After seeing numerous Coors Light commercials during football, I was reminded of Naperville’s part in the formation of Coors:

Both parties – Naperville and Coors – went on to do big things. Coors founded a company that is now part of the Molson Coors Brewing Company and has annual sales of $5 billion. Naperville had a number of industries in and near downtown in its early history including this brewery, Kroehler Furniture, and several quarry operations (including what later became Centennial Beach). Today, Naperville is known less for manufacturing and more for a large and wealthy population alongside high-tech and white-collar jobs in major corporations along I-88.

Yet, it is interesting to think about what might have happened if that relationship had worked out. Could Naperville today be home to a brewing empire? Would the city leaders then have made different choices about annexing land and building subdivisions after World War II? Would having such a business in the city exacerbated the downtown alcohol problems of recent years?