150-524: The Christian Schmidt Brewing Company was an American brewing company headquartered in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . Founded in 1860, it was the largest brewing company in the history of Philadelphia, producing nearly 4,000,000 barrels of beer a year in the late 1970s. When it closed in 1987, it marked the first time in over 300 years that there was no brewery operating in Philadelphia. Christian Schmidt
300-729: A 24-hour particle pollution rating of D in the American Lung Association 's 2017 State of the Air report, which analyzed data from 2013 to 2015. The city was ranked 22nd for ozone, 20th for short-term particle pollution, and 11th for year-round particle pollution. According to the same report, the city experienced a significant reduction in high ozone days since 2001—from nearly 50 days per year to fewer than 10—along with fewer days of high particle pollution since 2000—from about 19 days per year to about 3—and an approximate 30% reduction in annual levels of particle pollution since 2000. Five of
450-414: A Schmidt's executive acknowledged that there was local prejudice in Philadelphia against its regular beer. By 1982, Schmidt's was only brewing at 66% of its capacity. Given the low profit margins for its popular-priced beers, Schmidt's set its sights on the premium and super-premium sectors. In April 1982, Schmidt's launched a premium priced beer, Christian Schmidt Golden Classic. Extensive consumer research
600-495: A bachelor's degree or higher. 23.9% spoke a language other than English at home, the most common of which was Spanish (10.8%). 15.0% of the populations foreign born, roughly half of whom are naturalized U.S. citizens. 3.7% of the population are veterans. The median household income was $ 52,889 and 22.8% of the population lived in poverty. 49.5% of the population drove alone to work, while 23.2% used public transit, 8.2% carpooled, 7.9% walked, and 7.0% worked from home. The average commute
750-403: A budget of $ 371 million. The Philadelphia Parking Authority is responsible for ensuring adequate parking for city residents, businesses, and visitors. Philadelphia's architectural history dates back to colonial times and includes a wide range of styles. The earliest structures were constructed with logs , but brick structures were common by 1700. During the 18th century, the cityscape
900-467: A city on the Delaware River to serve as a port and place for government. Hoping that Philadelphia would become more like an English rural town instead of a city, Penn laid out roads on a grid plan to keep houses and businesses spread far apart with areas for gardens and orchards . The city's inhabitants did not follow Penn's plans, however, and instead crowded the present-day Port of Philadelphia on
1050-583: A common method employed by regional brewers like Schmidt's to boost sales. Schmidt's 1972 purchase of the Duquesne brands proved to be the first of five such acquisitions Schmidt's would make over a 10-year period. Schmidt's held a 25% share of Delaware Valley beer sales in 1972, while Schaefer held 15% and Ortlieb's and Budweiser each had 8%. 1974 brought price shocks in the commodities used to brew beer, which further compounded Schmidt's difficulties. In October 1974, Schmidt's announced that its Norristown brewery
1200-492: A grid pattern between the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers that is aligned with their courses. The original city plan was designed to allow for easy travel and to keep residences separated by open space that would help prevent the spread of fire. In keeping with the idea of a "Greene Countrie Towne", and inspired by the many types of trees that grew in the region, Penn named many of the east–west streets for local trees. Penn planned
1350-706: A growth in its population in 2007, which continued with incremental annual increases through the present. A migration pattern has been established from New York City to Philadelphia by residents opting for a large city with relative proximity and a lower cost of living . Philadelphia's geographic center is about 40° 0′ 34″ north latitude and 75° 8′ 0″ west longitude. The 40th parallel north passes through neighborhoods in Northeast Philadelphia , North Philadelphia , and West Philadelphia including Fairmount Park . The city encompasses 142.71 square miles (369.62 km ), of which 134.18 square miles (347.52 km )
1500-622: A joint effort between former mayors John F. Street and Michael Nutter . The zoning changes were intended to rectify incorrect zoning maps to facilitate future community development, as the city forecasts an additional 100,000 residents and 40,000 jobs will be added by 2035. The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) is the largest landlord in Pennsylvania. Established in 1937, the PHA is the nation's fourth-largest housing authority, serving about 81,000 people with affordable housing, while employing 1,400 on
1650-466: A lot of bitterness in the Pittsburgh area and a boycott of Schmidt's-produced Duke Beer ensued. Sales of the Duquesne brands plummeted in Pittsburgh, although they did not slip as much in eastern Ohio. Schmidt's began having financial troubles in the early 1970s, as competition from both national and other regional breweries intensified. Purchasing the brands (but not the plants) of failing breweries became
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#17328591972951800-535: A lucrative business in bootlegging liquor was largely helped by the minimal police surveillance at the time. There were only 134 agents designated by the Prohibition Unit to cover all of Illinois , Iowa , and parts of Wisconsin . According to Charles C. Fitzmorris, Chicago's chief of police during the beginning of the Prohibition period, "Sixty percent of my police [were] in the bootleg business." Section 29 of
1950-431: A mezzanine, that were reminiscent of an opera hall and a control room from which production was monitored using modern computers. After it left the brew house, lager and ale were fermented and stored in separate buildings. The Ale Storage building, which had been built as part of the 1930s building program and completed around 1940, was particularly impressive. In the 1980s it was still called "the new ale cellar". In it, ale
2100-601: A moderately sunny climate with an average of 2,498 hours of sunshine annually. The percentage of sunshine ranges from 47% in December to 61% in June, July, and August. The January daily average temperature is 33.7 °F (0.9 °C). The temperature frequently rises to 50 °F (10 °C) during thaws. July averages 78.7 °F (25.9 °C). Heat waves accompanied by high humidity and heat indices are frequent, with highs reaching or exceeding 90 °F (32 °C) on 30 days of
2250-587: A number of exceptions and exemptions. Many of them were used to evade the law's intended purpose. For example, the Act allowed a physician to prescribe whiskey for his patients but limited the amount that could be prescribed. Subsequently, the House of Delegates of the American Medical Association voted to submit to Congress a bill to remove the limit on the amount of whiskey that could be prescribed and questioned
2400-525: A position he held until the mid-1980s. Described as one of the last of the gentlemen brewers, Hipp was bright, thorough, and knew how to handle people. Under his supervision, every morning a panel of taste testers sampled batches of the Schmidt's products produced the previous day to make sure that their taste and quality was consistent. Hipp was the first recipient of the Master Brewers Association of
2550-512: A result, Schmidt's experienced a sales bump. It has been said that the improved business outlook made Schmidt family members less interested in selling the brewery and that this was why the sale to Heileman fell through. Regardless of the reason, Schmidt's, which incurred a loss of $ 4 million in 1974, earned a profit of $ 2 million in 1975. In April 1976, Schmidt's acquired the brands of the Reading Brewing Co. of Reading, Pennsylvania , which
2700-618: A short-lived local version of the Volstead Act, the first 4,000 arrests led to just six convictions and not one jail sentence". While the production, transport and sale of intoxicating liquor was illegal, their purchase was ruled legal in United States v. Norris . Prohibition lost support because ignoring the law gained increasing social acceptance and organized crime violence increased. By 1933, public opposition to prohibition had become overwhelming. In March of that year, Congress passed
