Prospectus II
The Decision
My project will be in the form of a Scalar. Using media to show the changes over time in the meaning and depiction of what a beer garden is is essential to gaining an understanding of who was frequenting beer gardens and why.
The Question
Beer gardens are a popular venue for social interaction. The conception of beer gardens has changed drastically over time. Initially a beer garden was just that, it was a garden under large trees that provided shade to keep underground beer storage area at a cool temperature during the summer. Later in Wisconsin the beer garden was made from vines which hops grew on. During the hops harvest, the communities came together to pick the hops and during breaks they would assemble under the shade produced by vines draped across man made scaffolding where they would eat, drink and socialize. Beer gardens later became a place for vendors to showcase their brews, this form of beer garden is what I pictured at the onset of this inquiry. Beer popularity has ebbed and flowed through out this country's history for several reasons. The idea that beer was more pure than water made beer a healthy choice making it increasingly more popular. Temperance movements often focused on distilled liquors and wines because of their higher alcohol content, even passing laws allowing beer producers and vendors to do business tax free. The anti-German movements during each of the World Wars greatly reduced the popularity of beer gardens and anything considered to be German. Prohibition had the same effect but as time passed beer gardens became more popular once more. Starting in areas of Eastern European descent their popularity became increasingly more diverse. Each page of the Scalar will look at a piece of this puzzle.
Thesis
Beer gardens popularity mirrors social trends including racism, temperance, and immigration patterns in the United States.
Bibliography
Sopher, Phillip. History of Biergartens in Bavaria. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/04/how-the-beer-garden-came-to-be/391343/
Apps, Jerry. Breweries of Wisconsin. Madison, Wisconsin. The University of Wisconsin Press. 1992
This book tells the stories from before Wisconsin was a state up to 1985. It covers agriculture, immigration, business practices of breweries, and the many reasons for beer's popularity.
Saffle, Michael. Music and Culture in America, 1861-1918. New York. Garland Publishing Inc. 1998
This book explains how musicians often made their start in beer centered festivals, especially German musicians.
Wisconsin Temperance Journal, April 1840 (Vol. 1 No. 1, April 1840; Milwaukee: Wisconsin). Online facsimile at: http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/turningpoints/search.asp?id=84; Visited on: 2/3/2017
Leary, James P. Wisconsin folklore. Madison, Wis. : University of Wisconsin Press, c1998. http://hdl.handle.net.ezproxy.csupueblo.edu/2027/heb.06887.0001.001.
"The Great Pabst Brewery Milwaukee." (Milwaukee, Wis.: Pabst Brewing Company, 1907); http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/turningpoints/search.asp?id=1210; Visited on: 2/3/2017
"Schlitz started on Chestnut St. in 1849." Milwaukee Journal. (30 September 1936). Visited on: 2/3/2017
Leary, James P. Wisconsin folklore. Madison, Wis. : University of Wisconsin Press, c1998.
http://hdl.handle.net.ezproxy.csupueblo.edu/2027/heb.06887.0001.001.
Images of brewing and breweries, 1860-1984. Wisconsin Historical Images. Online facsimile at: http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/turningpoints/search.asp?id=1303; Visited on: 2/3/2017
“Having a beer outside a beer garden” Online at http://cdn.loc.gov/service/pnp/fsa/8a36000/8a36900/8a36927r.jpg
Wisconsin Historical Society. Wisconsin Local History & Biography Articles; "Milwaukee Sentinel"; "Milwaukee", "WI"; "2/21/1932"; viewed online at http://www.wisconsinhistory.org on 2/12/17
Wisconsin Historical Society. Wisconsin Local History & Biography Articles; "Milwaukee Journal"; "Milwaukee", "WI"; "3/19/1916"; viewed online at http://www.wisconsinhistory.org on 2/3/17
Library of Congress. “Beer gardens wood carvings” viewed online at http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/ppmsca.24176/ on 2/16/17
Rocky Mountain Sun. “It begins to look as though Bowman & Fenerstineb place, on Hunter, was going to be the beer garden of the west.” Viewed online at https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/cgi-bin/colorado?a=d&d=RMS18901206.2.37&srpos=9&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN-beer+garden-------0- on 1/23/2017
Moffat County Bell. Waiter in Munich. Nov. 5, 1920. https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/cgi-bin/colorado?a=d&d=MCB19200611-01.2.10&srpos=41&e=-------en-20--41--txt-txIN-beer+garden-------0-#
Milwaukee Journal. When Beer, Milwaukee Style was Introduced to New York. 1920
Solid Muldoon Weekly, PORTLAND BEER GARDEN . It is just the place to spend a pleasant afternoon or to stop for refreshments while out driving. 6/30/1882https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/cgi-bin/colorado?a=d&d=SMW18820630.2.33.1&srpos=14&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN-beer+garden-------0-