On this day in 1933: Hamm's Brewing president kidnapped for ransom

• The brewery's sales manager paid the ransom and Hamm was returned.
• Jack Peifer, who was sentenced to 30 years for plotting the kidnapping, swallowed a capsule of potassium cyanide when he was denied a new trial. He died two hours later.

Flash forward: Thanks in part to its popular "land of sky-blue waters" marketing campaign, Hamm's grew into the fifth-largest brewery in the U.S. in the 1950s.

• The brewery closed in 1997 and has been partially redeveloped with St. Paul Brewing and 11 Wells Distillery. In December, the city selected St. Paul-based JB Vang to redevelop the rest of the property into housing, a marketplace, and a plaza.
• Nowadays, the brand is owned by Molson Coors and maintains a cult following.