“The Breweries of Kensington and Beyond” by Rich Wagner. Presented at yards Brewery in Conjunction with the Kensington Historical Project, Saturday, April 26, 2003. [Self-published, Hatboro, Pa], 42 pages, illustrated, graphs, charts. The table of contents reads as follows: Introduction, Analyzing the list of Kensington Breweries, The Breweries of Kensington and Philadelphia’s “Final Four,” Schmidt’s, Ortlieb’s, Gretz, Esslinger’s, Breweries in Kensington: Fairhill Brewery, Fred Feil, Theordore Finkenauer, Wm. Heimgaertner’s Kensington Brewery (Proto), Jos. Rieger, Jos. Straubmuller, Weisbrod & Hess, Oriental Brewery, Philip Zaun’s Weiss Beer Brewery, Brewerytown Connections – Elizabeth Vollmer, List of Kensington breweries with Brewerytown Connection, New Tennant for an Old Brewery, Yards Revives Kensington Tradition, Appendix 1 – Kensington Breweries listed by Company or Individual, Appendix 2 – Kensington Breweries listed by American Breweries II # [number], Appendix 3 – Kensington Breweries listed in Geographic Clusters, Appendix 4 – Kensington Breweries Production: 1879, 1902, 1913, 1941, Appendix 5 – Philadelphia Breweries Production: 1879, 1902, 1913, 1941.

This is a self-published book, bound in wrappers measuring 8 ½” by 11”, the spine is backed with binder’s tape, glued, like new condition. There are about 40 illustrations within the text. This is a very informative book by noted Pennsylvania beer historian Rich Wagner who has written a number of articles and items on brewery history in Philadelphia and other areas of Pennsylvania, as well as given tours of the various breweries in Pennsylvania. If you are interested in beer, brewery, brewing history in Kensington, the surrounding areas of Northern Liberties, or Fishtown, or Philadelphia in general, then you’ll enjoy this well researched book. Kensington is an old industrial neighborhood of Philadelphia where many factories once thrived. Today only the Yard’s Brewery is the lone brewery from the 85 different licences, 138 different company names, and 98 different locations of the breweries that once existed. All of these names, licences, & locations are noted in the book. This book is also useful for those doing research on genealogy of German families of this area as most of the brewers were German immigrants. 
 
Right now I am sold out of this item. If you want a copy, I can get it from the publisher for you.

KENSINGTON HISTORY MAGAZINE
FOR SALE!
Pennsylvania Legacies; the newsmagazine of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. November 2002. Volume 2. Number 2. Printed illustrated wrappers, 37 pages, numerous illustrations with photographs, maps, prints, etc.

This issue of the Pennsylvania Legacies is dedicated to the work of the Kensington History Project, a community based historical society that researches, collects, promotes, publishes, and lectures on the history of Kensington and Fishtown, two Philadelphia, PA, neighborhoods. The magazine features 5 articles on the history of these communities, as follows: "Old Kensington" by Rich Remer, "John Hewson: Kensington's Revolutionary War Hero," by Ken Milano, "Fishtown and the Shad Fisheries," by Rich Remer, “The Kensington History Project: Can History become the future?," by Torben Jenk, and "Playtime on
the Streets of Kensington," by Torben Jenk. The articles on "Old Kensington" and "Fishtown's Shad Fisheries" are general views of the history of this community from European contact through to the 20th century, with reference to the Fishermen, shipwrights, shipbuilding, and early industrial families that made the area famous (West, Boyte, Norris, Lynn, Wright, Eyre,Cramp, Reany and Neafie, Neafie and Levy shipyards, the fishermen families of Bakers, Bakeovens, Bennets, Collars, Cramps, Faunces, Poetes, Tees, and Tuttles, the early industrialists of Disston, Stetson, Sutton, Rowland, Verre and Mitchell, Marshall Brothers, Robbins, Parke, etc.)
The article on John Hewson is about a local Revolutionary War Hero, first printer of calico fabrics in America, who is buried locally in Palmer Cemetery. A must for all those interested in Philadelphia history, industrial & social history, the industrial revolution, immigration history, working class history, etc. Good also for genealogy and family history background of these communities, local history, white ethnic history (particularly Irish, English, Welsh and German).

