Carl Ernst Gehrung (Gehring) was born in Jebenhausen, Wurttemberg, Germany. He was a nineteen year old brewer's apprentice when he fled his homeland after the failed 1848 insurrections triggered a crackdown on political dissent. He found a new home in Cleveland, Ohio, and he anglicized his name to Gehring. At this time in Cleveland one in three new immigrants to the city were exiled Germans, and the demand for the national beverage was growing. His skills were in demand and he found work in several Cleveland breweries over the next nine years. In 1857, at age 28, Gehring opened up his own brewery on Brainerd Street. He produced and sold 1800 barrels of lager that first year. By 1878, his output had increased more than tenfold. In 1888 his brewery produced 68,000 barrels and was distributing lager beer throughout the east, from New York to Virginia. As Gehring became more comfortable in business he branched out into other ventures. He became a member of local and national brewers organizations. He was a benefactor for orphans and the elderly, he held public offices, and he was elected president of the Forest City Bank. Carl Ernst Gehrung died on the 5th of March, 1893. at 63 years of age. His family ran the company until June 9th, 1898, when it combined with eight other firms to form the Cleveland & Sandusky Brewing Company conglomerate. Upon the merger, Gehring's son Frederick William became its president. Despite having strength in numbers, the forces of the Temperance movement were too great and the brewery closed in 1918. A fire took out the last remaining buildings in 1927.

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