Light, effervescent, and cold, Budweiser was a welcome drink in the frontier saloons of the Southwest, but the impact of this commodity extended far beyond the bar.  Along with cotton and oil, lager beer from St. Louis was instrumental in the modernization of a region once called “The Great Southwest.”  Recognizing the economic potential of the frontier to the south and west businessmen in St. Louis and Kansas City invested heavily in the development of the region. Brewers like Adolphus Busch were active participants, seeking not only new markets for their products, but an opportunity to infuse German culture in the modern fabric of growing cities like Dallas and Oklahoma City. They helped to finance rail construction, constructed an elaborate cold storage and distribution network, built office buildings and hotels, amusement parks and vaudeville theatres. This presentation will situate the building activities of the St. Louis brewers as an integral part of a regional cultural economy: a system of related architectural, financial, and cultural activities that linked Missouri and the Great Southwest at the turn of the twentieth century.

Paula Lupkin is a professor of art history at the University of North Texas and  received her PhD in architectural history from the University of Pennsylvania. Her interdisciplinary work focuses on the spatial production of modernity under capitalism, investigating its impact on the built environment. During her fellowship year Paula will complete for publication her manuscript “The Great Southwest: Trade, Territory, and Regional Architecture.”