2850-850: A time, row houses built elsewhere in the United States were known as "Philadelphia rows". A variety of row houses are found throughout the city, from Federal-style continuous blocks in Old City and Society Hill to Victorian-style homes in North Philadelphia to twin row houses in West Philadelphia . While newer homes have been built recently, much of the housing dates to the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, which has created problems such as urban decay and vacant lots. Some neighborhoods, including Northern Liberties and Society Hill, have been rehabilitated through gentrification . As of 2014 ,
3000-636: A town in Finland with a Swedish majority. In 1655, a Dutch military campaign led by New Netherland Director-General Peter Stuyvesant took control of the Swedish colony, ending its claim to independence. The Swedish and Finnish people settlers continued to have their own militia , religion, and court, and to enjoy substantial autonomy under the Dutch. An English fleet captured the New Netherland colony in 1664, though
3150-404: A year. By 1873, production had grown to 20,000 barrels a year and in 1880 Schmidt built a new brewery and ice house in order to be able to produce lager beer. In 1887 a new brew house, which doubled capacity, was built. In 1890, the brewery produced 65,000 barrels. In 1892, Christian Schmidt's three sons, Henry C., Edward A. and Frederick W., became partners in the firm and the name of the brewery
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#17328591972953300-432: A year. Schmidt's paid $ 5 million for Rheingold's brands and $ 2 million for its Orange, New Jersey brewery, which it closed and sold. Production was shifted to Philadelphia, and 625 Rheingold employees lost their jobs. Schmidt's also quickly sold two of the labels it had acquired: McSorley's Ale was sold to Henry F. Ortlieb Brewing Co. of Philadelphia, and Esslinger (the brand of a Philadelphia brewery that had closed in 1963)
3450-696: A year. The combined capacity of the Schmidt's, Robert Smith and Peter Schemm breweries then stood at 300,000 barrels a year. The Peter Schemm brewery closed in 1918 due to declining profitability brought about by World War I taxes and other wartime restrictions, including a lack of grain. Like all American breweries, C. Schmidt & Sons was forced to stop selling alcoholic beer in 1920 after Prohibition came into effect. During Prohibition, Schmidt's produced non-alcoholic cereal beverages . Non-alcoholic brands that it produced included Puritan Special and Green Label. Production of non-alcoholic cereal beverages required brewers to first make high-powered beer and then remove
3600-465: Is 31 minutes. Volstead Act The National Prohibition Act , known informally as the Volstead Act , was an act of the 66th United States Congress designed to execute the 18th Amendment (ratified January 1919) which established the prohibition of alcoholic drinks . The Anti-Saloon League 's Wayne Wheeler conceived and drafted the bill, which was named after Andrew Volstead , chairman of
3750-461: Is highly variable. Some winters have only light snow while others include major snowstorms. The normal seasonal snowfall averages 22.4 in (57 cm), with rare snowfalls in November or April, and rarely any sustained snow cover. Seasonal snowfall accumulation has ranged from trace amounts in 1972–73, to 78.7 inches (200 cm) in the winter of 2009–10. The city's heaviest single-storm snowfall
3900-487: Is home to five Fortune 500 corporate headquarters. Metropolitan Philadelphia ranks as one of the Big Five U.S. venture capital hubs, facilitated by its geographic proximity to both the entrepreneurial and financial ecosystems of New York City and to the federal regulatory environment of Washington, D.C. Greater Philadelphia is also a biotechnology hub. The Philadelphia Stock Exchange , owned by Nasdaq since 2008,
4050-639: Is land and 8.53 square miles (22.09 km ), or 6%, is water. Natural bodies of water include the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers, lakes in Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park , and Cobbs , Wissahickon , and Pennypack creeks. The largest artificial body of water is East Park Reservoir in Fairmount Park . The lowest point is sea level and the highest point is in Chestnut Hill , about 446 feet (136 m) above sea level on Summit Street near
4200-440: Is often ranked as the nation's best city for professional sports fans. The city has a culturally and philanthropically active LGBTQ+ community . Philadelphia also has played an immensely influential historic and ongoing role in the development and evolution of American music, especially R&B , soul , and rock . As of 2022 , the Philadelphia metropolitan area had a gross metropolitan product of US$ 518.5 billion and
4350-578: Is one of the largest contiguous urban park areas in the U.S. The two parks, along with the Colonial Revival , Georgian and Federal -style mansions in them, have been listed as one entity on the National Register of Historic Places since 1972. Within the Köppen climate classification , Philadelphia falls under the northern periphery of the humid subtropical climate zone (Köppen Cfa ). Within
4500-433: Is the nation's oldest stock exchange and a global leader in options trading. 30th Street Station , the city's primary rail station, is the third-busiest Amtrak hub in the nation, and the city's multimodal transportation and logistics infrastructure also includes Philadelphia International Airport , a major transatlantic gateway and transcontinental hub; the rapidly-growing PhilaPort seaport ; and Interstate 95 ,
4650-456: The 2020 U.S. Census , there were 1,603,797 people residing in Philadelphia, representing a 1.2% increase from the 2019 census estimate. The racial composition of the city was 39.3% Black alone (42.0% Black alone or in combination), 36.3% White alone (41.9% White alone or in combination), 8.7% Asian alone, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native alone, 8.7% some other race, and 6.9% multiracial. 14.9% of residents were Hispanic or Latino. 34.8% had
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4800-597: The Anti-Saloon League was pushing for. Another factor that led to the passage of the Volstead Act was the idea that in order to feed the allied nations there was a greater need for the grain that was being used to make whiskey. Prohibitionists also argued that the manufacture and transportation of liquor was taking away from the needed resources that were already scarce going into WWI. They argued that Congress would have conserved food and coal much earlier had not liquor interests been placed above public welfare. This led to
4950-759: The Battle of Brandywine in Chadds Ford Township , on September 11, 1777, during the Philadelphia campaign , the revolutionary capital of Philadelphia was defenseless and the city prepared for what was perceived to be an inevitable British attack. Because bells could easily be recast into munitions, the Liberty Bell , then known as the Pennsylvania State Bell, and bells from two Philadelphia churches, Christ Church and St. Peter's Church , were hastily taken down and transported by heavily guarded wagon train out of
5100-612: The British Army , which was then the world's most powerful military force. Since the Declaration's July 4, 1776, adoption, its signing has been cited globally and repeatedly by various peoples of the world seeking independence and liberty. It also has been, since its adoption, the basis for annual celebration by Americans; in 1938, this celebration of the Declaration was formalized as Independence Day , one of only eleven designated U.S. federal holidays . After George Washington 's defeat at
5250-584: The Cullen–Harrison Act , which legalized " 3.2 beer " (i.e. beer containing 3.2% alcohol by weight or 4% by volume) and wines of similarly low alcohol content, rather than the 0.5% limit defined by the original Volstead Act. In February 1933, Congress passed the Blaine Act , a proposed constitutional amendment to repeal the Eighteenth Amendment to end prohibition. On December 5, 1933, Utah became
5400-594: The Delaware River watershed , western Long Island , and the Lower Hudson Valley . Most Lenape were pushed out of the region during the 18th century by expanding European colonies, exacerbated by losses from intertribal conflicts. Lenape communities were weakened by newly introduced diseases, mainly smallpox , and conflict with Europeans. The Iroquois occasionally fought the Lenape. Surviving Lenape moved west into
