What is the BCCA all about? Its “Where Fun & Collectors Connect”

Our cover image from the November/December 2023 communicates this new, simple, direct messaging reinforces the friendship and networking foundation that makes the BCCA so special for all of us. Look for this issue in your mailbox and online soon.

Hello, fellow beer can and breweriana collectors.

I want to introduce myself to those who do not already know me.  My name is Clayton Emery #32806, and I have been collecting for much of my life, with much of my beer can and breweriana interests coming after 2005.

I look forward to continuing to grow the hobby across all facets of brewery collectibles.  Even though we may specialize in specific categories, brands, or geographical regions, we all have the common bond of friendship.  These friendships bring us together for shows and events, both locally, nationally, and internationally.  We just completed our premier event of the year, CANvention 52, in Louisville, KY, where we were once again able to interact with collectors we have known for years, some of whom we only see once a year.

We are always looking for new ways to build our membership, but we also understand the need to sustain our membership.  If you are already a member, Thank You.  If you are considering joining the BCCA, please do.  We are working to make changes that will make the BCCA more inclusive across the hobby and give advanced and novice collectors something to enjoy.

I hope to meet many new friends and collectors as I travel to shows throughout the U.S.A. over the next year.  If you see me at a show, please introduce yourself, and let’s talk about collecting.  I want to hear your thoughts on our hobby.

If you have any ideas or concerns, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at Claytonemery32806@aol.com.

Prost,

Clayton Emery #32806

BCCA President

Message from the BCCA President to all members.

I would like to provide an update as to the status of the BCCA Office. We have fully transitioned into our new office manager. We now have Mr. Pat Porter at the helm and the office is fully open for business as usual. There are no plans to shut down the office in the foreseeable future.

The BCCA is financially sound as it always has been and the office is buzzing with activity keeping Pat busy and happy. Membership is again on an upward trend. Anyone having any questions or concerns as to the status of the BCCA or the BCCA Office may feel free to reach out to me personally at clipperpale@hotmail.com for further discussion.

Cheers,

Mike Newton #30934

BCCA President

While not technically an ‘own brand’ can, nor even an actual Bicentennial can, the story is interesting enough to include.  Farmfest is an agricultural event that was begun in 1972 by Agricultural Promotions Inc.  The first Farmfest was held in Vernon Center and featured entertainment by Bob Hope.  The 1976 edition was held at a new venue: Bob and Judy Schroeder’s farm in Lake Crystal.  This offered 1,000 acres of space for demonstrations, 900 exhibitors, farm attractions, agricultural exhibitions, tractor and horse pulling and plowing competitions, as well as speeches by the presidential candidates.  Heavy rains on the first day turned the site to mud and the expected one million attendees failed to appear during the rest of an overcast week.  Although about 290,000 visitors did come, the event failed to break even, driving Agricultural Promotions into bankruptcy.  The name was purchased by Marlyn Buss in 1982 and Farmfest was revived in Lake Crystal until 1989, when it was moved to Austin.  In 1994, the show was relocated again to Redwood Falls where it has been held ever since.  The name was taken over by Cygnis Farm Shows in 1997 and by the IDEAg subsidiary of the American Farm Bureau in 2013.  It is presently the third largest agricultural trade show in the country.

SCHELL’S BEER FARMFEST ‘76 September 13-19, 1976 Lake Crystal, Minn. AMERICA’S BICENTENNIAL SALUTE TO AGRICULTURE Lake Crystal, Minnesota Sept. 13-19, 1976 FARMFEST ‘76

The Chippewa Health Club created Chippewa Springs Park near the site of Thaddeus Pound’s mineral spring in 1889 and began bottling the water.  The spring flows at a rate of 100,000 gallons every 24 hours.  Analysis shows Chippewa Spring to be the purest, softest spring water in the world.  Five years, a fire and a bankruptcy later, the spring and accompanying bottling works was incorporated as Chippewa Spring Company.  This is Chippewa Falls’ second oldest continuously operating industry.  When it came time to celebrate the water, it was natural that Chippewa Falls’ oldest continuously operating industry produce a beer can for the event.  The cans for the first six years used the official water glass logo.  The 1983 can was a photo of Duncan Creek in winter with the brewery in the background.  This is probably the handsomest of the private label cans and suggests what some of the others might have looked like had more effort been put into them.  The 1984 can featured Glen Loch Dam, just upstream from the brewery, which was undergoing a major renovation at the time.  In the background was the Indian head which graced the early spring water bottles.  Rising minimum orders likely put an end to the series, which is too bad because Chippewa Falls celebrated its sesquicentennial in 1986 and they could have had a dual purpose can.  Pure Water Days and Riverfest are still celebrated with a parade, live music, arts & crafts, food trucks, beer tent and fireworks.  Leinenkugel sponsors the YMCA PWD races, including a four mile race through Irvine Park (home of the spitting turtle fountain) and a half-marathon.  Chippewa Spring Water is now part of Premium Waters, Inc.  Bonus factoid: expatriate poet and Fascist collaborator Ezra Pound was Thaddeus Pound’s grandson.

	Brewed with Pure Spring Water Chippewa Falls Wisconsin 1st Annual PURE WATER DAYS AUGUST 19-20-21, 1977 LIGHT PREMIUM BEER Brewed with Pure Spring Water Chippewa Falls Wisconsin 2nd Annual PURE WATER DAYS AUGUST 18-19-20, 1978 LIGHT PREMIUM BEER
	Brewed with Pure Spring Water Chippewa Falls Wisconsin 3rd Annual PURE WATER DAYS AUGUST 17-18-19, 1979 LIGHT PREMIUM BEER Brewed with Pure Spring Water Chippewa Falls 4 th Annual PURE WATER DAYS BEER AUGUST 22-23-24, 1980 Brewed with Pure Spring Water Chippewa Falls 5 th Annual PURE WATER DAYS BEER AUGUST 14-15-16, 1981
	Brewed with Pure Spring Water Chippewa Falls 6th Annual PURE WATER DAYS BEER AUGUST 20-21-22, 1982 Chippewa Falls 7th Annual 1983 PURE WATER DAYS BEER Brewed with Pure Spring Water CHIPPEWA FALLS 1984 – 8th ANNUAL Pure Water Days BEER Glen Loch Dam Chippewa Falls, Wis.

Little Muskego Lake and Muskego Lake (sometimes referred to as Big Muskego to minimize confusion) are both located within the city of Muskego, with the main portion of town between the two.  Little Muskego was enlarged to its present size by means of a fixed height dam.  The lake has 481 acres of surface area, a mean depth of 14 feet and a maximum depth of 65 feet at a basin near the south end.  It is conducive to swimming, boating and fishing, being stocked with largemouth bass, northern pike and walleye.  Seventy percent of the lake bottom is soft sediment, an ideal environment for submerged plants.  While some of these are benign and even desirable, several invasive species have found their way into Little Muskego.  These include Eurasian milfoil, curly leaf pondweed, and the prolific starry stonewort, all of which seriously impede recreational activities.  A 1968 study apparently led to the reclamation project described on the cans, though Muskegofest seems to have not continued beyond the seventies.  A new Muskego Community Festival was launched in 1987.  The name changed to DandiLion Daze in 2019 and continues to offer live music, a corn hole tournament and a 5K Beer Run (with beer from Hill County Brewery in Shorewood, Illinois).  The festival is organized by eight local civic organizations, including the Little Muskego Lake Association.  A new study of the lake in 2019 supported an extended drawdown over the winter months to help kill off the invasive species and compress the silty bottom.

little Muskego BEER Little Muskego Lake Assoc. 1978 Little Muskego Lake LITTLE MUSKEGO RECLAMATION is the largest inland lake dredging project ever attempted in the U.S.  It is the result of a ten year effort to clean a dying lake. CITY OF MUSKEGO WAUKESHA COUNTY, WISCONSIN This city of 15,000 is dedicated to cleaning its lakes which cover 22% of its 36 square mile land area.  The results of this demonstration program will aid other lakes with sediment problems.  All profits of the sale of this beer at Muskegofest ’78 will help pay for this $2 million project.

little Muskego BEER Little Muskego Lake Assoc. 1979 Little Muskego Lake LITTLE MUSKEGO RECLAMATION is the largest inland lake dredging project ever attempted in the U.S.  It is the result of a ten year effort to clean a dying lake. CITY OF MUSKEGO WAUKESHA COUNTY, WISCONSIN This city of 15,000 is dedicated to cleaning its lakes which cover 22% of its 36 square mile land area.  The results of this demonstration program will aid other lakes with sediment problems.  All profits of the sale of this beer at Muskegofest ’79 will help pay for this $2 million project.

Just down U.S. Route 10 from Stevens Point is Appleton, the largest of the Fox Cities, a collective term for the towns and cities along the Fox River.  Appleton was home to the Appleton Papermakers intermittently from 1891 to 1953, when the Wisconsin State League folded.  The Fox Cities Foxes were formed in 1958 as members of the Three-I (Illinois-Indiana-Iowa) League.  When the league suspended operations, the Foxes switched to the Midwestern League.  Well-known Foxes from this time include Pete Ward, Boog Powell and manager Cal Ripken, Sr.  The Foxes became part of the Chicago White Sox organization and changed their name to Appleton Foxes.  In 1978, Point issued a three can set and the team had a 97-40 winning season, won the league championship and Gordon Lund was named Manager of the Year.  A two can set followed in 1979 and single cans in 1980 and ’81.  The Homer Run mascot was later dropped in favor of Freddy Fox.  The Foxes changed their name to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in 1995 with new mascots Fang and Whiffer.  Other famous players from later years include Tom Gordon and Alex Rodriguez.  Following the cancelled 2020 season the Rattlers, now associated with the Milwaukee Brewers, experienced several important changes: Major League Baseball took control of the Minor League and the Midwestern League was disbanded.  Both the team and their home, Fox Cities Stadium, were purchased by Third Base Ventures with Rob Zerjav as president and general manager and Matt Ericksen as manager.

