During the next five years the number of bottlers of soda water
explodes due to the craze caused by Roussel's bottled soda and
mineral waters; the likes of which the soda water industry had not
yet experienced in the United States. What was his
secret? Why did his soda and mineral waters ignite the
business? The answer is the quality and taste of his
product. Prior to this, soda and mineral waters were primarily
medicinal in nature and likely had a unpleasant or bland
taste. Almost from the beginning, fruit juices were added to
soda and mineral waters to improve the taste, but none of these
sparked the craze. Roussel was trained in Paris in the
perfumery industry and ran a laboratory in the house of Laugier Pere &
Fils.
When he immigrated to Philadelphia, he brought with him refined recipes
and the skills to produce them. The craze he created was so
great that the demand for bottles triggered the reopening of the
closed Dyottville factories in 1842. The number of different
Roussel bottles for these brief five years is just as amazing.
Why did Roussel's product create a craze? The answer is his
product tasted great and the public could not get enough of
it! Roussel is credited by early industry authors as being the
first to flavor his waters with fruit juices or more accurately the
first to bottle flavored soda water. Although neither is technically correct, he is the first to have made a success of
it and thus deserves the credit as the "father of the American
bottled soda water industry."
Roussel's style of bottles, with the exception of the earliest
Durand bottle, is dramatically different from those in use
previously, which mimic the English style bottles. I believed
that they followed a French style of bottle, which would explain the
similar shape of the earliest Durand bottle. Soon Roussel had
competitors in Philadelphia and soon he would have competitors in
other cities. The now defunct web site sodafountians mentioned
a Harpers Weekly article from the 1870s that credits the
founding of the bottled soda water business in New York to three
Philadelphians. At the onset of this decade, some of the New York bottlers continued
to follow their traditional style of bottling. They were soon
to be victims of a flood of competition that would drive them and
their style of bottles into history. The Pharmaceutical Era Volume 46
in 1913
likely used Harpers as a source to recount the early days of bottled soda
water:
In 1838 or
1839 the first syruped soda water was bottled in this country by
Eugene Roussel, a Frenchman, who kept a perfumery shop in
Philadelphia. He had a dispensing apparatus in his store, and the
idea came to him that there was a legitimate extension of his
business in the bottling and sale of soda water — or "mineral
water," as it was then called. The first syrup bottled was
lemon, and Roussel soon established a business and a reputation, and
was followed closely by other Philadelphia competitors, so that
within a few years there were no less than half a dozen
manufacturers of bottled carbonates in the Quaker City alone.
It took about six years for the new trade to reach New York, for
in the Spring of 1843 three soda-water bottling establishments were
opened in this city simultaneously by Philadelphians — John
Tweddle, A. W. Rapp and Thomas Newton. They all started the same
week. The first soda water sold in New York, of the bottled variety,
was made by Roussel in Philadelphia and shipped to John Tweddle for
sale. It was "pure food" soda even in those days, for the
greatest care was exercised in its compounding and preparation;
the sugar employed was the best loaf; the whites of eggs were used
to clarify it; and the syrup was well boiled and strained before
the flavoring was incorporated.
The craze also spread to Baltimore, Boston, and New
Orleans. Other cities were soon to follow.
Each city will be address separately by state. By 1845, the
soda water industry was firmly established and again led by Roussel
a new style of bottle was introduced, which became the standard for
the next 10 years. Without Roussel, soda bottles would likely
be as rare as the bottles of the previous three decades and as
collectors, and a drinking public we owe Roussel our gratitude!
The following states, cities and firms are covered in this
article. Use the hyperlinks below to jump to a specific state,
city, or firm or just scroll down to read them all:
Eugene Roussel
de Prunay was born about 1810 in France. His family seat was the
Chateau de Condi Vailly sur Aisne, which his family held since 1647.
During his early years, Roussel worked for the firm of Laugier Pere
& Fils in Paris where he was a director. He fought against the
French Government and was compelled to leave the country. He left
from Harve, France on the ship Sully and arrived in New York on July
11, 1838. He soon after traveled to Philadelphia and established a
perfume store store at 75 Chestnut Street, below Third Street. For
more than thirty years previous, this location was the store of
Henry Schively, a cutler and surgical instrument maker. In
1839, Roussel started to manufacture and bottle mineral water as
shown in the following July 10th, 1839 article in the Public Ledger:
MINERAL WATERS.--We received a day or two since, from the
manufacturer, Mons. Eugene Roussell, Chemist, 75 Chestnut street, a
sample of his artificial Mineral Waters, put up on the French plan,
in glass bottles, ready mixed, with all varieties of syrups, and
calculated for immediate home use, for exportation, or to be used at
sea. Upon being uncorked and turned into a glass, it effervesces
freely, is very palatable, and is described as being superior to the
artificial mineral waters drawn from the fountains, in common use in
our cities, from being kept free from all liability to become
impregnated, like them, with copper, from the vessels containing
them.
Both of the perfumery and mineral water businesses were advertised extensively. It is an
interesting tidbit that according to the 1840 Philadelphia Census,
this extensive promoter of perfumery lived next door to another self-promoter of medicines, Dr. David Jayne.
Roussel brought Xavier Bazin into his business about 1840 as a
director of his perfumery laboratory.
Bazin's skill no doubt
contributed to Roussel's success. Roussel not only manufactured
perfumery articles, but also imported and sold perfumery products
from the leading houses of Europe as well as "fancy
goods," which included combs, brushes, mirrors, and shaving
items.
Roussel's businesses were stunningly successful and 1842, a mere
four years after his arrival in Philadelphia, was a pivotal year not
just for Roussel, but Philadelphia bottles as well. During
this year Roussel moved his shop to 114 Chestnut Street and his
mineral water manufactory and perfumery to 44 Prune Street (now
Locust). The Prune Street location was the site of Tivoli Theater
and the first site of the Jefferson Medical School. More
important to bottle collectors, Roussel created a demand for bottles that
induced Henry Seybert, a successful chemist, to reopen the
Dyottville Glass Works, which had not been operated successfully
since Thomas W. Dyott's bankruptcy in 1839.
Roussel's mineral water business grew at an astonishing rate as
is demonstrated by the large number of bottles of different bottles
that he used during this period. In 1843, Roussel supported
John Tweddle Jr., one of the three Philadelphians, in his initiation
of the mineral water business in New York. Tweddle is coved
later in this article and became one of the most successful soda
water bottlers in the later 1840s and early 1850s. The growth
of Roussel's mineral water business between 1839 and 1847 is reflective of this 1847 article in the
Merchants Magazine:
M. Roussel was the first to introduce mineral water into the
United States, in bottles, which he commenced in 1839. The sales of
this water did not then average more than ten or fifteen dozen
bottles per day, and at this time he puts up and sells from thirteen
to fourteen hundred dozen, daily. Not less than one hundred
establishments for the manufacture, have grown up since M. Roussel
introduced its manufacture into the United States. The value of the
corks consumed, alone, amounts to $10,000; sugar, $12,000; cost of
bottles per annum, $6,000; number of bottles manufactured per annum,
4,500,000. The total value of mineral waters sold, amounts to
$60,000. The amount of wages paid persons in the manufacture of the
several articles, is about $20,000. M. Roussel has received several
gold and silver medals from the different industrial institutions of
our country, and we have no doubt but that the articles from his
establishment are equal in every respect to those made in, Paris.
Roussel filed his "Declaration of Intent" on October 7,
1844 at the Court of Common Pleas in Philadelphia. His "Oath of
Allegiance" occurred on June 12, 1848. One has to wonder why he
waited six years after arriving in the United States to files his
intention to become a citizen. Perhaps he intended to return
to France, but had made such a good life for himself, decided to
stay.
In 1844 Roussel used the word "Superior" in reference
to his mineral waters and this seems to have been reflected in the
embossing of his bottles going forward from that point in
time. In 1845 Roussel set the stage for this article with the following
advertisement in the American Advocate dated May 30, 1845:
ROUSSEL'S MINERAL WATERS.--FACTORY, 44 PRUNE street.--The
subscriber would respectively inform his numerous customers, that
owing to frequent attempts recently made by unprincipled persons, to
palm off an inferior article of MINERAL WATER, filled in his
bottles, unlawfully obtained, and also in order to distinguish the
water prepared by him from others, he has at considerable expense
caused to be altered, the style and color of his bottles, in order
that the public may be aware of what they are using. The
imitations of his Bottled Mineral Water being so numerous, and the
style of the bottle copied so closely, in order as far as possible
to come into competition, has induced the subscriber to beg his
numerous patrons to assure themselves of the fact, that they are
drinking his Mineral Water, by observing his name on the bottle,
which is readily perceived. He will continue to dispose of his
Mineral Water as the original price, as his patrons must be fully
aware that the cheaper and inferior article would be unprofitable to
themselves from its limited sale, and from the fact that his mineral
waters are sought after with avidity by all Hotels desirous of
sustaining a reputation for the quality of their drinks.
It is unnecessary for him to enter into long detail
respecting the superiority of his MINERAL WATERS over all others, as
it is too well known to need comment. Being the first to
introduce the bottling of MINERAL WATER into this country, on the
FRENCH PLAN, and after a practical experience of seven years, he has
been enabled to excel in his line, owing to improvements peculiar to
himself, and from extended facilities afforded by ample space, he
feels confident he can furnish an article superior to any
manufactured in AMERICA or in the WORLD. All orders executed
with dispatch, and delivered to any part of the city or surrounding
country, at ONE AND THE SAME PRICE. Orders delivered to any of
the drivers, or at the store or factory promptly attended to.
EUGENE ROUSSEL
114 Chesnut and 44 Prune street
Based on the above advertisement and as evidenced by Roussel's
bottles, he introduced the soda water shape and for the first
time introduced the blue color to soda bottles. For this
collectors are thankful. Roussel's many competitors quickly
followed his lead and abandoned the old smaller shaped bottles with
their shaper shoulders for the larger softer shaped soda shaped
bottles. Initially these imitation bottles were of green coloration, but
eventually they started to use the more expensive blue
bottles. With one exception, the blue Roussel bottles were not only of
a new color to soda bottles, but also used a new mold technology. The molds
were no longer hinge molds, but much more refined molds where the
base of the bottle was formed in a cup in the base of the
mold. This transition year of 1845, became the endpoint for
the scope of this article.
In 1846, Roussel opened a branch office in New York at 159 Broadway as he
continued to grow his business. He was, by his own claim in
Doggart's New York City Directory for 1846, "awarded first premium for the last
five years, at all the exhibitions of New York, Boston, and
Philadelphia; and at the last exhibition of the
American Institute
of this city he was awarded the GOLDEN MEDAL, and honor never before
conferred on any Perfumer." Advertisements during the
1840s for Roussel's products can be found across the United States
and even in the frontier areas like Wisconsin.
By 1847, Roussel was manufacturing mineral waters in silver to
prevent the production of toxins that can be produced when copper
comes in contact with carbonated water. He was awarded a
silver medal in 1847 and combined those to facts on his bottles of
the period.
In 1849 Roussel sold the perfumery business to Xavier Bazin so
that he could focus on the mineral water business. Bazin
continued to capitalize on the Roussel name by using it in his
advertising and on his marked containers. In 1853, Roussel
purchased what was left of William Heiss' business and in 1854
formed a partnership with Wistar C. Parsons, which lasted until
1861. Roussel sold the
business to George W. Otto in 1867
and the business continued for many years as
George Otto & Company (1868-1872),
Otto & Layer (1873-1883),
Cunningham & Company (1884-1894),
Cunningham Supply Company (1895-1913),
Jacob Frank & Son (1914+).
After his retirement, Roussel served as President of the French Benevolent
Society and on the board of at least one other organization.
He died on October 17, 1878 according to the Public Ledger
newspaper.
Roussel's bottles are numerous during the period 1840 to
1844. In fact they number at least seven distinct molds and a
wide variety of colors. The earliest three molds were manufactured
at South Jersey glass works based on the glasses coloration.
Starting in 1842, bottles were manufactured at the reopened
Dyottville Glass Works. These include the pint sized bottle.
R
either stood for Roussel or was meant to fool consumers into believing
that Roussel's soda or mineral waters were contained within
the bottle. It seems unlikely that Roussel, a master
advertiser, would have had a bottle manufactured for his that was
not clearly embossed with his name on it.
It seems much more likely that this bottle was meant by an unscrupulous
mineral water manufacturer who wanted his consumers to believe that
they were drinking Roussel's waters. Roussel complained in his May 30,
1845 advertisement in the American Advocate of "unprincipled
persons" attempting "to palm off an inferior article of
MINERAL WATER, filled in his bottles." This manufacturer did
not steal Roussel's bottles, but had bottles made that closely
resembled Roussel's with the large "R" on the shoulder.
These bottles were likely manufactured by the Dyottville Glass
Works or one of the other Philadelphia area glass
manufacturers. Several of these bottles have been found in the
Philadelphia area and these bottles date to the period 1843-1844.
William
Heiss Jr. was a coppersmith on North Second Street in Philadelphia
who later branched out into the bottled mineral water business.
He was the son of William Heiss Sr., who was born October 13, 1786
and married Rachael Goddard on March 3, 1812. During 1808
William Sr. and a partner named Justice purchased the coppersmith
shop of Jesse Oat at 184 North Second Street. Heiss' partner
may have been George Justice, who had recently retired as City
Commissioner and lived around the corner from the shop at 95 New Street. By
1813, Justice had withdrawn from the firm and William Sr. was
operating the business on his own. During 1813, Heiss moved
his shop to 213 North Second Street. This was a longstanding metal
working location with George Goddard (1793-1899 blacksmith), Samuel
Alexander (1799-1800 silversmith), Phillip Apple (coppersmith,
1802), and Benjamin Scott (copper plate printer 1808-1811) operating
at this location.
William Heiss Jr. was born about 1812. He appears to have
taken over his father's business some time during 1837 or
1838. In a June 4, 1849 Charleston Mercury advertisement,
William Jr. claimed to have over 12 year's experience in
manufacturing of mineral water apparatus. During 1838 or 1839,
William Sr. retired from the business and was listed as a
gentleman. He died on October 10, 1846.
William Jr. appears to have been an early competitor of Roussel,
if he was not the first, he was one of the most successful and was
advertising extensively by 1845. He continued to operate the
coppersmith business during the later years of the 1840s when a devastating
fire burned down much of the area around Vine and North Second
Street on July 9, 1850. Heiss' business was not spared and the
following year the mineral water business was moved to Jillian above
Willow Street. Strong competition from his old rival Roussel,
who had sold his perfumery to focus on the mineral water business,
and recent upstarts, Andrew McFarland, William Riddle, George S.