5550-667: The Eastern Mediterranean during the Greek and Roman periods, including modern Alaşehir , mentioned as the site of an early Christian congregation in the Book of Revelation . As a Quaker , Penn had experienced religious persecution and wanted his colony to be a place where anyone could worship freely. This tolerance, which exceeded that of other colonies, led to better relations with the local native tribes and fostered Philadelphia's rapid growth into America's most important city. Penn planned
5700-566: The Great Migration from the South . By the 20th century, Philadelphia had an entrenched Republican political machine and a complacent population. In 1910, a general strike shut down the entire city. In 1917, following outrage over the election-year murder of a Philadelphia police officer, led to the shrinking of the City Council from two houses to just one. In July 1919, Philadelphia
5850-534: The House Judiciary Committee , who managed the legislation. The Volstead Act had a number of contributing factors that led to its ratification in 1919. For example, the formation of the Anti-Saloon League in 1893. The league used the after effects of World War I to push for national prohibition because there was a lot of prejudice and suspicion of foreigners following the war. Many reformers used
6000-590: The Liberty Bell , and hosting the Second Continental Congress during which the nation's 56 founders formed the Continental Army and elected George Washington as its commander in 1775, and unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. For nine months, from September 1777 to June 1778, the city fell under British occupation during the war's Philadelphia campaign . In 1787,
6150-544: The Second Continental Congress , which adopted the Declaration of Independence in what was then called the Pennsylvania State House and was later renamed Independence Hall. Historian Joseph Ellis , in 2007, described the Declaration of Independence, written predominantly by Thomas Jefferson , as "the most potent and consequential words in American history," and its adoption represented a declaration of war against
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6300-475: The Trewartha climate classification , Philadelphia has a temperate maritime climate ( Do ) limited to the north by the continental climate ( Dc ). Summers are typically hot and muggy. Fall and spring are generally mild, and winter is moderately cold. The plant life hardiness zones are 7a and 7b, reflecting an average annual extreme minimum temperature between 0 and 10 °F (−18 and −12 °C). Snowfall
6450-653: The U.S. Constitution was ratified in Philadelphia at the Philadelphia Convention . Philadelphia remained the nation's largest city until 1790, and it served as the nation's first capital from May 10, 1775, until December 12, 1776, and on four subsequent occasions until 1800, when construction of the new national capital in Washington, D.C. was completed. Philadelphia maintains extensive contemporary influence in business and industry , culture , sports , and music . With 17 four-year universities and colleges in
6600-496: The cocktail party among higher socioeconomic groups . Those inclined to help authorities were often intimidated and even murdered. In several major cities—notably those that served as major points of liquor importation, including Chicago and Detroit —gangs wielded significant political power. A Michigan State Police raid on Detroit's Deutsches Haus once netted the mayor, the sheriff, and the local congressman. Prohibition came into force at 12:00:01 am on January 17, 1920, and
6750-448: The world's 54th-largest urban park . Philadelphia is known for its arts, culture , cuisine , and colonial and Revolutionary-era history; in 2016, it attracted 42 million domestic tourists who spent $ 6.8 billion, representing $ 11 billion in economic impact to the city and its surrounding Pennsylvania counties. With five professional sports teams and one of the nation's most loyal and passionate fan bases, Philadelphia
6900-418: The 18th Amendment was repealed, it began selling a full-strength "Repeal Beer". After repeal, Edward A. Schmidt implemented a program to expand and modernize the Schmidt's plant. Extensive modernization and expansion was carried out, and new large capacity buildings and equipment were added. A new ale fermenting and storage cellar was built that was separate from the facilities used for lager beer production. It
7050-527: The 1970s to more expensive premium beers that had more appealing brand images, and, consistent with this trend, sales of Schmidt's beer started to decline in 1974. By 1980, premium brands held 60% of the US market, while popular-priced brands had only a 14.8% share. (A new category, light beer , comprised another 12.5% of the market in 1980 and was dominated by Miller and Anheuser-Busch, whose light beers, which were sold at premium and super-premium prices, held about 83% of
7200-490: The 1980s. Historic areas such as Old City and Society Hill were renovated during the reformist mayoral era of the 1950s through the 1980s, making both areas among the most desirable Center City neighborhoods. Immigrants from around the world began to enter the U.S. through Philadelphia as their gateway, leading to a reversal of the city's population decline between 1950 and 2000, during which it lost about 25 percent of its residents. Philadelphia eventually began experiencing
7350-649: The 2 square miles (5.2 km ) of Center City to the roughly 134 square miles (350 km ) of Philadelphia County . In the latter half of the 19th century and leading into the 20th century, immigrants from Russia, Eastern Europe, and Italy, and African Americans from the southern U.S. settled in the city. Philadelphia was represented by the Washington Grays in the American Civil War . The African-American population of Philadelphia increased from 31,699 to 219,559 between 1880 and 1930, largely stemming from
7500-460: The Act allowed 200 gallons (the equivalent of about 1000 750-ml bottles) of "non-intoxicating cider and fruit juice" to be made each year at home. Initially "intoxicating" was defined as exceeding 0.5% alcohol by volume, but the Bureau of Internal Revenue struck that down in 1920, effectively legalizing home winemaking. For beer, however, the 0.5% limit remained until 1933. Some vineyards embraced
7650-556: The Adam Scheidt brewery in Norristown, Pennsylvania . The Norristown brewery was capable of producing 500,000 barrels annually. By 1955, Schmidt's sales reached 1,916,708 barrels. Schmidt's relied heavily on a tavern trade, and in 1960 one-third of its sales were still for draft beer, which was nearly double the national brewery average. In 1958, Carl E. von Czoernig, the 40-year-old great-grandson of Christian Schmidt, became president of
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#17328591972957800-544: The Americas ' Award of Honor and that organization later established a scholarship in his name. Schmidt's briefly contract brewed Rolling Rock Beer at its Cleveland brewery in 1983 after a strike closed Rolling Rock's Latrobe, Pennsylvania plant. The striking Rolling Rock workers were members of AFL–CIO affiliated unions, and the Teamsters Union that represented Schmidt's workers refused to support them unless they joined
7950-501: The Delaware River and subdivided and resold their lots. Before Penn left Philadelphia for the final time, he issued the Charter of 1701 establishing it as a city. Though poor at first, Philadelphia became an important trading center with tolerable living conditions by the 1750s. Benjamin Franklin , a leading citizen, helped improve city services and founded new ones that were among the first in
8100-579: The Eighteenth Amendment, and (3) industrial alcohol use. Before the ratification of the Eighteenth Amendment, the War Time Prohibition Act was approved on November 21, 1918. This was passed to conserve grain by prohibiting its usage in the production of spirits. Title II of the Volstead Act, "Permanent National Prohibition," which was defined as "intoxicating beverages" containing greater than 0.5 percent alcohol. This section also set forth
8250-555: The Minnesota beer. Some other old Schmidt's of Philadelphia brands are still owned by Pabst. The trademarks of some other Schmidt's brands have been sold, while still others were allowed to lapse and have now been acquired by other brewers. After the brewery closed, the property stood vacant for thirteen years. In 2000, real estate developer Bart Blatstein purchased the complex at sheriff's auction for $ 1.8 million. The property, including all 26 of its buildings, were demolished shortly after
