F. W. Cook Brewing Company
By PAT SIDES
When Frederick Washington Cook built his brewery in the 1850s, he needed space. Bounded by Seventh, Sycamore, Vine, and Eighth streets, the mammoth operation occupied a block that stood in the middle of nowhere then but soon became the heart of Evansville’s business district.Â
The company survived Cook’s death in 1913, as well as Prohibition, and although it competed with numerous local breweries, it was immensely successful. Age eventually began to take its toll on the company, and labor problems in the 1950s interrupted production and soon led to its closure.
The buildings were razed in 1965 to make way for the new Civic Center.
