Independent Brewing Company of Pittsburgh
Encyclopedia
The Independent Brewing Company of Pittsburgh (IBC) was a conglomerate of breweries
, formed by the merger of fifteen Pittsburgh breweries in 1905.
. The Pennsylvania Central Brewing Company accounted for twelve breweries in Luzerne
and Lackawana Counties
, the Consumers Brewing Company in Philadelphia accounted for six, and the Erie Brewing Company for four. Most breweries in the western Pennsylvania area coalesced into two competing groups, forming either the Pittsburgh Brewing Company (twenty-one breweries) or the Independent Brewing Company of Pittsburgh (fifteen breweries).
The company was incorporated on January 7, 1905, with capital of $10,000. Unlike the Pittsburgh Brewing Company, whose breweries were located primarily in the city itself, the Independent Brewing Company of Pittsburgh's breweries were in towns surrounding the city.
By 1907, the company had capital of $13,500,000. In 1916, the company claimed a capacity of 1,200,000 barrels. After Prohibition
, however, only five branches of IBC and three of the PBC remained. The Duquesne Brewery
, which had always been the foremost of the IBC's branches, was the only to return in 1933, operating under the Independent Brewing Company's name. It had already obtained a permit to brew the new 3.2-percent beer allowed by the Cullen-Harrison Act by March 1933; the company sent a case of the beer to President Franklin Roosevelt
on April 5, 1933, as a gift. A crowd of 25,000 jubilant people gathered at the IBC's plant in Pittsburgh's South Side
as legal beer was allowed to flow "unlicensed and uncontrolled" at 12:01 a.m. on April 7.
Later that year, however, the name was changed back to the Duquesne Brewing Company of Pittsburgh, and the IBC was no more.
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
, formed by the merger of fifteen Pittsburgh breweries in 1905.
History
Around the turn of the century, there were a total of fifty-eight breweries involved in mergers across PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. The Pennsylvania Central Brewing Company accounted for twelve breweries in Luzerne
Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
- Demographics :As of the 2010 census, the county was 90.7% White, 3.4% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 3.3% were of some other race, and 1.5% were two or more races. 6.7% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino ancestry...
and Lackawana Counties
Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 213,295 people, 86,218 households, and 55,783 families residing in the county. The population density was 465 people per square mile . There were 95,362 housing units at an average density of 208 per square mile...
, the Consumers Brewing Company in Philadelphia accounted for six, and the Erie Brewing Company for four. Most breweries in the western Pennsylvania area coalesced into two competing groups, forming either the Pittsburgh Brewing Company (twenty-one breweries) or the Independent Brewing Company of Pittsburgh (fifteen breweries).
The company was incorporated on January 7, 1905, with capital of $10,000. Unlike the Pittsburgh Brewing Company, whose breweries were located primarily in the city itself, the Independent Brewing Company of Pittsburgh's breweries were in towns surrounding the city.
By 1907, the company had capital of $13,500,000. In 1916, the company claimed a capacity of 1,200,000 barrels. After Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
, however, only five branches of IBC and three of the PBC remained. The Duquesne Brewery
Duquesne Brewing Company
The Duquesne Brewing Company was a major brewery in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from its founding in 1899 until its dissolution in 1972. The brand was revived under the name Duquesne Bottling Company in 2008, in order to re-establish the beer in Western Pennsylvania starting in the summer of...
, which had always been the foremost of the IBC's branches, was the only to return in 1933, operating under the Independent Brewing Company's name. It had already obtained a permit to brew the new 3.2-percent beer allowed by the Cullen-Harrison Act by March 1933; the company sent a case of the beer to President Franklin Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
on April 5, 1933, as a gift. A crowd of 25,000 jubilant people gathered at the IBC's plant in Pittsburgh's South Side
South Side (Pittsburgh)
South Side is an area in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, located along the Monongahela River across from Downtown Pittsburgh. The South Side is officially divided into two neighborhoods, South Side Flats and South Side Slopes. Both the Flats and the Slopes are represented on Pittsburgh City...
as legal beer was allowed to flow "unlicensed and uncontrolled" at 12:01 a.m. on April 7.