8400-563: The Philadelphia and New York metropolitan markets, and Schaefer held a 21% market share in the Philadelphia area (with Schmidt's share at 12.6%), while Schmidt's (which now owned the Rheingold brands) held 24% of the New York food store market, compared to Schaefer's 23%. In fighting the takeover attempt, Schaefer impugned Pflaumer's integrity by arguing that his prior legal problems would jeopardize Schaefer's licensing in New York and New Jersey. Before
8550-413: The Philadelphia area, which had been 33% in 1962, was said to be between 5% and 12% in 1986. Although regional brewers across the country faced declining sales in the 1980s, industry trends alone did not account for Schmidt's sharp drop in business. Several other factors were advanced by observers to account for Schmidt's declining business. First, Pflaumer's ability to manage the company was limited while he
8700-584: The Robert Smith India Pale Ale brewery, which traced its origins to 1774 and was then America's oldest brewing concern. In 1888, the Robert Smith brewery had moved to a new plant, located at Thirty-Eighth Street and Girard Avenue in West Philadelphia , that was capable of producing 50,000 barrels annually. The Robert Smith brewery produced ales under the Tiger Head brand. After its 1896 acquisition,
8850-535: The Schmidt brothers operated the brewery through a corporation, the Robert Smith Ale Brewing Co., until Prohibition . In 1902, the firm was incorporated as C. Schmidt & Sons Brewing Co. In 1908, Schmidt's Robert Smith Ale Brewing Co. subsidiary purchased the Peter Schemm & Son Brewery, located at 25th and Poplar Streets. A new state-of-the-art brew house and power plant was opened in 1914 at
9000-438: The Schmidt plant. Located on Girard Avenue just east of Second Street, the brew house was constructed with multi-level tiers and included two copper brew kettles, each with a capacity of 750 barrels. The brew house was designed by architect Otto C. Wolf and was topped with a 235-foot high clock tower that included a "Schmidt's" sign that was illuminated at night. After the expansion, the plant was capable of producing 200,000 barrels
9150-753: The Second Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation on November 15, 1777, and the city later served as the meeting place for the Constitutional Convention , which ratified the Constitution in Independence Hall in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787. Philadelphia served as capital of the United States for much of the colonial and early post-colonial periods, including for a decade, from 1790 to 1800, while Washington, D.C. ,
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#17328591972959300-464: The Teamsters. Schmidt's still produced more than 3.15 million barrels of beer a year in 1983, but after more than a decade of criminal investigations into his practices and allegations of ties to organized crime, Billy Pflaumer was convicted in 1983 of a false billing scheme involving his trucking company, in which he had evaded paying $ 125,000 in excise taxes in three states. Schmidt's Cleveland brewery
9450-491: The United States , with a population of 1,603,797 in the 2020 census . The city is the urban core of the larger Delaware Valley , also known as the Philadelphia metropolitan area, the nation's eighth-largest metropolitan area and seventh-largest combined statistical area with 6.245 million residents and 7.366 million residents, respectively. Philadelphia has played an extensive role in United States history . The city
9600-578: The United States after Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Philadelphia's neighborhoods are divided into six large sections that surround Center City: North Philadelphia , Northeast Philadelphia , South Philadelphia , Southwest Philadelphia , West Philadelphia , and Northwest Philadelphia . The city's geographic boundaries have been largely unchanged since these neighborhoods were consolidated in 1854. However, each of these large areas contains numerous neighborhoods, some of whose boundaries derive from
9750-429: The Volstead Act, titled "Industrial Purposes." The production, importation, and distribution of alcoholic beverages—once the province of legitimate business—was taken over by criminal gangs, which fought each other for market control in violent confrontations, including murder. Major gangsters , such as Omaha 's Tom Dennison and Chicago 's Al Capone , became rich, and were admired locally and nationally. Enforcement
9900-535: The War Time Prohibition Act in 1918. The case for wartime prohibition was strong and the prohibitionists could use their early successes under the necessities of mobilization to make the change permanent through a constitutional amendment in 1919. H.R. 6810, was the full name given to the National Prohibition Act, which in short meant, "An act to prohibit intoxicating beverages, and to regulate
10050-438: The ability of a legislature to determine the therapeutic value of any substance. Vine-Glo was produced ostensibly to let people make grape juice from concentrate but it included a warning on its packaging telling people how to make wine from it. According to Neely, "The Act called for trials for anyone charged with an alcohol-related offense, and juries often failed to convict. Under the state of New York's Mullan – Gage Act,
10200-518: The alcohol it prior to sale. Except for one raid in 1925 in which 400 barrels and 7,000 cases of high-powered beer that were ready for shipment were found, the company avoided Prohibition violations. In 1923, the Robert Smith Ale Company brewery property was sold. Following the repeal of the Volstead Act in March 1933, Schmidt's began selling 3.2% beer on April 7, 1933. In December 1933, after
10350-424: The beer was sometimes marketed as "Schmidt's", while at other times it was called "Schmidt", and labels could incorporate elements derived from both the Philadelphia and Minnesota beers. Heileman's brands were acquired by Stroh Brewing Co. in 1996. In 1999, Stroh's closed and its Schmidt's-related brands were sold to Pabst. As of 2019, a "Schmidt" beer was produced by Pabst, but its packaging was derived entirely from
10500-405: The boroughs, townships, and other communities that constituted Pennsylvania County before their inclusion within the city. The City Planning Commission , tasked with guiding growth and development of the city, has divided the city into 18 planning districts as part of the Philadelphia2035 physical development plan. Much of the city's 1980 zoning code was overhauled from 2007 to 2012 as part of
10650-428: The brewery of Robert Courtney, which was located on Edward Street near the intersection of Second Street and Girard Avenue in the Northern Liberties neighborhood of Philadelphia. In 1860 Schmidt became a partner in the brewery, which was renamed Christian Schmidt, Kensington Brewery when Schmidt became sole proprietor in 1863. Production in 1860 has variously been stated to be either 500 or 3,000 barrels of ale and porter
10800-506: The case was over, the judge ordered that Schmidt's pay Schaefer's legal fees, which amounted to nearly half-a-million dollars. Under Billy Pflaumer's tenure, Schmidt's production peaked at 3,850,000 barrels in 1979, making it the ninth-largest brewery in the United States. At the end of 1980, Schmidt's acquired the brands of crosstown rival Henry F. Ortlieb Brewing Co., whose brewery was closed in early 1981. Ortlieb's had produced about 250,000 barrels in 1980. This acquisition left Schmidt's as
10950-412: The category). Young drinkers especially gravitated to more expensive beers, and Schmidt's increasingly had a brand image as a beer that older blue-collar workers drank. Schmidt's attempted to appeal to younger drinkers by redesigning its label and launching a $ 3 million advertising campaign in 1979 that featured comedian David Brenner and singer Lou Rawls , but it did not turn the brand around. In 1982,
11100-575: The city for its outlying railroad commuting towns and newer housing. The resulting reduction in Philadelphia's tax base and the resources of local government caused the city to struggle through a long period of adjustment, and it approached bankruptcy by the late 1980s. In 1985, the MOVE Bombing of the Cobbs Creek neighborhood by city helicopters occurred, killing 11 and destroying 61 homes. Revitalization and gentrification of neighborhoods began in