Twitchell, and the fire must have taken its toll on William Jr. and
the following advertisement appeared in the November 23, 1852
edition of the New York Tribune:
NOTICE to SODA BOTTLERS--For sale cheap, six hundred gross of
superior Mineral Water Bottles, all of the having been in use,
therefore being superior to any new bottles. Will be sold on accommodating
terms by
WILLIAM HEISS,
No. 213 North 2d-st., Philadelphia.
Also, the large, superior Generator, made by myself and used
in my own laboratory, with three cylinders, five Corking and Tying
Benches, together with some other Machinery for the Soda
business. The above generator is superior to any in the United
States.
I will also sell fifty Mineral Water Fountains, with Coolers,
Connecting Pipes, Marble and Silver Pedestals, &c., and take
part pay in good merchandise or real estate, unencumbered.
The attempt to sell his bottles and bottling business in New York
was not successful and in the spring of the following year the
following ad appeared in the May 15, 1853 edition of the Sunday
Dispatch:
NOTICE---I HEREBY AUTHORIZE MR. EUGENE ROUSSEL to
collect and take possession of all BOTTLES marked with my name,
wherever found, having this day disposed of all my rights and
interest in said Bottles to him. WILLIAM HEISS
May 10th, 1853.
_______________
The undersigned having purchased of Mr. Wm. Heiss his
entire stock of MINERAL WATER BOTTLES, all persons who are in
possession of Bottles marked with the names of HEISS or ROUSSEL,
will please give information at the Office, 44 PRUNE Street, when
they will be sent for.
EUGENE ROUSSEL
N. B---These Bottles, as well as my own, have been
registered according to an Act of the Legislature of Pennsylvania,
which "forbids all persons from buying, selling, using,
filling or concealing any such Bottles so marked, under a penalty
of 50 cents for each Bottle, for the first offense, and $5 for
each subsequent offence, recoverable for the use of the
Commonwealth."
William Jr. appears to have withdrawn from the coppersmith business over the
next couple of years and it was taken over by his brother Goddard
Heiss, who still used the carvings of the golden eagle over a
fountain at the old stand on North Second Street. At 46 years
old, William Jr. died on May 15, 1858 of debility. Goddard
continued to operate the business until 1866, when the premises
were sold to Walter S. Stevenson & Company, who sold stoves.
The Heiss bottles date from about 1842. None of his bottles
appear to be of Dyottville manufacture. Dyottville was the
manufacturer of his rival Eugene Roussel and Heiss utilized Union
Glass Works for his later manufactured bottles. The earliest
bottles have the appearance of South Jersey manufacture with their
light green colors. The latest bottle also occurs in an aqua
coloration. Heiss has a number of later bottles that include
two eagle sodas and two sided bottles. One of the eagle
bottles and the eight sided example come in a puce coloration.
Peter Hall was an
Englishman who settled in Philadelphia and eventually entered the
bottling and malting business. From the 1860 Philadelphia
Census, it is estimated that Peter Hall was born about 1797 in
England. He filed his Declaration of Intent on February 8,
1833 and his Oath of Allegiance occurred on October 7, 1842.
In 1843, we find his first directory listing as a bottler at 5 St.
James and he remained there the following year. However, Graci in
his book, Soda and Beer Closures 1850-1910, states that
Robert Robinson, the famous New York City bottler and also from
England, was given employment by Peter Hall in 1841 at his mineral
water bottling business. He also states that Hall was the
first competitor to Roussel in Philadelphia. So we can surmise
that Hall was
definitely in business in 1842 and possible as early as 1840.
Hall disappears from the directories in 1845 and remains absent
until 1848 when he surfaces as a bottler at 50 North Sixth
Street. It is interesting that the Hall bottles are also
reflective of this gap in years as there are no bottles that date to
the period 1845-1848. Where he was during these three years is
not known, but 50 North Sixth Street was a popular location to get
malt beverages. As early as 1794, this location was a brewery
(Henry Weissenback listed in 1794) and for many years it was the Larer Brewery (1803-1839) run by Melchoir Larer and his son
John. Alexander Noble (1844-1845) and Joseph Sherhammer (1847)
were bottlers at 48 N Sixth until 1847, the year prior to Hall
reemerging as a bottler at 50 North Sixth Street. Bottling
establishments were usually located in the basements of buildings
that housed other businesses; thus the phrase bottling cellar.
50 North Sixth was also the location of Freedman's Auction house and
later Young's printing establishment, which operated upstairs while
Hall was busily conducting his business in the basement.
In 1851, Hall was listing as operating a Malt House at Hutchinson & Thompson
Streets in addition to the bottling establishment. Hall was
steadily increasing his empire during the 1850s, but he is never
recorded as having children or being married. With the street
renumbering in 1857, 50 became 52 North Sixth. Hall's last
directory listing was in 1861 and appears that he died during that
year. According to IRS Tax Records, Lewis & Scott took
over Hall's bottling business by September of 1862. In these
records they were listed as retail liquor dealers and mineral water
manufacturers at 52 & 54 North Second. The fate of the
malting business is not known. Lewis & Scott (George W.
Lewis & Thomas Scott) operated at this location until 1869 when
Thomas Scott removed from the firm and started a mineral water
business on South Street. On Scott's departure, Eber Thompson
joined Lewis as Lewis & Thompson, who operated the works from
1869 to 1876. During 1876 Eber Thompson gained full control of the
business and continued at 52 North Sixth until 1878, when he moved
the business to 1525 Parrish Street. He remained at that
location until closing shop in 1881. Thompson was still
involved in the bottling business into the 1890s, but as a laborer
and not a business owner.
The earliest Hall bottle is only known in one mold, but comes in
two distinctive colors. The earliest is a light green color
and is likely of South Jersey manufacture about 1842-43. The
second color is a dark green and was likely manufactured by the
Dyottville Glass Works about 1843-1844. There is also a bottle
that dates to about 1845 and many bottles that date to the later
1840s, the 1850s and early 1860s.
John Diehl was
a tavern owner turned mineral water manufacturer in South
Philadelphia. We have found very little information aside from
the Philadelphia City Directory listings. There were a number
of different John Diehls in Philadelphia listed in the Census
records, but none can definitely be attributed to the tavern
owner. There
is a listing in the 1870 Census that seems to fit, being an Irishman
born about 1796, but no corroborating period records could be found.
The first directory listing found for John Diehl was in the 1835
when he is listed as running a tavern on South Front Street at
Catherine Street. He would remain at this location for the
rest of his listings. Although
his bottles date into the early 1840s, his first listing as a
mineral water manufacturer was in 1847. The last listing for
mineral water is in 1850 and his last listing at Front & Catharine
as a tavern owner is in 1851. There are other John Diehls
listed as bottlers during the 1850s, but they do not appear to be
the same individual. More research is needed to shed light on
this early producer of Philadelphia bottles.
There are two molds of early Diehl mineral water bottles.
The earliest are not embossed with the city name and this mold had
at least two runs of bottles; one run of true green and a second of
a blue green color. The early bottles date 1843-1844. A
large cache of these bottles were dug in the Lehigh Valley in the
mid-1970s. The later bottles are significantly rarer and bear
the "PHILADA" embossing. These bottles bear an early
form of an improved pontil that is smaller, deep and has an odd
cross hatch pattern. These bottles date about 1844.
There are later blue and green Diehl bottles, which includes one of
the few sided Philadelphia soda bottles. Both bottles do not
appear to be the product of the Dyottville Glass Works and may have
been manufactured at another Philadelphia or South Jersey works.
Doctor F. W. Hartley has not left much of a trail. He was
listed for only one year as a druggist on the southwest corner of
Third and Gaskill Streets in 1843. Patrick Logan was located
at this location as a grocer the following year and Hartley
disappears from the Philadelphia Directories. Logan remained
at this location well into the 1850s. This is not the P. Logan
of the stoneware bottle fame. The Patrick Logan that used the
marked stoneware bottles operated the Temperance Brewery on Filbert
Street in 1845.
The Hartley bottle appears to have been produced about
1842. Hartley was listed in the 1843 Directory, which was
produced in December of 1842 and it seems that this bottle was used
during the 1842 summer season. This bottle was likely made in
one of the South Jersey glass houses due to its color and the fact
that the Dyottville Glass Works was closed down during this time.
Bentley &
Sons, like William Heiss, were Philadelphia
coppersmiths. David Bentley was born about 1783. As early
as 1813, he was listed as working as a coppersmith. In 1820,
he partnered with John Bentley under the name of David & John
Bentley as coppersmiths and sheet metal workers at 112 North Fourth
Street. By 1825, they had relocated to 162 North Third Street
and this was to be the permanent location for the next 55
years. Sometime during 1833 and 1834 John Bentley left the
firm and David continued to operate the business alone.
In 1842, David took his sons into the business. The sons
were John, J. B., and David C. The name of the firm was changed to
David Bentley & Sons. Sometime in 1843 or 1844, Bentley
& Sons started to manufactured mineral waters. This was a
natural extension of the business, as they likely were manufacturing
the copper apparatus to manufacture these waters. Over the
years the sons dropped out of the business and David was listed as
the sole member of the firm. In 1857, with the renumbering of
the streets in Philadelphia, 164 North Third Street, became 254
North Third Street. In 1860, his wife Anne C. was listed as
partner and on David's death in about 1877 she became the sole partner
in the firm. The firm appears to have been dissolved during
1879, as it is not listed in the 1880 Directory.
The sole Bentley bottle dates to about 1844. The bottle has
the appearance and color of being manufactured at the Dyottville
Glass works. One damaged bottle was found in Columbia,
Pennsylvania and a damaged and one whole example were found in the area
of Northern Liberties close to North Third Street.
Robert
Flanagan was another hotel keeper who branched into the
mineral water business. According to the Philadelphia Census
records Flanagan was born about 1807. Sometime between 1833
and 1835, he became the proprietor of the Lyons Hotel at 112
North Sixth Street previously operated by the widow of John
Parker. Flanagan advertised the "Vulcan Hall," which
was a bar in his hotel. We find the following in According to the History
of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick and of the Hibernian Society for
the Relief of Emigrants from Ireland:
Robert Flanagan, 1859.—Kept the
Pat Lyon Hotel, Sixth below Race street. He is said to have
originated building associations in Philadelphia.
He died November, 1861, leaving a wife and children. Bernard
Rafferty (1866) was one of the executors of his will.
Flanagan relinquished control of the Lyons Hotel to James
Milliken during 1841 and moved next store to 114 North Sixth Street
to sell furniture. He continued to do so until 1845 when
Milliken moved his operation to 11 South Sixth Street and
Flanagan returned to operate the Lyon's Hotel. Even though
Flanagan was operating a furniture establishment in 1842, he also
appears to have been operating a bottling works in conjunction with
it.
There are stoneware bottles marked "R. Flanagan No 114 N 6
St," and the glass bottles, which support this proposition. An
article that appeared in the June 27, 1844 edition of the
Philadelphia newspaper North American, proves that
Flanagan was producing mineral water during this period:
EXPLOSION OF A SODA FOUNTAIN.--Yesterday afternoon while Mr. R.
Flanagan, manufacturer of Soda Water, in Sixth street below Race,
was charging a fountain with gas, it exploded. The force of
the gas carried away a portion of the shed in which the process of
introducing the gas is conducted, and Mr. Flanagan was struck in the
breast by one of the fragments and seriously injured.
Perhaps the nature of this accident convinced Flanagan to return
to the hotel business. In any case he
was operating Lyon's hotel again at some point during 1845. There is evidence that Flanagan operated a building association,
which allowed many working class people to purchase houses using
mortgages supported by the savings of other association
members. These associations built many of the neighborhoods of
Philadelphia.
The Flanagan bottle is of a modified English style and of a shape
that made it susceptible breakage due to fragility in the neck area
as can be seen in the illustration. The bottle is circulated
about 1842-1843 and was made in a Philadelphia area glass works.
It has an interesting embossing of "Double Pressure Mineral Water"
and backwards letters. There is also a more traditional style
bottle that appears to be of the period 1843-1844. Both of
these bottles appear to be of Philadelphia area manufacture.
The stoneware bottles are highly fired and it is possible that they
were used to bottle mineral water as well, but this is speculation
at this point.
John
Reynolds & Company
were primarily beer bottles, with a long history, who branched into
the manufactured mineral waters. According to the History
of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick and of the Hibernian Society for
the Relief of Emigrants from Ireland, John Reynolds was born in
Ballamoney, Ireland in 1802 and came to Philadelphia in 1823. The origin of
the firm of John Reynolds & Company was in
Reynolds & Warren, who were grocers at 10th & Locust Streets
as early as 1825. The partners were John Reynolds and Josiah
Warren. During 1829, Reynolds & Warren moved to 5 Pear
Street and started a bottling business, which was close to the
Abbott Brewery located at 1 Pear Street on the corner of Dock
Street. This partnership continued until at least 1833 and by
the by 1835 the firm had become William & John Reynolds.
During 1841, William withdrew from the firm and it became John
Reynolds & Company.
John Reynolds operated a large bottling establishment.
In his initial year, 1841, he added 14 Pear Street as a second
location for the bottling business. We know that they were
importers of Importers of London brown stout, Scotch and Burton ales
and they sold bottles, corks and other bottler's supplies. As
early as 1843, Samuel Kirkpatrick was associated with the firm and
was likely a partner. During 1846, the 5 Pear Street location
was no longer listed and operations appear to have centralized at 14
Pear Street. In
the 1850 Census the following names were listed as bottlers in the
immediate vicinity of Reynolds and those with asterisk eventually
operated their own works:
John Reynolds 42 Bottler Ireland
*Samuel Kirkpatrick 35 Bottler Ireland (in same residence as above)
*William Morton 35 Bottler Ireland
*John Montgomery 35 Bottler Ireland
Hugh Baird 23 Bottler Ireland
Charles Baird 21 Bottler Ireland
*James Mackin 21 Bottler Ireland (Macklin)
James Aikens 22 Bottler Ireland
James Carpenter 40 Bottler Pa
John Pierpont 21 Bottler France
Sometime during 1855, Samuel Kirkpatrick left Reynolds &
Company and went on to form his own bottling
establishment at 265 South Third Street. The same year, the
firm of John Reynolds & Company was dissolved and John Reynolds
continued the operation on his own account. With the street
renumbering in 1857, 14 Pear became 220 Pear Street. Reynolds
resided next door to his works at 222 Pear. John Reynolds died
on March 1, 1859, according to the above referenced History of
the friendly Sons of St. Patrick and he was last listed in the
McElroy's Philadelphia Directory for 1859. His son William appears to have
taken the helm and is listed in the Boyd's 1859 directory as the
owner of the bottling establishment. William expanded next
door to 218 Pear Street and remain in business until 1860.
