Edward W. Voigt was an prominent figure in the development of Detroit, where for over 55 years, he was identified with much of the city's business interests.
Voigt was born in Doebeln, Saxony, Germany on April 5, 1844, the son of Carl William Voigt and Pauline (Beck) Voigt. His mother died in Germany, and his father remarried and set sail from Hamburg to Liverpool, England in May 1854. From Liverpool, the family set sail on the ship U.S.S. Malabar which ported in New York on August 1, 1854. Upon arrival in New York, they found an epidemic of cholera, and Carl Voigt, not being in good health, decided it best to leave at once. They set off to College Point, Long Island, and after the father had recoved sufficiently, they went west, stopping in Toledo, Chicago, and Milwaukee, but remained in each city only a short time. They selected to settle in Madison, Wisconsin, where Carl established a small ale brewery, which was later converted into a lager beer brewery in 1857. He conducted business here until 1863, when he moved his family to Milwaukee and soon after purchased the schooner, Columbian and sailed the lakes between Chicago and Buffalo for grain trade.
Carl moved to Detroit in 1864 and retained his vessel interest until December 1865, when he disposed of the business. He had intentions at this time to return to Germany, however, had heard rumors of the possibility of war between Germany and France, which caused him to defer his trip. In 1866 he established a brewery in Detroit and conducted this until 1871, when he leased the plant to his son, Edward W. and then returned to Germany, where he engaged in milling until his death in 1889.
Edward Voigt was about ten years old when his father had brought him to America, and he first attended the public schools of Madison, Wisconsin. He also attended a business college for one term, and was a student at the University of Wisconsin. He had from his childhood worked in his father's brewery at different periods of his early life and had acquired a knowledge of the business. In those days it was impossible to brew lager beer during the summer months due to the lack of refrigeration, so during those periods, Edward attended classes. When the weather became cooler, and the manufacture of beer could be resumed, he would again take his place in the brewery.
After his father disposed of the Wisconsin brewery business in the fall of 1863, Edward decided to go to California and try his fortune in this new frontier. He went by the Isthmus of Panama, but upon reaching San Francisco, found that work as a brewer was difficult to find. He could not afford to remain idle, so he shipped out on the barkentine Monitor, sailing between San Francisco and other North Pacific coast cities.
Wages were low and the work was undesirable to Edward, and in writing home, to his parents, he was told that his father had bought the schooner, Columbian, and if it was a sailor he wanted to be, he should come home and take a position there. He returned and took the position of second mate in the later part of 1864. During the winter of 1864/65 he studied navigation in Boston, intending to command his father's schooner as captain, which he did hold for the season of 1865, until it was sold in December, of that same year.
The following year, he entered the employ of his father, in the brewery that he had latter established in Detroit, and continued in that capacity until 1871. It was at this time, his father decided to return to Germany, so he rented the plant to his son for a 4 year term, later renewing the lease another 5 years. This became the beginning of Edward Voigt's business ventures. Under his management, the business began to grow rapidly and before long he was on the road to success, so successful, that in 1882, he purchased outright the entire interest from his father.
His product soon became one of the most popular in the city and the capacity of his brewery grew from 3,000 barrels annually to more than 43,000 barrels, which was then the largest brewery production in the state. Voigt continued in business as sole owner and under his management until 1889, he sold out to and English syndicate, retaining, however, a substantial interest in the organization. In 1895, he bought back the company and organized the Voigt Brewery Company; of which he became president, and remained there until the business closed on May 1, 1918, as a result of prohibition. Subsequently the plant passed into the hands of the Voigt Beverage Company.
While Voigt was a most successful brewery operator and one of the most prominent men in the industry in Detroit, his other business activities were also big and valuable. As his business grew, he invested in numberous projects that not only brought personal gain, but public benefits as well. He was one of the founders of the Edison Illuminating Company of Detroit in 1886, which associated with other Detroit businessmen, such as James Scripps, George Peck, and Simon J. Murphy. For 15 years, Voigt served as vice-president, which led him to further connections with various public utilities. He helped establish Edison Illuminating Companies in Grand Rapids, Jackson, Sault Ste Marie, and Petoskey.
Voigt was formerly the owner of about 150 acres of land on Woodward Avenue, four miles from the city's center, and operated a farm for a number of years. As the city began to expand, he developed the property into the Voigt Park Subdivision, which was layed out in the 1890's. In connection with that project, he donated the present, Voigt Park to the city. He helped to lay out Boston and Chicago Boulevards, as well as Atkins, Edison, Longfellow, and Calvert Avenues, and Glynn Court. He was also land owner of 14 acres at the foot of Twenty-fourth Street, which was covered with about 6 feet of water, and later used by the city for dockage. He was central property owner in the city including property on Second Blvd and Cass Park and his home, which was completed in 1886.
This fine mansion was built with every detail of material and construction carefully considered given the evidence of the thorough manner in which work was done at that time.
Voigt was also one of the founders of the Port Huron Sulphite and Paper Company organized in 1888; where he was in position as president until his death. In 1898 - 1900 he built the NorthWestern Electric Railway on Grand River Road with stations in Northville, Orchard Lake, and Pontiac Michigan. He was also president of the bridge company that built the bridge between Grosse Ile and Wyandotte in 1912, president of the Miles Theatre Company, and was for years recognized with the development of business opportunites in the area.
In April 1871, Voigt married Bertha Dramburg, of Detroit, and they became the parents of four children; Augusta L., Pauline M., Anna Elsa (Reinvaldt), and William F. Voigt, who later married Caroline Halloran, and had a son, Edward W. II and two daughters. William F. Voigt and Otto Reinvaldt, his son-in-law, were for a number of years associated with the father in business. Bertha (Dramburg) Voigt passed away in 1890, and for his second wife, Voigt married Marion Randall, of Detroit, in 1892. There were no children by this marriage.
Henry Ford was employed by Edward Voigt for nine years, as chief engineer of the Edison Illuminating Company. After prohibition closed the Voigt Brewery Company, he spent much of his time operating his other extensive business interests. He had originally been a Democrat, but the party's stand on the subject of free trade, changed his allegiance to the Republican party. He belonged to the Harmonic Society, the Elks Lodge, and the New Grosse Ile Golf Club. He was one of the original founders of the Detroit Museum of Art, and a strong, substantial businessman.
