North Park in Billings in Yellowstone County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
The Billings Brewery - Opened in 1899
Historic Montana Avenue
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, September 15, 2020
1. The Billings Brewery - Opened in 1899 Marker
Touted as "The Beer that Made Milwaukee Jealous." In 1910, an electro sign was installed atop the brewery, becoming a distinguishing feature of the company and a city landmark. The flashing sign "Drink Old Fashion Beer" was made up of 920 white and yellow light bulbs that depicted beer flowing from a tilted bottle into an empty glass. Soda production replace beer during Prohibition. Beer began to flow once more in 1933, but the brewery closed its doors in 1951. The building, along with distinctive sign, was torn down in 1959.
Erected by Downtown Billings Starts Here. (Marker Number 5.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce.
Location. 45° 47.039′ N, 108° 29.968′ W. Marker is in Billings, Montana, in Yellowstone County. It is in North Park. Marker can be reached from Montana Avenue (Business Interstate 90) near North 23rd Street, on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2305 Montana Avenue, Billings MT 59101, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Flood of 1937 (here, next to this marker); Northern Pacific Depot "Union Station" (a few steps from this marker); Teddy Roosevelt Visits the Depot - 1918
this page online
More about this marker. Markers erected by Downtown Billings Starts Here are secure to streetlight poles and are only visible from the sidewalk provided they are not covered by a flower pot.
Also see . . . "History of the Billings Brewing Company". The Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana entry (Submitted on April 3, 2021, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Additional keywords. beer
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, September 15, 2020
2. The Billings Brewery - Opened in 1899 Marker
Northern Pacific Depot in the background
via Billings Gazette, 1918
3. The Billings Brewery
via Billings Gazette, unknown
4. The Billings Brewery electric sign
Credits. This page was last revised on February 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 3, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 210 times since then and 43 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 3, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. 3, 4. submitted on April 3, 2021, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.