11250-534: The city of Philadelphia. After Heileman bought Schmidt's brands, Schmidt's was produced at Heileman's brewery in Baltimore . Heileman also owned the brands of the unrelated Jacob Schmidt Brewing Company of Saint Paul, Minnesota . In 1992, Heileman began using identical packaging for the "Schmidt's" beer it marketed in the Philadelphia area and the "Schmidt" beer it sold in Minnesota, although it said that different recipes continued to be used for each region. After 1992,
11400-517: The city's 17th century founding through the present, Philadelphia has been the birthplace or home to an extensive number of prominent and influential Americans . Prior to the arrival of Europeans in the early 17th century, the Philadelphia area was home to the Lenape Indians in the village of Shackamaxon . They were also called the Delaware Indians, and their historical territory was along
11550-456: The city's director of public safety, but political pressure still prevented long-term success in fighting crime and corruption. In 1940, non-Hispanic whites constituted 86.8% of the city's population. In 1950, the population peaked at more than two million residents, then began to decline with the restructuring of industry that led to the loss of many middle-class union jobs. In addition, suburbanization enticed many affluent residents to depart
11700-399: The city's tallest building. The Comcast Technology Center was completed in 2018, reaching a height of 1,121 ft (342 m), as the tallest building in the United States outside of Manhattan and Chicago. For much of Philadelphia's history, the typical home has been the row house . The row house was introduced to the United States via Philadelphia in the early 19th century and, for
11850-511: The city's total park space, including municipal, state, and federal parks in the city, amounts to 11,211 acres (17.5 sq mi). Philadelphia's largest park is Fairmount Park , which includes the Philadelphia Zoo and encompasses 2,052 acres (3.2 sq mi) of the total parkland. Fairmount Park's adjacent Wissahickon Valley Park contains 2,042 acres (3.2 sq mi). Fairmount Park, when combined with Wissahickon Valley Park,
12000-403: The city, Philadelphia is one of the nation's leading centers for higher education and academic research . The city is a national cultural center, hosting more outdoor sculptures and murals than any other city in the nation. Fairmount Park , when combined with adjacent Wissahickon Valley Park in the same watershed , is 2,052 acres (830 ha), representing one of the nation's largest and
12150-676: The city. The Liberty Bell was taken to Zion German Reformed Church in Northampton Town, which is present-day Allentown , where it was hidden under the church's floor boards for nine months from September 1777 until the British Army's departure from Philadelphia in June 1778. Two Revolutionary War battles, the Siege of Fort Mifflin , fought between September 26 and November 16, 1777, and the Battle of Germantown , fought on October 4, 1777, took place within Philadelphia's city limits. In Philadelphia,
12300-590: The colonies made it a natural center for America's revolutionaries . By the 1750s, Philadelphia surpassed Boston as the largest city and busiest port in British America , and the second-largest city in the entire British Empire after London . In 1774, as resentment of British colonial practices and support for independence was burgeoning in the colonies, Philadelphia hosted the First Continental Congress . From 1775 to 1781, Philadelphia hosted
12450-466: The colony. Penn made a treaty of friendship with Lenape chief Tammany under an elm tree at Shackamaxon , in what is now the city's Fishtown neighborhood. Penn named the city Philadelphia, which is Greek for "brotherly love", derived from the Ancient Greek terms φίλος phílos (beloved, dear) and ἀδελφός adelphós (brother, brotherly). There were a number of cities named Philadelphia in
12600-422: The company experienced the greatest sales growth in its history. Schmidt's became the leading brand in the Philadelphia market in 1946, and sales reached 1,000,000 barrels a year for the first time in 1948. Further modernization and building programs were carried out between 1947 and 1950. An addition to the brew house was built that added a third brew kettle with a capacity of 750 barrels. In 1954, Schmidt's acquired
12750-403: The company. Under his leadership, modern marketing techniques were introduced. The company redesigned product packaging to present a modern image, and made improvements in distribution. By 1962, Schmidt's held a 33% market share in the Philadelphia area. In the mid-1960s, Schmidt's became the first brewer to use computers for production, planning and inventory control. In 1964, Schmidt's purchased
12900-402: The country, and the first Black Episcopal Church . The free Black community also established many schools for its children with the help of Quakers . Large-scale construction projects for new roads, canals , and railroads made Philadelphia the first major industrial city in the United States. Throughout the 19th century, Philadelphia hosted a variety of industries and businesses; the largest
13050-486: The creation of five public parks in the city which were renamed in 1824. Centre Square was renamed Penn Square ; Northeast Square was renamed Franklin Square ; Southeast Square was renamed Washington Square ; Southwest Square was renamed Rittenhouse Square ; and Northwest Square was renamed Logan Circle/Square . Center City had an estimated 183,240 residents as of 2015 , making it the second-most populated downtown area in
13200-407: The east and west. To cover these costs, they touted their beer as "premium" and charged more for it. They justified their higher prices by claiming that their beer was superior in taste, supposedly because of superior brewing skill and methods utilized at their breweries. Eventually, the national brewers, such as Anheuser-Busch , reduced transportation costs by opening breweries around the country, but
13350-400: The fines and jail sentences for the manufacture, sale and movement of alcoholic beverages, as well as set forth regulations that described those who would enforce the laws, what search and seizure powers law enforcement had or did not have, as well as how adjunction of violations would be in place, among many others. Despite these strict laws on alcohol commerce, there were numerous ways in which
13500-481: The first documented infringement of the Volstead Act occurred in Chicago on January 17 at 12:59 am. According to police reports, six armed men stole $ 100,000 worth of "medicinal" whiskey from two freight-train cars. This trend in bootlegging liquor created a domino effect among criminals across the United States. Some gang leaders had been stashing liquor months before the Volstead Act was enforced. The ability to sustain
13650-600: The first modern International Style skyscraper in the United States, the PSFS Building , designed by George Howe and William Lescaze . The 548 ft (167 m) City Hall remained the tallest building in the city until 1987 when One Liberty Place was completed. Numerous glass and granite skyscrapers were built in Center City beginning in the late 1980s. In 2007, the Comcast Center surpassed One Liberty Place to become
13800-530: The first official World's fair in the U.S. Immigrants, mostly from Ireland and Germany, settled in Philadelphia and the surrounding districts. These immigrants were largely responsible for the first general strike in North America in 1835, in which workers in the city won the ten-hour workday. The city was a destination for thousands of Irish immigrants fleeing the Great Famine in the 1840s; housing for them
13950-641: The first version of the bill, which Congress amended many times. President Woodrow Wilson vetoed the bill, Congress overrode his veto, and the bill went through on October 28, 1919. The Volstead Act went into play on January 16, 1920, where it became a challenge for the United States Supreme Court to navigate through. The Volstead Act was presented to help promote the togetherness of federal and state legislation in regulating alcohol. The Volstead Act consisted of three main sections: (1) previously enacted war Prohibition, (2) Prohibition as designated by
14100-604: The intersection of Germantown Avenue and Bethlehem Pike at: 40.07815 N, 75.20747 W. Philadelphia is located on the Atlantic Seaboard Fall Line that separates the Atlantic Plain from the Piedmont . The Schuylkill River's rapids at East Falls were inundated by completion of the dam at Fairmount Water Works . The city is the seat of its own county . The city is bordered by six adjacent counties: Montgomery to
