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| Still More Historic | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| A photograph of the interior of the vast Gildersleeves warehouse, during the brewery's heyday. On the left, just behind the barrels in the foreground, are piled many sacks of what was most likely grain. The Brewmaster, Throkmorton Q. Gildersleeves, was very fastidious in his pursuit of only the finest ingredients available. In 1932, the brewery made some changes in this regard. The more popular Saaz and Northern Brewer hops, considered by most at the time to be the finest available, were replaced by the relatively unknown Southern Tier and South Cheektowaga varieties. Many people complained about the unsavory aroma that these hops produced. Also, the Brewmaster took to growing his own barley and wheat, eschewing the excellent commercial strains then available. This also brought about controversy, especially when Gildersleeves refused to divulge the location of his grain fields. It was later discovered, however, that the secret location of the fields was, in fact, the Brewmaster's own backyard in Tonawanda, New York. The harsh winters and unpredictable summers of Western New York State took it's toll on his harvests. This was a major factor in the Brewery's impending downfall. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| In this photograph taken at a 1933 Gildersleeves family reunion, it is obvious that the Brewmaster was not the only talented member of the clan. At right, Nigel Whippenthorpe, Throkmorton's great uncle four-times removed on his mother's side, balances a glass of Gildersleeves Amber Ale on his head. Known far and wide for his athletic abilities, even at his advanced age, Nigel had performed many astounding feats at local gatherings and family outings. What makes this one stand out, however, is that he managed to balance a glass of beer, IN FULL COLOR, on the top of his head. Whippenthorpe would live to be nearly 100 years of age, and lived out his twilight years in a pickup truck parked on the side of Indian Church Road in West Seneca, New York. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Wilhemina Gildersleeves Mapleberry: brewer's assistant extraordinaire, champion wrestler. This noble woman played a huge role, between bouts, in maintaining the quality and taste of the Gildersleeves brews. Second cousin to the Brewmaster, Throkmorton Gildersleeves, in 1931 Wilhemina married Arthur Mapleberry, known far and wide as the beer and wrestling czar of the Northeastern United States. Shown here preparing a specilaized wort starter, Wilhemina was an expert in yeast titillation, wort chilling and the half-nelson. Members of the Gildersleeves Brew-crew acknowledged that her expertise, talent for organization, and wicked biceps were part and parcel of the brewery's success. Alas, with the eventual downfall of Gildersleeves Brewery would come the demise of the beloved Wilhemina. In 1940, she would fall prey to a tragic skiing accident at Aspen, Colorado. Though her body was never recovered, her funeral was atended by hundreds of Western New York State brewers and wrestling enthusiasts. |
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| Arthur Mapleberry (right), Wilhemina's longtime lover. Samuel R. Mapleberry, pictured at left, was Arthur's identical twin brother, and played absolutely no role in the history of Gildersleeves Brewery. He would later go on to invent the predecessor to the Xerox photcopier. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Samuel R. Mapleberry | Arthur Mapleberry | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| A Hollywood promotional photo of Walter J. Gildersleeves, yet another cousin of the Brewmaster. Using the stage name of Martin Wonderling, Walter made a mark in the film noir genre in the late 1930's and early 1940's. He was at Wilhemina's side on that dubious day in Aspen, Colorado, saying after wards: "I saw her fall and watched her skid on her derriere for what seemed like hundreds of yards. Alas, her ski poles were just out of my reach. As she plummetted to her death, all I could do was wail and open a bottle of Gildersleeves Amber Ale as a salute." Walter (AKA Martin) would enjoy great success on the silver screen. |
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