History of Michigan, / by Charles Moore. [Vol. 2]

HISTORY OF MICHIGAN

1169

CARL EBERLE, who has lived in Jackson since 1882, was born in
Bavaria, Germany, on April I, 1859. He is a son of Andreas and
Catherine (Glass) Eberle, German born people who passed their lives
in their native land. Their son Carl was one of their seven sons,
seven daughters also making up the family group. Of this goodly family
four sons and five daughters are yet living, and though the subject is
the only one of the sons living in the United States, he has two sisters
here, Mrs. Lent Freitag and Mrs. Marie Schnell, both of Jackson,
Michigan.
Carl Eberle was fourteen years old when his father apprenticed him
to a brewer to learn the business. He served three years as an apprentice, receiving no pay for his work. On the contrary, his father paid
the brewer one hundred dollars for teaching the boy the business, in
addition to the work he had from the youth. When he completed his
apprenticeship, however, he was thoroughly proficient in his work, and
he worked at his trade in Germany until 1882. In that year he came
to the United States and located in Jackson, where he has since continued to reside. Here for four years Mr. Eberle was in the employ
of the Haehnle Brewery, and in I886 he purchased the old Frey brewery
at the corner of Bridge and Water streets, and there he established
what is now the Eberle Brewing Company. The old Frey brewery was
a small affair, but the present brewery is a fine plant and is thoroughly
modern in every respect. There is nothing left of the old building
today, every part of the Eberle Brewing Company's plant having been
erected by Mr. Eberle since he engaged in business. The main building
is a four-story brick, erected in I891, and the equipment and fitting of
the plant is most complete and modern. The business was incorporated
as the Eberle Brewing Company in 1898 and its capital fixed at $Ioo,ooo.
Since that time Carl Eberle has been president and treasurer. His
wvife, Mrs. Sophie Eberle, is secretary, and their eldest son, Carl Eberle,
Jr., is vice president and manager, while Miss Sophie C. Eberle, a graduate of the Jackson Business University, is bookkeeper of the concern.
The stock of the company is owned entirely by Mr. Eberle and members
of his family.
Mr. Eberle is a man of considerable public spirit, and he is an active
member of the Chamber of Commerce. He is a Democrat but has never
been an office holder or seeker. He and his family are members of the
German Lutheran church. Mr. Eberle is an Elk and is also a member
of the Royal Arcanum, and he is a member of the Michigan State
Brewers' Association, the National Brewers' Association and the German
Arbeiter Verein.
On May 3I, I886, Mr. Eberle was married to Miss Sophie Cherier,
born in Jackson on April 29, i862, and a daughter of Frederick and
Augusta Cherier, who were married in Germany and came to Jackson
in 1854. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Eberle: Frieda
Augusta, who died at the age of thirteen years; she was born on October
i6, I887, and died on August 6, I90o; Carl, Jr., born January I5, I890;
Sophie Carolina, born November I8, I891; and Erwin Andreas, born
October I6, 1893, the last named is now superintendent of the bottling
works department of the Eberle Brewing Company.
JAMES A. REYNOLDS. One of the live and progressive real estate
and insurance agencies of Jackson is that of the Reynolds Company, of
which James A. Reynolds is the leading spirit. He has given his full
time to its promotion since the business was organized in I908, and as
president of the company has made of it the progressive and prosperous