THE MATHIE-RUDER BREWING CO. WAS FOUNDED IN 1934 BUT IT GOES BACK TO 1859 WITH THE START OF THE GEORGE RUDER BREWING CO. MR. GEORGE RUDER LEARNED HIS TRADE IN MUNICH, GERMANY AND IMMIGRATED TO THE UNITED STATES AND WORKED IN MILWAUKEE’S BREWING TRADE, AND THEN CAME TO CENTRAL WISCONSIN. HE MET A MAN NAMED HENRY WAHLE IN 1857 AND FORMED THE NOW STEVENS POINT BREWERY IN STEVENS POINT WI. HE SOLD HIS HALF TO HENRY WAHLE IN 1858, AND MOVED TO WAUSAU AND BUILT A SMALL 16’X 24’ PLANT ON SOUTH LINE RD.(GRAND AV.) THIS WAS THE START OF THE GEORGE RUDER BREWING CO.

HE MADE AN EXCELLENT BREW THAT WAS QUICK TO WIN PUBLIC FLAVOR, AND HE WAS ABEL TO MAKE ADDITIONS TO HIS PLANT YEAR AFTER YEAR, UNTIL IT BECAME ONE OF THE LARGEST BREWERIES IN CENTRAL AND NORTHERN WISCONSIN. IN 1880 THE PLANT WAS PRODUCING 800 BARRELS PER YEAR. THE WAUSAU BREWERY COULD NOT KEEP UP TO THE DEMAND, SO HE BUILT ANOTHER BREWERY IN 1881 AT MERRILL WI. AND FOR FIVE YEARS OPERATED BOTH PLANTS UNTIL 1886. IN 1886 HE SOLD HIS WAUSAU PLANT TO HIS SONS, LOUIS AND HERMAN. AND THE MERRILL PLANT TO HIS SON EMIL. EMIL DIED OF A HEART ATTACK ON MAY 23, 1894. THE RUDER FAMILY THEN SOLD THE MERRILL PLANT TO ERNEST LEIDIGER, WHICH BECAME THE LEIDIGER BREWING CO.

IN 1887 MR. RUDER RETIRED FROM ACTIVE BUSSINESS, BUT KEPT HIS INTEREST IN THE BREWERIES. ON JUNE 12, 1892 THE RUDER PLANT WAS ENTIRELY DESTROYED BY FIRE. PLANS THEN WERE DRAWN UP TO CONSOLIDATE WITH THE MATHIE BREWING CO. IN 1892 WITH A CAPITAL STOCK OF $200,000. THE ARRANGEMENTS FAILED, AND GEORGE RUDER THEN STEPPED FORWARD FORMED AND ORGANIZED A $100,000 STOCK COMPANY. GEORGE RUDER WAS PRESIDENT, AUGUST KICKBUSCH, VICE PRESIDENT, AND HENRY RUDER SECRETARY AND TREASURER. THEY PURCHASED THE OLD BREWERY SITE AND IMMEDIATELY BEGAN THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW LARGE BREWERY WHICH HAD A CAPACITY OF 36,000 BARRELS, AND A MALT HOUSE CAPABLE OF MALTING 100,000 BUSHELS OF GRAIN, AND ON JULY 29, 1892 IT WAS INCORPORATED AS THE GEORGE RUDER BREWING CO. IN THE SPRING OF 1893 COLUMBIA HALL WAS BUILT JUST SOUTH OF THE BREWERY. IT WAS A LARGE SPACIOUS HALL FOR CONCERTS, AND PUBLIC MEETINGS. ON MARCH 29, 1908 IT BURNED TO THE GROUND AND WAS REBUILT AND CONVERTED TO A BOTTLING PLANT. A BEER GARDEN WAS THEN ADDED JUST SOUTH OF THE BOTTLING PLANT, IT WAS CALLED RUDERS PARK.

MR. RUDER UNFORTUNELY DID NOT SEE THE COMPLETION OF THE NEW BREWERY; HE DIED ON DECEMBER 29, 1893 OF BRIGHT’S DISEASE. AFTER THE DEATH OF MR. RUDER AUGUST KICKBUSCH BECAME PRESIDENT, LOUIS RUDER VICE PRESIDENT AND HENRY RUDER SECRETARY AND TREASURER. BY 1913 THE OFFICERS HAD CHANGED. JACOB GENSMAN WAS PRESIDENT, JULIUS QUADE VICE-PRESIDENT, HENRY RUDER SECRETARY AND TREASURER. THE BREWERY WAS LOCATED AT 504-516 GRAND AV. AND EMPLOYED 22 MEN ANNUALLY.

