Ind. BR'G ASS'N - Marion  

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9 1/4" tall -Green


the bottle pictures is the original color as taken. For logo I have altered the gamma colors to try and bring out the logo to make it more visible and readable.

Indiana Brewing Association

Indiana Brewing Assoc. Marion 1897-1949

The Indiana Brewing Association was formed by a consortium of men including brewer John N.C. Woelfel from Rahau, Germany who had been the brewer at the Columbia Brewing Co. in Logansport

Woelfel was replaced later by William E. Jung from Germany shortly before local-option prohibition closed the plant from 1913-1934.

Pre-Prohibition brands included Wiener, Budweiser, Bavarian, Tiger, Indiana Beer, Special Brew, Pride of the State, and Jung's All-Malt Pilsner.

Between the years of 1900 and 1950, three companies dominated the brewing industry in Marion, Indiana. The Indiana Brewing Association was the first of these three and it was rather successful during the years before prohibition.

In February 1897, the newly organized Indiana Brewing Association constructed a brewing complex at 1550 Railroad Avenue, which is today 525 Lincoln Boulevard. The three men who were responsible for the organization of the IBA are John N. C. Woefel, James S. Corbett, and Thomas Mahaffey. John Woefel was appointed secretary and general manager of the association. James Corbett came to Marion in 1879 on business when he met and married Nora Kiley. He and his wife remained in Marion and James was later appointed president of the Indiana Brewing Association. Thomas Mahaffey was appointed treasurer of the Indiana Brewing Association and soon after married Katherine Kiley.

The brewery cost 100,000 dollars to build but by September of 1900, the company had increased its profits to 200,000 dollars. The company was valued at 350,000 dollars by 1901 and employed fifty to sixty men. The brewery’s annual capacity was approximately 150,000 barrels of three distinctively advertised products. These three include Budweiser, Bavarian, and Wiener Beer.

By 1915 the organizers realized the possibility of national prohibition and decided that it would be best to liquidate the company’s assets.

A federal beverage tax was placed on all the left over barrels of alcohol in the company. The company officials, knowing the tax could not be paid by selling the beer, forfeit the intoxicating brew to the IRS who in turn decided to dump the alcohol into the Mississinewa River.

Eighty-five year old Philip Kiley recalled the scene. “…the river foamed up as the beer was dumped…people came…with buckets and dipped the beer out of the river while others got on their hands and knees and drank from the river. Still others were swimming in it. It was a sight to see.”

After this incident, and as a result of prohibition, all the buildings of the brewery were sold to the Burge Meat Packing Company.

The Indiana Brewing Association was a success and it brought business to Marion, but the inevitable prohibition put the brewery out of business.

After the prohibition era, Philip Kiley and Robert Kiley saw an opportunity to reopen what had been the Indiana Brewing Association and regain the family business. The two men purchased the old buildings from the meat packing company and completely refurbished them. The new organization was named the Kiley Brewing Company and it began operation in April of 1934.

owned by: Judith E. Burns