Mattes was born in Nendingen, Kingdom of Württemberg> He emigrated with his family from Burlington (1864) and Brookfield (1866) to Des Moines, Iowa, in 1876.
There, his uncles Paul and John founded the "Mattes Brewery" where he became a partner in 1886.
[5] Paul Mattes had seven children: Frank P., Mary, Pauline, Rosa, Hoyt, Francis and Lotte.
Frank was general agent of the Moerlein Brewery, Cincinnati, Ohio.
John Mattes married Katie Schaefer in Des Moines.