During that year, P. J. Jordan & Company purchased the business
and operated it until 1862, when Patrick J. Jordan gained full
control of the firm. In 1881, it became the P. J. Jordon
Bottling Company and in 1884, the Jordan Manufacturing
Company. The following year J. P. Jordan & Company was
listed as the "estate of" and this appears to be the last year
of operation.
The Reynolds & Company bottles is of the transitional form
that appears about 1844 and are embossed "J. R. & Co.
The bottle is known with both an open and improved pontil. All
bottles have been found in and around Philadelphia. The
bottles were likely manufactured in South Jersey due to their
coloration. They date to the period 1844-1845.
Schoch & Jones
were short lived producers of mineral waters. Cornelius Jones was
half of the partnership, but the Schoch
side is not certain. There are two likely possibilities;
George Schoch, a real estate agent who was may have been looking to
expand his business interests, or George Schoch, who eventually set
up a bottling establishment at the site of the old Southwark
Brewery. My thinking is that the partner was the later
bottler, George Schoch, as there was a later connection to the
mineral water trade with this individual. In either case the partnership existed in about 1843.
The Schoch & Jones bottle is of the English style and not that of
the Roussel style that was all of the rage during this period.
This bottle could have been manufactured at the reopened Dyottville
Glass Works or one of the other Philadelphia and South Jersey glass
works of the period. This bottle was later altered when
Cornelius Jones had full control of the firm to remove the name
"SHOCK" and the "&." This bottle dates to the period of the
partnership, which is about 1843.
Cornelius Jones was
another tavern owner who bottled mineral water. Jones was born
about 1813 according to the Philadelphia Census records. He immigrated
to the United States from England arriving at Philadelphia on
September 3, 1839 aboard the Ship Mongahela with his son William and
likely his wife Ellen. He immediately set up a tailoring
business at 485 North Second Street. During 1841, he took over
the operations of a tavern at 25 Strawberry Street from John Lochary
Jr. During 1843, he moved the operation to 26 Franklin Place
and during 1845 he took over the Tavern run by of Christopher
Harper at the corner of Exchange Place and Carter's Alley and called
it the Rainbow Hotel. At
some time about 1843, Jones was in a partnership with a Schoch to
start a soda water business. This business likely operated out
of the basement at the Franklin Place tavern. This partnership
was short lived and Jones had control of business about 1844.
Jones did very little to advertise mineral water business or his
hotel. The only references were
found in the following ads in the Sunday Dispatch dated March 25,
1849, which gives us some insight to his business:
A. CARD
C. JONES, in returning his sincere thanks for the very liberal
support he has received since his commencement in the MINERAL
WATER BUSINESS begs leave to state that the business will be
carried on as heretofore, at the old stand, Nos. 26 and 3 CARTER'S
Alley, Philadelphia
N. B.--CAUTION.--There is a rumor going about that I have
sold out my Mineral Water business, which is a false report, got
up to injure my business, by persons late in my employ.
THE PHILADELPHIA SHADES.
CORNELIUS JONES, of the Rainbow Hotel, corner of Exchange
Place and Carter's Alley, begs leave to inform his friends and the
public that in addition his present establishment, he has fitted
up the house, No. 3 CARTER'S ALLEY, above Second, for the accommodation
of his friends and the public generally. He has placed in it
two SHUFFLE BOARDS for the use of the lovers of that interesting
game.
The best Malt Liquors and Mineral Waters will be always on
hand and the Bar will be stored with Prime Segars.
Jones continued to
operate the tavern and mineral water business until 1850. It
is possible that he over extended himself in opening a second
location at 3 Carter's Alley and had to give up both
businesses. Jones then returned to the
tailoring business and eventually sold hosiery and trimmings on
South Second Street, partnering with his son William W. as C. Jones
& Son. Jones likely died during 1883. This was the
last year that he is listed in the directories and his son is listed
as the sole proprietor of the partnership, C. Jones & Son, which
continued to operate at 13 South Second until at least 1890.
One can only be intrigued the comment on the rumors spread by those
"persons late in my employ." Were they Reid &
Cecil or maybe Burns & Moon?
Being of English origin and residing in England during most the
1830's, Jones was no doubt familiar with the English style of
mineral water bottles. When he and Schoch started their
business, the familiar egg shape was likely his preference.
The Schoch & Jones bottle was altered to make the Jones bottle
by replacing the name "SHOCK" with the word
"PATENT" and replacing the "&" with a
star. These bottles were likely manufactured at the Dyottville
Glass Works and date about 1844. There is a rumor of a Roussel
style bottle marked Jones, but that has not been substantiated.
Henry Croasdill was
in Philadelphia, but that is about all that we know at this
time. He is listed in the 1850 Census as a twenty-seven year
old salesman. The Croasdill name appears almost exclusively in
the Philadelphia area. The age of the bottles would put
Croasdill at about twenty-two years old when the bottle was
produced. It is possible that Croasdill had some experience
working with one of the earlier bottlers, such as Roussel or Heiss
and then came into some money, either savings or inheritance, and
used his funds to purchase the equipment and bottles to start his
business. Due to the lack of information, it appears that his
business was very short lived.
There are no known whole Croasdill bottles and only one
fragmentary bottle. The bottle has crude embossing that is
atypical of other bottles manufactured in the Philadelphia
area. It was likely manufactured in the Philadelphia or South
Jersey area, but does not appear to be of Dyottville
manufacture. The bottle dates to about 1844.
John
Moon was a mineral water manufacturer with a spotty history
insomuch that he started and stopped manufacturing several
times during his career. John Moon was born in Ireland in
about 1805 and may have come to Philadelphia in 1834. He
married a woman named Eliza and they had their first child John about
1839. This is also the first year that John was listed as a grocer at 15
Fitzwater Street in the southern section of Philadelphia and near the waterfront. From here, he moved the grocery
to the Southeast corner of Schuylkill Sixth (S 17th Street)
and Lombard during 1842. It is during this time that he appears to have
manufactured mineral waters. But how does a grocer enter the
mineral water trade? Well it appears John had a relative, R.
J. Moon, who had a marble masonry business at the corner of Race and
Broad streets and operating under the name of R. J. Moon &
Company. Marble chips are a key ingredient in the
manufacture of artificial soda and mineral waters. When these
chips are combined with sulfuric acid in a generator, carbon gas is
generated, which when infused in water carbonates it. John
must have used this connection to make a try at competing with the
other bottlers of this time. He was not successful and he moved the grocery to the
Southeast corner of 13th & Brinton Streets in 1845. The
following two years he was at Shippen Lane & Bedford Street.
There is no listing in 1848. During this time, the absence of marked
bottles seems to indicate that Moon had abandoned the mineral water
trade for the first time.
In 1849 Moon is listed as a mineral water manufacture. We
know from the glass evidence that he partnered with a Burns as the
firm of Burns & Moon. The Burns part of the equation is
unknown, but I suspect the silent partner may have been Mary Ann
Burns, who live on Fitzwater just above Broad and very close to the
new firm location on the Northwest corner of 12th & Brinton.
Moore was in full control soon after in 1850 and removed the
name Burns" from the bottle mold, but the altered bottles still contained
the telltale "B" on the reverse side. He is listed
until 1852, but for the next two years he is not listed in the
directories. However, we do know he was still bottling mineral
water, as he was fined for filling the bottles of others. The
following appeared in the November 12th, 1853 edition of the
Philadelphia Inquirer:
Spurious Mineral Water.--An act was passed at the last session of
the legislature, to protect the manufacturers of Mineral Water
against the injury to their business arising from filling and
selling bottles stamped with their names, with an article not of
their manufacture. For the first offense, a fine of fifty
cents on each bottle filled and sold was imposed, and for every
subsequent offense, a fine of five dollars. Within the last
few days a man named John Moon, has been taken before Alderman
Kenney and fined as follows:--For filling and selling six bottles of
Mr. McFarland's. $3; two do. of Mr. Roussel's $1; one do. of Mr.
Riddle's 50 cents; five do. of Mr. Twitchell's $2.50. On
Thursday, Thomas Connor was taken before the same Alderman, charged
with selling twelve full bottles with Mr. McFarland's name thereon,
and six full bottles with the name of Mr. Roussel. He was
fined fifty cents on each bottle, making a total of $9.
John Moon apparently did not learn a lesson from his first
infraction, as about a week later, he was fined a second time, at
the higher rate, as documented in the November 19th, 1853
Philadelphia Inquirer:
John Moon, who was fined a few days since, was taken before Ald.
Kenney, yesterday morning, charged with filling three
bottles, the property of Messrs. Roussel, McFarland, and
Twitchell. The law imposes a fine of $5 in each case for the
second offense, and he accordingly had to pay the sum of $15 and
costs.
Perhaps needed additional capital to buy his own bottles and
avoid fines, as he then partnered with Samuel Moore under the firm name
of Moore & Moon. Samuel Moore
was a liquor dealer who during 1852 moved his liquor store from the Northwest corner
of Broad & Fitzwater to 129 South Twelfth just below Pine. The
start and duration of this partnership is not known, but we do know that it ended in August of 1855 based on this
ad that appeared in the August 15th, 1855 edition of the Public
Ledger:
PHILADELPHIA, AUG. 14th, 1855--THE PARTNERSHIP heretofore carried
on between Samuel Moore and John Moon, under the firm name of Moore
& Moon, in the Mineral Water Bottling Establishment, is this day
DISSOLVED, by mutual consent. The business will, in the
future, be carried on by SAMUEL MOORE, who is duly authorized to
collect all debts due the late firm.
SAMUEL MOORE
JOHN MOON
At this time, there are no known "Moore & Moon"
bottles. With this transfer of ownership, Moore
altered the molds to add his name, but left the
telltale "B" on the reverse. Moon was listed as a
bottler at the old 12th & Brinton streets address in 1856, but perhaps he was working for
Moore, who was clearly the owner of the firm. That makes a set of
bottles with three names all from the same mold; Burns & Moon
(circ: 1849-50), John Moon (circ: 1850-1853), and S. Moore (circ:
1855-57).
Moon reentered the mineral water trade a third time in 1856 at Fitzwater & Wyoming Streets. This time he was using
a stock mold pony bottle with a plate where his name was cut for the
embossing. He remained there for three years until 1859. It appears that
he died that year as his wife is listed the following year as a
washerwoman at 2340 Vine.
The Moon bottle is a recent find and is known with one slightly damaged
bottle. The bottle is boldly embossed and has the embossing
"Improved Patent" on the reverse, which is reminiscent of
the second Heiss bottle. Like the Heiss it has a scar pontil
and would date 1843-1844. It too appears to be of South Jersey
manufacture.
L. D.
is embossed on a bottle found in the Philadelphia area.
These initials align with a period mineral
water manufacture and brass founder named Lewis Debozear.
Debozear was born in Allentown according to Internet sources.
At some point in the mid-1820s he relocated to Philadelphia and
apprenticed with John Wilbank, the owner of a dry goods store and a
brass founder at 262 High Street (722 Market today). Debozear
does not appear in the 1825 city directory, but does in the next
one, 1828, as Laws Drebezier, a brass founder living at 7 Howard's
Court. His employer, Wilbank, as advertised as early as 1815
in the Philadelphia Gazette, was also manufacturing mineral water
pumps and as will be seen later developed a substantial trade in
mineral waters. While working for Wilbank, there was work done
by by the firm to replace the State House or Liberty bell as it was
cracked. Wilbank took possession of the old bell as scrap.
Thus started a nearly 200 year dispute on the ownership of the bell
between the City of Philadelphia and the Wilbank family.
Debozear was no doubt involved in the replacement. In 1831, likely after a five year
apprenticeship, Debozear started his own brass foundry at 6 Bread
Street. His advertisement list the "Old Stand," but I have
been unable to find an earlier brass founder at this location of 6
Bread Street. His first advertisement appeared in the
Philadelphia Inquirer on March 3. 1831:
BRASS AND BELL FOUNDRY. The old established stand LEWIS DEBOZEAR
No. 6 Bread street, Philadelphia.
THE subscriber respectfully informs his friends and the
citizens, southern and Western merchants, that he keeps on hand
at all times, a general and extensive assortment of church, ship
and house Bells, from one pound to ten thousand, which he is
willing to dispose of as low for cash or city acceptance as any
other in the city. The whole apparatus of Mineral Water
Pumps made and repaired. Any orders from any part of the
city or country will meet with immediate attention. Those in
want of anything in the above line will find it to their
advantage to call and examine for themselves before purchasing
elsewhere.
mar 3
LEWIS DEBOZEAR
In later ads published in 1841 and 1845, Debozear claims
experience of manufacturing mineral waters back to 1826 or 1828.
This was likely for his employer at the time, John Wilbank.
This would indicate that Debozear was manufacturing mineral water
soon after he opened his own business. Perhaps this
competition led Wilbank to issue the following advertisement in the
Philadelphia Gazette on July 22, 1832:
MINERAL WATER
THE Subscriber has prepared Mineral Water for eighteen
years back, and the reputation it has sustained during that iime,
(sic) and the general appreciation for it, where ever the
article is sold, and the numerous enquiries made by the public
where and by whom the water is prepared, has induced a number of
vendors of Mineral Water, who are not supplied by me to make use
of my name, and have asserted that they were supplied by me.
Now in order to prevent further fraud and imposition on the
public, the subscriber has come to the conclusion to furnish a
sign to each individual that sells his improved prepared Mineral
Water in this city, with the following inscription in brass
letters made by Messrs. Peck & Garrigues-
MINERAL WATER PREPARED BY J. WILBANK.
The public are respectfully informed that the
following are the places where it is sold in its purity and
prepared in a proper manner as it should be, and every place
will be furnished with a sign of the above description as soon
as possible, at,
N. B. Leidy, corner of 11th and Vine st. Druggist
Mr. Douglas corner of 13th & Filbert st. do.
Mr. Boys. corner of 12th and Spruce, Confectionary.
Mr. Wood, No. 1 Arcade, Fruit Store.
.... (list of 43 other prominent druggists
and others)
Mr. J. Miller, Burlington, N. J. Druggist.
Mr. Good, corner of Callowhill and Water st. Innkeeper. J. WILBANK, 262, Market street.
Tavern keepers and others who are willing to put in practice the recommendation of the Pennsylvania Temperance Society, as recommended in their last circular, are informed that they can be supplied with founts by
applying as above.
