We Can Brew It! Rethinking the Demographics of Early Oregon Breweries

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Largely assumed to consist of a male-dominated workforce and clientele, many early Oregon breweries were actually family affairs. The Eagle Brewery and Saloon, one of the first breweries in Oregon, was run by German immigrants Joseph and Fredericka Wetterer. They sold lager beer, distilled whisky and brandy, and had a small vineyard on their property. Upon Joseph’s death in 1879, Fredericka owned and operated the brewery until she remarried in 1883. Fredericka was one of only 61 women who listed their occupation as “brewer” in the 1880 census. There were 16,217 men. Investigations into the Eagle Brewery reflect a dynamic time of German immigration to the United States and the resultant shift from ales to lagers that not only changed the style and flavor of beers in Oregon but also the equipment and infrastructure needed to manufacture them. In addition, family businesses such as this challenge the stereotypes of frontier alcohol production and consumption, and the role of women and children in what have traditionally been considered male spaces.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 35905.0