Encyclopedia Dubuque
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RHOMBERG, Liberat Alphonse "L.A."
RHOMBERG, Liberat Alphonse "L.A.". (Dornbirn, Tyrol, Austria, June 15, 1843--Dubuque, IA, Oct. 27, 1893). Rhomberg came to Dubuque on February 28, 1860. He soon entered the employment of his brother, J. A. Rhomberg and rose to become the superintendent of the his distillery. He entered the liquor business in 1864 in the firm L. A. Rhomberg & Bro. (2) When Julius K. GRAVES and J. A. Rhomberg were building the river road, L. A. Rhomberg took several contracts for constructing miles of the railroad. (1)
From 1880 to 1888 he was a partner in the firm of PAUL TRAUT AND COMPANY. This was succeeded by the firm of JAEGER & RHOMBERG in which he was a partner with Adam Francis JAEGER, Jr. in a wholesale liquor house located at 453 & 465 Main. Rhomberg was also the foreman in his brother's distillery.
Mr. Rhomberg married Miss Margaret Jaeger, Adam's sister, on July 23, 1866. In 1889 he left the partnership and opened his own wholesale liquor business at 531 Main.
In 1891 his son, L. A. RHOMBERG, Jr., joined the company which was named L. A. RHOMBERG & SON. They advertised wines, liquors, pure Kentucky bourbon, and fine bonded goods, a specialty as part of their stock. They also owned the following brands: Rhomberg's Private Stock, Beaver Run, L.A. Rhomberg's Sour Mash, Silver Spring, Rhomberg Club, The Celebrated Pride, and Key-City Club Whiskey. For a brief time, they also sold Dr. Rhomberg's Pepsin Bitters. The elder Rhomberg retired around 1900. His son kept the business operating through 1906.
Rhomberg's daughter Louise L. "LuLu" Rhomberg married Anthony F. HEEB uniting the Heeb and Rhomberg "dynasties" in early Dubuque.
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Source:
1. "Death of L. A Rhomberg," Dubuque Daily Herald, October 28, 1893, p. 4
2. "L. A. Rhomberg," Find a Grave, Online: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/123304058/l_-a_-rhomberg