Debozear Continued to advertise his bells and mineral water and
the apparatus to manufacture it thru the 1840s as illustrated
by this ad in the Daily Pennsylvanian dated May 25, 1845:
LEWIS DEBOZEAR BELL AND BRASS FOUNDER No. 9 Bread street, between Arch and Race and 2d
and 3d streets, Philadelphia
After serving my apprenticeship with the late John
Wilbank, deceased, Market street, and after an experience of
about 20 years in the manufacture of Bells, I offer the public
that article which cannot be excelled in the United States, and
having received the premium from the Franklin Institute,
at their Exhibition, for the Bell of best tone and mode, I
believe that my many years' experience in the business and the
numerous well known proofs of the superior, tone of my bells
throughout the United States, have sufficiently established the
character of them. I therefore, with confidence, off to
the public the cheapest and best article in the United States:
and also continue to cast every description of Bells from 1 to
10,000 pounds in weight.
Also, after an experience of 20 years in the manufacture of
Mineral Water Apparatus, and preparing the Mineral Water, I am
enabled to offer to the public a new and complete Apparatus for
the making of the Mineral Waters; also all the necessary
Apparatus for the drawing of Mineral Water, some of which are of
entirely new construction and have given entire satisfaction.
The uniformity increasing demand from all parts of the United
States for the Mineral Pump, is the best evidence of the
superiority of them. The superior quality and manner of
preparing the Mineral Water is well and invariably known to the
citizens of the city and county of Philadelphia during the
number of years I have been in the business, and is shown by the
increasing demand for it. Also the machine for bottling
it. N. B.--Bells and Mineral Water Apparatuses
constantly on hand. All orders received and punctually
attended to.
As can be seen in the above Debozear was manufacturing mineral
water and had machines to bottle it. This is the first time in
15 years that he mentioned bottling equipment. It seems to
indicate he had some recent experience in using it. Later in the same paper,
on July 4, 1846, he was advertising "Corking Machines for bottling
Mineral Water."
In the Philadelphia Inquirer for May 29, 1848, he is listed
at 11 Bread and 44 North Seventh. In 1849, he was advertising
all sorts of machinery to work metals, such as lathes, screws,
presses, etc. An interesting incident involving Debozear was
recorded in the Public Ledger on July 7, 1848:
Somewhat Remarkable.--As Mr. Debozear of
North Seventh street, was superintending the suspension of the
bell in the new Hall of the Spring Garden Commissioners,
yesterday afternoon, the alarm of fire was given by the State
House when Mr. D. immediately struck the bell (although not
altogether ready,) in order to spread the alarm. After a
few minutes a breathless messenger informed him that his own house was on fire. He thus
unconsciously proclaimed his own disaster at the first trail of
the Spring Garden bell suspended by himself.
Debozear later had to sue Spring Garden to get paid for the bell
and installation. He won the verdict of $1,229.30 as recorded
in the Sunday Dispatch on January 14, 1849. Debozear and Richard Holcroft were partners in a plumbing
business at 9 Bread, which was dissolved on March 1st, 1837 as noted
in the April 8 1837 edition of the Public Ledger.
Lewis Debozear died on April 10th, 1859 in his 57 year.
The L. D. bottle is of an unusual form and bears an
improved pontil. Two of these bottles were found in
Philadelphia in a single privy a few properties away from Debozear's
foundry. These amber bottles were not made by one of the mainstream glass
houses in Philadelphia as the soda form was well defined by the time
these bottles were manufactured and it is unlikely they would have
made this odd-ball form. In all probability, as Debozear was a
brass founder, that he made his own brass bottle molds, and not
being an experience mold maker, created the simplistic form. They may have been made by
one of the lesser known Philadelphia glass works or one from Southern New Jersey in
about 1844. Interestingly, this bottle has a similar form,
color, and improved pontil, to the C. B. Neale & Company bottle from
Mount Holly, New Jersey and it is likely that the molds were made by
Debozear or some other mold maker and that they were made at the same glass house
at about the same time.
One intact specimen was found and one damaged that
has since been repaired.
Frederick Seitz, Sr. was born near Manheim, in the Republic of
France on June 3, 1801. Early in his life, he apprenticed at a
brewery at Carlsruhe, in the Duchy of Baden. Tales of America
told by his uncle Sebastian Goundie, who had immigrated to America,
enticed young Frederick to emigrate there. Goundie owned the Moravian brewery, established in 1783 in Bethlehem. He conducted the business behind Main Street, on the banks of the Monocacy Creek.
According to family tradition, Seitz left his homeland aboard the
ship Elizabeth and arrived in Philadelphia in August of 1819 after
long and arduous trip where the captain became deranged.
According to port of Philadelphia records, we find that Seitz arrived in Philadelphia on September 9, 1817
on the ship Hope from Amsterdam. It is possible that this could have been a different Frederick Seitz as Sebastian Goundie was aboard the ship Elizabeth that arrived in Philadelphia
on August 2, 1819, with his family, but I could not find Frederick Seitz on
that ship. This is a small mystery that needs to be unraveled.
In any case, the experience traveling to America kept Frederick from ever
traveling by sea again.
The young Seitz spent a year working at a hotel owned by his
uncle John Stapb in Philadelphia in order to learn the English language. He then
moved to Easton and established a brewery
with his uncle Sebastian and cousin John G. Goundie in 1821. A
wheat field Second Street to the Delaware River was purchased from Daniel Bixler for $1,000. The firm
of Seitz & Goundie immediately built a brewery there and began brewing
beer. The capacity of the brewery at this time was about 500 barrels a
year. After much hard work and thrift, Seitz purchased his
partner's share of the brewery two years later. John G. Goundie went on to be a brewer in Allentown, has an early soda
bottle that bares his name, and spawned a long line of Goundies
involved in the bottling trade.
Seitz was initially involved in several endeavors, including
farming, distilling and operating a milk route. He soon
focused on industries that augmented his brewery. First he
built a brick malt house on the north side of Ferry Street on land
purchased from David Deshler. The building was 50 by 100 feet
and had a large cellar and a separate vault that was twenty-five
feet under the ground. The vault itself cost $3,000 to
build. Initially
bottling was done at the brewery and bottles were marked "F.
Seitz." One of Seitz's claims was that he was the first
brewer to bottle beer in Pennsylvania. Although we know that
not to be true because beer was bottled in Philadelphia in the
colonial period and a sealed beer bottle from the late 1820s exists,
he was the earliest brewer to bottle beer in marked bottles of
his own mold starting in about 1844 or 1845. Seitz also built a bottling works on Bushkill Street on
ground he purchased from Samuel Wilhelm in 1853. From
this point forward, the bottles
were marked Seitz & Bro. The brother in this case was likely
Henry, Frederick Sr.'s brother who was a clerk in his business and a
confidant. From IRS tax records we learn that the firm of
Seitz & Brother paid taxes until October of 1865, the
following month of November John A. Seitz had control of the bottling
business was paying the taxes.
Frederick Seitz received patent 8,665 on January 20, 1852 for an improved process of mashing maize. An improvement was granted on July 13 of the same year.
Based on the text of this patent, we know that corn was an ingredient
in Seitz's beer. From IRS tax records during the Civil War
period, we see that Seitz was brewing ale, lager beer, and
porter. In 1862 he was brewing about 225 barrels a
month. About 75% of the production was ale, 15% porter and 10%
lager beer. By 1866, production had grown to about 800 barrels
a month. Frederick Seitz left the brewery business in 1867. At that time, we
find the following in the Easton Sentinel dated November 1, 1867:
Notice is here by given that the subscribers have this day formed
a co-partnership in the wholesale brewing business in the borough of
Easton, Penna., under the name, style and title of "Seitz
Brothers," and will continue the brewing business at the old
stand of Frederick Seitz Sr.; who retires from business at this
date.
Henry W. Seitz
William A. Seitz
Edward C. Seitz
Now, the three branches of the business, brewing, malting, and
bottling were carried out by his sons. Articles in the Easton
Daily Express in February and March of 1871 detail these three distinct
business and their proprietors. Henry W. (born 1832),
William A. (born 1839) and Edward C. (born 1841) operated the
brewery. Charles (born 1836) and Frederick Jr. (born 1837)
operated the malt house, and John A. (born 1830) operated the
bottling business. Another son, George (born 1829) started as
a brewer with his father, but went on to establish a distillery. The brewery in 1871 had
a capacity of 80 barrels of ale and 60 barrels of lager a day.
By
1873, according to listings in the Easton Directory of that year, John A. and
the bottling business joined Seitz Brothers. According to the
History of Northampton County, published in 1877, Seitz Brothers
consisted of Henry W., William A., and John A. Seitz. In 1898,
the business incorporated as the Seitz Brewing Company, which
operated until 1928 and was run under several names until closing in
1938. The malting business continued to be operated by
Charles, as a separate operation until after 1900. At that
time it was known as C. F. Seitz & Company.
On retirement Frederick, cultivated his passion for farming and
growing of fruits and vegetables. He entered competitions and
used green houses and potted trees to increase the quality and
production of his crops. He died on June 10, 1880 at his home
in Easton. He was 79 years old.
The Seitz bottle of vintage for purposes of this article dates
about 1844. It is like all of the Seitz bottles were
manufactured by Philadelphia area glass works and this earliest one
was likely made by the Dyottville works. It is interesting that Seitz
and his Lehigh Valley contemporaries continued to use the words
"Improved Patent" well after it fell out of vogue
elsewhere. Seitz bottles can be dated as follows: Frederick
Seitz (1844-1852), Seitz & Brother (1853-October 1865), John A.
Seitz (November 1865-approx 1872), Seitz Brothers (approx.
1872-1898), and Seitz Brewing Company (1898-1928).
The
various Seitz bottles are some of the most collected and interesting
in the bottle collecting hobby.
John
Maicks was a bit of a mystery, but new information confirms
his involvement in bottling mineral water starting as early as 1844. There are very few
English records available, but he was a prolific advertiser in
"Pennsylvania Deutsch," a language based on various German dialects
with minor English influences. This language and the old
German type face make finding these records nearly impossible using
modern search engines. I can extrapolate a story about him, and the
firms that succeeded him, based on some of the available
records. John and Christian (or Christopher) Maicks came to
Reading from Germany. They may have been brothers.
Christian was born in about 1811 and John sometime between 1810 and
1815. John was a registered voter in Berks County in 1834,
likely in Reading. He also sang between acts for the Garrick Association,
a theatrical group in Reading in the late 1830s. Some time prior to
1840, John married Amelia Kissinger and they resided in the South
Ward of Reading. John established a confectionary store
and was very successful. Additionally, he bottled beer and
manufactured mineral waters. Christian, also a confectioner and
likely working for his brother, married Lavinia Wunder prior to
1840. Lavinia's sister Margaret married a John
Phillipson, a blacksmith.
John Maicks first advertised that he was bottling mineral water
in the May 7, 1844 edition of the Reading Alder, roughly translated
into English:
MINERAL WATER xxxxx John Maicks, Penn between 3rd and 4th Streets, Reading
April 23 6mo
The following year, in the April 29, 1845 edition of the Reading
Alder, Maicks states that he is again bottling mineral water in
glass bottles. This ad roughly translates:
J. Maicks respectfully informs his fine old customers,
that he has again started the bottling of mineral water in glass
bottles.
Prompt attention to all country orders. No. 58 Penn Street, Reading
April 29.
3m
Maicks continues to advertise the sale of mineral water thru
1848. In that same year, a will for John Maicks was
filed in Reading. We know that his wife Amelia was a widow in
1850 and Christian was living next door to his brother-in-law
John Phillipson.
Now things get interesting. In 1850, John's wife, now a widow,
had $8,000 in real estate and a household that included 3 children,
two other woman, 5 laborers, and 3 confectioners. All likely
working in the confectionary business she now was running.
Christian Maicks, likely working for his sister-in-law, was residing
at a different location in the same area. One of the confectioners
working for Mrs. John Maicks was Adam Hain. Hain moved to
Lebanon, Pennsylvania and established a successful bottling
establishment there with his father Absalom.
This firm continued into the late 1860s as A. Hain & Son,
although Adam seems to have been the principal and his father was working for him as a laborer.
Adam Hain ran the
business into the alone into the 1880s, when he was succeeded by his
sons John F. Hain and later
William G. Hain. Adam Hain is famous
for his blue bottles marked Lebanon County. Another employee
of Mrs. John Maicks in 1850 was laborer Christian Mack. He
should not be confused Christian Maicks. There were two
different individuals. Amelia Maicks remarried William
Himelright (also: Himelreich) in about 1851. There is a bottle
marked Himelright that dates to this period from Reading (circ:
1851-52). Like some of the Maicks bottles it does not carry a
first name initial. Amelia and her new husband moved to
Ashland, PA., but she appears to have retained ownership of the
property in Reading. The bottling business appears to be taken
up by Christian Macks, former employee of the Maicks. Amelia
may have leased the business to him and others later on. There are
at least two marked beer bottles with his name on them (circ:
1852-55). These bottles are not a misspelling of
Maicks. Macks appeared to have run the business for a couple
of years and the business went under the control of L. Maicks &
Company. Macks went on to operate a restaurant in
Reading. The only "L." Maicks that I can find
was that of Christian Maicks' wife Lavinia. Perhaps she was
operating some sort of side business to that of her husband.
There is a soda and a beer bottle from this firm (circ:
1855-56). Next the operation appears to be under the control
of Christian Maicks. There is a soda bottle from this
"Maicks" (circ: 1857). In 1860 Christian Maicks is
not listed with an occupation, but his brother-in-law, John
Phillipson, is listed as a painter. Soon after, it appears
that Christian Maicks died and a partnership was created between
Lavinia Maicks and John Phillipson. This firm named
Maicks & Phillipson operated
until November, 1862, when John Phillipson had full control of the
operation. There are two beer bottles and one soda marked
Maicks & Phillipson (circ: 1860-62). The soda bottle
appears to be from a modified "C. MAICKS" mold. An
ad that appeared in the April 17, 1860 Reading Adler supports
the connections of these firms as Maicks & Phillipson owned
bottles marked with the names of their predecessor firms (ad is in
German):
Un Das Publifum.
Die Unterfaerieben, Porter, Ale, und Mineral-Wasser Bottler in der
Stabe Reading.....
Maicks & Phillipson; L. Maicks & Co., J. Maicks; William
Harbold; William C Schuler; Williamstown, N. J.; C. Maicks; F.
Gerling & Brother--
....
Maicks & Phillipson
Reading
It is interesting to note that bottles marked Williamstown, N. J.
were used by one or more of these firms in Reading and any bottles
found in Reading with this embossing could be considered local
bottles. Also no bottles are currently know with the marking of
William Harbold.