	AF BASE BRAU APPLETON FOXES BEER APPLETON, WISCONSIN 1978 POINT SPECIAL
	1979 AF BASEBRAU APPLETON FOXES BEER APPLETON, WISCONSIN POINT SPECIAL
	AF BASEBRAU 1980 APPLETON FOXES BEER APPLETON, WISCONSIN HOMER RUN APPLETON FOXES MASCOT
	AF BASEBRAU 1981 APPLETON FOXES BEER APPLETON, WISCONSIN POINT SPECIAL HOMER RUN APPLETON FOXES MASCOT

Originally a settlement of Bridge Creek Township, Augusta was organized as a village in 1856.  It may have been named after Augusta, Maine.  Then again, it’s possible that the locals proposed to name the town after the prettiest girl in town.  Augusta Rickard, visiting from Oak Grove at the time, was the winner.  The Fourth of July celebration in 1857 lasted for three days and included dancing and a full Christmas dinner.  A makeshift flag, it components consisting of castoff cloth from Mrs. Charles Boardman, was sewed together for the event.  The local economy is underpinned by Bush Brothers & Co., which purchased Augusta Canning in 1961.  The U.S. Bicentennial celebration was such a success that local residents Bob and Carol Peuse organized the Bean and Bacon Days Grand Parade in 1977.  Presumably, the Bush organization didn’t wish to be mentioned on a beer can, resulting in the altered text on the 1979 can.  The event has since grown from live music, a bean bag tournament, horse pull and fireworks to include a Mr. Bean and Miss Beanette pageant, a car show, demolition derby and burnout competition.

	1978  AUGUSTA WISCONSIN  1978 BEAN AND BACON DAYS PREMIUM BEER WELCOME TO BEAN AND BACON DAYS Bean and Bacon Days is a celebration honoring the city of Augusta, Wisconsin and one of the finest canning companies in the country, Bush Brothers Company.  Try some of the most famous baked beans in the country served free all during our celebration.  Enjoy your stay in our fair city and enjoy some of the finest recreational facilities in the state, Coon Fork Lake Campgrounds, Harstad Park Campgrounds, and fishing on Eau Claire Lake.  Dine in one of the fine supper clubs or just relax and enjoy our beautiful surroundings.  We hope you enjoyed our celebration and will come back again next year.  This message and welcome to our city was brought to you by the Augusta Business Association.
	AUGUSTA, WISCONSIN BEAN & BACON DAYS 1979 PREMIUM BEER WELCOME TO BEAN AND BACON DAYS The city of Augusta, Wisconsin was founded in 1856.  Bean and Bacon Days is a celebration honoring the city of Augusta and its surrounding area.  Summer and winter recreation facilities abound in Augusta year round.  Enjoy your stay in our fair city and enjoy some of the finest recreational facilities in the state, Coon Fork Lake Campgrounds, Harstad Park Campgrounds, and fishing on Eau Claire Lake.  Dine in one of the fine supper clubs or just relax and enjoy our beautiful surroundings.  We hope you enjoyed our celebration and will come back again next year.  This message and welcome to our city was brought to you by the Augusta Business Association.
	AUGUSTA, WISCONSIN 1980 PREMIUM BEER BEAN & BACON DAYS WELCOME TO BEAN AND BACON DAYS The City of Augusta, Wisconsin was founded in 1856.  Bean and Bacon Days is a celebration honoring The City of Augusta and its surrounding area.  Summer and winter recreation facilities abound in Augusta year round.  Enjoy your stay in our fair city and enjoy some of the finest recreational facilities in the state, Coon Fork Lake Campgrounds, Harstad Park Campgrounds, and fishing on Eau Claire Lake.  Dine in one of the fine supper clubs or just relax and enjoy our beautiful surroundings.  We hope you enjoyed our celebration and will come back again next year.  This message and Welcome To Our City was brought to you by the Augusta Business Association, Phone 286-2555.

The first vaguely ‘exotic’ can in my collection, purchased at a garage sale about two weeks after I started collecting.  The Young Men’s Progressive Civic Association, a leadership training and civic organization for younger adults, was founded by Henry Geisenbier, Jr. in 1915.  Two years later, they became affiliated with the St. Louis Chamber of Commerce and became the Junior Chamber or Jaycees.  The 1977-78 president, Robert Archie Rushton, a Georgia realtor, pictured on the can, led a railroad themed membership drive, exhorting potential members to join the Rushton Railroad.  It’s my understanding that the cans were never filled as the can is labeled ‘Spirits’ rather than ‘Beer’.  Matching beer mugs exist.  Rushton was voted Outstanding Young Man of America, and served as a Special Ambassador in the Carter administration, spending two weeks in the Philippines with Ferdinand Marcos.  During his tenure as president, the Jaycees raised three million dollars for the Jerry Lewis Telethon and he was a judge for the Miss America Pageant.  In 1981, he was indicted with two other Jaycee officials for diverting club funds for a trip to Las Vegas for sixty North Carolina Jaycees and for dues for bogus members in order to increase their membership drive numbers.  The charges were eventually dropped.  I’m not suggesting there’s a correlation, but Jaycee membership has dropped from a high of 356,000 in the mid-seventies to around 12,000 today.  Rushton moved to Athens, home of his alma mater, the University of Georgia, where he ran the Bulldawg Diner.  A rabid sports fan, “Bulldawg Bob” was a regular at UGA football games, attending over 660 during his lifetime.  The letters PMA on the reverse represent a Jaycee motto, Positive Mental Attitude.

“The official beer of the Rushton Railroad” SPIKE DRIVER SPIRITS U.S. JAYCEES RUSHTON 1 U.S. JAYCEES PMA RAILROAD

The first of several cans with illustrations by an artist who signed his work S.hovel.  Waunakee bills itself as ‘The Only Waunakee in the World.  The name means ‘fair and pleasant valley’.  Volksfest was started in 1974, as far anyone recalls, to celebrate the Waunakee community’s heritage and display works by local artists.  American Legion Post 360 ran a very popular beer tent, which doubtless helped to account for the can.  Scrimshanders are people who make scrimshaw, though its unclear why they would be gathering in Waunakee.  In 1979, Ted Tweed had the idea of boosting attendance by adding a Volksfest Run.  Needing a logo for the event, Tweed turned to local artist Steve Hovel.  Hovel drew “Fritz” a runner in lederhosen holding a stein of beer.  There was no Volksfest in 1985 due to a lack of volunteers, but the beer tent and Volksfest Run continued.  The following year, a new celebration named WaunaFest was begun, but at the beginning of July, while the Volksfest Run was still at the end of the month.  In 1987, WaunaFest was moved to the end of July and the Volksfest Run became the Waunafest Run.  Waunakee also hosts an annual Wauktoberfest.

THE FIRST NATIONAL GATHERING OF SCRIMSHANDERS WAU-NA-BEER GEMÜTLICHKEIT! VOLKSFEST 1978 Juli 29-30 WAUNAKEE WISCONSIN S.hovel

When the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway passed through the area in 1873, Flatonia, named for pioneer merchant Freidrich Wilhelm Flato (and his wife, Sophie), was located on Mulberry Creek, a mile southeast of its current location.  The residents of Flatonia and those of Oso, three miles to the northeast, moved their houses by wagon to the new townsite.  One hundred years later, the town celebrated its centennial.  As a nod to its majority Czech and German population, the Heritage festival and chili cookoff was named Czhilispiel.  It was also a fundraiser to foot the medical school tuition of a local lass, Maurice G. Wilkinson (yes, a woman with the name Maurice), who pledged to serve the community for a minimum of three years.  She stayed on for fourteen before moving over to Hallettsville.  The cans were filled in Shiner, some twenty minutes to the south.  Buckner’s Creek, named for early settler Aylett C. Buckner, is some twenty minutes north, so its sparkling waters are not involved in the brewing process except as a piece of regional humor.  The 1979 can is in maroon and white, the colors of the high school sports teams, the Bulldogs.  Czhilispiel, now in its fiftieth year, has continued and grown with live music, a talent show, a car and truck show, a pie contest and auction, and a Miss Czhilispiel pageant as well as the czhili and bar-b-q cookoff.  Spoetzl continues to provide the beer for the event.  The local motto is, ‘Czech us out!’

	Czhilispiel BeeR PREMIUM HOME BREW (Private Stock) FLATONIA, TEXAS The Town that made Beer famous Brewed with Choice Czhili hops, malted barley and the “Sparkling Waters of Buckner Creek
	BULLDOG EDITION – 1979 CZHILISPIEL PREMIUM BEER FLATONIA’S PRIVATE STOCK FLATONIA, TEXAS – THE TOWN THAT MADE BEER FAMOUS
	FLATONIA’S PRIVATE STOCK ARMADILLO EDITION – 1980 CZHILISPIEL PREMIUM BeeR FLATONIA, TEXAS – THE TOWN THAT MADE BEER FAMOUS

Anokans tired of waking up on November first to find their outhouses tipped over and their cattle roaming the downtown streets.  Local theater owner George Green suggested a Halloween celebration that would circumvent the trick part of trick or treat.  The Kiwanis and Anoka Commercial Clubs lent their support, along with teachers and parents.  The first parade was held on Halloween 1920 with marching bands, police and fire departments and the National Guard.  Treats were distributed afterwards, followed by a celebratory bonfire in Bridge Square.  By 1937, 2,000 children and 20,000 spectators were turning out for the parade and Anoka was proclaimed Halloween Capital of the World.  Additional activities, including pillow fights, window painting, dances, fireworks and a costumed 5K Gray Ghost race were added over the years.  It is a bit strange that they had beer for what is billed as a child-friendly event.  Alcohol is now prohibited in parade areas.  Anoka Liquor appears to now be called Better Values Liquor and are city owned.  Profits from the two locations fund the city’s parks department.  The 1981 can copied the text from 1980, making it the second ‘60 th year’ in a row.

