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Note: eilbronn, one of the chief manufacturing cities of the Kingdom of Wurtemberg, Germany, and died in St. Louis January 23, 1867. His parents were Christopher and Catherine Winkelmeyer, both of whom were born, lived and died in Heilbronn. The elder Winkelmeyer was a nail manufacturer by occupation and in comfortable circumstances, and reared a family of four sons, all of whom came to St. Louis (Charles in 1837, Louis in 1840, Julius in 1842, Ernest in 1844), and one daughter Mrs. Louise Fingerle, who followed her brothers to St. Louis after the death of her husband; all of them received a good education and became worthy citizens of St. Louis.
Julius Winkelmeyer learned the trade of nail maker in his father's establishment and came with very modest means to St. Louis, where he made the acquaintance of Frederick Stifel, who was a practical brewer, and who later become his brother-in-law. The result of this acquaintance was that in 1843 he and Mr. Stifel established themselves in a small way in the brewing business, on Second street, between Convent and Rutger streets. The partnership between these two young men proved to be one admirably adapted to the advancement of the business in which they engaged. Mr. Stifel, as already stated, was a practical brewer, and Mr. Winkelmeyer had a genius for the conduct of commercial affairs. He made friends wherever he went, was far-seeing as well as industrious, and planned for the future as well as to meet the demands of that time. The result of their judicious conduct of the brewing business was that their trade increased rapidly, and in 1847 they built a new brewery on the north shore of Chouteau's Pond on Market street, between Seventeenth and Eighteenth streets, which enabled them to meet the increased demand for their product. In 1849 both Mr. Stifel and his wife fell victims to the cholera in the fearful epidemic of that year, both dying on the same day. Thereafter Mr. Winkelmeyer continued the business alone, success crowning his every effort, until his business as a pioneer brewer had become the largest in St. Louis, and one of the largest in the United States. The capacious cellars connected with this brewery attracted at the time much attention. After his death in 1867 the business which had grown to such large proportions under his management was continued by his widow, first under the management of her brother, Christopher A. Stifel, and later under the direction of her sons, Christopher and Julius L. Winkelmeyer, and her son-in-law August W. Straub. Under the supervision of these capable and energetic business men it continued to grow until 1889, when the plant, which had by that time, become one of great value, was sold to the St. Louis Brewing Association, by which corporation it is still operated, being now one of the most valuable brewing properties in the West. In addition to caring for his manufacturing interest, Julius Winkelmeyer was connected with various other enterprises during the later years of his life. He was always a staunch Democrat of the old school, and his religious affiliations were with the Evangelical Church.
“Mr. Winkelmeyer was married January 24, 1847, to Miss Christiana Stifel, who was born in 1824 in Neuffen in the Kingdom of Wurtemberg, Germany. Mrs. Winkelmeyer's father was Frederick Stifel, who was the proprietor of a small brewery in the town in which she was born. She immigrated to this country in 1840, going first to Wheeling, W. Va., in which city five of her brothers and a sister who had preceded her to this country were then living. In 1847 she joined her brother, Frederick Stifel, then a partner of Mr. Winkelmeyer, in St. Louis, and thus became acquainted with her future husband.
“Two years later her brothers, Charles G., Jacob and Christopher A. Stifel, also came to St. Louis, while her brothers Louis and Elias Stifel and her sister remained in Wheeling, W. Va. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Julius Winkelmeyer were: Frederick, deceased; Julia S., now Mrs. A. W. Straub; Christopher, who married Miss Emelie Sprenger; Charles, deceased; William F., deceased; Julius L., Adolph E. and Ida. All the children now living reside in St. Louis.”
[<i>Encyclopedia of the history of St. Louis: a compendium of history and biography for ready reference; </i>New York: Southern History Co., Haldeman, Conard & Co., proprietors, 1899, 3001 pgs. Pages 2514-2515]
Note: “<b>Winkelmeyer, Julius, </b>manufacturer, was born May 26th, 1816 in H
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