John
Phillipson continued to bottle beer and manufacture mineral water
thru 1865. The following year he was operating a grocery and
glassware store in Reading and did not pay any of the special IRS
taxes paid by bottlers of beer and mineral waters. In 1869,
Phillipson changed occupations again and became machinist and
locomotive builder. There are two Phillipson marked bottles (circ:
1862-65). Collectors can be happy that John Miacks'
enterprise spawned off ten other firms that produced collectable
bottles.
The Maicks bottle is a latter bottle of this period and dates
1844-45. The bottle is similar in appearance of the amber Kohl
of Lambertville and was likely manufactured at the Dyottville Glass
Works and shipped up the Schuylkill Canal to Reading. Unlike
the Kohl bottle, this one bears an early improved pontil. This
bottle and a slightly later blue soda bottle bear the initial of
"J." for John. The two known beer bottles do not and
are marked "Maicks Porter." The private mold bottle
porter bottle dates to the period of 1846-48, while the plate molded
bottle was likely made when his wife was operating the business just
prior to or during 1850.
William
McManus
is a bottle which was attributed to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as a
broken bottle was found there in 2009. There were
several McManuses listed in the Philadelphia directories, however,
these directory listing were not of occupations related to bottling
and the the bottle does not follow the Philadelphia style.
During the fall of 2011, an intact example was found in an old home
in Franklin, New Jersey. Research found that there was a
William McManus living there between 1840 and 1850 as he and his
family were found listed in the 1840 and 1850 Census records.
The 1850 Census does not list an occupation, but the attribution is
based on these records and the fact that this bottle does not have
the form of a Philadelphia bottle.
The McManus bottle is of late manufacture and likely dates to
late 1844 or early 1845. It was likely manufactured in the
Philadelphia or South Jersey region. The bottle is unusual in
that it has the name in arched lettering. Up to this point all
lettering was done in straight lines on this style of bottle.
One fragment of this bottle was found in Philadelphia and
was missing its top. A second intact bottle was found in
Franklin, New Jersey.
Capt. George A. Kohl was born on September 26, 1802 in Easton,
Pennsylvania and was the son of old country Germans. Kohl
appears to have surfaced in Lambertville in the mid-1830s. He first
operated a brewery with Eden Hunt under the name of George A. Kohl & Company.
The following notice appeared in the October 5, 1836 edition of the
Hunterdon Gazette:
NOTICE
The copartnership heretofore existing between the subscribers, under
the firm name of George A. Kohl & Co. was this day dissolved by
mutual consent. All persons indebted will please make payment,
and those having demands will present them for settlement.
George A. Kohl,
Eden Hunt.
Lambertville, Oct. 1, 1836
N. B. The subscribers would return their acknowledgements for
the patronage they have received. And the public are informed, that
the BREWING Business will be continued by the subscriber, who will
use his utmost endeavors to give general satisfaction to his
customers and the public generally.
George A. Kohl
From 1836 to 1868, George A. Kohl had sole control of the brewery
in Lambertville.
Kohl's manufacture of mineral waters appears to have started in 1843
or 1844 and is supported, although not by name, of an defensive
advertisement issued by Eugene Roussel in Philadelphia the April
30th, 1844 edition of the Public Ledger. His ad asserts that
an individual in Lambertville claimed he was trained by Roussel in
the art of making mineral waters. The ad states:
ROUSSEL'S MINERAL WATERS--CAUTION.--Information having been conveyed
to the subscriber, that certain persons have been circulating
reports calculated to injure me in my business among a large number
of my customers in the vicinity of the city and more particularly
that a certain individual residing in Lambertville N J has had
the audacity to assert that he paid me the sum of between $100 and
$500 to initiate him in the art and mystery of manufacturing
Mineral Waters on my improved plan, and also that he has a
certificate signed by me to that effect. This, together with
numerous base falsehoods of the same stamp, has been extensively
engaged in circulating throughout the adjacent country town.
I wish now to inform my customers, and the public generally, that
I have never, in any instance, imparted to any one (and much less
the individual alluded to, from not ever having seen him in my
life) any information regarding my mode of manufacturing Mineral
Waters, and that this is but one of a series of fabrications,
which the ignorant have resorted to, in order to build for
themselves a reputation which they are unable to acquire except by
striving to forestall public opinions in their behalf by a issue
of falsehoods as base as those who utter them. As
much as I dislike appearing in public print, as to controversy, I
still feel constrained to act in my own defense, and will leave
the public to judge of the disinterestedness these honorable
individuals. EUGENE ROUSSEL,
Manufacturer of Mineral and Medicated Waters
114 Chesnut street
Kohl was always interested in military affairs and as early as
1840 acquired the title of Captain. In 1843, he led the
"Doylestown Guard," a local militia organized in 1835.
Capt. Kohl also established the "Lambertville Cadets," which
consisted of about 75 to 80 men, who fought in the Civil War.
It does not appear that Kohl himself ever served in the military.
In the 1850 Census, Kohl is listed as a brewer with property
valued at $19,200. In the 1860 Census Kohl was listed as a
brewer with real estate and personal property worth $91,700.
IRS tax records from 1862 to 1866 indicate that Kohl paid tax on
"fermented liquors," soda water, and sarsaparilla. These
records indicate that he brewed both porter and ale. There is
no mention of lager beer being brewed. We know from some
litigation, that Kohl lost a load of $1,500 worth of barley in a shipwreck
on route from Albany, New York in 1848. It is interesting
to see that he was purchasing his grains from such a distance.
George A. Kohl had connections to breweries in other cities on
the East Coast of the United States. In addition to his brewery in
Lambertville, Kohl also operated a brewery in Easton, Pennsylvania, at first on
his own and later in partnership with a Mr. Beans. The exact
years of production are not known, but Kohl
& Beans were reported
to be operating in 1859. The firms appear to be operating
during the 1850s. Soda and beer bottles are known from both of
these firms.
Kohl's son, John A. Kohl, was also a brewer. John was
educated in Easton and learned to brew ale at his father's brewery
in Lambertville starting about 1840. He moved to Boston, Massachusetts
and took a position at the Norfolk Brewery and remained there until
1870. Likely with moneys from his father's estate, he formed a
partnership with Andrew Houghton under the firm name of A. J.
Houghton & Co. and in 1875 established the Vienna
Brewery at the site of the old Jutz brewery.
Kohl also had a connection in Norristown, Pennsylvania. On April
3, 1845 the Rev. Studdiford married Abraham R. Cox of Norristown to
Miss Caroline E. Kohl, George A. Kohl's daughter. Kohl convinced
Cox to purchase the Brewery off of Main Street and briefly partnered
with his son-in-law under the firm name of A. R. Cox &
Company. Soda water was one of the first products and bottles
exist with this embossing. Fairly quickly, Abraham R. Cox had full
control of the firm and was a very successful regional brewer who
operated until 1890, when the brewery was sold to Adam Scheidt.
Kohl died on August 27, 1868 at 66 years of age in Lambertville. According to the January 14,
1869 edition of the Hunterdon Republican newspaper, Kohl's estate
sold the brewery and bottling establishment to Tobias Nash of
Tinicum Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania for $11,900 on January
6, 1869. Nash also bought the Kohl residence for $6,000.
By 1873, Joseph Akers was the owner of the brewery and bottling
establishment. Soda and beer bottles are known from both of
these successor firms.
The Kohl bottles are known in both green and amber and date to
the 1843-44 period. Lambertville is just up the Delaware River
from Philadelphia and the Dyottville Glass Works in Kensington where
these bottles were likely manufactured. Canals connected
Lambertville with Philadelphia and provided a ready route for
transport of bottles and Kohl's bottled beers.
Charles B. Neale & Company is an obscure firm that
operated out of Mount Holly, New Jersey. According to the
Bisham Family Genealogy, Charles B. Neale was the son of John Neale
and Elizabeth (Bisham) Neale and was born on July 20, 1822.
An advertisement on May 8, 1844 in the New Jersey Mirror nicely
dates this bottle:
C. B. Neale & Co. are now prepared to supply Hotel Keepers and others with Bottled Mineral Waters for the season, on the usual terms, apply to the Drug and Chemical Store of C. B. Neale on the corner of Mill and Main Street, Mount Holly, NJ.
It appears that Neale was in a brief partnership with someone who
likely had some experience in manufacturing mineral water.
Neale likely provided the capital and his partner the expertise.
It appears from this ad that Neale's drug business was a separate
enterprise.
Neale's lamp black was awarded a "very good" rating by the
Franklin Institute at their Nineteenth Exposition of American
Manufactures in 1849. The 1850 Mount Holly Census lists
Charles B. as a 24 year old druggist living with his mother
Elizabeth and some of his siblings. He is also listed as druggist in
the Kirkbride 1850-51 New Jersey Directory. In March of 1851, Neale
sent twenty-three specimens of his paint, in bottles, to the World's
Fair in England.
Sometime during 1851 Neale moved to Philadelphia and is listed as
a druggist in the 1852 Philadelphia Directory at 235 South
Second Street, which was assembled in late 1851. On August 10,
1852, the partnership between Thomas Estlack Jr. and Thomas Estlack
known as Thomas Estlack Jr. & Company was dissolved and a new
partnership between the younger Estlack and Charles B. Neale was
formed. The name of the new firm continued to be Thomas
Estlack Jr. & Company. This partnership was short lived and in
March of 1853, Neale was advertising his druggist and chemist shop
at 235 South Second Street according to the March 14, 1853
Philadelphia Inquirer. His ad stated he was selling and
manufacturing "Perfumery, Syrup, Sauces, Catsups, Washing Fluid and
Medicines" in addition to the normal wares sold by druggists at the
time. In June of the same year, he was advertising "Burroughs'
Diarrhoea Cordial" in the Catholic Hearld.
New Jersey Church
records state that Neale died on August 20, 1853, and is confirmed
by an obituary record in Philadelphia that states he died on
Saturday, August 20, 1853 at the age of 31 years. This also
confirms his birth date. The 1850 Census is clearly in error
as Neale was 28 years old on the July 24, 1850 record date and not
24. The stock of his business was sold at auction on November
10, 1853 and included bottles and jars.
The Neale bottle is as rare as the information on the man that
produced it. The bottle is not the product of a Philadelphia
area manufacturer and was likely produced by a South Jersey glass
house. The mold itself does not follow the pattern of
Philadelphia area mold makers. It appears to have had two
manufacturing runs; once in a dark amber and a second in a lighter
amber. This bottle likely dates to 1844 and possibly 1845.
Something different happened in Baltimore. Whereas the
Roussel style bottle was the norm in the rest of the country, in
Baltimore some of the early producers used the Roussel style at first,
and then
shifted to the English style of torpedo or
ten pin shaped bottles. In fact during the period 1845 to
1850, all of the soda bottles used by Baltimore merchants (with the
exception of the extremely rare Cole & Co and Cole & Chickering sided sodas) were of the English style. There are
at least two possible reasons
for this: first, Baltimore was a port
city where imported English style bottles were probably in most
establishments. These could have been reused by some bottlers
who may have had their own bottles made in the same style for constant filling
and packaging. Second, this style of bottle was used by
Randall & Company and John Lee Chapman, who were fashionable
producers. Randall & Company were in the famous Barnum's
Hotel and Chapman operated a well known soda water shop and drug
store. Perhaps this style of bottle represented a higher class
of product. Whatever the reason, collectors can be thankful for these
beautifully shaped and variously colored bottles.
About 1851 Peter Babb moved his mineral water establishment from
Philadelphia to Baltimore, and successfully reintroduced the soda
shaped bottle to the Baltimore market. Soon all of the Baltimore firms were phasing out the torpedo and ten pin
shaped bottles and using the soda shaped bottles. William Russell
and William Coughlan are examples of this shifting of styles.
But what to do with all of the old style torpedo and ten pin shaped
bottles? Many were filled with soda and mineral waters, packed
on ships and sent to the gold fields of California. It seems
that more Baltimore bottles of these forms were dug in California
than in Baltimore!
The firms that utilized the Roussel style bottles in Baltimore style
are presented first, and are followed by the Early English styled
bottles.
Thomas J. Sutton was born in Pennsylvania in about 1809 according
to Baltimore Census records. We find that he married Lydia Klinefelter on
January 13, 1835 in Baltimore, Maryland and likely settled there if
not already a resident. Prior to 1840, Sutton was in
partnership with a McClasky, likely Michael McClasky, listed as a tavern
keeper in 1842, under the firm of Sutton & McClasky. The
partnership operated a tavern called the "Military Hall"
on North Gay Street near Fayette. This partnership dissolved on May
12, 1840, according to a notice in the Baltimore Sun, and Sutton continued to operate the tavern, which included a billiards
room and restaurant where venison was advertised on the dinner
menu. An early
advertisement appeared in the Baltimore Sun on October 9, 1840:
OYSTERS!! OYSTERS!!--MILITARY HALL-THOMAS J. SUTTON informs his friends and the public, that is now prepared to furnish them with the best OYSTERS the market affords, cooked in every variety of style, and in the best manner. Thankful for past favors, he solicits a continuance of patronage.
Sutton operated the Military Hall thru 1842 and the following
year he was operating the "White House" eating establishment
on Pratt Street across from the Depot, where turtle soup was
advertised as one of the entries. Pertinent to this article, the following appeared in the
Baltimore Sun on June 6, 1843:
MINERAL WATER.--We neglected to notice the reception on Saturday of a dozen bottles of mineral water, manufactured by Mr. Thomas J. Sutton, at the "white house," opposite the depot, in Pratt street. It is a most delightful beverage, especially for hot weather.
The 1850 Baltimore Census lists Thomas J. Sutton, aged 41, as a
tavern keeper born in Pennsylvania and interestingly the 1860 Baltimore Census
lists Thomas Sutton, aged 51, as a hatter with $200 in assets and
born in Pennsylvania. I cannot determine if this was a mistake,
a different Sutton, or a brief excursion into a totally different business venture. The following Baltimore Directory
listings support the fact that Sutton was involved in the restaurant
business over three decades:
1847 Sutton Thomas J. prop. bowling saloon, 164 Balto.
st. dw 84 n Exeter st
1849 Sutton Thomas J. prop. Central Eating House, 164 Baltimore dw 84 n Exeter
1853 SUTTON THOMAS J proprietor "Oak Hall," 14 1/2 St. Paul
1855 Sutton Thos. J., proprietor livery stables, 30 w Lombard, h 78 e Lombard
1856 Sutton Thos. J. tavern, 19 Centre Market space
1864 Sutton Thos. J. restaurant, 164 e Baltimore
After this last 1864 listing, I lost Thomas J. Sutton's trail.
The Sutton bottles are very rare and based on the above
advertisement date 1843 to 1844. There are two known bottles one in
straw yellow and a second in puce. These were no doubt
manufactured by the Baltimore Glass Works.