Later that year, however, the name was changed back to the Duquesne Brewing Company of Pittsburgh, and the IBC was no more.
Branches
The following breweries operated under the auspices of the Independent Brewing Company of Pittsburgh:| Brewery name | Location | Years active in IBC |
|---|---|---|
| Anderton | Beaver Falls Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania Beaver Falls is a city in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,987 at the 2010 census. It is located 31 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, and on the Beaver River, six miles from its confluence with the Ohio River... |
1904–1920 |
| Home | Braddock Braddock, Pennsylvania Braddock is a borough located in the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, 10 miles upstream from the mouth of the Monongahela River. The population was 2,159 at the 2010 census... |
1904–1920 |
| Butler | Butler Butler, Pennsylvania The city of Butler is the county seat of Butler County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, situated north of Pittsburgh. The population was 15,121 at the 2000 census.- History :... |
1904–1912; 1918–1920 |
| Chartiers Valley | Carnegie Carnegie, Pennsylvania Carnegie is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States and is part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The population was 7,972 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Carnegie is located at . It is approximately southwest of Pittsburgh... |
1904–1920 |
| Charleroi | Charleroi Charleroi, Pennsylvania Charleroi is a borough in Washington County, Pennsylvania, along the Monongahela River, 25 miles south of Pittsburgh. Charleroi was settled in 1890 and incorporated in 1891. The population in 1900 stood at 5,930; in 1910, 9,615; in 1920, 11,516, and in 1940, 10,784... |
1904–1920 |
| Homestead | Homestead Homestead, Pennsylvania Homestead is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA, in the "Mon Valley," southeast of downtown Pittsburgh and directly across the river from the city limit line. The borough is known for the Homestead Strike of 1892, an important event in the history of labor relations in the United... |
1904–1920 |
| Loyalhanna | Latrobe Latrobe, Pennsylvania Latrobe is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania in the United States, approximately southeast of Pittsburgh.The city population was 7,634 as of the 2000 census . It is located near the Pennsylvania's scenic Chestnut Ridge. Latrobe was incorporated as a borough in 1854, and as a city in 1999... |
1906–1920 |
| First National | McKees Rocks McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania McKees Rocks, also known as "The Rocks", is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, along the south bank of the Ohio River. The borough population was 6,104 at the 2010 census.In the past, it was known for its extensive iron and steel interests... |
1904–1920 |
| Monessen | Monessen Monessen, Pennsylvania Monessen is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,669 at the 2000 census. In 1940, 20,257 people lived there. In 1990 the population was 13,026. Steel-making was a prominent industry in Monessen, which was a Rust Belt borough in the "Mon Valley" of... |
1905–1920 |
| Globe | Monongahela Monongahela, Pennsylvania Monongahela, colloquially called "Mon City," is a Third Class City in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States and is part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area, located approximately south of the city proper. The population was 4,761 at the 2000 census... |
1904–1920 |
| Hill Top | Mount Oliver Mount Oliver, Pennsylvania Mount Oliver is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a largely residential area situated atop a crest about west of the Monongahela River. The borough is surrounded entirely by the city of Pittsburgh.... |
1904–1920 |
| New Kensington | New Kensington New Kensington, Pennsylvania New Kensington is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania situated along the Allegheny River northeast of Pittsburgh. The population was 14,701 at the 2000 Census. The mayor of New Kensington is Tom Guzzo , elected in 2009. He succeeded Mayor Frank E. Link , elected in 2001.-History:New... |
1904–1920 |
| American | Pittsburgh | 1905–1920 |
| Duquesne | Pittsburgh | 1905–1933 |
| Lutz & Son | Pittsburgh | 1904–1909 |