Beer Garden Paved the Way for Creating South Park

The area borders on South Park and Notre Dame School today. At the time it was a rural environment with spring fed brooks and ponds. The decade before saw other beer gardens, from the Watson Springs (South Park) area become popular with German immigrants looking to socialize at Sunday events with popular amusements of the day. Union Springs and Kaiser’s Cave were established as beer garden venues in this south part of town. Watson’s Springs was named for the son-in-law of the reverend Asa Tyer the Congregational abolitionist minister who first settled the farm in 1821.  

Union Springs Garden was located on south 12th at Adams Street just north of Ruff’s Union Brewery. The garden had been founded by brewer John Nelch who operated it as a summer open air resort. At least in his later years of operation Nelch brewed his own beer. In 1856 Nelch sold out to another brewer, Anton Delabar who with his son Charles continued the events for many years.  

Kaiser’s Cave was located on the southwest corner of 8th and Harrison one block away from Becker’s place. The proprietor, Lambert Kaiser served beer at his picnic grounds and maintained a social hall. Any cave associated with his facility would most likely be a man-made cave. The area had a lot of springs so Kaiser could easily find a source of spring water and place a brick arched cellar over the water’s source, then cover the cellar with earth to keep the naturally cool spring water for the storage of beer.  

The Harrison Brewery Garden added to the above venues that remained popular with Germans seeking Sunday recreation while renewing their heritage. These Sunday amusements in addition to enjoying spring cooled beer would include listening and dancing to German brass band music like Sohn’s or Kuehn’s Band. Sometimes it was with the German vocal clubs like the Concordia singers or the German Leiderkrantz singing society. Sunday mornings might start with a shooting contest and end with a grand ball. It was this type of environment that Becker erected his brewery on the southern edge of town.  

Michael Becker and his wife arrived from Germany sometime before the construction of the Harrison Brewery in 1865. The Quincy 1870 census indicated he was born in Bavaria. It also stated that he owned $12,000 in real estate and $6,000 in personal property which was likely the brewery value. The first advertisement known for the brewery was in the 1866 Quincy City Directory published in February of that year. It stated that Michael Becker was proprietor of the Harrison Brewery located on the South-east Corner of 9th and Harrison and that they were manufactures of a superior Lager Beer.  

At first Becker ran the business by himself taking Henry Ringstorff as his partner in 1869. Ringstorff was only able to participate until 1871 when he left to run a saloon. In 1872 Charles Yeck replaced Ringstorff and the firm was known as Yeck And Becker. Yeck came to Quincy from Beardstown where his wife, the former Nancy Beard was related to the town’s founder, Thomas Beard. Charles and his wife had accumulated $20,000 in land while living in Beardstown where he had been a merchant.  

With the obvious increase in capital from a new partner the business prospered. During 1874 they sold 3,000 barrels of beer and gained distribution in Missouri. All the beer was produced from a 40 by 150-foot, three-story brew house by seven employees. This amount compares to 30,000 barrels from Dick Brothers for the same year. 

Two years later output fell to 2,000 barrels at Harrison and just 16,000 barrels at Dick’s. No explanation was given for decrease in sales in the local papers but nationally the country had fallen on financial hard times. In January of 1879 a sheriff’s sale was held to dissolve the partnership. The sale-bill listed the rudimentary brewery equipment used by the firm. The auction included the following: 25 large beer casks, 300 kegs, 6 tubs, 200 bushels of malt, a copper beer-cooler, boiler, engine, water tank, malt mill, 3 horses, 1 beer wagon, 1 spring wagon, 2 old wagons, 50 benches and tables, an ice box, a counter with shelves, 4 tables, 10 chairs, 75 beer glasses, bowling equipment, a desk, safe, clock and stove.

The equipment was sold dissolving the partnership. The proceeds then were divided up according to the ownership agreement. In the following June of 1879 the newspaper reported that the brewery and land were sold but the newspaper was unable to name the purchasers. After the liquidation Becker ran a saloon on Maine street until his death in 1884. Yeck and his family moved back to Cass County where Charles died a year later.  