John
Boyd & Sonwas a partnership between John Boyd and his son Robert.
John Boyd was born in Scotland in about 1787.
He immigrated
to Baltimore in August of 1817 at age 30. His early years in
Baltimore are not documented, but he appears in 1827 to be operating an
oyster and porter cellar at 11 South Street, a location he would
remain at for the next 25 years. In 1842, John took his son
Richard in as a partner. Soon after, they started to bottle
mineral water. Edgar Allen Poe visited their cellar for some
drinks in 1846. The following directory listings were found for the Boyds:
1827 Boyd John, oyster and porter cellar, 11 South dw Lovely lane E of Calvert st
1829 Boyd John, oyster and porter cellar, 11 South, dw Lovely lane E of Calvert
1833 Boyd John, porter and oyster establishment, 11 South st, dw Lovely lane
1835 Boyd John, porter, cellar, South st near Balto dw Lovely lane
1837 Boyd John, porter and oyster establishment, 11 South 6t dw
1842 Boyd John porter cellar, South st e side near Baltimore, dw cor Albemarle and Granby sts
1842 Boyd Robert, porter cellar, South st. dw Lovely lane
1845 John &, Son, bottling cellar, 11 South st.
1845 John, of firm, h. 17 N. Frederick st.
1845 Robert, of firm, h. 6 Lovely lane.
1847 Boyd John & Son, bottling establishment, 9 South st, dw 17 n Frederick st
1847 Boyd Robert, dw Lovely lane
1852 Boyd John & Son, 9 s. Gay.
1853 Boyd John, dealer in malt and hops, and importer of Scotch whiskey. 14 s Gay, dw 58 Biddle
1853 Boyd John, brewer, near cor Eutaw and Ostend
1853 Boyd Robert, Saratoga between North and Davis
1855 BOYD JOHN, malster & bottler, 14 s Gay h Northern av
1856 JOHN BOYD dealer in Malt and Hops,T AND HOPS No. 14 SOUTH GAY STREET
1868 BOYD JOHN, Dealer in Malt and Hops, Malt House foot of Eutaw street, office 14 s Gay, dw Northern
av. [See p. 15 Advertisements.]
1871 BOYD & RICKETTS, successors to John Boyd, Malsters and Dealers in Hops, Malt House foot of Eutaw street, office 14 s Gay street. [See p. 7
Advet's]
John Boyd & Son continued to bottle beer and mineral waters as a
primary business throughout the later part of the 1840s, but were
also selling malt and hops, the future business. The following
ad appeared in the November 14, 1849 edition of the
Baltimore Sun:
JOHN BOYD & SON
No. 14 SOUTH GAY STREET,
BOTTLERS OF PORTER, ALE AND CIDER, or (sic) home consumption and
exportation: dealers in MALT and HOPS, and manufacturers of MINERAL
WATERS, have constantly on hand a full supply of these articles, to
which they invite the attention of the public.
ALSO, CIDER and PURE CIDER VINEGAR, in barrels of the
best quality.
The dealing in malt and hops eventually led the Boyds to open a
malt house at foot of Eutaw Street. The 1853 directory
entry for John Boyd as a brewer is likely a reference to his malting
operations. Robert Boyd appears to have been disassociated with the firm during
1852 and died in 1853. Robert's estate was processed in 1853.
During 1852, John appears to have shifted the
business from a
bottling works on South Street to a malster and dealer in malt and
hops on South Gay Street. Bottling was still done, but was
being phased out. The malting business continued to grow and
John brought Robert's son and his grandson, John into the
business. John Sr. turned the business over to Boyd & Ricketts by 1871 and he died on August 30, 1871 according to the Baltimore City And County History.
He was about 84 years old. A John Boyd of Baltimore along with
a Jacob Seeger patented an improvement
in preserving and using hops in brewing on December 12, 1871. This was likely by
Robert's son John, rather than Robert's father.
The Boyds used both glass and pottery bottles. They
initially adopted the Philadelphia style bottles; except for Eugene Roussel
and Frederick Brown in Philadelphia, they
are the only firm to use large and small sized bottles. In
1845, they shifted to using the English style bottles and continued
to do so until about 1849 or 1850. There are no soda bottles known
that date after 1850 and there are no marked Boyd beer
bottles. All of the Boyd bottles were manufactured by a
Baltimore glass works and demonstrate Baltimore colors. The pottery bottles may have been used to bottle soda
water or some sort of soft drink, like ginger pop.
Randall
& Company was a partnership that was made up of Dudley
A. Randall and Paris Horton Keach. Both men were born in Rhode
Island, but their lives were to follow different paths.
Randall was born about 1806 and in 1826 we find that he was living
in Providence, Rhode Island as a member of a fire company. Eliza Fenner and Dudley A.
Randall were wed in Providence by Rev. Pickering on Oct. 28, 1829.
By 1828, Randall is listed as a grocer. Grocers in New England
often engaged in the brewing of small beers like mead and root
beer. It appears that Randall learned this trade and became
proficient enough in brewing, that he relocated to Baltimore between
1832 and 1835 and set up a mead manufactory at 126 Howard Street. He
claimed that he had been in this occupation for 11 years in 1844, which may place him in Baltimore in 1833 or perhaps he was brewing
in Providence starting in that year.
Keach was born
about 1816. Keach married Eliza Niebling on November 21, 1843 at the First English Lutheran
Church in Baltimore.
It is possible that Keach was related in some way to Randall, but in
any case the two were partners in Randall & Company starting as
early as 1839 as illustrated by this ad in the April 6, 1840 edition
of the Baltimore Sun, which announces a reopening:
NOTICE.--The undersigned hereby inform the public, that
they have again commenced operating at that well known MINERAL
WATER ESTABLISHMENT BASEMENT STORY BARNUM'S HOTEL, Monument
Square, where is to be had, as heretofore, in connection with
MINERAL WATER, that celebrated article, SARSAPARILLA MEAD.
They are prepared to furnish Mineral Water SYRUPS, in all their
varieties. They are also prepared to serve a FEW MORE
customers with MINERAL WATER by the FOUNT. They hope to
merit and receive that encouragement heretofore bestowed upon this
establishment.
D. A. RANDALL & CO.
An ad in the November 14, 1840 Baltimore Sun illustrates that
Randall & Company sold subscriptions to their mineral water
fountain. This was a common practice where could get a glass
of mineral water each day based on your number. In this ad,
they are seeking payment for the person who owned box 99 on the
subscription list. During this time, Randall was also the
member of Bentley, Randall & Company, who manufactured portable
steam engines. The boiler business and the mineral water
business do not appear to be related. Randall & Company
continued to operate their seasonal business at Barnum's Hotel until
1844, when the following ad appeared in the January 5 edition of the
Baltimore Sun:
DISSOLUTION OF PARTNERSHIP. --The partnership heretofore existing
between the undersigned, under the firm of RANDALL & CO., was by
mutual consent dissolved on the 31st of October, 1843. PARIS
H. KEACH having disposed of his entire interest in the late concern
to his late partner, DUDLEY A. RANDALL, to whom persons having
claims against said firm will present them for settlement, and those
indebted will make payment to either of the undersigned.
DUDLEY A. RANDALL,
PARIS H. KEACH
Baltimore, Jan. 3d, 1844
D. A. RANDALL will continue business under the
style of
RANDALL & CO.
Baltimore, Jan 3d, 1844
Paris Keach set up a mineral water fountain at 224 Baltimore Street
after the split with Randall in the spring or summer of 1844.
He also bottled mineral water at this location. The mineral
water shop must have been a flop. Soon after the season ended,
in mid September, Keach converted the shop from mineral water
fountain into a trimmings store and partnered with Ezra
Gates under the name of Keach & Gates. This partnership
was formed on September 18, 1844. On March 18, 1845, Keach
advertised his mineral water fountain and accessories for sale, but
mentioned he would continue "to carry on still more extensively
than the past season" his mineral water bottling
business. The bottling business was relocated behind Keach
& Gates store and facing Wine Street. Keach bottled
mineral water extensively during the 1845 and 1846 seasons, but sold
the bottling business to his foreman, John Olive, on February 1,
1847. There are no known Olive bottles, but the Keach mold was
later used by William Russell starting about 1847 or 1848, with
"Keach" slugged out and "Russell" added to the
mold. Keach & Gates operated until late in 1847; the store
and contents were sold at public sale in 1848 according to the February
26 Baltimore Sun. Keach moved to Richmond in 1849 and operated
a trimmings business there. He added sewing machines to his
inventory when they became popular. He was still residing in
Richmond after the Civil War in 1865, according to IRS Tax records,
but we lose track of him after that. Randall continued to operate the mineral water fountains
under Barnum's Hotel, but wanted to dispose of his brewing business
and excess mineral water supplies as illustrated by this March 7,
1844 ad in the Baltimore Sun:
FOR SALE--Three Iron Hubb's and Iron Axled WAGONS...They
are capable of sustaining a load of thirty hundred, (built
expressly for the Mead business)...Also from two to three thousand
quart, and about 1,500 pint stone BOTTLES, in good order, together
with HARNESS, BREWING CASKS, CASES, &c. &c, comprising
everything necessary for carrying on the Mead and Root Beer
business--The above will be disposed of low, either collectively
or separately; if collectively, the undersigned will impart
to the purchaser all the information in the Mead and Root Beer
business which an experience of eleven years has
afforded.......Also one three horse STEAM BOILER, new, and capable
of carrying 100c. Steam. Also one three horse ROTARY
ENGINE. Also the following surplus Articles in the Mineral
Water business, viz One Forcing Pump, several Mineral Water
Founts, four Mineral Water Coolers; one Marble Slab, six feet long
and but little used; one double barred silver plated Draw Pipe,
large size, one medium size do. do ; one large sized do. do., with
Egyptian marble column, and several less valuable; one pair
matched mahogany Syrup cases, containing five cans each; two
Refrigerators for fonts, (one new, the other in good order,) each
lined with zinc and packed with Charcoal; one Oil Cloth; about a
dozen Mineral Water Signs, comprising plain and gold lettered and transparencies,
together with many other articles connected with the
business. Apply to
RANDALL & CO ,
At their Mineral Water Establishment, basement of Barnum's Hotel,
or at their Manufactory, McCausland's Old Brewery, Holliday
street, near Pleasant.
Based on this ad Randall must have refurnished his rooms under the
Hotel and was getting rid of his older equipment. Randall
& Co. continue to advertise until this ad appears in the March
27, 1847 Baltimore Sun:
MINERAL WATER SALOON
The public are hereby informed, that I have commenced
operations for the season, and will be able to serve out the various
drinks heretofore obtained at this establishment, including SARSAPARILLA MEAD
so much admired, particularly by the ladies; CONGRESS and other
SPRING WATERS, direct for the proprietors. Cash all times paid
for Congress Water Bottles.
I am also prepared to furnish water by the Fount, as
heretofore.
FOR SALE.--Fourteen SODA FOUNTS, in good order, and used by
me last season, varying in size from ten to twenty two gallons, are
offered very low, to give place to new ones of uniform size.
I will hereafter do business in my individual name, in place
of Randall & Co., as heretofore.
D. A. RANDALL,
Mineral Water Manufacturer,
Basement of Barnum's Hotel,
Monument Square.
The name Randall & Company was no longer used
after the end of the 1846 season. Randall continued to
operate the mineral water rooms under Barnum's Hotel until 1871, which
was the last year he was listed in the Baltimore directories as a
mineral water manufacturer. This is supported by the following
ad, "FOR RENT THREE ROOMS In Basement of Barnum's Hotel corner of Calvert and Fayette formerly occupied by D A Randall,"
that appeared in the February 15, 1872 Baltimore Sun. Randall
appears to have retired briefly, but started to sell coal as early
as 1877 and was listed as a coal merchant in the 1880 Baltimore
Census. He died on February 6, 1881 as reported in the
Baltimore Sun. The following year Celia is listed as his widow
in the Baltimore Directory.
The Randall & Company bottles may date to before or after
Keach's exit of the firm in late 1843. I believe that these
bottles date to 1843 and were manufactured by a Baltimore glass
works. I suspect that Keach was interested in developing the
bottling business, but Randall wanted to invest in the Hotel's
mineral water fountain. As documented above, Randall disposed
of the mead and root beer business and appears to have overhauled
the mineral water fountain soon after the split happened. When
Keach left, he might have taken the Randall & Company bottles with
him to develop the bottling business. In 1845, when
Keach greatly extended his bottling business, he likely had molds
made with his name cut into them. Polk & Company, who
also have bottles marked "Barnum Building," were not
successors to Randall. They operated at the same time, but in
a different location of the hotel on the opposite corner. They
were druggists in the early 1850s.
John
Lee Chapman was born in either Fells Point in Baltimore or
in Harford County Maryland in the year 1811 depending on the
sources. He
was of Scottish descent and was the son of Dr. John Chapman, a
druggist and one time partial owner of the Baltimore Glass
Works. John Lee married his cousin, Elizabeth Chapman,
in Baltimore on June 19, 1834. Elizabeth was the daughter of
George Chapman, who operated Chapman's Glass Works in the late 1820s
and whose glass business John Lee would later acquire.
Chapman purchased the apothecary business of Dr. G. Maris at
the corner of South and Market streets, as advertised in the Baltimore
Gazette and Daily Advertiser on November 2, 1833:
JOHN L.
CHAPMAN, APOTHECARY AND DRUGGIST; INFORMS his friends and the
public, that he has purchased out the Stock of Dr. G. Maris, corner
of South and Market streets, where he intends to carry on his
business of APOTHECARY, and hopes to merit and receive a share of
public patronage. Great care will be observed in putting up prescriptions.
On January 1st of
1840, as advertised in the Baltimore Sun, due to an
"extravagant increase in rent" Chapman closed the South
and Market Street location and moved to 2 South Street. By 1842, he had
opened a new branch store at 25 Sharp Street, but that store was closed
by 1845.
From later ads, we learn the John Lee was dispensing
soda water as early as 1837 at his drug store. On October 11,
1841, John Lee was issued patent number 2,304 for constructing
"cocks for hydraulic and pneumatic purposes." The
text of the patent specifically states that the cock "is
specially adapted to use in the apparatus employed with aerated
waters." In 1842, he was issued a second patent for
improvements to this patent dated October 12, 1842 and numbered
2,812. A September 15,
1843 Ad in the Baltimore Sun for Lewis & Levering at 161
Baltimore Street mentions that they were next store to
"Chapman's Soda Water establishment. In 1845, John
Lee sold the drug store and soda water business to his brother Jonathan
Chapman and entered the glass wholesaling business operated by his
uncle and father-in-law, who had passed away that year. The following is ad appeared in the
Baltimore Sun on April 29, 1845:
MINERAL WATERS.--The public are informed that I have purchased
the Soda Apparatus, and shall continue to manufacture SODA WATER
exactly as prepared for the last eight years by my brother, John L.
