Theodore Hamm

This article is about the brewer. For the author born in 1966, see Theodore Hamm (writer).

Theodore Hamm
Hamm c. 1880
Born(1825-10-14)October 14, 1825 or (1825-10-17)October 17, 1825
Herbolzheim, Germany
Died(1903-07-31)July 31, 1903
(aged 78)
Saint Paul, Minnesota
OccupationFounder of Hamm's Brewery
SpouseLouise Buchholz m. c. 1856
Children6
RelativesWilliam Hamm Jr. (grandson)

Theodore Hamm (October 14 or October 17, 1825 – July 31, 1903) was the founder of Hamm's Brewery.

Biography

Hamm's family

Theodore Hamm was born in Herbolzheim, Germany, on October 14 or 17, 1825 to Johann and Franziska Hamm.[1][2][3]: 4  Theodore was the third of ten children.[3]: 4  He left Herbolzheim at the age of twenty-eight, briefly spending time in Freiburg before emigrating to Buffalo, New York in 1854.[1][3]: 5  After working there shortly as a butcher, he moved to Chicago.[3]: 5  He would soon bring his future wife Louise Buchholz from Germany to Chicago. In 1856, shortly after their marriage, they moved to Saint Paul, Minnesota.[3]: 6, 7  Hamm opened a saloon at the corner of Third Street and Robert Street in Saint Paul. He later operated a saloon on West Seventh street. In 1865, Hamm acquired the brewery of A. F. Keller, and eventually renamed it to Hamm's Brewery.[1][a]

Hamm and his wife had one son, William, and five daughters.[1]

Hamm died on July 31, 1903, of heart failure.[1] His funeral was held on August 2, with a brief United Ancient Order of Druids service at his mansion before a Requiem Mass at the Church of the Sacred Heart in St. Paul. He was buried at Calvary Cemetery.[6]

Notes

  1. ^ Sources disagree on whether Hamm purchased the brewery[4] or whether his partner defaulted on a loan for which the brewery was collateral.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Theodore Hamm Dies Suddenly of Heart Failure". The Saint Paul Globe. August 1, 1903. pp. 1, 6.
  2. ^ "Theodore Hamm Passes Away". The Sunday Tribune. August 2, 1903. p. 5. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e Flanagan, John T. (1989). "Theodore Hamm of Herbolzheim". Theodore Hamm in Minnesota: his family and brewery. St. Paul, MN: Pogo Press. pp. 1–36. ISBN 9780961776756. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  4. ^ Tieberg, Alex. "Theodore Hamm Brewing Company | MNopedia". MNopedia. Minnesota Historical Society. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  5. ^ Yenne, Bill (2004). Great American Beers: twelve brands that became icons. St. Paul, Minn.: MBI Pub. Co. p. 48. ISBN 978-0-7603-1789-1.
  6. ^ "Theodore Hamm's Funeral Attended by Many Citizens". The Saint Paul Globe. August 3, 1903. p. 2. Retrieved December 4, 2024.