DURING THE 1870’S BREWERIES COULD NOT DO THEIR OWN BOTTLING BECAUSE OF BI- LAWS WHICH EXISTED AT THE TIME. BOTTLING COULD NOT TAKE PLACE ON THE BREWERY PREMISES, ONLY KEGGING. THE BOTTLING OPERATION HAD TO BE DONE IN A BUILDING ENTIRELY SEPARATE FROM THE BREWERY. THIS WAS DUE TO TAX PURPOSES. ALL BOTTLED BEER CAME FROM KEGS OR CASTS WHICH THE GOVERNMENT ALREADY COLLECTED TAXES ON. SO BREWERIES SET UP PARTNERSHIPS WITH BOTTLING COMPANIES, THIS WAS A TRADE BACK THEN. THE GEO. RUDER BREWING CO. HIRED GEORGE FORSTER TO BOTTLE RUDERS PERFECT BEER, RUDERS LAGER, RUDERS SELECT BREW AND GOLDEN DROPS BEER. THE FORSTER BOTTLING WORKS WAS LOCATED ON THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF GRAND AV. AND PLUMMER STREET.THE RUDER BREWERY HAULED KEGS DOWN THE STREET TO THE BOTTLING WORKS AND BOTTLED THEIR BEER THERE. ON JUNE 18, 1890 THE INTERNAL REVENUE ACT WAS CHANGED TO ALLOW THE CONSTRUCTION OF PIPE LINES FROM STORAGE CELLARS TO BOTTLING HOUSES. THE BOTTLING AND BREWING STILL HAD TO REMAIN IN SEPARATE BUILDINGS. THE BEER THEN RAN THROUGH A GAUGE AND A TAX COLLECTOR WAS ALWAYS ON HAND TO SEE THAT APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF TAX WAS COLLECTED. THIS METHOD REMAINED IN EFFECT UP TO PROHIBITION.

THE MATHIE BREWING CO. WAS STARTED TEN YEARS LATER IN 1869 BY FRANK S. MATHIE SR. AND FRANK HUEBNER. MATHIE BOUGHT OUT HUEBNER IN 1870. FRANK MATHIE WAS BORN IN ELLWANGEN WUERTLEMBERG, GERMANY AND CAME TO WAUSAU IN 1858 FROM WAUPACA, WI. HE CAME HERE WITH I.E. THAYER WHO NEEDED A GOOD BLACKSMITH AND MECHANIC TO HELP BUILD THE FIRST FLOUR MILL IN WAUSAU. HE OWNED A BLACKSMITH SHOP AT THE FOOT OF WASHINGTON STREET UNTIL 1868 WHEN HE SOLD HIS SHOP TO AUGUST LEMKE. HE THEN OPENED A BRICK YARD ON A LOT IN THE TOWN OF MAIN OWNED BY WILLIAM GARSKE. HE USED THIS BRICK TO BUILD THE BREWERY. HE GOT HIS CELLARS READY IN 1869 AND BUILT THE FIRST BRICK BUILDING A STOCK HOUSE IN 1884. MATHIE LIKE RUDER STARTED SMALL USING A BREW KETTLE THAT HELD ONLY SEVEN BARRELS. HIS BEER BECAME SO POPULAR THAT BUILDINGS WERE ADDED YEAR AFTER YEAR. BY 1880 THE BREWERY WAS PRODUCING 900 BARRELS PER YEAR. BY 1900 THE OUTPUT WAS 10,000 BARRELS ANNUALLY. THE BREWERY WAS LOCATED AT 408- 416 GRAND AV. JUST NORTH OF THE RUDER BREWERY. FRANK MATHIE SR. RETIRED TO PRIVATE LIFE IN 1892 AFTER THE ATTEMPT TO CONSOLIDATE WITH THE GEO. RUDER BREWING CO. FAILED, AND SOLD THE BREWERY TO HIS SONS: OTTO, FRANK JR. AND JOHN. IN THAT SAME YEAR HIS SONS FORMED A STOCK COMPANY AND CHRISTENED IT THE MATHIE BREWING CO. OTTO MATHIE WAS PRESIDENT AND SUPERINTENDENT, JOHN RINGLE VICE PRESIDENT, E. C. ZIMMERMAN TREASURE, JOHN F MATHIE SECRETARY AND MANAGER. BY 1918 ALL OFFICERS REMAINED THE SAME EXCEPT JOHN F MATHIE NOW WAS SECERTARY-TREASURE AND MANAGER. THE ABOVE GENTLEMAN AND LOUIS SALZMAN CONSTITUTED THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNTIL 1920.