Chapman, who has relinquished the business. I desire to inform
those that have given him the preference, that I do not supply any
one at present.
CAUTION.--I shall in all cases where I supply them, insist
upon the name of "Chapman" being placed on the top of the
Mineral Water Sign, to guard against imposition.
Having a powerful Air Pump run by steam, I offer FOR SALE two
hand AIR PUMPS, heretofore used by my brother, warranted perfect,
which will sell low. JONATHAN CHAPMAN
No. 2 South Street
Jonathan joined his brother in the glass business in 1847 as evidenced
by the following advertisement that appeared in the August 28, 1847
Baltimore Sun:
FOR SALE--The subscriber intending to change his business, offers
his APOTHECARY STORE, No. 2 SOUTH STREET, for sale. It is a
central situation and long established, doing a good retail
business.
He also wishes to sell his MINERAL WATER APPARATUS and
ENGINE. The Apparatus is different in construction to any in
the country and when properly worked will produce a Mineral Water of
superior quality. The amount sold as well as the reputation of
the water, bear ample testimony of the foregoing facts. They
will be sold separately or connected. Apply to JON'A J.
CHAPMAN,
No. 2 South st.
John Lee and brother Jonathan formed a partnership and opened a
glass factory called the Maryland Glass Works. John Lee
operated the works and Jonathan sold the products. McKearin and
Wilson state that the works were likely built in 1847 and were in
operation in 1849, which is supported by directory listings.
By 1860, the works were being operated by Jonathan and were
abandoned by 1862.
John Lee Chapman died at his son-in-law's home on November 18,
1880 and the following obituary, which was printed in the Baltimore Sun the next day,
documents his life after leaving the glass business to his brother
Jonathan:
Mr. Chapman took an active part in local politics...In 1860 he
was elected a member of the first branch city council from the fourth
ward, he living then on the corner of Stiles and Exeter streets,
having served in the same ward in the same capacity for several
years previously, and was chosen president of the branch. In
the fall of 1861, when Mayor Brown was removed from office through
arrest by the military authorities, Mr. Chapman became acting mayor
of the city and served out Mr. Brown's term. In 1862 he was
elected mayor... and in 1864... in 1866 he was elected again, but
did not serve the term out, the democratic party having come into
power...and by adopted of a new constitution a new election was
ordered.......While Mr. Chapman was mayor the introduction of a new
City Hall was begun...water rights secured for construction of the
Gunpowder water supply...he was an ex-officio member of the
police board. Mr. Chapman took an active interest in the
Western Maryland railroad, and was elected president...in November
1866, which position he held for two years. He gave much
attention to the building of the road as far as
Hagerstown......While president he purchased a tract of land at Blue
Ridge, which he owned at the time of his death. In 1869
President Grant appointed him naval officer at the port of
Baltimore, which position he held for four years.....until
appointed...to position of superintendent of public stores...In
1877...the office held by Mr. Chapman was abolished....Mr. Chapman was
afterwards appointed one of the district inspectors, and
subsequently a storekeeper at warehouse No. 60 Buchanan's wharf,
which position he held at the time of his death. He was
regarded a good and faithful officer, and was a man of decided
opinions and strong character. He was married twice.....His
second wife was the daughter of Mr. Wm. Thompson, a well-known
citizen of Washington.....By his first wife Mr. Chapman had six
children, three of whom are dead. The three that survived are
daughters.....By his last wife Mr. Chapman had one son, who is about
seven years old, and is a namesake of his father.
The Chapman soda is a bit of an anomaly. The lip is unique amongst
early soda bottles. I believe this bottle dates to the period
1840-1844 and may be Baltimore's oldest soda water bottle. It
comes in both a copper puce and aqua coloration. Since
Jonathan Chapman does not mention bottling equipment for sale in
1847 nor in the 1845 ads, it would appear the bottling aspect of the
business was abandoned earlier. The puce colored bottle must
have been made in Baltimore, but the aqua version could have been
blown elsewhere.
Rushton & Aspinwall's early history was document in
the previous chapter.
They continued to bottle soda waters in
the early years of the 1840s. A May, 1841 advertisement now
mentions that carbonated lemonade was now being bottled in addition
to soda and Seidlitz waters. Perhaps the influence of
Roussel's lemonade was being felt in New York City. Note that
the ad also states that the bottles contain one glass each
indicating the size of the bottles.
The firm continued to remain at remained at the 86 William, 110
Broadway, and 10 Astor House locations until January of
1843, when the partnership dissolved as noted by the advertisement
shown. William L. Ruston went on to form the firm of Rushton &
Company, which consisted of himself and William
Hegeman. They
kept the drug stores at 110 Broadway & 10 Astor House. James S. Aspinwall went it alone and kept the drug store at 86
William Street. It is interesting to note that both firms
continued to sell bottled mineral waters.
There appears to be one lone bottle used during this period of
1840 to 1842. Since the soda water business was a May to
September endeavor and the firm was about to dissolve, it seems
unlikely that bottles were either produced or used in 1843.
Rushton & Aspinwall continued to favor the English style bottles
and the manufacturer that they used produced a better quality of
glass than was used previously. Although both surviving firms
continued to manufacture and bottle soda water, there are no
recorded bottles with their singular names embossed. There
should be Rushton & Company and James S. Aspinwall torpedo
styled bottles. It is likely that the invasion of the
Philadelphians in the spring of 1843 drained their bottling business
and made them focus on the traditional drugstore business.
George D. Coggeshall was one of the most influential pharmacists
in New York City during the Ninetieth Century.
He was
born in 1807 and died on November 5, 1891. He was an 1828 graduate
of Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and moved to New York City and
where he established his own drug store. He was a founder of New York
Pharmacy College, where he was president from 1851 to 1854. He was
also elected the first recording secretary in 1851.
In 1840, Coggeshall started to advertise that he was an agent for
Swan's Atmospheric Soda Fountain, which was patented on November 3,
1838. During 1840 and 1841, he also advertised that he was a "Chemist, Druggist, and Manufacturer of Aerated
Waters." I was not able to find references to his
production of "aerated waters" prior to or after these
years.
The Coggeshall bottle would date to the 1840-41 period of Coggeshall's
advertisements. It is an olive green color and is a more refined
nature that the bottles of the previous decade. Coggeshall
continued the tradition of using English styled bottles that were
prevalent in New York prior to the invasion of the Philadelphian's
and their Roussel style bottles.
The above are bottles of the old guard of New York City soda and
mineral water bottlers. The new guard had arrived form
Philadelphia and their new style of product and bottles would be much
more successful and present a dramatic change. Note the
uniformity of the New York City bottles to follow as compared to the
ones listed above.
John Tweddle Jr. was born on November 14, 1822 in
Pennsylvania according to his 1857 passport application. John
Tweddle Jr. was the son of John Tweddle Sr., an English immigrant,
who started as a brewer in Downingtown, Pennsylvania in the 1820s
and moved to West Chester, Pennsylvania in the 1830s. John Sr.
left Chester County and moved to Albany, New York in 1838 where he became a wealthy
merchant dealing in hops and malt. His two sons, John Jr. and
Thomas B. were involved in related businesses and eventually joined
their father in the malting business selling his product to various brewers
in New York City. Thomas B. Tweddle operated the
old brewery in West Chester and eventually bottled beer and mineral
water there. Three different West Chester bottles are
known. His brother John Jr., at age of 21, moved to New York
and with backing of Eugene Roussel set up a mineral water
business. Of the three Philadelphians who invaded New York in
the spring of 1843, John Jr. was the most successful and set up
business at 12 John Street. An ad in the Albany Evening
Journal for 1843 demonstrates that John Sr. was likely helping his
son expand the business from New York City to Albany, where he was
now a successful businessman. The
following are directory listing that show the transition of the
business from soda water bottling to malting:
1843 New York Tweddle John, soda & mineral waters, 12 John
1844 New York Tweddle John jr. soda & mineral water, 38
Cortlandt
1845 New York Tweddle John jr. soda & mineral water, 38
Cortlandt (Doggett's)
1846 New York TWEDDLE JOHN, JR. soda and mineral water put up in
glass bottles, 38 Cortlandt, h. 38 Cortlandt
1847 New York Tweddle John jr. sodawater, 38 Cortlandt, &
maltster. Broome c Tompkins, h. 38 Cortlandt
1848 New York TWEDDLE JOHN JR. sodawater, 38 Cortlandt, &
maltster. Broome c Tompkins, h. 38 Cortlandt
1849 New York TWEDDLE JOHN, JR. sodawater, 41 Barclay, &
maltster. Broome c Tompkins, h. 41 Barclay
1850 New York TWEDDLE JOHN, JR. sodawater, 41 Barclay, &
maltster. Broome c Tompkins, h. 41 Barclay (Doggett's)
1851 New York TWEDDLE JOHN, JR. sodawater, 41 Barclay, and
maltster, 2 Broome, h. 41 Barclay
1852 New York TWEDDLE JOHN, jr. sodawater, 41 Barclay, and
maltster, 2 Broome, h. 41 Barclay
1853 New York TWEDDLE JOHN, jr. sodawater, 41 Barclay, &
maltster, 2 Broome, h. 41 Barclay (Trow)
1854 New York Tweddle John, jr. sodawater, 41 Barclay, &
maltster, 2 Broome, h. 41 Barclay (Trow)
1854 New York Tweddle Thomas B. sodawater, 41 Barclay, h. 11 Jay (Trow)
1855 New York Tweddle John, jr. maltster, 2 Broome, h. 41 Walker
1855 New York Tweddle Thomas B. maltster, 2 Broome, h. 40
Lexington av.
1856 New York Tweddle John, jr. sodawater, 41 Barclay, &
maltster, 2 Broome, h. 41 Barclay
1856 New York Tweddle Thomas B. sodawater, 41 Barclay, h. 11 Jay
1857 New York Tweddle John, malt, 2 Broome & 295 E. 11th, h.
Albany
1857 New York Tweddle John, jr. maltster, 2 Broome, h. 41 Walker
1857 New York Tweddle Thomas B. maltster, 2 Broome & 295 E.
11th, h. 40 Lexington av.
1857 New York Tweddle, Kitching & Co. malt, 2 Broome & 295
E. 11th
1858 New York Tweddle John, jr. maltster, 2 Broome, h. 41 Walker
1858 New York Tweddle Thomas B. maltster, Broome c Tompkins, h.
118 Lex. av.
1859 New York Tweddle John, jr. maltster, 12 Broome, h. 41 Walker
1859 New York Tweddle Thomas B. maltster, 10 Broome, h. 118 Lex.
av.
1859 New York TWEDDLE J. JR. & CO. malsters, 10 Broome
1860 New York Tweddle John, jr. maltster, 6 Broome, h 41 Walker
1860 New York Tweddle Thos. B. maltster, 6 Broome, h 118 Lex. av.
1860 New York TWEDDLE J. JR. & CO. malsters, 6 Broome
John Jr. operated out of 38 Cortlandt Street in 1844 and remained
there until 1848, which nicely dates the bottles marked with that
address. He also entered the malting business that year on
Broom Street. The property and dwelling at 41 Barclay Street
became available for rent according to the New York Tribune in December
of 1848. The property was described as a "valuable
three-story basement dwelling-house" and the location
"one of the best in the lower part of the city." Tweddle
subsequently moved to 41 Barclay in 1849 and remained there until 1854.
The 1856 Directory
listing is likely a misprint copied from the 1854 Directory as in
1855 Hopkins and Brothers were listed at 41 Barclay selling imported
paints and oils, according to the New York Times in that year, and
John Jr. was listed as living at 41 Walker
Street. And on February 9, 1856, the contents of 41 Barclay
Street were being auctioned of because the building was to be
demolished according to the New York Times. New York City
Directories were published in the month of June, and not January
like in most cities. Thomas B. closed up shop in West Chester
in 1850, sold his equipment to his brother John Jr. in New York, and
eventually moved to New York to join his brother. The two
brothers and their brother-in-law, A. C. Palling, formed the malting
company at the established location at 6-10 Broome Street under the
firma name of J. Tweddle Jr. & Company. John Jr's death in
Bergen, New Jersey, was recorded in an 1868 Albany newspaper on
February 13, 1868.
The early Tweddle bottles were likely manufactured by
Philadelphia area glass works and likely at the reopened Dyottville
Glass Works. The bottle with out the embossing of "PATENT"
on the reverse and no city is the earliest and dates to 1843.
The two bottles with the word "PATENT" on the reverse date
to 1844. John Jr. has several later bottles that bear the
address of 39 Cortlandt Street and 41 Barclay Street date 1845 to
1848 and 1849 to 1854 respectively. One of the early bottles
has Tweddle misspelled Twedle and another later bottle has the "J"
in "JR" reversed.
Thomas W. Newton was born in about 1802 in Pennsylvania
according to the 1870 New York City Census, but this date could not be collaborated.
We do not have much information on Newton's years in Philadelphia.
He first appears as a machinist and turner at 62 Dock Street in the
1831 Philadelphia Directory. Ice skates of a new design were
mentioned as being manufactured by Thomas W. Newton at 60 Dock
Street in the September 1832 issue of the American Turf Register
and Sporting Magazine. On July 30, 1833, Newton and Joseph
H. Laning received a patent for an improved water hydrant. In
the years leading up to Newton's move to New York City, he is listed
as a plumber at various locations along or near Market Street. The
following directory listings show Newton's
transition form a plumber in Philadelphia to a soda water bottler in
New York City:
1842 Philadelphia Newton Thomas W., plumber, 495 High
1843 Philadelphia Newton Thomas W., plumber & gasfitter, 26 N 13th
1843 New York Newton Thomas W., patent soda fountains 13 Beekman
1844 New York Newton Tho's W. min. water, 290 B'way, h. 527 Pearl
1844 New York Newton & Co. mineral water, 290 Broadway
1845 New York Newton Thos. W. min water, 290 B'way, h. 523 Pearl
(Doggett's)
1845 New York Newton & Co. mineral water, 290 Broadway
(Doggett's)
1846 New York Newton Thos. W. mineral water, 290 B'way, h.171
Grand
1846 New York NEWTON & CO. mineral water, 290 Broadway (See
Appendix, page 7)
1847 New York Newton Thos. W. mineral water, 7 Elm, h.7 Elm
1847 New York NEWTON & CO. mineral water, 7 Elm
1848 New York Newton Charles W., 316 Broadway, h. 18 Elm
1848 New York Newton Thomas W. mineral water, 316 Broadway, h.18
Elm
1848 New York Newton & Co. mineral water, 316 Broadway
1849 New York Newton Charles W. lawyer, 61 Wall, h. 45 Bond
1849 New York Newton, Thos. W. late mineral water, r. 273 W. 18th
1850 New York Newton, Thomas W. soda water, Centre c Leonard, h.
Brooklyn
Newton was clearly bottling soda water in New York due to his
winning a diploma for "the best bottled Soda water with syrups"
in October of 1843 from the American Institute in New York. It
is interesting that Newton
was located at 7 Elm Street for only one year. Part of the
issue may have been the neighborhood. In the September 4, 1847
edition of the New York Tribune, we find Newton was a complainant
against "persons for keeping houses of ill-fame."
