John Joseph Kenney was born in Wheeling, West Virginia and he was educated at St. Vincent's Academy.  He began working in the nail mills at the age of fourteen and about 10 years later entered the retail liquor trade.

In 1884 he went into the brewery business, partnering with Christian Blum to lease Killian Kress's Brewery on Market Street and Seventh.  When Kress died in 1887 Kenney purchased the firm from his estate.

Kenney's Ale already had an excellent reputation and wide distribution in what was then the middle west.  The Kress Brewery became known as the Kenney's Ale Brewery.  He ran for City Councilman and won in 1894 and at that began his disengagement from the brewing business.  The brewery finally closed in 1901.

Kenny and his wife Mary moved 60 miles northeast to Pittsburgh where at age 50 he was a night watchman.  He died there on November 19th, 1907 at 53 years of age.

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Associated Breweries