THE BREWERY HAD 3 BEER WAGONS DELIVERING BEER EVERY DAY. AND A BRANCH AGENCY WAS ESTABLISHED AT MERRILL WI. AND MANAGED BY A. W. GOELTZ.

THE BREWERY CONTINUED TO EXPAND UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF FRANK MATHIES SONS. FRANK MATHIE JR. WAS IN CHARGE OF THE ENGINEERING OF NEW BUILDINGS AND EQUIPMENT. A NEW BOTTLING HOUSE WAS ADDED IN 1893, BEFORE THIS IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE DANIEL BOEHM BOTTLING WORKS WHICH WAS LOCATED AT 254 GRAND AV. BOTTLED MATHIES WEISENSTEINER BEER A SPECIAL PRODUCT IS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR BEERS IN THE COUNTRY. A MACHINE HOUSE WITH THE MOST MODERN EQUIPMENT WAS NEXT CONSTRUCTED 1N 1895. A LARGE NEW BREW HOUSE CAPABLE OF BREWING 40,000 BARRELS PER YEAR WAS ADDED IN 1900. THE BOTTLING PLANT WAS ENLARGED IN 1902, AND A LARGE MALT HOUSE WAS THE LAST BUILDING BUILT IN 1910.

ON JUNE 30, 1900 FRANK MATHIE SR. DIED A FEW WEEKS AFTER RETURNING FROM A 6 MONTH VISIT TO HIS OTHER SON EDWARD, WHO HAD A LARGE BREWERY IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA. IT TO WAS NAMED MATHIE BREWING CO. WHO ALSO MADE A BEER CALLED RED RIBBON. MATHIE’S WEISENSTEINER BEER WAS PROBABLY CHANGED TO RED RIBBON BEER AND WAS COPYRIGHTED ON NOVEMBER 27, 1906 BY MATHIES SONS. THE RED RIBBON LABEL WAS USED IN LOS ANGELES AND WAUSAU.

IN 1913 THE ANTI-SALOON LEAGUE BEGAN WORKING TOWARD A NATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR A PROHIBITION AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION. BY 1919 THIRY-TWO STATES HAD ALREADY ADOPTED IT. WISCONSIN WAS ONE OF THE SIXTEEN STATES THAT DID NOT HAVE STATEWIDE PROHIBITION. IT TOOK A LITTLE OVER A YEAR FOR ALL STATES TO RATIFY IT, BUT IT WAS FINALLY ACHIEVED ON JANUARY 29, 1919 AND PROHIBITION WAS TO GO INTO EFFECT ON JANUARY 16, 1920.

THE MATHIE AND RUDER BREWERIES KNEW THAT PROHIBITION WAS COMING, AND THE WORLD WAR I WAS RESTRICTING SUPPLIES OF GRAIN, FUEL, AND RAW MATERIALS. A MEETING WAS HELD ON AUGUST 5, 1918 AT 7:30 P.M. AT THE MATHIE BREWING CO. WHEN A RESOLUTION WAS PASSED ADOPTED: Whereas this country is now engaged in war, and the administration thereof finds it necessary to curtail the use of fuel and other material entering into the manufacture of beer which restrictions and curtailments greatly increase the cost of manufacture and also reduce the production of the product of this corporation, in order to secure more economical administration of the business and affairs of the said corporation, it is deemed advisable to consolidate the business of said corporation with that of the George Ruder Brewing Co. Wausau, Wi. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the board of directors of the Mathie Brewing Company be and they hereby are authorized and empowered to sell and dispose of part or all the property of the said corporation upon such terms and in such manner as may seem to said Board of Directors to be for the best interest of the company. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the said Board of Directors be and they hereby are authorized and empowered to organize a corporation to be known as the: AMERICAN BREWING COMPANY, with a capital stock of $350,000, and to subscribe to the capital stock of the said American Brewing Co. to the amount of $150,000. And said Board of Directors be and they hereby are authorized and empowered to sell part of all of the property of said Mathie Brewing Co. to said American Brewing Company, when so organized, for an amount of not less than $150,000, and to receive in payment for said property the stock of the said American Brewing Company to the amount of $150,000. And said Board of Directors be and they hereby are authorized and empowered to make, execute and deliver the necessary instruments and deeds of conveyance to effectually carry out the purposed herein before expressed and set forth.