	1978 ANOKA HALLOWEEN FESTIVAL BEER Anoka, Minnesota has been called the Halloween Capital of the World.  It all started in 1920, when an Anoka businessman suggested the idea of a giant Halloween celebration to divert the youngsters from old-time Halloween pranks.  The idea was adopted by the Anoka Commercial Club and the Anoka Kiwanis Club and has been an annual event ever since. This beer sold exclusively by Anoka Liquor, Anoka, Minnesota 55303
	1979 ANOKA HALLOWEEN FESTIVAL BEER Anoka, Minnesota has been called the Halloween Capital of the World.  It all started in 1920, when an Anoka businessman suggested the idea of a giant Halloween celebration to divert the youngsters from old time Halloween pranks.  The celebration, now in its 59th year, consists of two parades, costume contest, queen coronation, Pumpkin Bowl football game, foot races, window decorating and much more.  It is funded by the Anoka businessmen and button sales. Recommended by Vampires the world over and sold exclusively by Anoka Liquor, Anoka, MN 55303
	ANOKA HALLOWEEN FESTIVAL 1980 ANOKA HALLOWEEN CAPITAL OF THE WORLD BEER Anoka, Minnesota has been called the Halloween Capital of the World.  It all started in 1920, when an Anoka businessman suggested the idea of a giant Halloween celebration to divert the youngsters from old time Halloween pranks.  The celebration, now in its 60th year, consists of two parades, costume contest, queen coronation, Pumpkin Bowl football game, foot races, window decorating, wine tasting and much more.  It is funded by Anoka businessmen and button sales. Recommended by Vampires, Goblins and Ghosts the world over and sold exclusively by Anoka Liquor, Anoka, MN 55303
	ANOKA THE HALLOWEEN CAPITAL 81 60th YEAR BEER Anoka, Minnesota has been called the Halloween Capital of the World.  It all started in 1920, when an Anoka businessman suggested the idea of a giant Halloween celebration to divert the youngsters from old-time Halloween pranks.  The celebration, now in its 60th year, consists of two parades, costume contest, queen coronation, Pumpkin Bowl football game, foot races, window decorating, wine tasting and much more.  It is funded by Anoka businessmen and button sales. Recommended by Vampires, Goblins and Ghosts the world over and sold exclusively by Anoka Liquor, Anoka, MN 55303

Another S.hovel design.  The eagle’s piercing glare is dramatic, yet faintly disturbing.  Imagine drinking a few of these and having a flock of eagles eying you afterward.  Anyway, the order was founded on February 6, 1898, by a group of six Seattle theater owners; competitors who were meeting to decide how to handle a musician’s strike.  After dealing with business, they formed The Order of Good Things.  A few weeks later, they changed the name to The Fraternal Order of Eagles.  Traveling theater troupes spread word of the organization and soon there were Aeries across the United States and Canada (Yes, each local group is called an Aerie).  The Eagles were instrumental in the enactment of Mother’s Day and Social Security.  Each year they raise millions to combat cancer, diabetes and heart disease.  Minnesota’s Fifth District, led by Zumbro Aerie 2228 in Rochester, has hosted an annual telethon every year since 1954, making it the longest running, locally produced telethon in the country.  A long list of presidents, entertainers and athletes have been members of the Eagles over the years.

Thanks to Bob Callier of Aerie 2228 for never contacting me with his first-hand knowledge and then dying, poor chap.

ROCHESTER, MINN. AREA 1979 KTTC TV CHANNEL 10 25th. ANNUAL CANCER TELETHON EAGLES BEER FRATERNAL ORDER OF EAGLES S.hovel

In 1885, a New York newspaper described the St. Paul winter as “unfit for human habitation” and another Siberia.  To prove otherwise, a winter carnival, based on that of Montreal, was planned.  Montreal’s ice palace designer, Alexander Hutchinson, available due to a smallpox outbreak in Quebec, was brought to St. Paul.  A grand 106 foot tall ice palace, with electric lighting, was constructed and King Boreas I, King of the Winds, was crowned.  Only twelve carnivals were held over the first sixty years, but it has been an annual event since 1946.  Ice Palaces appear only on rare occasions.  The 165-foot, record-setting 1992 palace cost $1.9 million, compared to $5,210 for the first.  The Carnival draws 100,000 visitors per year.  Pinback buttons are a major fundraiser and allow the owner various discounts and the chance to win prizes.  There are new designs each year and they are popular local collectibles.  The 1979 and ’80 button designs are reflected on the cans.  The king and queen, princes, princesses and retinue are selected from the Royal Family fraternal organization.  Vulcanus Rex, the Fire King, and his Krewe are selected by the Order of Fire and Brimstone.  Most events are free and include day and nighttime parades, ice and snow sculptures, a craft beverage program, medallion and scavenger hunts, an ice fishing tournament and the nation’s largest jigsaw puzzle competition.  These days, the official beer of Winter Carnival is provided by Summit Brewing.

1979 SAINT PAUL WINTER CARNIVAL BEER 1979 Frosty Fascination SAINT PAUL WINTER CARNIVAL 1979 Frosty Fascination JANUARY 26–FEBRUARY 4, 1979

St. Paul Winter Carinival BEER Jest Fest February 1-10, 1980 Button up for winter fun! Kick off the new decade – “Jest Fest” 1980 The magic of Winter Carnival annually transforms Saint Paul into the world’s winter fun capital.  “Jest Fest” supports that fun theme with over 500 costumed clowns from the International Shrine Clown Association assembled for the 94th anniversary celebration. * 1980 Ford Mustang Button Raffle * Snow Sculptures  * Snow Slides   * Sled Dog Race * White Castle Sleigh Rides  * King Boreas Grande Day Parade  * International 500 Snowmobile Race * Ice Capades  * $1500 Treasure Hunt * Land O Lakes Inc.  Ice Carving Contest * Queen of Snows Coronation  * Fire King Torchlight Parade * Nearly 100 Public Events in Total

Often ranked among the ugliest cans ever produced, mostly for the jarring color combination.  Maybe it would have been better if they hadn’t made his face green as well, but… St. Urho is not a  bona fide Finnish saint.  The actual patron Saint of Finland is the far less interesting bishop Saint Henrik.  In 1956, Gene McCavic teasingly asked his coworker Richard Mattson why the Finns didn’t have a saint like St. Patrick.  The quick-thinking Mattson made up Urho, who drove the frogs out of Finland, out of whole cloth on the spot.  The original Ode to St. Urho, written in the same faux-Finnish dialect as the later version, made his feast day May 24.  Certain refinements to the legend were made.  The feast day was moved to March 16, so the Finns could start drinking green beer a day before the Irish.  And the frogs were switched for grasshoppers, so Urho’s actions saved the grape harvest.  The colors of St. Urho’s Day are Royal Purple and Nile Green to represent the grasshoppers and grapes.  As Urho was never described, no one knew what he looked like.  A 1975 newspaper contest was won by 21-year old Rita Seppala, showing a bearded Urho with a giant grasshopper on the tines of his pitchfork and a basket of grapes at his feet. This is the image the can is based on.  Menahga had a statue of Urho carved from a one-ton block of oak which was unveiled in 1982.  A couple of Minnesota winters later, the original was replaced with an exact fiberglass replica.  Each March 16, the Nytes of St. Urho march to the statue, for the literal Changing of the Guard.  They strip off their purple and green finery, throw everything into a pile, stir it with a pole, then grab whatever comes to hand, no matter how ill fitting, and, redressed, lead a parade up Aspen Avenue.  This should be compelling enough to make you look at your St. Urho’s can differently from now on.

St. URHO’S BREW Menahga, Mn. Home of St. Urho © 1975 Menahga Civic & Commerce Assn. Good Tidings on St. Urho’s Day!

ODE TO ST. URHO
Ooksie kooksie coolama vee
Santia Urho is to pay for me!
He sase out to hoppers as pig as birds.
Neffer peefor haff I hurd dose words!
He reely told dose pugs of kreen
Braffest Finn I effer seen
Some celebrate for St. Pat unt hiss nakes
Putt Urho payka got what it takes.
He got tall and trong from feelia sour
Unt ate culla mokakka effery hour.
Tat’s why dat guy could sase does peetles
What crow as thick as chack bine needles.
So let’s give a cheer in hower pest vay
On the sixteenth of March, St. Urho’s Tay.

In 1864, Rev. J.S. Prescott, owner of several tracts of land adjoining West Okoboji Lake, convinced his friend Wesley Arnold to move down from Wisconsin.  Arnold bought Prescott’s holdings and soon learned that touring parties found the area agreeable for hunting, fishing and camping.  Foreseeing that the railroad would bring even more people, Arnold first opened his home to guests and then constructed a hotel.  His granddaughter, Hattie, dreamt up the name Arnolds Park.  Other amenities were added: a souvenir shop and post office, rowboats, a water slide, an ice cream parlor and a pavilion for dancing and other events.  A steamboat, The Queen, gave lake excursions.  This is the ship portrayed on the can.  After Arnold passed, his daughters and their husbands expanded the offerings to include a merry-go-round, a roller rink, a shooting gallery and a bowling alley.  In 1923, the Roof Garden, a music venue, opened, hosting everyone from Glenn Miller to Tommy James & the Shondells to the Romantics.  The Queen was retired in 1973 but had become so famous and popular that it had to be replaced with The Queen II in 1986.  There is no indication of who the can was filled for, other than a boat that had been scrapped six years earlier.  The park fell on hard times and was closed for a year, during which time the Fun House and roller rink were demolished and the Roof Garden burned to the ground.  The park was sold to a group of investors, then to a local philanthropist, and then to developers who planned to build condos on the site.  A Save the Park campaign raised $7.25 million in six weeks and a nonprofit organization was formed to manage the Park.  The park has been slowly restored to its former glory.  The Legend roller coaster, miniature train and Majestic Pavilion were refurbished.  A log flume, Ferris wheel and Wild Mouse were added.  Arnolds Park Museum, the Iowa Maritime Museum and the Iowa Rock & Roll Museum were inaugurated.  And finally, the Roof Garden was rebuilt and reopened with a show by the original Tommy James & the Shondells.

Iowa’s Summer Funland Old Okoboji Beer

As stated on the can, Barker’s Island was the unintended result of dredging the Superior Harbor channel. What it doesn’t say is that Charles S. Barker moved his tug boat and dredging company to the Superior-Duluth region in 1885.  He was involved in an ongoing feud with local lumber baron Martin Pattison.  As part of this, he caused the dredge sand to be dumped in front of Pattison’s Fairlawn Mansion on the Superior waterfront.  It also doesn’t mention that the island settled and was mostly underwater by the 1950s.  The harbor channel was dredged deeper and the spoil was dumped – you guessed it.  In the years since the can was issued, there have been a few changes.  The Chamber of Commerce has moved from Tower Avenue to Belknap Street. The bridge has been replaced by a proper causeway.  The Motel and Convention Center are now Barker’s Island Inn.  The SS Meteor, the last surviving of forty-four ships built in the unconventional whaleback design, and the Marina are still there.  There is now a small neighborhood of homes with a view of the Minnesota Point.  In 2019 the Inner Beach was fully restored with replacement of eroded sand, new raised boardwalks and a new pervious parking area.

