## surfaceone (Jun 25, 2010)

Hey Sean,

 Way to research, and nice brewery photos! Nicely done.


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## thetater (Jun 26, 2010)

do you think there could be anything worthwhile to be found around the building or possibly in it../?


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## surfaceone (Jun 28, 2010)

> do you think there could be anything worthwhile to be found around the building or possibly in it../?


 
 Hey Sean,

 I'd sure be going in to find out. Ya never know unless you explore for yourself. I'd let someone know where I was going, or go with a friend, to be on the safe side. Those fences look pretty inviting to me...

 Check it out and let us know.


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## Iowadigger64 (Jun 29, 2010)

HOWDY,
 I have dug a few of the moehn bottles and they are not that hard of a bottle to come by. I might be able to fix you up with one.


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## Iowadigger64 (Jun 29, 2010)

Tater if you want to dig sometime let me know also we have a great Iowa bottle club I belong to that most of the members are diggers.


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