Location
Photo Gallery
The George Dengel brewery and soda water factory sold to Emil Raddant
Raddant Brewery photograph
1878 plat map showing the location of the Raddant Brewery in Shawano
Location of the Raddant Brewery on 5th Street in Shawano in 1913
The Emil T. Raddant family
Post card showing the Emil T. Raddant Brewery
Photograph of the Raddant Brewery on the channel
Photograph of the Raddant Brewery on the channel
Workers enjoying beer at Raddant Brewery in 1910
Emil T. Raddant factory workers
The bottom of an Emil T. Raddant bottle
Emil T. Raddant beer advertisement
Advertisement for Shawano beer
1967 newspaper announcement of the demolition of the Raddant Brewery
View of the former Raddant Brewery location
A Brief History
The Raddant Brewery
229 E. Fifth Street
Shawano, Wisconsin
After coming to Shawano, George Dengel built a brewery in the mid 1800’s several blocks from where the Shawano Community Hospital was located on the Wolf River. This was near Circle Drive in Shawano, just off 1st Street, before any street existed.
In the late 1800’s Dengel and his son Frank built another brewery on what is now 5th Street, operating a brewery and Soda factory. The Dengel’s sold the brewery business to Emil T. Raddant. E. T. Raddant then built a new brewery on the 5th street site. The Raddant brewery building was torn down in 1967.
Below is an article from the Oshkosh Time May 18, 1902. Photos of the 5th street site are attached and include what it looks like today.
RADDANT, EMIL T. BREWING COMPANY
This business has been in existence for nineteen years. Up to four years ago it
was not an incorporated institution, but at that time it was incorporated with a capital
stock of $20,000. The officers are: President, Emil T. Raddant; vice president, G.
Berkhahn; secretary and treasurer, M. W. Raddant. They make all kinds of bottle and
keg beer and there is no better beer made in the world. Their capacity is 50,000 barrels
yearly. Their product is so good that no other is used in Shawano. Not long ago the
Miller Brewing company, of Milwaukee, owned and operated five places in Shawano,
but Mr. Raddant purchased their interest for the cash price of $21,000 and now has the
entire village to his self.
This brewery is one of the finest ever built. Mr. Raddant paid the William
Griesser Engineering Company $1,500 for the plans alone. It is a very large brewery
and the best that money can erect. It is a 6-story structure and contains the very latest
improved machinery for making good beer. It has two ice machine systems, the brine
and the direct explanation system. Besides furnishing all in Shawano who wish to use
this product, the Raddant Brewing company ships to all the surrounding towns and is
enjoying a very large business.
At the present time they are building a large hotel in Gillett, which will cost
$10,000. All the modern improvements such as steam heat, electric lights, etc. will be
included. It is their intention to open this hotel about August 1.
Mr. Emil Raddant, the head of this business is a practical brewer, and has been
since 1882. He followed the trade in Milwaukee, St. Louis, and New York until 1883
when he came to Shawano. Even then, while knowing how the best beer in this state
was made, he was not satisfied. In 1897 he took a course in the American Brewing
academy in Chicago and graduated with high honors. He keeps in close touch with the
business of brewing and is one of the best brewers in the United States This can
easily be told by the product he produces.
Mr. Raddant was a candidate for mayor one year ago, and was beaten by nine
votes, a fact which show, that he is quite popular. It is the intention of this brewing
company to erect a large malt house in Shawano within the next year. They are one of
the largest concerns in that part of the state and are of much advantage to the town and
surrounding county.