The cost of this magazine is $15.00 plus $2.50 postage. You can pay by check, money order or Paypal.

Here is a review of this magazine that was published in a local community newspaper:

“Pennsylvania Legacies magazine features Kensington and Fishtown
The history of Kensington and Fishtown has never been told more colorfully than in the November 2002 issue of Pennsylvania Legacies, published by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. On the cover is a glorious full-color view of the Treaty Tree, based on the John James Barralet painting from 1796. On the back cover is a watercolor painted in 1869 of the 900 block of Beach Street, showing the houses, the Kensington National Bank, and many ships masts.  Other great images include a view of 19th C view of the Delaware with Fishtown women selling shad from baskets atop their heads, the "Old Log Cabin, Richmond & Vienna Streets" (purported to be one of the three original log cabins), the Stetson Hat factory clock tower, John Hewson's calico prints and postcards of Cramp's Ship Yard.
 
Rich Remer contributed two articles. 'Old Kensington' tells the story of this neighborhood from its naming in 1730 by Captain Anthony Palmer through to becoming the 'Workshop of the World' by the Civil War. This article is highly illustrated and includes three maps showing the growth of streets, buildings and the waterfront. 'Fishtown and the Shad Fisheries' shares tales of the 'Alosa sapidissima' (the Latin name for "tastiest shad"), the fishing techniques, and the fishing families from the Lenape (indians) through to the Bakers, Bakeovens, Bennets, Collars, Cramps, Faunces, Potes, Tees and Tuttles.
 
Ken Milano wrote 'John Hewson: Kensington's Revolutionary War Hero' and includes excerpts from Hewson's diary as they escaped from the British across the Delaware River "... while we were loading a large boat at the wharf, we was obliged to have a person on top of the chimney to look out the van of the army being at Frankford, I was under the necessity of leaving a great many things behind me." Hewson is better known for the fabulous fabrics he printed, especially since Martha Washington was a
customer.
 
Torben Jenk contributed two articles. 'The Kensington History Project: Can History become the future?' shares two stories from our senior neighbors, including work at Stetson Hats, and the successive waves of Albania immigration. 'Playtime on the Streets of Kensington' evolved from a series of Star articles and includes detailed descriptions of "halfies," "wall ball," "point ball," and "box ball."
 
Reader’s comments have poured in too! Historian Paul Schopp said "Fabulous--absolutely fabulous!!! By the way, the so-called 'unknown workmen' photograph [p.9] is actually the only known photo of the Grice & Long steam dummy works, located on Beach Street. The men are gathered around what is probably the company's first freight locomotive. This company built the steam dummies used on the Frankford line." Carol Ward, former Fishtown librarian, now at the McPherson Branch said "I love the pictorial material! It provides glimpses of the past that go beyond words. Your article, Torben, brings back such good memories of the programs at Fishtown. (People always kept asking for those to be repeated)." Bob O'Neill said "Could any article be more interesting than was Rich's 'Old Kensington'? His descriptions had me visualizing myself living back in those days and experiencing what our predecessors did. That is gifted writing! Ken Milano's biography of John Hewson was as deep a penetration into the psyche of a man as can be done more than two hundred years after-the-fact. His narrative is fact-filled, fun-filled, and most comprehensive.  One wonders if Ken couldn't expand his article into a biographical book on Mr. Hewson?"

Pennsylvania Legacies editor Dr. Shan Holt said "It has been great fun working with you all, learning more about the neighborhood and the city, and beginning to connect historical threads with street addresses in a way that makes the whole experience come alive. The Kensington History Project is a real gift to the neighborhood and the city, and I'm thrilled to be able to give you back something like this that, we hope, can help spread the word even farther." David Moltke-Hansen, President of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, says in the magazine "Increased interest in the history of 'ordinary people' has shown us that the past does not belong only to established families. Rather, more and more we see that everyone contributes to the cultural and social interaction that makes our history and defines daily life. Communities that protect and develop their history enrich life for their inhabitants as well as for visitors."