CONVENTION CENTER             MARINA                                   B                             BARKER’S                              ISLAND                          Four Seasons                                Beer          SS METEOR                      MOTEL

IT’S SUPERIOR

BARKER’S ISLAND was not a gift of nature, it’s man-made.  At the turn of the century while dredging the Superior harbor and shipping lanes, it was decided by Captain Barker, the man in charge of the dredge boat, that this site would be good for depositing the removed silt and sand.  After many years of deposits there emerged from the surface of the waters a man-made island.  Depositing of dredge spoils ended in 1962 and the island had grown to approximately 49.5 acres.  The island became vegetated by means of natural invasion and there was some wildlife.  A small bridge was erected to the island and residents used it as a boat launching facility.  Now, however, Barker’s Island, once termed a man-made mistake, is evolving into one of the unique attractions of the Northland.  It is the permanent site of the S.S. Meteor, a whaleback vessel built in Superior in 1896 and now a marine museum…a beautiful convention complex… restaurants…motel…wharf shops…the Seaman’s Memorial Statue…a 325 slip marina with launching facilities…public recreation and picnic facilities…and there’s more.  Barker’s Island, the island that wasn’t there, an experimental mistake, is now an educational and recreational area for people to enjoy in Superior, Wisconsin.  Visit and see why “IT’S SUPERIOR.”

Superior Chamber of Commerce

1213 TOWER AVENUE    SUPERIOR, WISCONSIN 54880

During the 1930s, in addition to an urban desire for dressed chickens, there arose a demand for turkeys for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Poultry farmers were encouraged to raise turkeys on a grand scale.  In 1939, the eponymous owner of the E.O. Olson processing plant held a festival to thank the area’s turkey farmers.  He had visited Cuero, Texas, the other Turkey Capital of the World, where a local parade was led by a flock of turkeys and imported the idea.  This first King Turkey Day included a pancake breakfast, a parade and remarks from political leaders.  The second event, in 1940, brought newsreel cameramen and a photographer from Life, making Worthington’s celebration internationally known.  The festival became a key stop for politicians seeking higher office with the likes of LBJ, RFK, Hubert Humphrey and Richard Nixon passing through during the Sixties.  In 1972, it came to the attention of Worthington’s organizers that Cuero was now holding turkey races.  They challenged the Cuero champion to race a local challenger.  So in 1973, Cuero’s turkey handlers arrived with Ruby Begonia to race against Paycheck in the Great Gobbler Gallop.  All competitors since then have been named Ruby Begonia and Paycheck.  The winner receives the Traveling Turkey Trophy.  There is a statue of Ruby Begonia in Cuero.  Comparing the minimalistic can designs with the Pheasant on Schell’s Hunters Special from the previous year gives an idea of what these cans could have looked like.  Hunters Special was Can of the Year.  King Turkey not so much so.  Around 30,000 people turn out for the annual turkey race and parade.  Other events include a 10k race, a beer tent and the Smokin’ Gobbler Barbecue Cook-off.

	KING TURKEY BEER WORTHINGTON TURKEY CAPITAL OF THE WORLD MINN.       WORTHINGTON Sites of the Annual Great Gobbler Gallop TEXAS      CUERO
	KING TURKEY BEER WORTHINGTON, MINN TURKEY CAPITAL OF THE WORLD CUERO TX       WORTHINGTON MN Sites of the Annual Great Gobbler Gallop

This is the only ‘limited addition’ can ever made and a favorite, I believe, of Jim Cox.  The first Action in Jackson celebration was held in August 1947.  It featured water fights between the Barton and Cedarburg fire departments, a parade, dancing and stunt flying.  The picnic was held in the field behind the Village Hall.  Rockfield Canning Co., the first of Jackson’s major industries, located further behind the Village Hall, had opened in 1920.  Apparently, the 1951 fire was on a Saturday and the large attendance was on Sunday, to see the aftermath.  The company sustained $300,000 in damage.  Rebuilt, it was later part of Seneca Foods and then Northland Cranberries.  Northland closed the plant in 2004 and it is now the site of the Cranberry Creek subdivision and Hickory Lane Park.  The picnic was held in Jackson Park for the first time in 1953.  The Fire Department no longer have the truck pictured on the can, but do maintain a 1931 Chevrolet Ridgerunner.  Action in Jackson is today operated by Jackson Festivals, Inc., which consists of the American Legion and Auxiliary, the Greater Jackson Business Alliance and the Jackson Parks and Recreation Department.  In addition to the upkeep of Jackson Park, they fund scholarships, community groups and veterans services.  Jackson Park features softball fields, soccer fields, tennis courts, a basketball court, a beach volleyball pit, a kitchen, two pavilions and a playground.  Action in Jackson continues with a fish fry, a pancake breakfast, a car show, chainsaw woodcarving demos and auction, live music and fireworks.

Action in Jackson BEER On Aug. 5, 1951, the annual “Action in Jackson” community picnic was abruptly interrupted by a spectacular fire which nearly destroyed the canning factory.  The fire attracted a crowd of spectators estimated at 15,000, overflowing the village of 237 inhabitants. On May 11, 1950, the following organizations formed Jackson Parks, Inc., Jackson, Wis. 53037. Jackson Volunteer Fire Dept. Village of Jackson American Legion & Auxiliary “Henry F. Gumm Post 486” Jackson Sportsmen Club* Jackson Bowmens Club* Jackson Homemakers* * no longer members Current membership includes; Jackson Area Jaycees Jackson Area Business Assoc. (beer can sponsors) A 29 acre tract of land was purchased to be used as a park.  The money to pay for the park and all improvements, including a modern lighted softball facility, comes from profits earned during the 3 day “Action in Jackson” picnic held in the park and from various softball programs, NOT taxes. The profits earned from the sales of this limited addition beer can will be used to offset the cost of a new restroom and storage facility which has just been completed.

Traer is noted for its unique 1½ revolution, freestanding, reverse spiral staircase.  This dates to 1894, when the Star-Clipper building burned down.  Publisher E.E. Taylor decided to place the newspaper office on the second floor to keep people from wandering in and interrupting his work.  As the lot was only 18 feet wide, there wasn’t room for both the printing presses and an internal stairwell.  And so, Burlington Iron Works was contracted to provide an external stairway.  When the sidewalks were widened in 1916, the town council wanted to remove the stairs but, lacking any other way to access the second floor, a compromise was made that moved the stairs out to the curb, with a catwalk connecting them to the building.  In 1975, a loader removing snow snapped off the bottom five steps.  Burlington Iron and other foundries declined to take on the repair, so local welder Gary Frahm and his father undertook the task.  Within weeks, the stairs were fully restored and reinstalled.  Since 1978, they have been in the National Register of Historic Places and are presently owned by the Traer Museum ensuring their preservation.  Myron Dinsdale organized the Czech Fest in 1975 and Cecilia Ann Podhajsky was noted for baking many kalaches for the event.  Czech Fest seems to have continued into at least the mid-Eighties.  A new Winding Stairs Festival has taken place since the late Nineties.  Traer is presently home to the Midwest’s largest salt and pepper shaker collection.

TRAER CZECH FEST BEER TRAER, IOWA “WIND UP IN TRAER” Vitáme Vas! WE WELCOME YOU! Fifth Annual Fest

The first sawmill in Eau Claire was built at the confluence of the Eau Claire and Chippewa Rivers by McCann, Randall and Thomas in 1846.  Others followed and, by the 1890s, the ‘Sawdust City’ was reputed to be the largest lumber producing center in the world.  This came to an end when New Dells Lumber Company closed the last operating sawmill in 1929.  Their planing mill stayed in operation, finishing the rough lumber until 1931, when it, too, was dismantled.  In 1934, the Wisconsin Logging Museum opened in Carson Park so this period in local history would be forgotten.  It features an authentic reconstruction of an 1890s logging camp curated by actual lumberjacks.  As near as can be told, Sawdust City Days began in 1957 and featured, at various times, a parade, classic cars, carnival rides and a bluegrass festival.  There was no Sawdust City Days between 1997 and 2006, when the event was resurrected as part of the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram’s 125 th Anniversary celebration.  The 2007 celebration featured a regional carnival, a craft sale, bouncing castles, family entertainment, fireworks and live music, headlined by .38 Special.  It seems there was Sawdust City Days in 2008, but beyond that the event seems to have gone moribund again.

Paul Bunyan Logging Camp and Museum 1934 Carson Park recreation of 1890s logging camp
Classic car parade & carnival rides              Bluegrass festival
1957    1997- 2006 no SCD  2006 part of Leader-Telegram’s 125th Anniversary
2007 regional carnival, craft sale, bouncing castles, live music, family entertainment (.38 Special) and fireworks
2008
https://www.leadertelegram.com/site/contact.html

	SAWDUST CITY DAYS 1979 EAU CLAIRE, WIS. BEER Eau Claire, the Sawdust City, through which floated most of the lumber in northern Wisconsin, was the city in which the buzz of the saw mills was music in the ears of its inhabitants for over fifty years.
	SAWDUST CITY DAYS 1980 EAU CLAIRE, WIS. BEER This picture was taken from the collection of the public library in Eau Claire, showing logs being loaded on a skidway using horses and “go devil” (around 1910)

In the 1920s and ’30s, Winona held a celebration called Pancake Days.  This was suspended during the war and when it was restarted by a group of area businessmen, they decided to honor the city’s river heritage and riverboat captains from Minneapolis to St. Louis.  The first Steamboat Days in 1948 featured a banquet for more than 100 steamboatmen at the Winona Hotel, powerboat races, a carnival and the Miss Winona and Miss Steamboat Days pageants.  In 1958, the event coincided with the Minnesota Centennial.  With the theme ‘From Sioux to Satellite’ a stellar fireworks display was mounted with a 20 foot tall ground firework forming an outline of the state with ‘100 Years’ spelled out in flaming letters.  Catfish Jack, a river pirate character, and his band of ruffians were a feature of the celebration through the ’70s.  The Winona Jaycees ran the celebration from the late ’60s and were responsible for the S.hovel designed can.  The Jaycees ceased their administration in 2001 and the Winona Steamboat Days Festival Association was formed by the local community.  Now at its 75th Anniversary, the event features two parades, a kids’ fishing competition, a car show, fireworks and live music

Catfish Jacks FINEST BEER 12 FL OZ 32nd ANNUAL Steamboat Days WINONA AREA JAYCEES JUNE 27 – – JULY 4 1979 S.hovel

The can at the source of this whole mess.  Jean Baptiste Cadotte, of French and Ojibway descent, established a trading post along the Yellow River.  When the village was founded by Robert Marriner in 1865, he named the settlement Cadotte Falls.  This has since been shortened to Cadott.
Nabor Days started in 1954.
The wooden statue of Cadott has fared better than that of Saint Urho.  It stands in a small glass structure in Riverview Park, site of most of the Nabor Days events.  The Cadott Chamber of Commerce disbanded in 2017.  It has been largely supplanted by the Cadott Community Organization.
Nabor Days continues with a craft show, mud bog racing, tractor pull, Miss Cadott pageant, duck races, live music, a parade and the obligatory pancake breakfast.

