Keller, Andrew F. (A.F.) (1819 - 1873)

As often happens, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. Keller was a noted local businessperson, credited as the original proprietor of the city's Pittsburg Brewery (later Hamm's Brewery), located along the east bank of Phalen Creek above Swede Hollow. His establishment enjoyed some success, having been advertised in local German-language newspapers from 1857 to 1862.

Keller, born in Ensisheim, Germany, on September 29, 1819, emigrated to the United States as a young man and first settled in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. In 1849 or 1850, he married fellow German immigrant Magdalena Heidt in Butler, Pennsylvania. Soon after, the two made their way west to St. Paul. Their eldest son, Julius, was born in the city in 1856.

His Pittsburg Brewery was a small, unassuming hand brewery whose production peaked at around 800 barrels of beer yearly. This volume was a significant amount for the era. The area's earliest brewers primarily sold their wares on an ultra-local basis—considered little more than neighborhood-only shops. Shipping beer at the time — even short distances—was time-consuming and costly.

The brewery's name likely referenced Keller's former ties to the Pittsburgh area. Additionally, several noted German brewers, including St. Paul's Anthony Yoerg, had gotten their start in the Eastern United States. Keller was probably trying to lend credibility to his fledgling brewery by using the 'Pittsburg' name.

Then, for reasons that remain unclear, something changed.

On January 1, 1863, local newspapers published a message from St. Paul grocer Andrew Nessel and his brother Lawrence announcing that Keller was no longer the brewery's proprietor. The duo placed the advertisement noting that the establishment—now called the Excelsior Brewery—was in full operation and that Keller was to be treated as little more than a salesperson. He could collect balances and deliver beer but could no longer contract on the company’s behalf.

According to excise records for 1863 and 1864 (which unfortunately don't tie him directly to a particular brewery), Lawrence Nessel—who is not listed in city directories and may not have lived in St. Paul—managed an establishment that brewed between ten and fifteen barrels of lager beer each month. He last appeared in the tax records in October 1864.

Around the same time, Theodore Hamm assumed ownership of the brewery, which he subsequently renamed 'Hamm's Excelsior Brewery.'

In 1866, Keller relocated to Northfield, where he established a brewery. After operating it for three years, he returned to St. Paul to manage a small saloon in the city’s downtown. The 1870 census records list Keller as a saloon keeper.

The following year, city directories listed him as the proprietor of the Bellevue Hotel, a popular establishment overlooking the Mississippi River at the corner of Wabasha and 2nd St. in downtown St. Paul, which included a hotel, restaurant, and saloon.

Two years later, on February 18, 1873, at the age of 53, Keller passed away. He left behind his wife, Magdalena, and their children. Despite his stature as a pioneer of St. Paul's brewing industry—at one point, he was the president of the local brewers' association—local papers didn't print a record of his death.

Today, he is buried alongside his family at Oakland Cemetery.

Pioneer brewer Andrew F. Keller may not have directly influenced Theodore Hamm's acquisition of Hamm's Brewery. However, he established a brewery along Phalen Creek that eventually became the foundation for one of the nation's most recognized beer brands.