AFTER THIS RESOLUTION WAS PASSED IN 1918 THE OFFICERS CHANGED TO HUGO PETERS PRESIDENT, JULIUS QUADE VICE-PRESIDENT, HENRY J. RUDER SECERTARY AND TREASURE. MATHIE AND RUDER MERGED THEN TO FORM THE AMERICAN BREWING CO. WHEN PROHIBITION WENT INTO EFFECT IN 1920, THE OFFICERS CHANGED TO: J. F. MATHIE PRESIDENT(LIVED IN MILWAUKEE) JOHN RINGLE VICE-PRESIDENT, A. HUNGER SECERTARY AND TREASURE THIS COMPANY PRODUCED NEAR BEER AT THE RUDER BREWERY. THE NEAR BEER DID NOT DO VERY WELL AND IN 1925 RINGLE SHUT DOWN BREWING OPERATIONS.

THE MATHIE PLANT WAS SHUT DOWN AS WELL AND USED FOR STORAGE. THE BOTTLING HOUSE WAS SOLD TO THE MARATHON CREAMERY COMPANY DURING PROHIBITION. AFTER PROHIBITION IN 1933 THE MATHIE PLANT WAS RENTED TO OTHER TENTANTS, SUCH AS WAUSAU WELDING SUPPLY, MARATHON CARBONIC, BUTTERFEILD REFRIDGERATION, AND STOLEN TIRE CO. IN 1936, SNAPP ELECTRIC WORKS WAS LOCATED AT 404 GRAND AV. BY 1940 IT WAS LOCATED AT 416-418 GRAND AV. THIS WAS PART OF THE MATHIE BREWERY AS WELL. AND IT REMAINED THERE UNTIL 1977 WHEN THE BOTTLING PLANT AND MALT HOUSE WERE TORN DOWN.

WHEN PROHIBITION WAS REPEALED ON APRIL 7, 1933 THIS BREWING COMPANY WAS ORGANIZED AS THE AMERICAN PRODUCTS CO. JOHN RINGLE JR. WAS PRESIDENT, HENRY RUDER VICE PRESIDENT, OTTO MATHIE SECRETARY AND BREWMASTER AND JOHN STARK TREASURE DURING 1933 THE ONLY FULL YEAR OF OPERATION THE BREWERY ONLY PRODUCED 4,945 BARRELS AND OPERATED IN THE RUDER BUILDINGS. IN 1934 THIS COMPANY CHANGED ITS NAME TO THE MATHIE-RUDER BREWING CO. ALL THE OFFICERS REMAINED THE SAME, EXCEPT A NEW BREWMASTER WAS HIRED IN AUGUST OF1934 FROM THE RHINELANDER BREWING CO. HIS NAME WAS PETER ETZWEILER

BY 1935 THE FIRM HAD 540 STOCKHOLDERS AND THE OFFICERS OF THE FIRM HAD SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGED. THE DIRECTORS WERE CARL C. ADAMS, MICHEAL CRAWLEY, WM. F. LEISTIKOW, OTTO MATHIE, J. L. OPPERMAN, JOSEPH POPE, AND JOHN RINGLE, JOHN RINGLE JR. WAS PRESIDENT. HOWEVER C. H. PFEIFFER WAS THE GENERAL MANAGER. RINGLE REMAINED PRESIDENT UNTIL THE MID 1940’S WHEN HE WAS SUCCEEDED BY OTTO MATHIE. OTTO MOVED TO MILWAUKEE AND RAN THE BREWERY FROM THERE UNTIL LEANDER RINGLE TOOK OVER AS PRESIDENT IN THE EARLY 50’S AND FINALLY GEORGE A. VEHLOW IN THE MID 1950’S.

