McHenry Brewery, corner of Pearl & Green Sts., 1914. L-R: G.C. “Patsy” Boley, Michael L. Worts and Peter Worts. Built in 1869 by George Gribbler and closed in 1943.

The loading dock of the McHenry Brewery, corner of Pearl & Green Streets in 1914. L-R: Frank Niedermann, "Patsy" Boley and Peter Worts. Built in 1869 by George Gribbler and closed in the early 1940s.

This photo is of the Brewery Service Station (today the McHenry Brewing Company), corner of Pearl and Green Streets, during Prohibition. During prohibition, the lower floor of the brick building was an office used for a petroleum distribution business and gasoline pumps were placed on the Pearl Street side of the brewery. In 1921, Michael Worts opened an ice cream parlor and light lunch establishment there and the upper floor was converted into living quarters. For a few years in the 1920s, the frame building was occupied by an auto repair shop operated by George Phalin. From 1928-1931, it was used as an office and warehouse for Patsy Boley’s malt extract distribution business. Breweries had to be careful not to be found providing both malt extract and yeast, because such action constituted conspiracy to violate the Prohibition Amendment.