CADOTT NABOR DAYS BEER 25th Anniversary 1954-1979 Cadott Wisconsin’s Vacation Crossroad in the Heart of America’s Dairyland at the Junction of Hwys 27 & 29 – located Halfway between the Equator and North Pole.  Named after French-Indian Fur Trader Jean Baptiste Cadotte, whose life sized wood statue displayed in Riverview Park on Yellow River – Welcomes you to our Annual Nabor days – second weekend in July. Sponsored by Cadott Chamber of Commerce. 25th Anniversary BEER HALFWAY BETWEEN CADOTT, WI EQUATOR AND N. POLE

Directly north of Muskego

Premium Beer Dan O’Hara Softball Marathon FOR MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY DAN BROUGHT US THIS FAR 1979 DAN 1935-1978 July 13,14,15 NOW IT’S UP TO US

The City of New Berlin takes great pride and interest in supporting the Dan O’Hara Muscular Dystrophy Softball Marathon.  We encourage all our citizens and citizens everywhere to lend their support in ridding us of this terrible disease.
John J. Malone
Mayor – New Berlin, Wisconsin
NEW BERLIN CITIZENS AGAINST MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY INC.

Bix Beiderbecke occupies a major place in the annals of jazz history.  In a field with many outstanding talents and as many flamboyant personalities, Bix has become a legend of his own.  The foremost cornetist of his time, his unique style influenced the course of jazz for generations.
Born in 1903, Bix’s brilliant career was extinguished with his untimely death at the age of twenty-eight.  He was a gossamer-like figure whose shyness coupled with his talent has created a rich lore of marvelous tales and musical history.  His memory and his era are celebrated at the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival each July at his birthplace of Davenport, Iowa, on the levee of the Mississippi River.

BIX BEER (Limited Edition: 1979) Brewed and Packaged by Schell’s Brewery, New Ulm, MN for Great Events, Inc. – 5 Wildwood Trail – Bettendorf, Iowa 52722 © 1978, 1979

The Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States was formed in 1972 to increase the voice of enlisted personnel on National Guard issues in congress.  They promote adequate staffing, pay, benefits, equipment and installations for the Guard.  Wisconsin was one of the twenty-three original state organizations, though all fifty states, plus Guam, Puerto Rico, DC and the USVI are now represented.  The WNGEA aims to increase the professionalism of Wisconsin Guardsmen and women by means of training, publications, scholarships and awards.   And yet they came up with this minimalist can with hardly any text.  The can features the WNGEA’s then-new uniformed Bucky Badger logo.  In October, 1978, Command Sergeant Major Donald Meister of Burlington, Wisconsin, ordered the beer, to be released in conjunction with the organization’s annual conference.  Leinenkugel agreed to produce 2,500 cases that were to retail for $12.00 each.  It’s not clear whether Colonel James E. “Jed” Engeler Jr. had anything to do with this, but it’s his bottom-opened can on display in the Wisconsin Veterans Museum in Madison.  Bucky hasn’t changed much over the last forty years, though he now wears a camouflage uniform and a patrol cap instead of a work cap.

WNGEA 1979 BEER BREWED FOR WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD – ENLISTED ASSOCIATION

The racetrack at the Marion County Fairgrounds was first constructed in 1878 for horse racing.  The first auto race, in 1901, was between two cars owned by local businesses.  Knoxville High School football games were conducted in the track’s infield into the late 1930s.  Banking, fencing and lighting were added to the track in 1954 and weekly racing began.  Two years later, the Fair Board began sanctioning their own races and hired Marion Robinson as race promoter.  Robinson created the Knoxville Nationals for sprint cars in 1961.  The two-day event, with a $5,000 purse was won by Roy Robbins.  Ralph Capitani took over as race promoter in 1978 and the can was produced under his tenure.  Steve Kinser and Shane Carson were early leaders on Day One of the 1979 Nationals.  On the second night, a powerful thunderstorm put an end to racing before the main heats (and knocked out power).  Friday night started with the main races from Thursday, won by Don Reiners and Tim Green.  Gary Patterson won that night’s main and Danny Smith won the Mystery Feature.  In the Saturday night final, watched by a crowd of 15,000 and Governor Robert Ray, Green and Carson took an early lead, but “the Flying Shoe”, Ron Shuman pulled into the lead in the fifteenth lap and won the $5,000 first prize.  Carson finished fifth, Smith sixth, Green eighteenth and Kinser nineteenth.  In the years since, the grandstand of the Sprint Car Capital of the World has been enlarged to seat 21,135 and other improvements have been added.  Winning the Nationals now carries a purse of $150,000 with the full purse totaling over one million dollars in prize money.  The NASCAR World Camping Truck Series was added to Knoxville’s schedule for the 2021 season.

KNOXVILLE IOWA MARION COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS RACE WAYS BEER 19th ANNUAL SUPER SPRINT NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP * AUGUST 8-11,1979 * PURSE $50,000.00 PLUS

What a word salad!  Plus clip-art fire apparatus.  The first fire company in Waynesboro was organized in 1840 as the Washington Engine Company.  The 25 members used hand-pumped engines.  The company was reorganized in 1879 as Mechanics Fire Company.  When they acquired a steam engine they enlarged their name to Mechanics Steam Fire Engine and Hose Company Number 1.  Howard Weaver donated a new building to the company in 1954, in memory of his wife, Sudie Clayton, at 10 Virginia Avenue.  The Always There Hook and Ladder Company was founded in either 1879 (the can) or 1880 (their website).  The Cumberland Valley Hose Company in Chambersburg had the practice of telegraphing to neighboring towns for assistance during especially large fires.  Oft-times this was of little help as hose couplings were not compatible between one town and the next.  General Joseph F. Boyd, superintendent of the Cumberland Valley Railroad, surveyed the fire apparatus of the valley towns between Harrisburg and Winchester, Virginia.  As a result, all the valley fire chiefs met on 15 August 1901, where they formed the Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firemen’s Association and adopted standardized couplings.  Evelyn and Herman “King” Clevenger ran Clevenger’s Beverage from 1957 to 1989, when they retired.  They were one of the largest Iron City distributers in Central Pennsylvania and huge supporters of the local fire companies.  Son Donald helped with marketing and approached the fire company and PBC about doing commemorative cans.  The set of four cans was jointly designed and was available in red, blue, yellow and matte gold.  The red one is the most clearly readable. In 1996, the two fire companies merged as Waynesboro Volunteer Fire Department.  Station #1 at 29 South Potomac is still marked ATH&L, while the Sudie Clayton Memorial Fire Hall is now designated as Station #2.  Grandson Bill Clevenger reopened Clevenger’s Beverage in the same building in 1997 to carry on the family tradition.

Thanks to Bill Clevenger for first-hand information.

100th ANNIVERSARY 1879 – 1979 WAYNESBORO, PENNSYLVANIA – FIRE DEPARTMENT C.V.V.F.A. 78th CONVENTION ORGANIZED SEPTEMBER 2, 1879 MECHANICS STEAM FIRE ENGINE & HOSE CO. #1 “OUR DUTY TO PROTECT” LAGER BEER ORGANIZED NOVEMBER 2, 1879 ALWAYS THERE HOOK # LADDER CO. #1 “WE STRIVE TO SAVE” LAGER BEER AUGUST 23, 24, 25 1979 Distributed by Clevengers Beer

This is a bit of a head scratcher.  The Key City is Dubuque, so named for being a gateway to the west and in a key position halfway between Chicago and Milwaukee and the river towns along the Missouri.  Graf is about ten miles from Dubuque’s riverfront and has never had a population above 100, making it the smallest place to be mentioned on a beer can.  Norval Garth Shappell was born in Dubuque in 1941, one of eight siblings, and graduated from the local high school in 1960.  He joined the air force and served as a master sergeant in Vietnam.

KEY CITY BEER BREWED EXCLUSIVELY BY IOWA’S ONLY BREWERY FOR NORVAL G. SHAPPELL SOLD ONLY AT NORV’S GRAF TAVERN GRAF IOWA 52039

Spring Lake, at the headwaters of the San Marcos River is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in North America.  Naturally, a hotel and amusement park were built on the site.  The amusement park, Aquarena Springs, attracted a quarter of a million people per year to ride the Swiss Sky Ride; see the Aquamaids and Ralph, the Famous Swimming Pig, in the underwater theater and play arcade games against chickens.  In 1970, a flood carried off the park’s 24 alligators.  Twenty-five gators were recovered downstream because they had made a friend.  To promote the reopening of the park, a statewide chili cook-off event was held, with the winner automatically qualifying for the World Championship in Terlingua.  The chili had to be prepared from scratch on site and women were not allowed to compete.  A rival cook-off, also a World Championship qualifier, for women only, was soon organized in Luckenbach.  Chilympiad was moved to the Hays County Civic Center in 1974 and included a parade and country-western line dancing.  At its height, in 1995, 600 cooks competed, drawing teams from as far afield as Uganda.  The 2001 event, the weekend following September 11, was muted and lost $30,000.  The following year, it lost $19,000 and was canceled entirely in 2003.  Attempts to revive it in 2004 failed.  Larry Frank Burruss, resurrected Chilympiad in a parking lot behind Cabela’s Outfitters in nearby Buda in 2009.  His group gained the rights to the name in 2013 and Chilympiad was held until 2015, at least.  Burruss’s death in 2018 put an end to the event for a second time and the trademark for the logo has lapsed.