14250-531: The largest brewer in Pennsylvania, and in the 1930s the company achieved regional distribution. After 50 years of leadership, Edward A. Schmidt died in 1944. Frederick W. Schmidt, the last surviving son of Christian Schmidt, then served as president for one year before becoming chairman of the board, a position he held until his death in 1949. Christian H. Zoller, a grandson of Christian Schmidt, served as president from 1945 until his death in May 1958. Under his leadership,
14400-551: The last occurrence of such a temperature being July 21, 2019. The lowest officially recorded temperature was −11 °F (−24 °C) on February 9, 1934. Temperatures at or below 0 °F (−18 °C) are rare, with the last such occurrence being January 19, 1994 . The record low maximum is 5 °F (−15 °C) on February 10, 1899, and December 30, 1880. The record high minimum is 83 °F (28 °C) on July 23, 2011, and July 24, 2010. See or edit raw graph data . Philadelphia County received an ozone grade of F and
14550-540: The late 1970s and continues into the 21st century with much of the development occurring in the Center City and University City neighborhoods. But this expanded a shortage of affordable housing in the city. After many manufacturers and businesses left Philadelphia or shut down, the city started attracting service businesses and began to market itself more aggressively as a tourist destination. Contemporary glass-and-granite skyscrapers were built in Center City beginning in
14700-420: The law, including a conviction in 1972 for mislabeling kegs of Ballantine beer as Schaefer , Piel's or Schlitz beer. There were also allegations of connections with organized crime figures. Pflaumer, who wore sunglasses due to a congenital eye condition, was a workaholic who rarely drank. Although he had no formal education beyond high school, he was quick with numbers and savvy about business. Pflaumer
14850-502: The manufacture, production, and sale of high-proof spirits for other than beverage purposes, and to ensure an ample supply of alcohol and promote its use in scientific research and in the development of fuel, dye, and other lawful industries." Prohibition was originally proposed by a man by the name of Richmond Hobson , and the proposition was brought to Congress as an amendment to the Constitution. Later, attorney Wayne Wheeler proposed
15000-927: The nation, including a fire company , library , and hospital . A number of philosophical societies were formed, which were centers of the city's intellectual life, including the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture (1785), the Pennsylvania Society for the Encouragement of Manufactures and the Useful Arts (1787), the Academy of Natural Sciences (1812), and the Franklin Institute (1824). These societies developed and financed new industries that attracted skilled and knowledgeable immigrants from Europe. Philadelphia's importance and central location in
15150-449: The northwest; Bucks to the north and northeast; Burlington County, New Jersey to the east; Camden County, New Jersey to the southeast; Gloucester County, New Jersey to the south; and Delaware County to the southwest. Philadelphia was created in the 17th century, following the plan by William Penn 's surveyor Thomas Holme . Center City is structured with long, straight streets running nearly due east–west and north–south, forming
15300-575: The old Standard Brewing Co. brewery on the West Side of Cleveland , Ohio from F. & M. Schaefer Brewing Co. The brewery had an annual capacity of 450,000 barrels, and the purchase enabled further expansion into Ohio, western Pennsylvania and New York state . In 1964 Schmidt's produced 2,000,000 barrels for the first time. In 1971, Schmidt's bought a larger brewery on Cleveland's East Side – one capable of producing 1,500,000, barrels annually – from Carling Brewing Co. The West Side Cleveland brewery
15450-569: The only brewer in Philadelphia. The US beer market had changed dramatically in the 1970s, and in the process, the brand images of many "popular-priced" regional beers, including Schmidt's, suffered. Like most regional beers, Schmidt's was sold as a "popular-priced" beer, the market segment of beers that cost less than the "premium" beers produced by national brewers. In the 1930s and 1940s, national brewers based in Milwaukee and St. Louis incurred relatively high costs transporting their beer to markets in
15600-409: The possession and personal use of alcohol remained legal under the Volstead Act. It was in fact legal to own alcoholic beverages that were obtained before the Prohibition, as well as serve these types of drinks to family or guests in the home with proof of purchase on hand. This allowed numerous individuals, specifically those who were wealthy to stockpile these beverages before Prohibition. Alcohol that
15750-527: The premium prices and images remained, and higher profit margins resulted. The increased profits could then be used to pay for more advertising, further boosting the images of the premium brands. In 1970, popular-priced beer held 58.3% of the US market, compared to 37.6% for premium beer. In 1970, the Philip Morris Company acquired sole ownership of the Miller Brewing Company . It then brought
15900-462: The public perception of Schmidt's and hurt sales. In 1987, Schmidt's largest creditor, Crown Cork & Seal Co. , called in loans totaling about $ 24 million, which forced Pflaumer to sell the company. Pflaumer received a three-day furlough from prison to return to Philadelphia to negotiate the sale of the brewery. In early April 1987, the G. Heileman Brewing Company of La Crosse, Wisconsin, reached an agreement to purchase Schmidt's brands. The terms of
16050-464: The purchase. Plans for redeveloping the site were proposed, protested, and stalled numerous times. In May 2009 the Piazza at Schmidt's, a $ 150 million retail, restaurant, and apartment complex, opened on the former brewery grounds. Philadelphia Philadelphia , colloquially referred to as Philly , is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the sixth-most populous city in
16200-403: The quart bottle, 16-ounce bottle, and was among the first breweries to sell cans of beer in six-pack cartons. In 1934, sales stood at about 106,000 barrels. By the end of 1934, Schmidt's Beer (Light and Dark versions), Tiger Head Ale, Tiger Head Porter and a seasonal bock were being produced. About a year after repeal, sales began to mushroom and soon reached 500,000 barrels. This made Schmidt's
16350-400: The rest. Billy Pflaumer, as he was known, had started in the beer trucking business in 1959 with one truck and $ 7,000, and he grew his business into a company with 118 tractors and 275 trailers. He also acquired a Schmidt's beer distributorship, which he grew to be the company's largest, sometimes by using tactics that antagonized other Schmidt's distributors. Along the way, he had brushes with
16500-427: The sale of grapes for making wine at home. Zinfandel grapes were popular among home winemakers living near vineyards, but their tight bunches left their thin skins vulnerable to rot from rubbing and abrasion on the long journey to East Coast markets. The thick skins of Alicante Bouschet were less susceptible to rot, so that and similar varieties were widely planted for the home winemaking market. The Act contained
16650-410: The sale required Heileman to pay royalties over an eight-year period on the Schmidt' brands that it produced, subject to an advance royalty payment of $ 23.5 million made in 1987. Pflaumer apparently wanted to sell the brewery plant as well, but Heileman declined, and the brewery closed. The closing of Schmidt's brewery in 1987 marked the first time in over 300 years that there was no brewery operating in
16800-590: The sale. On March 30, 1975, The Philadelphia Inquirer had published an article about a blind taste test involving 10 beers, including Coors and Schmidt's. At the time, Coors was not officially distributed east of the Mississippi , and it enjoyed considerable mystique in the East. Schmidt's was judged the best beer in the taste test, while Coors finished fifth. The article generated favorable publicity for Schmidt's, which capitalized on it with an advertising campaign . As
