Charles Ferdinand Leslin was born in Bavaria. He emigrated to America some time in around 1850 and lived in New York for a while. He then moved to Chicago, Illinois where in 1862 he married fellow Bavarian Emigree Marie (Mary) Elvora Reinhardt. In around 1870 the Leslins moved west once again to Wabasha County, Minnesota. Charles first partnered with Samual Burkhardt to form a brewery in the town of Reads Landing, right on the Mississippi River. Two years later Charles established his own brewery one mile north of the town of Wabasha. He ran the brewery for two years before his wife took it over in 1874. She managed it until 1884, then sold it to John T. Ginthner. Charles Leslin died on October 7th, 1890 at age 57 years. The brewery he founded, renamed the Wabasha, operated until prohibition.

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