AFTER THE INSTALLATION OF MORE MODERN MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT IN 1937, AN ADDITIONAL HIGH GRADE BEER UNDER THE TRADE NAME 5% GOLD STAR WAS PUT ON THE MARKET. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE EARLIER RUDER BREWS. THERE WAS AN AMPLE CELLAR FOR AGING 50,000 BARRELS OF BEER, BUT THE BREWING AND MALTING CAPACITY WAS MUCH HIGHER. THE BREWING CAPACITY WAS 75,000 BARRELS.

THE RUDER BREWERY INCREASED THE CAPACITY OF THE PLANT THROUGH THE ADDITION OF LARGER GLASS LINED STEEL FERMENTATION TANKS WHICH REPLACED THE SMALLER WOODEN TANKS IN 1939, THIS WAS COPIED FROM THE MATHIE PLANT, WHICH ALREADY HAD GLASS LINED TANKS, THEN A CANNING LINE WAS ADDED IN 1953. RED RIBBON WAS THE ONLY CANNED BEER FOR A SHORT TIME IN “CONETOP CANS”.

THE BREWERY’S FLAGSHIP BRAND WAS RED RIBBON, IN ˝ GALLON, QUART, 12OZ., 8OZ. (LATER 7OZ.) BOTTLES.A PREMIUM 5% BEER CALLED GOLD STAR IN 12 OZ. BOTTLES AND IN 1938 THE BREWERY COPYRIGHTED A BEER CALLED NORTH STAR LAGER IN ˝ GALLON, QUART, 12OZ.,8OZ.,(LATER 7OZ.) BOTTLES. A HOLIDAY BREW WAS MADE DURING THE HOLIDAYS IN 12 OZ. BOTTLES. AND TWO BOCK BEERS WERE MADE IN THE SPRING, IN 12OZ. BOTTLES ONE WAS NORTH STAR AFTER 1938, AND JUST A BOCK BEER LABEL WAS MADE PRIOR TO 1938. OTHER BEERS THAT WERE PRODUCED WERE PILSNER SELECT IN 12OZ. BOTTLES, AND PILSNER (QUICKIE) SELECT IN 7OZ. BOTTLES. AND BADGER SELECT IN 12 OZ. BOTTLES.

IN 1940 THE RHINELANDER BREWING CO. CAME OUT WITH LITTLE 7OZ. BOTTLES CALLED RHINELANDER “SHORTIES” THEY WERE 7OZ. RETURNABLE BOTTLES WITH PAINTED LABELS. THE MATHIE-RUDER BREWING CO. THEN STARTED TO MARKET THEIR OWN PAINTED LABELED 7OZ. BOTTLES CALLED NORTH STAR “JUNIOR” BEER. THESE WERE SOLD AT 10 CENTS EACH TO COMPETE WITH THE RHINELANDER BREWERY, AND DID VERY WELL.

BY 1945 THE BREWERY WAS AVERAGING 34,000 BARRELS ANNUALLY, BUT BY 1947 IT’S PRODUCTION DROPPED TO 32,386 BARRELS. THE OFFICERS IN 1947 WERE: OTTO MATHIE PRESIDENT (LIVED IN MILWAUKEE) LEANDER RINGLE VICE-PRESIDENT, EUGENE E. FLEMING SECERTARY AND TREASURE. IN 1948 IT DROPPED TO 20,390 BARRELS AND 1N 1949 IT HIT A PRODUCTION OF ONLY 10,133 BARRELS, IT CONTINUED TO AVERAGE 10,000 BARRELS ANNUALLY UNTIL IT’S CLOSING. ABOUT 60% OF PRODUCTION WAS BOTTLED AND 40% SOLD IN KEGS IN 1953. BY 1955 30% WAS BOTTLED, 30% CANNED, AND 40% IN KEGS. IT WAS PERHAPS DURING THIS TIME 1946 TO 1949 THAT SEVERAL BAD BATCHES OF NORTH STAR OR RED RIBBON BEER WERE DISTRIBUTED TO THE PUBLIC AND SALOONS THAT TURNED LOYAL DRINKERS TO OTHER BEERS INSTEAD. A STORY THAT I WAS TOLD WAS A PERSON WENT INTO A SALOON AND ORDERED A NORTH STAR AND HE TRIED TO POUR IT INTO A GLASS; IT CAME OUT OF THE BOTTLE A GREEN COLORED GEL. (PERHAPS THUS THE TERM “GREEN BEER”), THEN WENT TO ANOTHER TAVERN AND THE BEER WAS FINE.