	10th ANNIVERSARY REPUBLIC OF TEXAS ANNUAL CHILYMPIAD STATE CHILI COOK-OFF BEER SAN MARCOS HOME OF CHILYMPIAD
	ELEVENTH  80  ANNUAL REPUBLIC OF TEXAS ANNUAL CHILYMPIAD STATE CHILI COOK-OFF BEER SAN MARCOS HOME OF CHILYMPIAD

The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks was founded in 1868 by four music hall performers known as the Jolly Corks.  It was organized as a private club, largely to circumvent laws governing opening and closing hours of public taverns.  The group envisioned having lodges in 26 key cities, each with an alphabetical designation.  This proved short-sighted and the designations were eventually changed to numbers.  Lodge 11 (originally Lodge K) in Pittsburgh was instituted on September 13, 1878 and officially chartered at a Grand Lodge session on December 14, 1879, with W.W. Clark as the first Exalted Ruler.  Lodge 11 had a stone and glass block building on Penn Avenue, downtown, for many years.  With space and parking at a premium, the lodge moved out to the Lincoln Place area in the late sixties and the old building was absorbed into the Heinz Hall project.  Lodge 11 celebrated its centennial in 1979, the same year that Lodge 2 in Philadelphia went defunct, thus making it the oldest active Pennsylvania lodge.  The beginning of the end, though, came on the night of September 26, 2009, when the lodge hosted a hunt club fundraiser which offered unlimited self-service food and beer, with raffle tickets, for $25.  Timothy Lesko helped himself to a goodly quantity of beer and, when he left, collided with another vehicle at 70 mph.  Twenty-four year old Jessica Trail was killed outright, her brother and a friend in the back seat were injured, and her boyfriend, William Grice, succumbed several months later to an overdose of painkillers.  Lesko, who had a 0.226 blood alcohol reading and didn’t know if he had been driving or not, pled guilty and received two to four years.  Lodge 11 was found responsible in a 2013 trial for not regulating consumption and was hit with $28 million in compensatory and punitive damages.  The group was forced to disband and their building was sold in 2014 and is now a Dollar General.

ELKS BEER . B . P . O . E . 100TH ANNIVERSARY LODGE NO. 11 1879 – 1979  PITTSBURGH, PA

German immigrant Wilhelm Gebhardt patented the first canned chili powder blend in 1899.

Wurstfest ’79 DARK BEER NEW BRAUNFELS, TEXAS

ESTHERVILLE IOWA WINTER SPORTS FESTIVAL FEBRUARY 1-2-3 1980 BEER   12 FL. OZ. WINTER SPORTS CAPITAL of IOWA * ESTHERVILLE since 1969

POCONO MOUNTAIN 1980 WINTER CARNIVAL PREMIUM BEER FEBRUARY 23 TO MARCH 8 * 15 SKI AREAS > DOWNHILL SLALOM, CROSS COUNTRY! * 4 WHEEL DRIVE RACES! TENNIS TOURNEY SNOWMOBILE RALLIES ICE  SKATING! BARTENDERS CONTEST! FOLKSONG FESTIVALS * WINTER CARNIVAL BALL Brewed expressly for Rick Haentjens

A can that looks like it was put together by a twelve year old with an Old English stencil set (plus a faked Gothic capital H).  And poor Hermann ended up looking like a mutant space monkey.  Compare this with Schell’s own Hermann’s Monument can from two year’s earlier to see the missed possibilities.  New Ulm, the Polka Capital of the Nation, hosted an event called Polka Days starting in 1953.  By the late Sixties it was drawing audiences of 80,000, six times the town’s population.  This brought Polka Days to an end in 1971 and it was briefly replaced by Musikantenfest in 1973.  Heritagefest was organized in 1975 and ran for thirty years before running into financial problems.  A new festival called Bavarian Blast has taken place annually since 2006.  It, too, has recurrent difficulties with attendance.  Some people want only authentic polka music, while others want no polka music at all.  The 102 foot tall Hermann Heights Monument (with 32 foot statue) commemorates Hermann the German, the nickname of Arminius, whose army defeated three Roman legions at the Battle of Teutoburg Forest in A.D. 9.  Hermann is the third largest copper statue in the United States (after the Statue of Liberty and Portlandia).  After more than a century of Minnesota winters – and a windstorm that sheared off one of his helmet wings – Hermann was in need of renovation.  The statue was removed in 2003.  The wing, retrieved from the mayor’s backyard, where it had landed, was reattached.  Several bullet holes were patched and a new right foot was fabricated.  The statue was returned to its perch in time for New Ulm’s 150 th anniversary in 2004.

Heritagefest New Ulm, Minnesota July 17-20, 1980 Beer

West Bend played Barton

BENEFIT IN COMMEMORATION OF 1980 25TH ANNUAL LITHIA BASEBALL GAME BEER Association For Retarded Citizens Washington County, Wisconsin A SILVER ANNIVERSARY Twenty-five years ago, a local baseball team sponsored by the West Bend Lithia Company instituted an annual game to produce funds for a scholarship for teachers of mentally retarded children.  Efforts were coordinated with the Association For Retarded Citizens of Washington County. Over the years, monies attained from these games have enhanced programs which include The Threshold, a sheltered workshop providing day care and vocational rehabilitation, summer recreation, teacher scholarships and citizen advocacy as well as incentives toward independent living, including group homes. Citizens served by The Threshold have increased from four to 200 daily.  A full spectrum of developmental disabilities is represented among the clients.  Industry and businesses throughout the county have provided subcontracts which help support the programs. The Association For Retarded Citizens of Washington County in Wisconsin appreciate the cooperation of the Lithia team members and the entire community which continues to make the lives of developmentally disabled persons more productive and satisfying. West Bend, Wis.

AMERICAN LEGION ELY  MN ’80 WORLD SERIES BEER 1980 American Legion World Series Ely, Minnesota 8-24-80 thru 9-1-80 8-24-80            Base “Ball” with Chmielewski Orchestra 8-25-80            Variety Show 8-26-80            Parade & Bar-B-Q 8-27-80            Banquet with Bob Feller, Speaker 8-28 – 9-1        5 Days of Baseball Games 1980

THE FAMOUS HORSESHOE CURVE – ALTOONA, PA HORSESHOE CURVE BEER ALTOONA BREWING COMPANY HISTORY 1852 : JOHN ENZBRENNER – EMPIRE BREWERY 1896 : JOHN KAZMAIER – REORGANIZES TO GERMANIA BREWERY 1933 : GEORGE FRYE – ALTOONA BREWING AND ICE CO. 1936 : GEORGE J. BEISINGER – ALTOONA BREWING CO. INTRODUCES HORSESHOE CURVE BEER 1974 : JOHN RAWLINGS, JACK RAWLINGS, JACK BRIGGS AND CLIFF WILLIAMS – ALTOONA BREWING CO. INC. 1980 : RELIABLE BEER CO. CONTINUES HORSESHOE CURVE BEER DESIGN AND ILLUSTRATIONS BY JIM STEINER

Be Kind to Animals Week May 3rd – 9 th 1981 ANOKA COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY We were founded on May 1, 1979 with 30 members.  We have now grown to 150. We ask for your support to help us reach the end of our rainbow. BEER KING Anoka’s first trained police dog.  Served 1967 to 1974 First Edition for those without words at the end of the rainbow ANIMAL SHELTER

can says “New Elm”

Williston Basin ENERGY FESTIVAL JUNE 26 & 27, 1981 – WILLISTON, NORTH DAKOTA BEER “America’s Untapped Frontier” WILLISTON BASIN ENERGY FESTIVAL The Williston Basin Energy Festival was created to recognize the past accomplishments, present contributions and future opportunities for energy development in the Williston Basin.  In commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the discovery of oil in the Williston Basin, we hope to lay a better foundation for the public to meet and address the energy challenge of the future.

INTERNATIONAL FAMILY REUNION July 17 to 26 AQUATENNIAL 81 Summer Break BEER The MINNEAPOLIS AQUATENNIAL was born during a rainstorm on May 24, 1939.  A group of Minneapolis citizens were huddled under a bleacher along the parade route of King George VI in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada during a cloudburst.  The thought occurred to someone in the party, if Winnipeg could stage a civic event drawing over a million people, why couldn’t Minnesota’s largest metropolitan area, Minneapolis, crown its own royalty, stage its own festival, and highlight the fact that there just isn’t any better place to live, work, and play?   And so Aquatennial began.  For 42 years America’s Greatest Summer Festival has entertained, amused, and enriched local citizenry and visitors to the beautiful City of Lakes. The 1981 MINNEAPOLIS AQUATENNIAL invites you to enjoy over 250 events, all a part of “Summer Break” 1981 – “FOCUS: FINLAND!” Brewed for MINNEAPOLIS AQUATENNIAL ASSOCIATION

RIVERFEST DUBUQUE, IOWA Sept. 18, 19, 20, 1981 BEER CHILDRENS ART WORKSHOP DIXIELAND ENTERTAIMENT ARTS & CRAFTS FAIR ECUMENICAL SERVICE RIVERBOAT CASINO HISTORIC TOURS RIVERBOAT RIDES STREET BANDS MUSEUMS SKY DIVERS FIVE MILE RUN CANOE RACES FARMERS MARKET CABLE CAR RIDES VARIETY OF FOODS OKTOBERFEST DANCE HOT AIR BALLOON RIDES TALES OF MARK TWAIN RIVERFEST INCORPORATED 2021 FOYE STREET DUBUQUE, IOWA  52001

Old Cars BEER IOLA ’82 CAR SHOW AND SWAP MEET JULY 10-11, 1982 IOLA, WISCONSIN 54990 SPONSORED BY: IOLA LIONS CLUB AND OLD CARS WEEKLY IOLA ’83 JULY 9-10, 1983 OLD CARS BEER IOLA, WISCONSIN

Wilmington Catfish Days SEVENTH ANNUAL FESTIVAL Jul. 28 – Aug. 1, 1982 Beer PRODUCED FOR THE “RUSTIC SALOON” WILMINGTON, ILL.

