Kansas Brewers and Breweries

The Independence Public Library will host "Kansas Brewers and Breweries," a presentation and discussion by Cindy Higgins on Tuesday, September 24th at 7:00pm. Members of the community are invited to attend the free program. Contact the Independence Public Library at (620) 331-3030 for more information. The program is made possible by the Kansas Humanities Council.

As settlers streamed into Kansas, brewers set up their mash tun and wort kettles when making beer was still an art and state prohibition a bemusing notion. Higgins will discuss these brewers of early Kansas, their role in their communities, and how they have influenced Kansas brewers today.

Cindy Higgins is a journalist and Kansas historian whose research interests focus on Kansas industry before technological mechanization dramatically changed work and labor in the early 20th century.

"Predominantly German, the first Kansas' brewers were more than beer makers," Higgins said. "They were culture custodians and entertainment sponsors who fostered a sense of community within the State's many German enclaves."

"Kansas Brewers and Breweries" is part of the Kansas Humanities Council's The Way We Worked Speakers Bureau, featuring presentations and discussions examining the theme of work and working in Kansas and how these stories help define us.