Moriz Levinger Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1884-1885 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	SIOUX FALLS BREWING AND MALTING COMPANY.-MORIZ LEVINGER stands as 
chief executive of one of the most important industrial concerns in the 
city of Sioux Falls, being president and general manager of the Sioux 
Falls Brewing and Malting Company, while he has been identified with 
the enterprise since 1886 and has been the leading factor in building 
up one of the greatest breweries in the west. He is a thorough, 
discriminating and reliable business man and is one of the 
representative citizens of the city.

	Concerning the inception and rise of the Sioux Falls Brewery we 
can not do better than to quote somewhat freely from a previously 
published article concerning the same: "The Sioux Falls Pantagraph in 
its issue of October 7, 1873, stated that John McClellan had sold four 
lots on the side hill to Messrs. Krudnig and Foerster, of Yankton, on 
which they would commence the erection of a brewery as soon as material 
could be procured for the purpose. These lots were located near by, if 
not the same, lots now occupied by Heynsohn Brothers, but no attempt 
was made to build a brewery upon them. In an issue of the same paper of 
August 29, 1874, we find the following item: 'Parties are now engaged 
in building a brewery and will have it completed so far as to offer the 
genuine lager by Christmas,' and that 'Knott and Nelson are the names 
of the gentlemen building it.' The boiler reached Sioux Falls October 
27, 1874. About January 20, 1875, the firm of Knott & Nelson was 
dissolved by mutual consent, S. S. Nelson retiring; and C. K. Howard 
became associated with Mr. Knott, first under the firm name of George 
A. Knott & Company, and later the interested parties incorporated as 
the Sioux Falls Brewing Company. The business was conducted for several 
years by this firm, with a capital ' stock of forty thousand dollars, 
George A. Knott taking fifteen thousand dollars of the stock, C. K. 
Howard fifteen thousand, and the officers of the First National Bank of 
Sioux Falls the balance. Mr. Knott was the general manager of the 
business until the affairs of the company became involved in 
litigation, in 1886."

	Without entering into detail in the connection, it may be said 
that it was at this juncture that Mr. Levinger became identified with 
the institution, and much difficulty was experienced by him in 
sustaining his claims and protecting his capitalistic interests. A long 
and tedious series of litigations ensued and the case became a somewhat 
celebrated one, being finally brought before the supreme court of the 
territory at its February term in 1888, at which time the decision was 
adverse to Mr. Levinger, while in the rehearing at the May term the 
decision was sustained.' Finally a second rehearing was asked and 
denied and the case was then appealed to the supreme court of the 
United States. This action caused the defending parties to assume a 
different attitude and within a short time a settlement of the matter 
was consummated by the litigating parties, much to the satisfaction of 
Mr. Levinger and his associate, Moses Kaufmann, the secretary and 
treasurer of the present company. Not yet was the way to be made clear 
for those interested in the success of the enterprise, for further 
litigation followed, on various grounds, terminating finally as late as 
1894, since which time the business has been unhampered and has grown 
steadily in scope and importance.

	In the first year after the operation of the brewery was 
inaugurated two hundred and fifty barrels of beer were manufactured, 
the second year showing an output of twice that quantity, while the 
third year fifteen hundred barrels were turned out. Since the brewery 
came under the control of Messrs. Levinger and Kaufmann extensive 
improvements have been made in the plant, making it one of the largest 
and best equipped in the west. In 1900 the company erected a new 
granite stock house and made other improvements, involving a total 
expenditure of one hundred and sixty-four thousand dollars. In 1901 was 
erected the present fine malt house which is controlled by a separate 
company, of which Mr. Levinger is president, the concern having a paid-
in capital of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, while the 
capacity of the malt house is one thousand bushels a day. The personnel 
of the official corps of this company is as follows: M. Levinger, 
president; C. N. Voss, of Davenport, Iowa, vice-president; C. J. 
Longfellow, secretary; and C. E. McKinney, treasurer. The brewing 
company is incorporated with a capital of one hundred and fifty 
thousand dollars, and its officers are Moriz Levinger, president and 
general manager, and M. Kaufmann, secretary and treasurer. In 1903 an 
addition to the brewery was made, in the erection of a modern grain 
elevator, at a cost of one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars, 
and through this provision the capacity of the plant has been doubled. 
The products of the brewery have attained a wide reputation for their 
superior excellence, and the trade of the concern extends over a wide 
radius of country, while the annual output now reaches an average of 
thirty-five thousand barrels. The interested principals are men of 
sterling character and command the confidence and esteem of all with 
whom they have dealings, while both are numbered among the loyal and 
valued citizens of Sioux Falls.