RIVER CITY ROUNDUP 1982 RCR SEPTEMBER 22-OCTOBER 3 RIVER CITY BEER River City Roundup 1982 marks the centennial of South Omaha, a community proud of its traditions, its colorful history and the contributions it has made to this great region.  South Omaha plays a key role in River City Roundup, saluting the agricultural society which underlies our economy and the richness of our Western heritage. Please don’t litter … River City Beer thanks you. RECYCLABLE ALUMINUM CAN

1983 RIVER CITY ROUNDUP SEPT 21-OCT 2 Welcome to RCR BOUNTY HUNTER Premium Lager BOUNTY HUNTER BEER Collectors Edition

ALFONSO J. CERVANTES Great SS. LOUISAN Heritage of St. Louis Series BEER THIS PROGRAM SPONSORED BY 905 INTERNATIONAL STORES OF ST. LOUIS A PORTION OF THE PROFIT FROM THE SALE OF THIS PRODUCT IS BEING DONATED TO SUPPORT THE ST. LOUIS AREA AGENCY ON AGING, L.F. CERVANTES, S.J., Ph.D., COMMISIONER ALFONSO J. CERVANTES Mayor of St. Louis 1965-1973 ACCOMPLISHMENTS: CONVENTION CENTER – LAMBERT EXPANSION – SPANISH PAVILLION – STREET LIGHTS – MARYLAND PLAZA – MOUNTED POLICE – GATEWAY ARCH

Series No. 2 WILLIAM L. CLAY Great ST. LOUISAN Heritage of St. Louis Series BEER THIS PROGRAM SPONSORED BY 905 INTERNATIONAL STORES OF ST. LOUIS A PORTION OF THE PROFIT FROM THE SALE OF THIS PRODUCT IS BEING DONATED TO SUPPORT THE ST. LOUIS AREA AGENCY ON AGING, L.F. CERVANTES, S.J., Ph.D., COMMISIONER CONGRESSMAN WILLIAM L. CLAY 25 Years Elected Official ACCOMPLISHMENTS: REFORMED EARNINGS TAX – ALPHA GARDEN HOUSING – UNION SARAH HEALTH CTR – JOB CORPS CTR – FAIR EMPLOYMENT BILL – MEMBER OF CONGRESSIONAL ARTS CAUCUS

MID-WESTERN RODEO BEER MANAWA ’83 1959  SILVER ANNIVERSARY RODEO  1983 MID-WESTERN RODEO JULY 1-2-3, 1983 MANAWA, WISCONSIN 54949 SPONSORED BY MANAWA LIONS CLUB HELD ANNUALLY FIRST WEEKEND IN JULY PROFESSIONAL RODEO COWBOYS ASSOCIATION, INC MID-WESTERN RODEO BEER MANAWA, WISCONSIN

Our own contribution to the oeuvre.  The can was designed by Steve DeBellis and based largely on the early BCCA logo.  The reverse carries the ‘35/’85 logo.  Continental Can was kind enough to waive its minimum order and Schell filled the entire run in around 20 minutes on half a canning line.  Then things got, shall we say, interesting.  Cedar Rapids’ Schell distributor refused to accept the cans without firm orders from retailers.  Local beer outlets likewise declined to stock an unknown specialty brand.  Curt Fisher #232, the Hawkeye Chapter’s CANvention chairman, begged and pleaded, to no avail.  In desperation, he turned to Grandma’s Market, a tiny local convenience store, run out of the ground floor of a neighborhood house.  The owner hesitantly agreed to take a chance against his guarantees that all the beer would be sold, even with a one case maximum per member.  Cases of beer were stacked to the ceiling wherever there was space and regulars helped out by purchasing a few six packs.  And then CANvention began.  Grandma’s Market had never seen so many customers or sold so much beer.  I walked over with my roommate to pick up a case each.  We signed Grandma’s guestbook and discovered that some cans were lidded with plain aluminum tops, while others had gold tinted lids.  We worked out our first trade before leaving, trading half a case of one for the other.  To the surprise of all non-members, Grandma sold out of beer and was invited to the banquet as our special guest.

Beer Can Collectors of America CELEBRATION Beer The Beer Can Collectors of America salutes the United States brewing and container industries for ’35                   50 ’85                   YEARS OF CANNED BEER © 1984 BCCA Great Moments In Beer Can History Jan. 1935          First beer cans marketed in Richmond, VA June 1954         Introduction of 16 oz. cans Mar. 1962        Tab-top cans first marketed Apr. 1970         BCCA is first club formed for beer can collectors Jan. 1985         Celebration of the beer can’s golden anniversary

New Glarus BEER NEW GLARUS, WISCONSIN VOLKS ~FEST~ 1ST SUNDAY IN AUGUST

1935-85 TAVERN LEAGUE OF WISCONSIN 50 YEARS HOST LEAGUE – WOOD COUNTY THE TAVERN LEAGUE OF WISCONSIN HISTORY Formed by a small group of tavern owners from Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha in late 1935, the Tavern League of Wisconsin was officially incorporated on November 13, 1936 at the first statewide convention and trade show sponsored by the fledgling organization. Since its formation in 1935, the Tavern League of Wisconsin has grown to be the largest state association of alcohol beverage retailers in the nation, more than 6,500 members strong, from every city and county in the state. Members of the Tavern League of Wisconsin are dedicated to taking good care of their customers and serving their communities.  The TLW annually raises and contributes hundreds of thousands of dollars to community charitable, service, and educational programs such as the American Cancer Society, Special Olympics, Nursing Homes and Health Care Facilities.  Local Tavern Leagues sponsor the Wilderness Wagon Train and Sky Ranch youth development and delinquency prevention programs. 50 years of caring… the Tavern League of Wisconsin…

WISCONSIN DELLS/LAKE DELTON STATE LIONS CONVENTION 1985 Wisconsin Dells  BEER Wisconsin Dells  * WISCONSIN 1985

Barnegat Lighthouse PREMIUM BEER Standing 172 feet tall at the entrance to Barnegat Bay is Barnegat Lighthouse, “Grand Old Champion of the Tides”.  Built in 1858, it has been a guiding beacon for over 100 years. As a tribute to the nostalgia of the Jersey Shore, we are proud to present “ Barnegat Lighthouse ” … as rich in flavor and quality as Barnegat Lighthouse

See Also: The Cadott Nabor Chapter Revisited

Watch the full episode here: Full Episode

The BCCA officers and Board voted to add Joe Germino to the CANvention committee. Joe’s role on the CANvention committee is as the CANvention advanced site advisor. The purpose of this CANvention Advisory Member on the CANvention Committee came as a directive from the approval of the BCCA Strategic Plan. This role is to evaluate and recommend future CANvention sites in conjunction with the CANvention Planner and Committee. The objective of this CANvention Advisory role is to select future CANvention locations, develop budgets and have signed contracts for up to 3 years in advance. Once the CANvention committee reviews these recommendations along with financial and site analysis the approved site will be brought to the BCCA officers and Board of Directors. This will enable them to make an educated decision to select, by a Board vote, the best option for future CANvention sites. The overall goal is to maximize CANvention attendance, offer a quality cost effective experience, and make our CANvention a “must attend event” unmatched in the hobby.

Also, in November John Feinen has been added to the CANvention committee. John will start to move into a number of the tasks on the committee currently being administered by Ron Jones.

As Mary Legeret prepares to move in to the more demanding roles of Vice President and eventually BCCA President a replacement becomes necessary. It was decided to add Tom Legeret to fulfill these tasks as Mary departs the CANvention committee at the close of CANvention 52 in Louisville.

Mike Newton #30934

BCCA President

Here is an update on what I have been doing and where I have been for the last few weeks. At the time of this writing, I have already attended 12 shows and have traveled almost 6000 miles to get to them. I am on a quest to attend as many shows in as many states as physically possible this year. So far, I have attended shows in Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Ohio, New York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania. I am having the time of my life meeting and greeting new faces at shows that I have never attended in the past. I especially enjoy showing up unannounced at some of the smaller shows. It makes me feel good when I hear folks tell me that I am the first BCCA president to attend their show in a very long time or the first ever. I have many more shows in many more states on my agenda, so keep an eye out for me. You never know when I may walk through the door at your local show.

It is official; we are going to Louisville for CANvention in 2023! Louisville is a fun city, and from what I have seen, the hotel will be spectacular this year. Watch your email or check the website frequently for information concerning the details. Be sure to follow the instructions on the website and in e-Blasts concerning room reservations, CANvention registrations, etc. If you go it on your own and do not follow the BCCA guidelines for accomplishing these tasks, and you end up in a room three floors away from everyone else, you will have no one to blame but yourself. Our CANvention committee works very hard to put together a successful CANvention, but it is up to you to follow the instructions they put out. By doing so, you will make your personal CANvention trip the memorable experience that it should be.

Mike Newton #30934

BCCA President

Larry Handy #947/ Hornung Evolution

Brewery/Brand Type 2nd Place

Ray Knisley #877/ Olde Frothingslosh

Open 1st Place

George Arnold #2217 / New York City Factories

Open 2nd Place

Scott Oglesby #6169 / Nebraska Treasures

Chapters 1st Place
Jim Mahler Peoples Choice Award
Chuck Hillyer Best of Show

Rusty Bunch / Kurt Matson #31804/ I Hope You Dig What We’ve Dug

As I write this, I am getting ready to Head to Norfolk on Monday. I hope I get to see many of you in person, but if you can’t, watch the website and the Facebook groups ( the real ones ) for daily updates, live broadcasts, and the Zoom meeting for the BOD. I know Dan Bora will be busy sharing lots of things.

I have been busy, but I managed to make it to 40 shows or events this year would have been 42. Covid made me miss the ABA Convention and the Ohio Mini CANvention in June.

I want to thank all the chapters and NABA and ABA for making my visits fun at your Shows across the Midwest. The NABA convention in Pittsburgh was great. Seeing so many crossover members of all 3 major organizations was amazing.
I went to Minnesota twice and the Packer Chapter Packnic #45 & #46 in the same year in office, haha.

The Bogo Bash was entertaining, and it gets bigger each year. Think about checking that out in 2023.

I can’t mention enough how much of an honor it was to be President, and I know next year, Mike Newton will be carrying on with the plans as the New Guard gets more involved. Wait till Clayton in 2024. He will be like a man on fire, haha. Mike and Clayton helped me tremendously, and I can’t thank them enough.

With that all said, I will be the co-chairman of the nominating committee as immediate past president, so if you are interested in running for the board, contact me.

Thanks again to all the members for working with the officers and Board members for 2022, and we all look forward to a bright future with the hobby we all love.
On To Norfolk and CANvention 51

Don Hardy #3648

BCCA President 2022

*BCCA Current and Past Presidents: (L-R) Al Aprea #10480, Alan Paschedag #21104, Joe Germino #24997, Don Hardy #3648, “Beer” Dave Gausepohl #22473, Robert Fondren #14138, Charlie Smith #29978 and Tom Fay #3703

Click Here to view the Photo Gallery

Hey everybody, I just wanted a little update on what I have been up to and what we have leading to the National CANvention in Norfolk, VA.

First, in May, I had the privilege of going to the First Smoky Mountain trade session in Knoxville, TN.

At the Crafty Bastard Brewery, Tom and Mary Legeret did a great job, and we had eight past presidents and the current one in attendance. With an excellent big raffle and plenty of good beers,  I think I will plan on making the trip again next year!

The following weekend we had a combined trade session with the Westmont Stroh’s and Bullfrog chapters at the Church Street Brewery in Itasca, Illinois. We had about 200 in attendance, and the Brewery had a special beer-filled can for the event. And to top things off, I had my 4th National board meeting.

Next, we went to the Bell’s Brewery in Kalamazoo, MI., for a Patrick Henry chapter trade session. Bill Norton and Rik Dellinger did a fine job hosting this event. I also met Larry Bell again and saw his new foundation museum. A must-see if you are in the area.

