Title: Dakota Malting and Brewing Company Records, 1959-1976

ID: OGLMC400

Primary Creator: Dakota Malting and Brewing Company

Extent: 1.0 Folders

Date Acquired: 00/00/1977

Subjects: Business and Industry

Languages: English

The Dakota Malting and Brewing Company Records, 1959-1976, consist of thirteen individual documents. Included are legal documents, correspondence of the company’s board of directors, correspondence from persons involved with the company, and one magazine article. The documents have been arranged in chronological order, with the undated magazine article placed last.

Items in the collection were gathered by R. Scott Stewart for his research paper “The Dakota Malting and Brewing Company.” The paper was written for Dr. J.F. Vivian’s History 440 Course, Fall 1976.

The Dakota Malting and Brewing Company incorporated in November 1959 to “build, equip, maintain, manage, and operate a brewery and malting plant.” The company was managed by eleven directors. The plant was constructed in Bismarck and began brewing in April 1961.

A problem with water quality from the Missouri River caused the company’s first 10,000 barrels of beer to spoil only days after being bottled. A special filter was then installed, and the resulting beer was termed excellent. Sales rose, but not fast enough to offset the company’s debts. In July 1965, an advertising agency from Missouri was granted a court order halting any sales until it was paid for work it had done four years previous. Fifty thousand cases of beer were seized and sold for one dollar below market level in September 1965. The Company managed to sell another 2,000 barrels later that month before the brewery permanently terminated production.

Business and Industry

Repository: Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections

Access Restrictions: Open for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections.

Acquisition Source: R. Scott Stewart

Acquisition Method: Donation; 77-406

Related Materials: “The Dakota Malting and Brewing Company," R. Scott Stewart, History 440, 1976. (OGLMC 263, Box 3, Folder 49)

Preferred Citation: (Description of Item) Dakota Malting and Brewing Company Records. OGLMC 400. Box #, Folder #. Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections. Chester Fritz Library. University of North Dakota.

Finding Aid Revision History: Finding aid added to Archon in November 2012.