The Lemp Family:
A Story of Power, Profit, and Peril

  Johann "Adam" Lemp, who was the one who brought the Lemp family name to America and the Lager beer style that many still enjoy to this day. Adam was born in Germany on or around May 25, 1798. He was a brewer in Grüningen-by-Gieβen, Germany. He moved to Cincinnati, Ohio in 1836 leaving the rest of his family and debts behind. He then moved to St. Louis, Missouri in 1838. Though these dates are not confirmed as documentation as lost to time. Adam ran a grocery store that was located on 6th and Morgan. It was in that grocery store that Adam began brewing his beer in small batches and selling it. As popularity grew, Adam had to open a small brewery at 112 S. Second Street. It is unclear when exactly Adam began soley brewing his Lager Style Beer, but the St. Louis Republican reported on July 3, 1859 "...The Western Brewery, A. Lemp, proprietor was founded in 1843." Another unknown source puts the date of 1836, when he first arrived to the United States. It was possible that Adam brought his lager yeast over from Germany, which if that was the case, Adam would have been the first to brew Lager Style Beer in the United States, and not the Philadelphia Brewer, John Wagner. In any case though, Adam Lemp was the first to brew Lager Style Beer in St. Louis. In 1849 (or somewhere around that year) William Jacob Lemp was "brought" to the States. He became the foreman and manager of his father's brewery.
Adam began purchasing the caves under Cherokee Street and DeMenil Place, as his beer had continuing success, he needed more room for brewing and storage. In order to keep the caves even cooler, he was using ice from the Mississippi River.
"Adam Lemp, Brewery:
-$30,000 Capital and Monetary Investments
-10,000 Bushels of Barley ($7,000)
-10,000 Bushels of Hops ($1.500)
-5,000 Bushels of Black Coal ($550)
-9 Male Employees
There was an annual production of 2,000 barrels of lager valued at $12,000 and 3,000 barrels of ale valued at $24,000."
With that information, it was actually believed that Adam Lemp had produced beer than he what was reported.
Adam Lemp died on August 23, 1862 at 64 years old, reportedly from cirrhosis of the liver. When Adam died, he was not a millionaire, but he was very wealthy, it was reported that his funeral procession consisted of over 30 horse drawn carriages. He was rich with friends and business partners by the end of his life. 

William Jacob Lemp Senior was born in Germany before his father moved to the United States. It is unclear when William joined his father in St. Louis, but it is believed that he was around 12 years old. He was already in line to be a brewer and to take over the family business when he was older.
After working with his father for some time, he went out on his own, partnering with William Stumpf. They ran a brewery for sometime in the latter part of 1852. During this time William did attend some classes at St. Louis University, but he did not graduate with any degree. This was common for the time, as many business folk would just take classes as needed.
When the Civil War broke out, William joined the 3rd Missouri Regiment in 1861. In that same year he became sargent. The exact details of his enlistment aren't clear, but it is believed that he was in the Union, "Germans in St. Louis were loyal to the Union".
William already had most of the control over The Western Brewery before Adam's death, but after his father died he immediately began purchasing the existing blocks above the caves and started building the brewery that still stands today. During this time he began revolutionizing the business. He was modernizing production and sales, adding artificial refrigeration, mechanical bottling, pasteurization, and even started his own distribution network. William was not the sole owner of the brewery after his father died. He was left to run the business with his cousin Charles Brauneck. They changed the name from The Western Brewery to William J. Lemp & Co. in October of 1862. Two years later the partnership was dissolved when William bought out Charles' share for $3,000. 
Shortly after William left the Civil war, he married Juila Fieckert, who was the daughter of a close business associate, Jacob Fieckert. In 1868, Jacob Fieckert built a house a short distance from the site of the brewery.
In the 1870's business was booming with the William J. Lemp & Co. becoming the largest brewery in St. Louis, followed closely by E. Anheuser & Company's Bavarian Brewery. William J. Lemp & Co. was the 19th largest brewery in the United States. During this time, William and Juila purchased the house her father built, renovating the already impressive house, expanding the 33-room home into a Victorian Showcase.
In 1892, the William J. Lemp & Co. name was changed, once again, this time to "William J. Lemp Brewing Company". This was the name that stuck for the rest of the time the family brewed lager in St. Louis.
By this time, William and Juila had eight children, William J. Lemp Junior (Billy), Anna Laurie Lemp, Louis Lemp, Frederick Lemp, Charles Lemp, Hilda Lemp, Edwin Lemp, and Elsa Lemp. William sent all of his sons to attend a brewing academy in New York. William "groomed" his sons to take over the business, while one of his daughters, Hilda married Gustav Pabst. 
As with any business changes, the leadership of the brewery changed as well:
William J. Lemp Sr - President
William J. Lemp Jr. - Vice President
Charles Lemp - Treasurer
Louis Lemp - Superintendent
Henry Vahlkamp - Secretary

With every update to the William J. Lemp Brewing Company, they became the first brewery to distribute their beers coast to coast. Their portfolio included six successful brands; Tally, Tip Top, Standard, Culmabacher, Extra Pale, and then a few years later, Falstaff.
As time progressed things were looking bright in the Lemp family future. Until 1901. 

Three years after William closed the doors of the Lemp Brewery, he began liquidating assets. He sold the Falstaff Logo to Joseph Griesedieck for $25,000 and International Shoe Company purchased the plant for $588,000, which was a fraction of what the plant was valued at in 1919. ($7 Million)
Billy slipped into a deep depression, much like his father, he became withdrawn and reclusive. He went to his office in the mansion daily but was never seen outside of that. The office was the place that Billy ultimately ended his life. He shot himself in the heart with a .38 caliber revolver. The "Lemp Empire" died with William J. Lemp Jr.