Minnesota Breweries History: Jacob Schmidt Brewing Company Born in Bavarian in 1845, Jacob Schmidt arrived in America at the age of 20. After working in New York and Milwaukee breweries for almost five years, he came to St. Paul to assist his friend, Theodore Hamm, as the brewmaster at Hamm's brewery. Three years later, he travelled to New Ulm to work for August Schell, and from there worked in various breweries around the Midwest. In 1884, Jacob moved back to St. Paul and purchased a half interest in the North Star Brewery located at Commercial St. & Hudson Rd. Jacob retired in 1899, turning over the operation to his daughter and son-in-law. The following year the brewery burned to the ground and a new location was immediately found: the old Stahlmann Brewery (built in 1855 as the Cave Brewery), located on West 7th St. In 1901, the brewery was incorporated as the Jacob Schmidt Brewing Company and a new plant and malt house were erected next to the existing structures. The company continued to do business under the Schmidt name until 1955, when it was purchased by the Pfeiffer Brewing Co. of Detroit, Michigan. The new owners retained the popular Schmidt label and continued to produce beer under that name untill G. Heilemann Brewing Co. of LaCrosse, Wisconsin, bought the brewery in 1972. In October of 1991, the Minnesota Brewing Company moved into the old Schmidt Brewery building. There was another brewery with the name Schmidt. The Christian Schmidt Brewing Company was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Christian Schmidt of Philedelphia used the word (Schmidt's) on its labels and advertising and the Jacob Schmidt Brewing Company of St. Paul Minnesota used (Schmidt).