"Eine Frau, Eine Familie, und Ein Lager Beer!": The Archaeology and History of the Eagle Brewery and Saloon, Jacksonville, Oregon

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions)", at the 2023 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Largely assumed to consist of a male dominated workforce and clientele, in reality, many early Oregon breweries were 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 and the business failed. Investigations into the Eagle Brewery reflect a dynamic time of German immigration 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

• SHA 2023 General Sessions   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2023

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow