Frederick M. Collet was born in Borgloh, Osnabrück, Lower Saxony, Germany.  He emigrated to America at age 23 in 1852 and settled in Dubuque, Iowa, where he became a saloon operator.  In 1860 he married Clara Arenbeck and they had five children.  

In the 1860s he became associated with John Kautz in the brewing business across the Mississippi River in Dunleith, Illinois.  His beer was apparently unique in that he used sprouted barley (which helped prevent boiler encrustations), an idea he ultimately patented in 1882.

In the 1870 census Frederick described himself as a "Retired Brewer" living in Dunlieth with a $3000 estate.  In 1880, at age 51 he was back in the saloon business.  Collet died on November 14th, 1906 at the age of 77. 

It may be of interest to note that Mr. Collet's obituary in his hometown paper in Clayton County Iowa made no mention of his successful brewery and saloon career, saying instead that he was a blacksmith by trade. 

Why?  Iowa has an interesting history.  While the river towns in Iowa and Illinois had bawdy and lawless beginnings, Iowa was descended upon in the 1890s by a fervent temperance movement.  Their missionaries targeted lawmakers and newspapers.  Some pious newspaper and business directory editors banned advertisements for, and positive news of, the sinful trades, even going so far as to whitewash obituaries, as was the case for Mr. Collet.

In Iowa government, temperate legislators crafted laws so odious to the brewing industry that by 1905 all but the largest firms were forced out of business.  By 1916 they achieved Prohibition statewide, a full four years before the rest of the country.

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Associated Breweries