Die Deutschen von Wabash
The largest group of non-English speaking people who settled in Wabash County were of German descent. These immigrants generally came to America from several of the German-speaking states of Europe that eventually formed the modern day states of Germany, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland. The first Germans to come to what is now the United States, arrived during the colonial period when the U.S. was still a British Colony, descended from Revolutionary War Hessian Mercenaries, or as members of the Pennsylvania Dutch community. The major immigration of Germans to the United States, who would eventually settle in Wabash, would occur in 1848 and would continue until World War I.
The Germans who came during this time, immigrated for a variety of reasons, namely for being on the losing side during the European Revolutions of 1848-1849 or to take advantage of land sales being offered by the railroads. The German settlers coming into Wabash were either from the Christian or Jewish faith, and were able to quickly integrate into Wabash society. Large populations settled in Wabash, North Manchester, and Urbana. The majority became farmers while a few went into business, setting up stores or breweries. Included in the latter was Philip Martin Alber of Liechtenstein, a skilled stone and brick mason who set up a successful brewery in Wabash with his brother-in-law, experienced brewer and fellow German-speaking immigrant Franz (Frank) Anton Rettig III. He was widely considered one of the most well-to-do men in the city. The location of his house/beer garden can still be seen on 45 East Sinclair Street.
German-Jew Michael Hyman, the first Jew to settle in Wabash, and his brother Leonard, owned a store until 1865 and later bought and operated a linseed oil mill in 1866. The pair also established the Rodef Sholom Cemetery and Congregation in Wabash. Other prominent early German settlers included Stonemason Christopher or Christian Hess and Simon Newberger, the father of the first Jewish family to settle in Wabash County. Later arrivals included Augustus Henry Sommers, one of the last Union veterans living in Wabash County. He had moved to the county in 1883 to work as a foreman for the crew building the Charley Creek Bridge.
In Wabash, like their fellow Germans throughout the United States, they would try to carve out a fully German cultural niche for themselves. The beer garden at the Alber house was based on a Bavarian-style beer garden. Besides beer served in Steins, German food such as sausage, smoked ham, knockwurst, and sauerkraut were served. For entertainment, musicians would play German music. German brewers in Wabash would continue to use the Reinheitsgebot, the 1516 German food safety law stating only barley, hops, and water could be used in the brewing of beer. The opposite side of Wabash Street near the intersection of Stitt Street was known as German Town in the City of Wabash at this time. Most first generation German immigrants continued to speak only German to each other. Religious services were also conducted in German in the Christian churches. In general, the community tried to be politically neutral though they tended to lean democratic due to the party’s opposition to Prohibition.
Their cultural uniqueness would continue until the U.S. entry into World War I when , despite anti-German sentiment being expressed toward them, they were encouraged to follow mainstream American thought and culture. Even with this, some residents can still remember their Grandparents only speaking German as late as the 1940s-50s.
German influences are still felt in Wabash County today as the majority of Wabash residents (31.3%) can trace their ancestry back to Germanic lands. Germans are generally considered the people who introduced hamburger and sausage, including the hot dog, to the American diet. Popular food in Indiana, such as the tenderloin, share similarities to the Austro-German dish Wiener Schnitzel.
Artifact of the Month
2024.324.006 Rettig & Alber Brewers - Wabash, IND
A beer bottle with its bottle opener from the Rettig & Alber Brewery. The brewery, opened in 1866 by Philip Alber and Frantz (Frank) Anton Rettig III, was the first of three brewers to occupy the location at 604 Cass Street. Their German-style lagers and ales, which were claimed to have health benefits due to the alkalinity of the water from nearby Charley Creek, were regionally popular and were sold in Wabash, North Manchester, Lagro, Fairmount, Rochester, Akron, and Warsaw.
After Rettig’s death, Alber would sell the brewery in 1901 to the Wabash Brewing Company which would expand the brewery and run it until 1915. The Alber Bottling Works would later run it from 1915 to 1919. By 1919, more processes and regulations, competition from larger breweries with better distribution, and the enactment of Prohibition forced the brewery to close. The building stood until the 1970s when it was declared a safety hazard and torn down. The storage cellar remained until the trees and brush covered it after which it too was torn down.
Photo of the Month: Wabash German Band, circa 1890s
Deutsche Kapelle Wabash (Wabash German Band) as it was in the 1890s. A German band that performed in Wabash, oftentimes playing at the Old German Hall, where the photo was taken. Members in the photo include (front row, left to right) Fritz Heilman, Rudolph Schneider, Willis Eschbaugh, unknown, Steve Fox, and Fred Pfeil. (Back Row) Unknown, John Schneider, Gotlieb Smeltzley, unknown, Sam Pfister, and Jake Scheerer.
Tastes & Traditions: Pork Tenderloin
A true Hoosier classic, the tenderloin sandwich, also known as a pork tenderloin or a breaded pork tenderloin sandwich, is a sandwich that was first believed to have been created by Nick’s Kitchen in Huntington, Indiana. From Indiana, it has become popular in other Midwestern states that raise large numbers of pigs such as Illinois, Missouri, and Iowa.
The sandwich itself is made of a breaded and fried cutlet of pork, similar to Wiener Schnitzel. A dish credited as being created in Vienna, Austria, and popular in Germany. The difference between Tenderloin and Wiener Schnitzel is that a tenderloin is made exclusively using pork loin and deep-fried while the Wiener Schnitzel is made only using veal due to an Austrian law regarding the making of the dish, and pan-fried.
To make a traditional pork tenderloin sandwich, a thinly sliced piece of pork loin is hammered with a meat mallet. The meat is then dipped in flour and eggs, and breaded in either breadcrumbs or crushed saltine crackers, before being deep fried in oil. After being fried, the now prepared pork loin is generally served on a hamburger bun or two pieces of bread, with the meat generally overhanging the bun or bread. Condiments are generally added including a combination of mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise, lettuce, onions or pickles. The sandwich is often served with french fries or onion rings.
There are two variants to the sandwich, one of which sees the pork loin without breading and grilled instead of fried. Outside of the Midwest, a variant recipe has a pork loin that has been seasoned, brined or marinated and then cooked on a grill. The sandwich is placed on a kaiser roll or hamburger bun and topped with condiments. This recipe has been found from the New England States to South Carolina.
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