Johann Georg Walther (George Walter) was born in the Kingdom of Wurttemberg. He received his education there and as a young man he learned the trade of brewer. At age 21 he began three years of service in the German army and saw active duty in the Franco-Prussian War. After the war, Walter resumed his work as a journeyman brewer.

In 1873 he emigrated to America with his brother John and located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where they both obtained employment in the Ph. Best Brewing Co. He then was employed as foreman at the Klinger Brewery in Whitewater, Wisconsin. It was there Walter met and married Mary Schlichter. Together in 1876 they moved to Appleton, Wisconsin, where Walter had accepted a position as assistant to George Muench in his Star Brewery.

But Walter was still not content, and fixed his goals on bigger things. Through thriftiness he purchased a half-stake in the Star in 1885, and five years later he purchased the other half. From then on Walter ran the Star as sole proprietor. The newly named Geo. Walter Brewing Co. was expanded and was soon turning out 30,000 barrels a year. It became a very profitable operation.

When George Walter died on May 25th 1899 he was a wealthy man, both respected and beloved in the town of Appleton. As a testament to his reputation the Geo. Walter Brewery continued in name without him for over 70 years. It went on to survive Prohibition and the Rationing of WWII. However the encroachment of the national breweries started to take its toll on sales during the 1960s. The firm finally closed in 1972, unable to compete in the race to the bottom that had become the brewery industry of the era.