City Brewing/Heileman (Old Style) Brewery in La Crosse, WI and Rail Service

(Satellite)

Street View, Aug 2019
[It looks like the new LaCrosse paint fades a lot worse than the old Old Style paint.]

Wisconsin Historical Society posted

On this day [Nov 13] in 1858, one of Wisconsin's best-known breweries was established by John Gund and Gottlieb Heileman.

By the turn of the century, it had become one of the city's largest manufacturing concerns, and throughout the 20th century its storage tanks (painted to resemble a six-pack of beer) were a LaCrosse landmark.

At its peak, Heileman's annual sales of 7.5 million barrels brought in $900 million, making it a target for purchase by a series outside investors whose management eventually forced it into bankruptcy in 1991.

The brewery officially closed in 1999, throwing more than 500 workers out of work.

Today the former Heileman Brewery is home to City Brewing Co., which manufactures and packages beers, teas, soft drinks, energy drinks and other new age beverages. Its packaging capacity of over 50 million cases makes the LaCrosse firm one of the largest beverage producers in the country.

Learn more: https://wihist.org/3w5p90Q

Old World Wisconsin will be featuring the story of the G. Heileman Brewery in the Brewing Experience. #OWWNewArrivals

: 1977 | WHI Image ID 56388

Piney Woods: They bought up a bunch of neat small breweries just to close them. Shameful legacy.
Todd Solberg: Piney Woods , not accurate. With a few exceptions, Heileman bought regional breweries to increase brewing capacity. In almost every case, they then turned those struggling regional breweries around and increased employment. Different story of course when the wheels fell off following the original sale to Alan Bond and subsequent sales. Most were closed following the purchase by Strohs.
Howard Bychowski: What about Paps Blue ribbon?
Charlie Smigo: Howard Bychowski. Currently, Pabst Blue Ribbon is brewed in Milwaukee at the MolsonCoors brewery. The contract Pabst has with MolsonCoors will be expiring in 2024 and City Brewing will be taking over the contract brewing for Pabst. Pabst ( ownership)is now also a part owner of City.
Scott White: Charlie Smigo Since Pabst owns Old Style , does that mean Heileman's is finally coming home?
Joe Kady: one of only six U.S. cities where more than one-quarter of adults drink excessively
Todd Solberg: 17.5 million barrels.

Jon Geier, Feb 2015

Street View, Aug 2017

When I tried to figure out which railroad served this plant, I got confused because some maps labelled it with a Milwaukee related name whereas other maps labeled it with a CB&Q heritage. So I dug deeper. It turns out that this segment along the river was used by both. On the south part of town they had redundant trackage.

1956 La Crescent and 1927 La Crosse Quadrangles @ 1:62,500

And at the north part of town CB&Q did street running in 2nd Street whereas Milwaukee stayed close to the river. 

1956 La Crescent and 1927 La Crosse Quadrangles @ 1:62,500

The Jim Asfoor Trail is part of the CB&Q RoW whereas the Old La Crosse Railroad Bridge is part of the Milwaukee RoW. Both routes on the north side are obviously abandoned. The USGS map labels the existing southern part as Soo. I think that is wrong. It should be BNSF or a shortline. The most recent available topo maps don't bother to label this branch. A 1991 map shows both routes are still intact on the north side. By 1963 just the CB&Q route existed on the south side.

Sep 28, 2023:

Old Style Beer posted
The Old Style World’s Largest 6-Pack has returned to La Crosse WI just in time for Oktoberfest.
If you are going this weekend be sure to stop by and take a photo 📷

Just a few days earlier, the silos were blank.

Street View, Sep 2023