Caspar Ludwig was born in Germany.  His parents immigrated to America in 1853 and located in Appleton, Missouri, where they both died within a few weeks of their arrival.  Casper was only 24 but already had an apprenticeship in both brewing and coopering so he took his inheritance and in 1856 opened a brewery saloon. 

In 1854 Ludwig had a tragically short marriage to fellow German emigre Margaret Ross, who died just a year after they were united.  A second marriage in 1856 to Catherine Schreiner lasted for life and produced nine children.

In 1862 Ludwig enlisted in the Missouri Militia, but was called for duty only twice, for two months each.

His brewery continued to grow and become popular and profitable, therefore it is a mystery as to why, in 1900, the firm was declared bankrupt.  The assets were declared at $7095 and the debts were declared at $4003, yet somehow the bankruptcy was allowed.  The property was auctioned on the 27th of April 1901. The saloon brought $128.  The Brewery fetched a mere $135.

Caspar Ludwig died later that year, on the 6th of September, 1901.  He was 71 years of age.

After it was sold at the courthouse the brewery began to operate on both sides of the law.  During Prohibition the manufacturer became infamous for feats of bootlegging. Even after Repeal the illegal shenanigans continued under its new owner, former prize fighter Benny McGovern.  It is interesting that the brewery never had a published address, even in to the 1940s.

The St. Louis (Missouri) Post Dispatch reports a raid on the Old Appleton Brewery finds brewery workers applying Canadian Beer labels to bottles of their illegal beer.