ANOTHER STORY WAS TOLD TO ME THAT HAPPENED IN 1953 WHEN THE BREWERY GAVE FREE CASES OF RED RIBBON TO A TAVERN OWNER FOR HIS MOTHERS FUNERAL, AND PERSONS WOULD NOT DRINK IT BECAUSE IT SMELLED AND TASTED SKUNKY.

SINCE JOHN F. AND OTTO MATHIE MOVED TO MILWAUKEE, (WHILE THEY HELD THE OFFICE OF PRESIDENT) AND HENRY RUDER LEFT THE BREWERY IN 1935. THEIR WERE NO MORE FAMILY MEMBERS TO MANAGE THE QUALITY OF THE BEERS AND MANAGE THE AFFAIRS OF THE BREWERY. SINCE THE SMALLER BREWERIES WERE FACING THE ONSLAUGHT OF THE LARGER BREWERIES, PERHAPS THE RUDER AND MATHIE FAMILIES WANTED OUT OF THE BREWING BUSINESS. THIS WAS DURING THE MID 40’S TO EARLY 50’S WHEN THE BREWERY’S PRODUCTION WAS DECREASING YEAR AFTER YEAR.

SEVERAL OTHER FACTORS PROBABLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE CLOSING OF THE BREWERY. 1.) SMALL BREWERIES HAVE ALWAYS HAD A DIFFICULT TIME MAINTAINING QUALITY CONTROL OVER THEIR PRODUCT. THIS HAS RESULTED IN BAD “BATCHES” REACHING THE PUBLIC. THIS SEEMED TO BE A MAJOR PROBLEM FOR THE MATHIE-RUDER BREWERY, LARGE BREWERIES WERE ABLE TO HIRE THE NECESSARY TECHNICIANS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR PRODUCT QUALITY REMAINED THE SAME. SMALLER BREWERIES THAT STAYED IN BUSINESS LONGER MIXED THEIR BATCHES OF BEER TO MAKE A UNIFORM BEER, THIS IS WHAT THE STEVENS POINT BREWERY DID TO STAY IN BUSINESS, AND THE PABST BREWING CO. IN MILWAUKEE DID AS WELL. 2.) SMALL BREWERS DID NOT HAVE HUGE ADVERTISING BUDGETS AND AGGRESSIVE PROMOTIONS, SO THEY WERE BOUGHT OUT OR FORCED OUT OF BUSINESS. 3.) LARGER BREWERIES WERE ABLE TO KEEP UP A STEADY UPDATING OF EQUIPMENT. THIS INCREASED GREATER EFFICIENCY, SO THEY COULD SELL THEIR BEERS CHEAPER. 4.) DURING WORLD WAR II MANY SMALLER BREWERIES OVERSTEPPED THEIR MARKET IN ATTEMPTING TO EXPORT TO DISTANT AREAS. AFTER THE WAR THEY WERE FORCED TO FACE AGAIN THE COMPETITION OF THE LARGER BREWERS. 5.) MANY SMALL BREWERS ALSO CUT THE QUALITY OF THEIR PRODUCT DURING THE WAR. LARGER MILWAUKEE BREWERIES STARTED MAKING LIGHTER BODIED, CHEAPER BEERS AND FLOODING THE MARKET. THE SMALLER BREWERIES DID NOT HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY TO REFORMULATE THEIR BEERS OR INTRODUCE LIGHTER BODIED BEERS. ALL OF THESE FACTORS, PLUS MORE NOT LISTED SPELLED DOOM FOR THE MATHIE-RUDER BREWING CO.

