The Plank Road Brewery was acquired in 1855, serving as the foundation for the enterprise that would eventually bear Frederick Miller’s name. This acquisition followed his 1854 arrival in the United States, marking a shift from his origins in the Kingdom of Württemberg to the growing industrial landscape of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he established his long-term commercial legacy.
Early Life and European Background
Born Friedrich Johannes Miller in Riedlingen in 1824, he gained his initial experience in the brewing industry within the town of Sigmaringen. German records occasionally list his surname as Müller, and later biographical studies suggest his name may have been Friedrich Eduard Johann Müller. In 1853, he married Josephine Müller in Friedrichshafen. The couple welcomed their first son, Joseph Edward Miller, in 1854, shortly before the family emigrated to the United States.
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Upon arriving in the United States, the Miller family spent their first year in New York before moving to Wisconsin in 1855, traveling through New Orleans. Miller established himself as a brewer and entrepreneur in Milwaukee, formalizing his business operations through the purchase of the Plank Road Brewery. Beyond his primary brewing interests, Miller maintained diverse assets, including a tract of land in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula that later became Craig Lake State Park.
Personal Life and Succession
Following the death of his first wife, Josephine, in April 1860, Miller married Lisette Gross. This marriage produced five children who survived infancy: Ernst, Emil, Frederick II, Clara, and Elise. Clara eventually married Carl A. Miller, who was not a relative. Frederick Miller died of cancer in 1888 at age 63. His burial took place at Calvary Cemetery in Milwaukee, and the company transitioned to the management of his three sons and son-in-law.
Family Legacy and Corporate Continuity
The family line remained linked to the company’s leadership long after Miller’s death. His daughter Elise became the mother of Harry G. John, who served as company president from 1946 to 1947. Clara’s son, Frederick C. Miller, served as president starting in 1947 and was a former All-American football player at Notre Dame. Frederick C. Miller, his son Fred Jr., and two pilots, Joseph and Paul Laird, died in a 1954 plane crash involving a company Lockheed Ventura.
Fast facts
- Born: 1824, Riedlingen
- Died: 1888, Milwaukee
- Citizenship: United States; German Empire
- Primary Occupation: Brewer
- Burial Place: Calvary Cemetery
- First Marriage: June 7, 1853, Friedrichshafen
Questions readers ask
What was the original name of the Miller Brewing Company?
It was originally known as the Plank Road Brewery, which Frederick Miller purchased in 1855.
Where did Frederick Miller learn the brewing trade?
He learned the brewing business in Germany, specifically in the town of Sigmaringen.
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