16950-745: The second half of the 19th century. His contemporaries included John McArthur Jr. , Addison Hutton , Wilson Eyre , the Wilson Brothers , and Horace Trumbauer . In 1871, construction began on the Second Empire -style Philadelphia City Hall . The Philadelphia Historical Commission was created in 1955 to preserve the cultural and architectural history of the city. The commission maintains the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places , adding historic buildings, structures, sites, objects and districts as it sees fit. In 1932, Philadelphia became home to
17100-592: The situation did not change substantially until 1682, when the area was included in William Penn 's charter for Pennsylvania. In 1681, in partial repayment of a debt, Charles II of England granted Penn a charter for what would become the Pennsylvania colony . Despite the royal charter, Penn bought the land from the local Lenape in an effort to establish good terms with the Native Americans and ensure peace for
17250-560: The sophisticated marketing techniques and huge advertising budgets of the tobacco industry to the beer business. Other national brewers of premium brands, especially Anheuser-Busch, responded with huge advertising expenditures of their own. The increased advertising in the 1970s and the higher prices already charged for premium national brands like Budweiser further bolstered consumer perceptions that premium beers were superior in quality to popular-priced regional brands like Schmidt's. There was, however, little to no discernible difference between
17400-467: The spine of the north–south highway system along the U.S. East Coast . Philadelphia is a city of many firsts, including the nation's first library (1731), hospital (1751), medical school (1765), national capital (1774), university (by some accounts) (1779), central bank (1781), stock exchange (1790), zoo (1874), and business school (1881). Philadelphia contains 67 National Historic Landmarks , including Independence Hall . From
17550-418: The stockholders of the family-owned company, was brought in to run the company. Schmidt's then reported that talks were underway to sell the brewery and on May 30, 1975, G. Heileman Brewing Co. of La Crosse, Wisconsin announced that it had agreed to buy Schmidt's for $ 16 million in cash and notes. In August 1975, however, the sale fell through, reportedly because Schmidt's failed to fulfill nine conditions for
17700-493: The surrounding Delaware Valley in the early 17th century. The first settlements were founded by Dutch colonists , who built Fort Nassau on the Delaware River in 1623 in what is now Brooklawn, New Jersey . The Dutch considered the entire Delaware River valley to be part of their New Netherland colony. In 1638, Swedish settlers led by renegade Dutch established the colony of New Sweden at Fort Christina , located in present-day Wilmington, Delaware , and quickly spread out in
17850-489: The taste of most premium and popular beers, and the amount of money it cost brewers to produce premium and popular brands was about the same. (The cost of beer packaging was about five times more than the cost of its ingredients). Although Schmidt's was a popular-priced beer, it was generally well-regarded by beer aficionados, and in 1977 won one-on-one blind taste tests against Budweiser, Miller, and Schlitz beers. Nevertheless, popular-priced beers steadily lost market share during
18000-522: The ten largest combined statistical areas (CSAs) were ranked higher for ozone: Los Angeles (1st), New York City (9th), Houston (12th), Dallas (13th), and San Jose, California (18th). Many smaller CSAs were also ranked higher for ozone, including Sacramento (8th), Las Vegas (10th), Denver (11th), El Paso (16th), and Salt Lake City (20th). Only two of those same ten CSAs, San Jose and Los Angeles, were ranked higher than Philadelphia for both year-round and short-term particle pollution. As of
18150-606: The upper Ohio River basin. Following the American Revolutionary War and subsequent formation of an independent United States, the Lenape began moving further west. In the 1860s, the United States government sent most remaining Lenape in the eastern United States to the Indian Territory in present-day Oklahoma and surrounding territories as part of the Indian removal policy. Europeans first entered Philadelphia and
18300-567: The valley. In 1644, New Sweden supported the Susquehannocks in their war against Maryland colonists. In 1648, the Dutch built Fort Beversreede on the west bank of the Delaware, south of the Schuylkill River near the present-day Eastwick section of Philadelphia, to reassert their dominion over the area. The Swedes responded by building Fort Nya Korsholm , or New Korsholm , named after
18450-406: The war to get measures passed and a major example of this was national prohibition. The league was successful in getting many states to ban alcohol prior to 1917 by claiming that to drink was to be pro-German and this had the intended results because many of the major breweries at the time had German names. Additionally, many saloons were immigrant-dominated which further supported the narrative that
18600-491: The year. The average window for freezing temperatures is November 6 to April 2, allowing a growing season of 217 days. Early fall and late winter are generally dry, with February having the lowest average precipitation at 2.75 inches (70 mm). The dewpoint in the summer averages between 59.1 and 64.5 °F (15 and 18 °C). The highest recorded temperature was 106 °F (41 °C) on August 7, 1918. Temperatures at or above 100 °F (38 °C) are not common, with
18750-536: Was 30.7 in (78 cm), which occurred in January 1996. Precipitation is generally spread throughout the year, with eight to eleven wet days per month, at an average annual rate of 44.1 inches (1,120 mm), but historically ranging from 29.31 in (744 mm) in 1922 to 64.33 in (1,634 mm) in 2011. The most rain recorded in one day occurred on July 28, 2013, when 8.02 in (204 mm) fell at Philadelphia International Airport . Philadelphia has
18900-566: Was being closed because it was inefficient. Schmidt's produced 3,470,000 barrels in 1974, about 200,000 barrels less than the prior year, and it lost money for the first time in its history. Schmidt's share of the Philadelphia-area beer market, which had stood at 33% in 1962, fell to 28% in 1967, 25% in 1972 and 20% in 1975. Carl E. von Czoernig served as president of the company until he was removed on April 16, 1975. Drew Lewis, an outside manager hired by First Pennsylvania Bank , trustee for
19050-466: Was being constructed and prepared to serve as the new national capital. In 1793, the largest yellow fever epidemic in U.S. history killed approximately 4,000 to 5,000 people in Philadelphia, or about ten percent of the city's population at the time. The capital of the United States was moved to Washington, D.C. in 1800 upon completion of the White House and U.S. Capitol buildings. The state capital
19200-581: Was born in Magstadt , Württemberg , Germany in 1833. He spent three years in Stuttgart , where he learned brewing, before emigrating to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania , at the age of 18. After his arrival in Philadelphia, he worked for six months on the Camden & Atlantic Railroad that was being built to Atlantic City , and then secured employment in the brewing business. By the late 1850s he had become associated with
19350-500: Was brewmaster from 1921 to 1944. William A. Hipp joined Schmidt's in 1940, shortly after receiving a degree in agricultural biological chemistry from Penn State . After service in the Army during World War II , he returned to Schmidt's in 1946. He worked his way up to become assistant brewmaster, safety director, and then brewmaster in 1956. In 1959, he was promoted to production manager, and in 1962 became vice president in charge of production,
19500-470: Was changed to C. Schmidt & Sons. By 1894, Schmidt's was the sixth-largest brewer in Philadelphia. Its principal beers at that time were a pilsner and a dark beer called Puritan. After Christian Schmidt's death in 1894, Edward A. Schmidt became head of the company. He was a practical brewer and tireless innovator who would lead the company for the next 50 years. By 1896, Schmidt's had an annual capacity of 100,000 barrels. In late 1896, Schmidt's purchased
19650-406: Was closed in 1984 in order to cut costs. The Cleveland brewery had employed about 200 workers, while the Philadelphia brewery had a workforce of 1,400 in 1984. After his appeals failed, Pflaumer began serving a three-year sentence in 1986. Production of the Schmidt's brands slumped to about 1.6 million barrels in 1986, barely half of what it had produced three years earlier. Schmidt's market share in