The south end forested park like setting that Becker’s Garden and other garden venues used to attract German families eager to engage in the outdoor social recreation that was important to their heritage would in time turn into the South Park that we know today. In 1891 talks began with the owner to acquire the adjacent land for the city and by 1895 South Park was open to the public. As for the beer garden that Michael Becker started to take advantage of the natural environment, it would continue with new owners well after the sheriff’s sale of 1879. South Park would remain a part of Quincy’s heritage for generations to come. Next week’s article will continue with the history of subsequent owners of the Harrison Brewery

The Harrison Brewery Part I, Sources

Cray, Marcia Kuhlman. undated, Breweries of Quincy, Illinois: 1834-1950. Self-published Quincy, Illinois.

Bornmann, Heinrich J. Bornmann’s Sketches of Early Germans of Quincy and Adams County, Illinois.  

 Reprinted: Quincy, Illinois, 2013. Published by The Great River Genealogical Society.  

History of the Park System of Quincy, Illinois, 1888 to 1917. Published by Quincy Boulevard and Park 

 Association. Quincy, Il. (no date given.) p. 36-42.

Root’s Quincy City Directory, Quincy, 1866. P. 21, 33, 95, 206, 214.  

Root’s Quincy City Directory, Quincy, 1869-70. p. 32, 67, 195.  

Langdon and Arntzen Quincy City Directory and Reference Book, 1871-72. p. 20, 152, 206.  

Langdon’s Quincy City Directory, Quincy, 1880-81. p. 69, 271.  

Simmons, Cary and Company’s Quincy and Canton City Directory, Quincy 1881-82. p. 45, 326.  

Toledo, Wabash & Western Railway Gazetteer & Directory, Detroit: Burch & Polk Publisher, 1872, p. 385,      

 403, 421.  

Simmons, Cary And Company Quincy and Canton City Directory, 1882-83. p. 49, p. 204, p. 220.  

“Sunday Amusements-Tomorrow.” Quincy Daily Herald, May 7, 1859, p. 3.  

“Amusements Last Sunday.” Quincy Daily Herald, May 11, 1859, p. 3.  

“Sunday Amusements.” Quincy Daily Herald, May 23, 1859, p. 3.  

Quincy Daily Herald, June 07, 1859, p. 3, col, 2.

Quincy Daily Herald, June 08, 1859, p. 3, col, 1.  

Quincy Daily Herald, June 11, 1859, p. 3, col, 1.

Quincy Daily Herald, June 13, 1859, p. 3, col, 1.

Quincy Daily Herald, June 15. 1859, p. 3, col, 1.  

Quincy Daily Herald, June 25, 1859, p. 3, col, 1.

Quincy Daily Herald, June 30, 1589, p. 3, col, 1.  

“The Celebration of the Fourth.” Quincy Daily Herald, July 06, 1859, p. 3, col, 1.  

Quincy Daily Herald, July 11, 1859, p. 3, col, 1.  

“Breweries.” Quincy Whig, January 07, 1875, p. 1.  

“City News.” Quincy Daily Herald, June 19, 1875, p. 4.

“Beer.” Quincy Daily Herald, December 30, 1876, p. 5.

“Items in Brief.” Quincy Daily Herald, May 14, 1878, p. 3.  

Quincy Daily Herald, May 28, 1878, p. 3, col, 1.  

“Items in Brief.” Quincy Daily Herald, June 17, 1879, p. 3, col, 2.   

 “Michael Becker, #3002. Vs. Charles E. Yeck.” Quincy Daily Herald, January 25, 1879, p. 2.

“Items in Brief.” Quincy Daily Herald, June 28, 1879, p. 3.

“A Superb Place.” Quincy Daily Herald, May 25, 1893, p. 8. 

Immigration Records for State of Illinois, Adams County, 1856. Henry Ringstorff. Film #007794040, 

 From Family Search.org.  

United States Census, 1870, Illinois, Adams County, Melrose. Image 1of 54; citing NARA Microfilm 

 Publication M593. Washington D. C.; National Archives & Records Adm.) From Familysearch.org.

United States Census, 1870, Illinois, Cass County, Beardstown, Ward 2. Image 13 of 20; citing NARA Microfilm Publication M593. Washington D. C.; National Archives & Records Adm.) From Familysearch.org.