THE NORTH STAR LABEL WAS SOLD TO THE JACOB SCHMIDT BREWING CO. ST. PAUL, MN AND THEN TO OTHER BREWERIES ENDING UP AT THE COLD SPRING BREWING CO. IN COLD SPRING MN. IT CLOSED IN 1996. THE RED RIBBON AND GOLD STAR LABELS WERE HELD IN A TRUST ACCOUNT, HELD BY THE WISCONSIN VALLEY TRUST CO. WHICH IS NOW M&I TRUST. ACCORDING TO M&I TRUST THE FILES WERE DESTROYED SOMETIME BEFORE 1984. PERHAPS THESE LABELS FADED AWAY, AS WELL AS PILSNER SELECT AND BADGER SELECT.

THE LAST OFFICERS THAT WERE LISTED IN 1954 WERE GEORGE A. VEHLOW PRESIDENT, GEORGE A. ROTH VICE-PRESIDENT, WM. F. BLIESE VICE-PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS, ARCHIE BECHER SECRETARY AND TREASURE AND WM. F. LEISTIKOW ASSISTANT SECRETARY AND TREASURE , AND FRANK SALZWEDEL WAS THE BREWMASTER. THE LAST BATCH OF BEER WAS BREWED ON OR JUST BEFORE SEPTEMER 1ST OF 1955.

THE MATHIE-RUDER BREWERY PROBABLY AGED THEIR BEERS FOR ABOUT 6 TO 8 WEEKS BECAUSE THEY WERE LAGERS. JUST AS LOUIS SCHOEN DID AT THE WAUSAU BREWING CO. SO THE LAST BEER WAS BOTTLED SOMETIME IN EARLY NOVEMBER OF 1955, AND BY DECEMBER OF 1955 OR EARLY MONTHS OF 1956 ALL THE BEERS WERE GONE.

THE LAST STOCK CERTIFICATE WAS SOLD ON OCTOBER 29, 1955. ON FEBRUARY 16, 1956 IN CIRCUIT COURT AT THE MARATHON COUNTY COURT HOUSE THE COMPANYS ASSETTS WERE DISPERSED TO PAY OFF THE STOCK HOLDERS. GERORGE VEHLOW DIED IN FEBUARY OF 1957. MAGGIE VEHLOW AND GEORGE ROTH JR. THEN WERE THE TRUSTEES OF THE COMPANY AND PUT THE RUDER PROPERTY UP FOR SALE, AND THEN TURNED IT OVER TO THE WISCONSIN VALLEY TRUST CO. A LOT OF THE BOTTLING HOUSE EQUIPMENT WAS SOLD TO THE DUBUQUE STAR BREWING CO. OF DUBUQUE IOWA; OTHER EQUIPMENT WAS SOLD TO THE JOS. HUBER BREWING CO. MONROE, WI. AND THE RAHR BREWING CO. OF GREENBAY, WI. AND OTHER COMPANIES BOUGHT UP THE REMAINING EQUIPMENT OF THE BREWERY. THE MATHIE PART OF THE PROPERTY WAS SOLD TO LESTER J. SNAPP FOR $65,000.00 ON JULY 18, 1958. THE RUDER BREWERY WAS PUT UP FOR SALE ON OCTOBER 3, 1958. FOR $90,000.00 THE TRUST COMPANY WAS STILL SELLING ASSETTS OF THE BUSINESS IN 1962. THE LAST OFFICERS WERE ORVILLE W. FEHLHABER AS PRESIDENT AND JOHN POPE WAS VICE-PRESIDENT ACCORDING TO THE LETTER BELOW. IN A LETTER TO MR. ROBERT C. ZIMMERMAN SECRETARY OF STATE FROM ORVILLE W. FEHLHABER DATED DECEMBER 17, 1962 IT READ: You have received my letter of October 9, 1962 wherein I resigned as an officer& director of the Mathie- Ruder Brewing Co. However, To advise you what has been done to dissolve the company while I was an officer and director, I will state that the officers and directors passed the necessary resolution to dissolve the company about 1956 and it was decided to do it through Circuit Court action. At that time about $1200.00 to $2000.00 of the corporate funds were turned over by Mr. Pope and Dr. Fleming officers in charge of the bank account, to attorneys Hoffman, Trembath, & Gullickson with instructions to dissolve the company through statutory Circuit Court action, and use the funds to pay said expenses, and have the court assign balance of funds to creditors according to law.