I know it’s a tough job, but I have to go to Hawaii in the first week of June as part of a prize I won at last year’s Green Bay Packer Chapter Titletown show.

Larry Bell and BCCA President
Don Hardy at the Patrick Henry show

I have planned trips to Swap-A-Rama, the Ohio mini CANvention, and the NABA convention in Pittsburgh later in August.

By now, you have seen the registration for the CANvention posted and have gotten your rooms. The Hilton’s main hotel is sold out, but the overflow hotel, the Marriott, is just across the street and very nice.

The new BCCA Tribute Membership program is underway, and Members have started to be added. Paying Tribute to Those Who Loved The Hobby How many times have we all reminisced about a person or persons who brought passion, accomplishments, and contributions to this hobby that we love? Now there is a way to pay homage to them. The BCCA Tribute Membership Program will recognize deceased BCCA members and their influences on our hobby. For only $15 per year ($45 for three years) or $100 for a Forever Membership,

The next BCCA board meeting will be virtual on July 16th.

I hope to see many of you at events soon.

Don Hardy #3648

BCCA President 2022

Hey everybody, I just wanted a little update on what I have been up to and what we have leading to the National CANvention in Norfolk, VA.

First off had a great time at the Luck O’ Irish show Beer Dave and the crew did an outstanding job. The BCCA board meeting went smoothly, and the dinner in the revolving restaurant was such a relaxing time.

As I write this, I am preparing to go to Green Bay and the Titletown Trade-A-Thon show looking forward to it like always but this time, NO Hawaii chance, haha.

I was also looking forward to my first ever Spring Thaw, but they changed the week to the same weekend as Green Bay. The 3-hour drive compared to the 10-hour drive won out, haha.

After that, I have my first Nominating committee meeting, which should be interesting. Then a Bullfrog Show on May 1st, followed by the first-ever Smoky Mountain Chapter show in Knoxville, TN. As President, I felt I had to go, haha. I can’t wait. I know Tom and Mary Legeret will outdo themselves!! That’s May 7th if any of you are interested.

The next big event I really want to mention is the combined show with the Westmont Stroh’s and Bullfrog Chapters Having a trade session from 8:30 to Noon on May 14th  At Church Street brewery in Itasca, IL, not only the show and a big raffle with a tote full of cans at 12:30 to 1:30. The Brewery is making a beer in honor of the show with a BCCA logo, and you only get a can if in attendance ( John Bittermann ). But I also have my 4th BCCA board meeting at 2:00 PM. Look for the flyer!

Next, we have the Patrick Henry show in Kalamazoo, MI  May 21st, and then we HAVE to go to Hawaii thanks to the Packer Chapter and Pete Van on June 1st, Swap-A-Rama on June 11th, and the Ohio mini CANvention on June 18th.

I am also trying to figure out a way to make it to the ABA convention but already have my room and plans for the NABA convention in Pittsburgh in August.

So pretty Busy. I will update right before it’s time to talk about Norfolk. As a footnote, Beer Dave and the crew are working out the room issues, so be on the lookout for that update by them.

The last thing I want to mention is the new BCCA Tribute Membership program.

Paying Tribute to Those Who Loved The Hobby How many times have we all reminisced about a person or persons who brought passion, accomplishments, and contributions to this hobby that we love? Now there is a way to pay homage to them. The BCCA Tribute Membership Program will recognize deceased BCCA members and their influences on our hobby. For only $15 per year ($45 for three years) or $100 for a Forever Membership,

I have four members I will be sponsoring. I am sure we all have someone we could  add or have your local Chapter take collections to add.

See you at an event hopefully soon

Don Hardy #3648

BCCA President 2022

L-R:
BCCA Vice President Mike Newton #30934
BCCA President Don Hardy #3648
BCCA Secretary Clayton Emery #32806

Paying Tribute to Those Who Loved The Hobby

How many times have we all reminisced about a person or persons who brought passion, accomplishments, and contributions to this hobby that we love? Now there is a way to pay homage to them. Introducing the BCCA Tribute Membership Program that will recognize deceased BCCA members and their influences to our hobby.

For only $100 for a Forever Membership, a Sponsor can list as much or as little information as they would like about this special member’s gifts to the hobby. Information such as a photo, BCCA#, when they joined, birth and death dates and chapter affiliations can be just some of the important knowledge to share. A small biography to include BCCA National contributions, area of hobby interests and collecting origins can also be included.

A very special area on the BCCA website will house all of this information for the duration selected. A Forever Membership also includes the recognized member’s photo that will be put on the Tribute Wall at the BCCA Headquarters in St. Louis, MO.

What a GREAT way to honor those that brought so much to the hobby in the past and can continue to make a difference to the BCCA now and in the future.

Special note: this program is separate from the In Memoriam section of the website that started in 2017.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO TRIBUTE PROGRAM

Hey everybody, just a little update on my trip this last week. Originally it was a trip to Atlantic City for a site inspection and possible contract signing for CANvention 52 in 2023.
I had planned to fly to Philadelphia with Beer Dave Gausepohl, Mike England, and Mark Crane, but as it turned out, at no fault of the CANvention committee, the Jersey Shore Chapter or even the Showboat hotel, the corporate side of the hotel, decided to do a significant renovation that It wasn’t scheduled for a couple of years, and the CANvention talks had to be canceled and put on hold for a discussion in the future.
So this fun trip started in Philly. Mark Crane picked us up in his SUV and drove us down to his house for two days in Delaware and then on to Norfolk. We managed to hit nine breweries and sample 110 beers from those places and countless others the group picked up on the way. Some excellent seafood also, I might add on the way. When we arrived at the Hilton Main, we were checked on Wednesday. We got ready for the meetings the following day (more beer)

Thursday, we met at 7:30 AM, started the day with a light breakfast in the conference room. The other members of the CANvention committee were there. Mary Legeret, Cathy Covell, and Ron Jones (my roommate with a Chicago connection) also had Keith Bryant with us as the local chapter’s CANvention point of the contact person. We started the meeting and went over every little detail. At 10:30, we toured the whole hotel with our hotel contact. We went to every room figured out the layout for the trade session area chapter and supply locations. The set-up is excellent for our needs with a friendly registration with actual counters, not just set-up tables. I think Mark Crane was happy.

By 2 PM, we finished with the walkthrough, and then the most exciting part for me was the tour of the Presidential suit. It was very spectacular, makes all the work the last few years as a board member and officer well worth it, so run for the board and become an officer!
We never broke for lunch, and the Hotel representative then took us to a nice dinner and pointed out many of the points of interest in the area and fine restaurants. I am sorry I misplaced where I had her name. She reminded us of Shar Keilack.
This was just the one day I got to sit in. Two more days of meetings with the food service, a tasting, and meeting with the local chapter member volunteers will make it a great show. I had to cut the trip short because of a death in the family.
In Closing, I want to stress how important hard the CANvention committee works on every aspect so the CANvention flows smoothly. I know some people complain, but everything is done for a reason and in the membership’s best interest, not just a few or a chapter. Beer Dave’s team works extremely hard, and it was a privilege to sit in on it for a day.

Don Hardy #3648

BCCA President

The “official” birthday of the beer can is January 24, 1935. That’s the day cans of Krueger’s Finest Beer and Krueger’s Cream Ale first went on sale in Richmond, VA.

But the beer can really made its debut some 14 months earlier – just before the repeal of Prohibition. American Can Company had engineered a workable beer can.

All that was needed was a brewer willing to take the pioneering plunge. The Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company of Newark, NJ signed on the dotted line in November 1933.

By the end of that month, American had installed a temporary canning line and delivered 2,000 Krueger’s Special Beer cans, which were promptly filled with 3.2% Krueger beer – the highest alcohol content allowed at the time. Krueger’s Special Beer thus became the world’s first beer can.

The 2,000 cans of beer were given to faithful Krueger drinkers; 91% gave it thumbs up, and 85% said it tasted more like draft than bottled beer. Reassured by this successful test, Krueger gave canning the green light, and history was made.

See the entire History of the beer can in the BCCA’s 85 Years of Canned Beer.

BCCA Board Meeting and General Business held during CANvention 50 v2.0 in St. Louis, MO.

Aug 19 2021 BCCA BOD Meeting

Aug 20 2021 BCCA General Business Meeting

Great memories remind us of friends, cans acquired and CANventions attended  

As the old saying goes, there’s usually more to the story. And that certainly applies to the BCCA’s Memorable Moments project. As renewed eagerness and anticipation builds for CANvention 50 v2.0, we are sharing with you several memories offered by BCCA members that did not appear in the seven-part series in Beer Cans & Brewery Collectibles. The series started in the January/February 2020 issue, as a lead-up to CANvention 50 in St. Louis in 2020, and concluded with the May/June 2021 issue. As we know, Covid-19 severely impacted not only the world of beer can and breweriana collecting but the entire planet. Unfortunately for millions of its citizens, far more significantly than the cancellation of a long-awaited 50^th anniversary celebration. It is time for us to not only reminisce but to make new memories in St. Louis in August. Roger Krafve #18582 is spot-on in what he said in his memory: “What a great hobby!” I thank Dan Bora for providing the opportunity on the website and Joe Prin in the magazine. And to all members who contributed their favorite memories. —Rich La Susa #609           

PEOPLE (The friendships we made)

Well, I have joined the BCCA for the third time! Let me explain. Back in the “beer can craze” of the mid-1970s, my brother Eric [on the right in 1978 photo] I had a nice collection, and joined the BCCA around 1978. We got #18582. Minneapolis had some nice shows we attended back then. My favorite memory was writing to John Ahrens #9 and making a trade with him! I know he didn't need the cans I sent him, but he was making a young collector’s day! My favorite can back then was a Lederbrau half-gallon; it had such a unique look to it. After high school in 1980, the BCCA membership expired, and life went on....college, marriage, etc. When I opened my own business in 1996, I decorated it with the old boxed-up collection. I was back in the hobby! I rejoined, got my number back and became pretty involved again. I contributed to the BCCA magazine from time to time (“The Great Grain Belt Farmhouse Find” Feb/March 2007). Funny how life happens! Then job changes, etc; so I was out of the hobby again. Then a month ago I stumbled across a couple old boxes in the attic that I had packed away (unfortunately, I sold my collection years ago). It rekindled that flame, so I re-re-joined and now proudly have my old number #18582 back again. I have already reconnected with a few old collecting friends. So it's like old times. What a great hobby...! —Roger Krafve #18582

PLACES (CANventions and shows we attended)      

THINGS (Cans and breweriana we acquired)