Germantown was founded by Philip Gunckel in 1814. The people who built and lived in the village were primarily Germans. The D. Rohrer & Co. Distillery was established in 1864. The distillery had a daily capacity of thirty barrels of choice whiskey. It had an enviable reputation all over the country. The manufacturing of cigars was the leading business of Germantown. More than three million cigars were manufactured annually.