19800-524: Was closing. Reading brewed the Reading Premium and Bergheim brands, and had produced about 200,000 barrels in 1975. Schmidt family ownership of the company ended in April 1976 when it was sold to William H. Pflaumer . Pflaumer, then 42 years old, owned both a Schmidt's distributorship and a large beer trucking company. Pflaumer paid $ 15.9 million for Schmidt's, using only $ 150,000 of his own money and borrowing
19950-400: Was considered to be the most efficient brewery in the eastern United States. Nevertheless, Schaefer, like Schmidt's, was experiencing serious financial difficulties. Schaefer successfully fended off Schmidt's attempted takeover in court by contending that the acquisition would violate antitrust laws. At the time, Schmidt's and Schaefer were head-to-head competitors among popularly priced beers in
20100-506: Was developed south of South Street and later occupied by succeeding immigrants. They established a network of Catholic churches and schools and dominated the Catholic clergy for decades. Anti- Irish , anti-Catholic nativist riots erupted in Philadelphia in 1844. The rise in population of the surrounding districts helped lead to the Act of Consolidation of 1854 , which extended the city limits from
20250-409: Was difficult because the gangs became so rich that they were often able to bribe underpaid and understaffed law-enforcement personnel, and afford expensive lawyers. Many citizens were sympathetic to bootleggers , and respectable citizens were lured by the romance of illegal speakeasies , also called " blind tigers ." The loosening of social mores during the 1920s included popularizing the cocktail and
20400-477: Was dominated by Georgian architecture , including Independence Hall and Christ Church . In the first decades of the 19th century, Federal and Greek Revival architecture were the dominant styles produced by Philadelphia architects such as Benjamin Latrobe , William Strickland , John Haviland , John Notman , Thomas Walter , and Samuel Sloan . Frank Furness is considered Philadelphia's greatest architect of
20550-479: Was equipped with open fermenters and storage tanks made of California redwood . A new office building, malt storage building, gas collecting cellar, and bottling cellar were also built. A canning line was installed that filled Crowntainer cans of beer. Schmidt's became known for its technical innovations and used more of its own original custom-made equipment than any other brewery in the country (most of it designed by Chief Engineer Richard Slama). Schmidt's introduced
20700-447: Was five times larger than Schmidt's) for $ 200 million. Despite Schmidt's poor financial shape, its Philadelphia plant continued to be impressive. The 1914 brew house, the architecture of which had been described as elaborate, yet tasteful and practical when it opened, remained in use. A marble staircase led to the brew house floor, where there were three 750-barrel brewing kettles. Above the kettle floor there were multiple tiers, including
20850-604: Was founded in 1682 by William Penn , an English Quaker and advocate of religious freedom , and served as the capital of the Pennsylvania Colony during the British colonial era . The city went on to play a historic and vital role during the American Revolution and Revolutionary War , serving as the central meeting place for the nation's founding fathers , hosting the First Continental Congress in 1774, preserving
21000-605: Was incarcerated. Second, Schmidt's exhausted its advertising and promotion resources when it introduced the unsuccessful Schmidt's Golden Classic brand in 1982, and there was a lack of advertising and other marketing efforts to promote Schmidt's brands after that time. Third, as a distributor Pflaumer had antagonized many other Schmidt's distributors by encroaching on their territory and aggressively attempting to purchase their territorial distribution rights. The bitterness this caused led some distributors to not actively promote Schmidt's brands. Finally, Pflaumer's criminal conviction tainted
21150-481: Was introduced. In 1978, Schmidt's attempted a hostile takeover of the F. & M. Schaefer Brewing Company. Schaefer, a regional brewer that was based in New York, had expanded into the Philadelphia area in the mid-1960s and by 1978 was the top-selling beer in the Philadelphia market. In the early 1970s, Schaefer spent $ 70 million in three stages to build a five million barrel brewery in Fogelsville, Pennsylvania , that
21300-515: Was moved from Philadelphia to Lancaster in 1799, then ultimately to Harrisburg in 1812. Philadelphia remained the nation's largest city until the late 18th century. It also was the nation's financial and cultural center until ultimately being eclipsed in total population by New York City in 1790. In 1816, the city's free Black community founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church , the first independent Black denomination in
21450-411: Was once described as a mix between Jimmy Cagney and Albert Einstein. In October 1977, Schmidt's purchased the brands of Rheingold Breweries Inc., which had been one of the largest brewers in the New York area. Prior to the sale, Rheingold had projected 1977 sales of 1.2 million barrels, and it was expected that the addition of Rheingold's labels would increase Schmidt's output by about a million barrels
21600-406: Was one of more than 36 industrial cities nationally to suffer a race riot during Red Summer in post- World War I unrest as recent immigrants competed with Blacks for jobs. In the 1920s, the public flouting of Prohibition laws, organized crime , mob violence, and corrupt police involvement in illegal activities led to the appointment of Brig. Gen. Smedley Butler of the U.S. Marine Corps as
21750-479: Was performed in order to develop the taste of Golden Classicm and an expensive advertising campaign was launched to support it. Although sales were initially 150,000 barrels a year, they dwindled to around 20,000 barrels within a few years. Another new brand, Christian Schmidt's Select, was intended to compete with super-premiums and imports, but it was not successful either. In early 1982, Schmidt's also made an unsuccessful bid to purchase Pabst Brewing Company (which
21900-537: Was sold to the Lion of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania . In early 1978, the brands of the Erie Brewing Company were acquired. Erie Brewing had been producing about 300,000 barrels annually in the mid-1970s. Schmidt's also expanded its own product line during this period. In 1977, it introduced Schmidt's Bavarian and Schmidt's Oktoberfest and it produced Schmidt's Bock for the first time since 1969. In 1978, Schmidt's Light
22050-465: Was still fermented in tall open wooden fermenters made of California redwood and then aged in wooden storage tanks. It was virtually a microbrewery inside the main plant. Another source of continuity at Schmidt's was William A. Hipp. Hipp was a third generation brewmaster for Schmidt's. His grandfather William Hipp had become brewmaster in 1892, when Christian Schmidt was still running the firm, and held that position until 1921. His father Arthur H. P. Hipp
22200-674: Was the textile industry . Major corporations in the 19th and early 20th centuries included the Baldwin Locomotive Works , William Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding Company , and the Pennsylvania Railroad . Established in 1870, the Philadelphia Conveyancers' Association was chartered by the state in 1871. Along with the U.S. Centennial in 1876, the city's industry was celebrated in the Centennial Exposition ,
22350-477: Was then closed. In 1972, Schmidt's bought the brands of the Duquesne Brewing Co. of Pittsburgh , whose flagship brand was Duke Beer. Duquesne produced 642,734 barrels in 1971, and had been Pittsburgh's second-largest brewer. Schmidt's moved production of the Duquesne brands to its Cleveland brewery and the Pittsburgh plant (which Schmidt's did not purchase) closed. The closure of the Duquesne brewery caused
22500-605: Was used for medical purposes remained legal under the Volstead Act. Physicians were limited on what they could prescribe their patients. They were allowed one pint of spirits every ten days, a restriction the American Medical Associate opposed for being inadequate. Pastors, priests, ministers, rabbis and others who practiced religious actions could acquire a permit to provide alcohol for sacramental purposes only. Alcohol for any industrial purposes were allowed in Title III of
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