Antique Handgun From Early 1900s Discovered Hidden Inside Walls of Historic Thornton Distilling Company
THORNTON — A piece of early 20th-century history surfaced unexpectedly this week inside one of Illinois’ most storied buildings.
According to a press statement from the Thornton Police Department, officers responded to the Thornton Distilling Company after employees discovered a firearm concealed inside the walls of the historic structure during routine work.
In a statement to Region News Source, owner Andrew Howell said the discovery happened during routine planning work inside the historic building. “It’s been a crazy morning. I found the gun while measuring to run electrical infrastructure into our subterranean artesian well. Many of our wedding couples take photos down there, and after a photographer suggested adding a light at yesterday’s bridal fair, I was checking the space. There’s an old potbelly stove vent in the wall, and about three feet in I discovered a void. While probing the area, I felt something, shined my flashlight, and saw the pistol’s chrome finish,” Howell explained.
Police recovered a Colt handgun believed to date back to approximately 1903. The firearm was located inside a leather holster and was still loaded with ammunition. Officers safely rendered the weapon secure and conducted a standard records check, which confirmed the handgun was clear and not linked to any criminal activity.
Based on both the condition of the firearm and its hidden location, investigators believe it had been concealed inside the wall for many decades.
Authorities emphasized there is no danger to the public related to the discovery. After ensuring the handgun was safe, officers returned it to the property owner for appropriate safekeeping. No further investigation is required.
The discovery adds another chapter to the long and colorful history of Thornton Distilling Company, which operates inside the oldest standing brewery in Illinois.
The site’s roots trace back to 1857, when immigrant brewer John Bielfeldt constructed a brewery with a ten-barrel kettle along the west bank of Thorn Creek in the limestone-mining village of Thornton. The property itself had already hosted a log cabin saloon and brewery as early as 1836, anchored by an artesian well that remains in use today.
Just down the street, limestone quarrying operations grew into what is now the largest limestone quarry in the western hemisphere. Bielfeldt’s brewery became a hub for quarry workers and laborers whose stone helped build much of Chicago. The brewery earned a strong reputation, in part due to its unique water source, a 1,500-foot-deep artesian aquifer originating from Lake Superior, filtered naturally through limestone and prized for brewing and distilling.
During Prohibition, the brewery was sold to Carl Ebner, who publicly produced soda while secretly continuing beer production. Federal agents eventually raided the facility, smashing vats with axes and dumping thousands of gallons of beer into Thorn Creek.
The property later fell under the influence of Al Capone and his associate Joe Saltis, who used the operation to supply speakeasies throughout Chicago. Both men were eventually named on the first “Public Enemies List” released by the Chicago Crime Commission.
While no direct connection has been established between the recovered handgun and any specific historical figure or criminal activity, the firearm’s age and concealment align with some of the most turbulent chapters in the building’s past.
Howell added that the distillery plans to consult a firearms expert to learn more about the handgun. “If it’s safe to display, we plan to include it with the other artifacts at our bar and restaurant. It would be a great addition to our historic tours.”
What began as a routine maintenance task instead revealed a tangible artifact from more than a century ago, a silent reminder of the brewery’s survival through immigration, industrial expansion, Prohibition, federal raids, and organized crime.
Today, the Thornton Distilling Company continues to operate as a living piece of Illinois history, now with one more remarkable story hidden, until now, within its walls.
