Charles L. Fleischmann
Encyclopedia
Charles Louis Fleischmann (November 3, 1835 – December 10, 1897) was an innovative manufacturer of yeast
and other consumer food products during the 19th Century. In the late 1860s, he and his brother Maximilian created America’s first commercially produced yeast, which revolutionized baking in a way that made today’s mass production and consumption of bread possible.
, Charles Fleischmann was educated in Budapest
, Hungary, Vienna
and Prague
. He then managed a distillery in Vienna
where he produced spirits and yeast. In 1865, Fleischmann came to the United States, and was disappointed in the quality of locally baked bread in the Cincinnati, Ohio
region. The brothers, along with another business partner named James Gaff, founded what became the Fleischmann Yeast Company
in Riverside, Ohio
, in 1868.
In 1876, they exhibited a Model Vienna Bakery at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, which brought international publicity and sales exposure to the fledgling company, and yeast sales dramatically increased. Eventually, Fleischmann would own 14 manufacturing facilities.. Max commuted to New York headquarters from his home in Santa Barbara, California by private railcar.
The company still exists today as a St. Louis-based producer of yeast and other products. The Fleischmann Yeast Company eventually became the world's leading yeast producer and the second largest in the production of vinegar
. It was also America's first commercial producer of gin, under the Fleischmann brand name.
Charles Fleischmann is also responsible for numerous mechanical patents involving yeast production machinery. He helped to organize the Market National Bank and became its president from 1887 until his death in 1897. His son, Julius Fleischmann
, was a mayor of Cincinnati.
Yeast
Yeasts are eukaryotic micro-organisms classified in the kingdom Fungi, with 1,500 species currently described estimated to be only 1% of all fungal species. Most reproduce asexually by mitosis, and many do so by an asymmetric division process called budding...
and other consumer food products during the 19th Century. In the late 1860s, he and his brother Maximilian created America’s first commercially produced yeast, which revolutionized baking in a way that made today’s mass production and consumption of bread possible.
Biography
A native of Jaegerndorf , MoraviaMoravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
, Charles Fleischmann was educated in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Hungary, Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. He then managed a distillery in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
where he produced spirits and yeast. In 1865, Fleischmann came to the United States, and was disappointed in the quality of locally baked bread in the Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
region. The brothers, along with another business partner named James Gaff, founded what became the Fleischmann Yeast Company
Fleischmann’s Yeast
Fleischmann’s Yeast is a brand of yeast sold to both consumer and industrial markets in the United States and Canada. It is available in a number of different forms, each with its own specific benefit. Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast is the best-known of their yeast products due to its extended...
in Riverside, Ohio
Riverside, Ohio
Riverside is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States. The population was 23,201 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Riverside is located at ....
, in 1868.
In 1876, they exhibited a Model Vienna Bakery at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, which brought international publicity and sales exposure to the fledgling company, and yeast sales dramatically increased. Eventually, Fleischmann would own 14 manufacturing facilities.. Max commuted to New York headquarters from his home in Santa Barbara, California by private railcar.
The company still exists today as a St. Louis-based producer of yeast and other products. The Fleischmann Yeast Company eventually became the world's leading yeast producer and the second largest in the production of vinegar
Vinegar
Vinegar is a liquid substance consisting mainly of acetic acid and water, the acetic acid being produced through the fermentation of ethanol by acetic acid bacteria. Commercial vinegar is produced either by fast or slow fermentation processes. Slow methods generally are used with traditional...
. It was also America's first commercial producer of gin, under the Fleischmann brand name.
Charles Fleischmann is also responsible for numerous mechanical patents involving yeast production machinery. He helped to organize the Market National Bank and became its president from 1887 until his death in 1897. His son, Julius Fleischmann
Julius Fleischmann
Julius Fleischmann was a Jewish American politician, former mayor of Cincinnati and son of Charles Louis Fleischmann.-Biography:...
, was a mayor of Cincinnati.