Spieth and Krug Brewery

The Spieth and Krug Brewery, also known as "Union Hall" and "Maxey Block", is a brewery established in 1867 in Bozeman, Montana, by two German immigrants, Jacob Spieth and Charles Krug. The current building was built in 1882. In 1895 the brewery was bought by Julius Lehrkind, whose descendants still operate beverage businesses in Bozeman.DescriptionThe current building was constructed from 1882 to 1883 with brick in a Victorian Italianate architecture style for Jacob Spieth and Charles Krug, brewers who had immigrated to America from Germany. The 1867 structure burned down and was rebuilt in 1882. It had a similar architectural style at its corners but was frame instead of brick. The building is built over Bozeman Creek, which runs through downtown Bozeman. The waterway, particularly its rural portion, is also known as Sourdough Creek. The creek water was used for brewing and refrigeration. The upper floor has served as a dance hall. Daniel Maxey was the brewery manager in the early 1890s. In 1945 the Bozeman Trades and Labor Council remodeled the second floor, which became known as Union Hall. In 1983 the ground floor of the brewery building became the site of "John Bozeman's Bistro" for many years until the restaurant moved to a different building on West Main Street.HistoryJacob Friedrich Spieth was born on April 10, 1833, in Hegensberg near Esslingen, Württemberg, and died in Montana. He arrived in America on October 6, 1854, aboard the Eliza Challory. He spent some time on farms in Ohio and Illinois and moved to Alder Gulch, Montana, in 1863, where he began mining gold. Spieth also farmed and raised livestock. He moved to several Montana gold mining camps, where he met Charles Krug. The brewery business grew steadily for at least 20 years. Barbara A. Shock/Schok (1844–1931) married Spieth on July 10, 1871, in Hudson City, New York. They had four sons and one daughter. Spieth committed suicide using strychnine on April 10, 1892. Hellinger & Hansen bought the business and then sold it to Julius Lehrkind. Charles Krug was born in Germany in 1844 and came to America in 1856, originally settling in Missouri. He moved to Virginia City, Montana, in 1864 and began mining gold.