These included a number of women from numbers 11, 12, 25, 27, 27
1/2, 29, and 30 Elm Street. In 1849 Newton appears to have
left the soda water business. In 1850, we find that Newton was
living in Brooklyn and it appears he briefly reentered the soda
water business but soon returned to his older profession as a
plumber and gasfitter. He likely resided in Brooklyn until
1854, when he resurfaces as a gasfitter living at 38 Eldridge in New
York City. From an 1877 article in the New York Sun
newspaper we find that Newton was a gas engineer for the Bowery
Theater for 35 years. Newton appears to have died in late 1878
or early 1879, as this is the last year that he is listed as an
engineer living at 256 Madison Avenue in the New York Directory and
he could not found in the 1880 Census. He would have been
about 76 years old.
There is only one known Newton & Company bottle that dates to
the early period being covered by this article. This bottle
dates to 1844. There are four later bottles from this firm
that date from the period1845-1848. The best of these is a
rare scalloped shouldered blue soda that dates to 1848.
Adam William Rapp was born about 1788 according to the
1850 Brooklyn Census and is birthplace is listed as unknown and no
occupation was listed.
As early as 1829 a Mrs. Rapp ran a seminary or school in Philadelphia
and Adam may have been her son. An 1832 advertisement places
Rapp in New York teaching penmanship, but no supporting information
can be found to him being in that city, In that same year he in
published the book A complete system of scientific penmanship:
(without ruling,) and pen-making with a Philadelphia
publisher. In 1836 he is listed in a Philadelphia will of his
mother Elizabeth Rapp. In 1837, he published another work Testimonials
and Scientific Penmanship. He was listed as a
teacher in 1839 in Philadelphia Directories and In the 1841, we find
that Rapp is listed as a confectioner as well as a teacher at 226 North 6th
Street. As announced in the Public Ledger on April
29, 1841, Adam opened a printing ink manufactory on North
Ninth Street between Brown and Coates (Fairmount today) under the
name of Rapp & Company. Later the business was destroyed by
fire and Rapp was thrust into insolvency in early 1843 as published
in the Daily Pennsylvanian on March 4, 1843. When the
opportunity arose for Rapp to get a new start in the mineral water
manufacturing business in New York, he was all in. The following entries illustrate Rapp's transition
from Philadelphia to
New York and the subsequent history of his business:
1842 Philadelphia Rapp Adam W., teacher 414 N 9th
1843 Philadelphia Rapp Adam W., teacher 248 N 7th
1843 New York Rapp Adam W. manuf. min. waters, 95 Av. 3
1844 New York Rapp Adam W. manuf. min. waters, 95 Av. 3
1845 New York RAPP ADAM W. manuf. min. waters, 95 Av. 3, h. 99 Av. 3
(Doggett's)
1846 New York RAPP ADAM W. & CO. min. waters, 95 Av. 3, h. 99
Av. 3
1846 New York Dearborn Alex. min. waters, 95 Av. 3, h. 101 Av. 3
1846 New York Dearborn John, rootbeer, 159 Rivington, h. 12
Attorney
1847 New York Dearborn Alexander min. waters, 95 Av. 3, h. 101 Av.
3
1847 New York Dearborn John, rootbeer, 159 Rivington, h. 12
Attorney
1847 New York DEARBORN & CO. min waters, 95 Av. 3
1847 New York Rapp, A. E. mineral waters, 80 Chatham
1847 New York Rapp Henry P. sodawater, 13 Hamilton
1848 New York Dearborn Alex. mineral waters, 95 Av. 3, h. 101 Av.
3
1848 New York Dearborn John, min. water, 95 Av. 3, h. 71 Seventh
1848 New York Dearborn J. & A. & Co. mineral waters, 95
Av. 3
1849 New York Dearborn Alex. mineral waters, 95 Av. 3, h. 101 Av.
3
1849 New York Dearborn John, min. water, 95 Av. 3, h. 35 Av. 3
1849 New York Dearborn J. & A. mineral waters, 95 Av. 3
1850 New York Dearborn Alexander sodawater, 95 Av. 3, h. 101 Av. 3
(Rode)
1850 New York Dearborn John, sodawater, 95 Av. 3, h. 105 Av. 3
(Rode)
1850 New York Dearborn J. & A. mineral waters, 95 Av. 3 (Rode)
By April of 1845, Rapp had opened a branch in Albany, New York
and was selling his bottled mineral waters at 111 Market Street
according to an Albany Evening Journal. It is likely he opened
another branch in Newark, New Jersey, as he was listed as bottling at 336 Broad Street in the
1846 directory, this business was sold to Jesse R. Donaldson the
following year. There was also a concern called, A. L. Rapp
& Company, which was at 366 Broad Street. There are marked
bottles with this name and this is the address used by Donaldson,
even though Donaldson claims he succeeded A. W. Rapp and not A. L.
Rapp. It is likely A. L. Rapp briefly succeeded A. W. Rapp
before selling out to Donaldson. In October of 1845, Rapp received a silver medal for
"superior soda water, with fine flavored syrups" from the
New York Department of Manufactures and the Arts at its 18th Annual
Fair. In November of 1845, Rapp was dealing with rumors that
were an attempt to ruin his business. In an ad dated November
21st 1845 in The Evening Post Rapp lashes out at these rumormongers,
but does apologize to his customers for his "seeming
neglect" of their business. Likely due to overextending
himself, in December of 1845
Rapp made Alexander Dearborn a partner and the firm became A. W. Rapp &
Company. No
bottles are known to exist with the "Rapp & Co." embossing.
The following notice appeared in the June 8, 1846 edition of
The Evening Post:
THE PARTNERSHIP heretofore existing be between the
subscribers under the name, style and firm
of A. W. RAPP & CO.
is this day dissolved by mutual consent. ALEXANDER DEARBORN is
hereby
authorized to settle up the affairs of the said firm.
Dated New York, May 23d, 1846
ADAM W. RAPP
ALEXANDER DEARBORN
By July 2, 1846, the business reorganized with Alexander Dearborn and
William Boggs under the name of A. Dearborn & Co. as advertised
in the same New York Evening Post. By September 18,
1846, Rapp republished his book on penmanship and was teaching it to
young gentlemen between the ages of 20 and 40 to serve as
instructors at 498 Houston Street. We loose track of Rapp
until 1850 when he is residing in a
Brooklyn hotel according to the Census records for that year.
By January of 1852, he has made his way back to Philadelphia, reaches back into his past experience, and is issued
patent number
8,641 for a gold pen. This patent was reissued on July 22,
1856. He immediately starts extensively advertising his pens and
establishes a shop in Philadelphia for their sale. His last
directory listing is in 1856 and he may have died during that year
at nearly 70 years of age. This may also be why his patent was
reassigned in July of 1856.
Adam W. Rapp's brother Henry B. Rapp was an agent for the
Dyottville Glass Works in 1844 and 1845. Rapp's later bottles
are marked Dyottville and there is little doubt that his early
bottles were manufactured by this Philadelphia glass works.
The first bottle illustrated will date to 1843 and the second 1844
and are reflective of bottles made in those respective years.
Zalmon
Stone Bostwick was in the soda water business for one brief
year. Zalmon was born on September 9, 1814 in Hinesburg
Vermont according to web sources and supported by later Census
records. According to these same web sources, he was married
to Orianna H. Hanks on April 16, 1839 in New York City.
According to other web resources, he was working as a silversmith as
early as 1841. The following New York City directory listings
were found for Bostwick:
1840 Bostwick Zalmon, 555 Pearl
1843 Bostwick Zalmon S., soda water, 105 Murray
1845 BOSTWICK ZALMON, (late Thomson) silver ware manufacturer, 128 William, h 128 William
1846 BOSTWICK ZALMON, (late Thomson) silver ware manufacturer, 128 William, h 128 William
Bostwick must have tired his hand at manufacturing soda water
based on the success that he saw amongst
the Philadelphians. His working knowledge of metalwork may
have served him well in producing soda waters. His trail was not
successful, and he appears to have returned to the trade of
silversmith. An 1844 advertisement, lists Bostwick at 128
William Street, which at the time was the business of William
Thompson. In 1845 Bostwick purchased Thompson's business,
which had its roots back to 1801. An 1846 advertisement lists
the wares he had for sale in an appeal to New York City families.
In the 1850 New York City Census Bostwick is listed as a thirty-six
year old silversmith born in Vermont.
Bostwick is reported to have died in 1852 and left several
young children with his wife. Pieces of his silverware are in
the collection of Brooklyn Museum and are frequently offered for
sale at auctions. Bostwick's silverware is much more common
than his bottles. The Bostwick bottle is typical to those used
in 1843. It bares a scar pontil and was no doubt the product
of a Philadelphia area glass manufacturer.
Jenkins & Company was founded by Charles T. and George W. Jenkins in
1844. This was another one of the
short
lived firms that tried to capitalize on the success of the invading Philadelphians. The following entries were found in the New
York City Directories:
1844 Jenkins & Co., mineral water, 37 Elm
1844 Jenkins, George W. mineral water, 37 Elm
1844 Jenkins, Charles T., mineral water, 37 Elm
1845 Jenkins & Co. mineral water, 37 Elm
1845 Jenkins, George W. mineral water, 37 Elm
1845 Jenkins, Charles T., mineral water, 37 Elm
After 1845, no further entries were found for Jenkins &
Company. The bottles themselves date to 1844 and have the
slightly taller stance than the bottles from the previous
year. It also bears the embossing "Improved Patent"
on the reverse side, which is a hallmark of 1844 and 1845
bottles. There is no known patent or improved patent
associated with these bottles. It is most likely that these
bottles were manufactured by a Philadelphia area glass manufacturer.
Carter & Wilson were druggists in
Boston, Massachusetts.
Solomon Carter was first listed as a druggist in Boston in 1838 at
Chambers corner Poplar. By 1840, Carter had moved to Hanover corner Portland
and was listed at that address in an February 1841 Lowell Currier
newspaper advertisement. The 1841 Boston Directory lists a
partnership of Carter and John Wilson at the Hanover street
address. This partnership lasted through 1845. The
following year, in January of 1846, the firm was known as Carter, Wilson &
Company. The earliest ad I could find from Carter & Wilson,
as related to "Mineral Water" appeared in the May 9, 1845 edition of the
Boston Traveler:
MINERAL WATER.-The subscribers having secured the
services of Mr. JOHN REED, of Philadelphia, a celebrated
Manufacturer, and for a number of years foreman of Mr. E.
Roussel's well known Mineral water Establishment, are now prepared
to offer the public an article flavored with all different syrups,
and superior to anything that has been introduced, and have no
hesitation in saying that it is fully equal to Roussel's famous
article, which have been pronounced by competent judges to excel
all others. For sale by the dozen or gross, and sent to all
parts of the city.
CARTER & WILSON,
Wholesale and Retail Druggists,
corner of
Portland and Hanover streets.
Again, just like in New York, Roussel and the style of mineral
water developed by him and copied by other Philadelphians was
spreading across the United States. Not only were Carter &
Wilson manufacturing and selling retail in Boston, but were selling
their mineral water wholesale through
agents as illustrated by this ad in the
Salem Register and dated May 29, 1845:
FRENCH SODA WATER, The undersigned is sole agent
for Carter & Wilson's Mineral Water, and will supply Hotel
Keepers and Families, at the Manufacturer's price.
This article is beautifully flavored and is far more
sparkling than that drawn from the fountain; and, being kept in
glass, all metallic taste is obviated.
For sale by the dozen or single bottle, and in larger
quanties (sic).
A full supply will be kept well iced
during the summer,--those desiring a fine glass of Soda, will
please call at No. 256 Essex street.
J. S. HARRISON
We find the following information on Solomon Carter in Boston
of to-day: a glance at its history and characteristics:
CARTER, SOLOMON, son of Solomon and Elizabeth
(White) Carter, was born in Lancaster, Mass., Jan. 19, 1816.
His education was acquired in the schools of his native town and in
Master Whitney's evening school in Boston (which used to be in
Harvard place, opposite the Old South Meeting-house), where he
studied two terms. He began work as a boy in a retail
dry-goods here, and not long afterwards became an apprentice in the
drug-store of Gregg & Hollis. Then, in 1839, when
twenty-three years old, he opened a retail store on his own account
in the West End. Subsequently, removed to Hanover street, he
enlarged his operations, and he continued in the wholesale as well
as the retail drug business for about thirty years, the firm name
during that period changing several times.....
According to the Proceedings of the American Pharmaceutical
Association at the Fortieth Annual Meeting 1892 Solomon Carter
died at Savannah, Georgia on April 11, 1892 having moved there due
to poor health.
I was not able to find any biographical information on John
Wilson, but it appears that his son, John Wilson, Jr., was also a
druggist who practiced in Boston as part of the firm of Fairbanks,
Wilson & Company.
The Carter & Wilson bottles are date to the later period of
1844 and it appears the mold was used for a couple of years.
There is also a Carter, Wilson & Company bottle which dates to
the formation of that firm in January of 1846 and is reflective of this
advertisement in the Boston's Daily Atlas dated March 28th, 1846:
MINERAL WATERS, MANUFACTURED BY Carter, Wilson & Co.
corner of Portland and Hanover streets, Boston. They are
prepared to furnish Hotels, Refreshment Saloons, Families and
Parties with superior Mineral Water in glass bottles, with
different flavors, at short notice. We wish the orders be
sent in as early as convenient.
The bottles are of a
different form that those of Philadelphia and may not have been
manufactured in the Philadelphia region.
Edmund McIntire has been a bit of a mystery man. The
E. McIntire bottles have been purported to be from New York, Philadelphia, and New
Orleans. To date no there has been no conclusive evidence as to the manufacturer
that filled these bottles with mineral water, but that is about to change.
It all starts with this directory listing in the 1844 Boston Directory:
1844 McIntire Edmund, manufacture mineral water, 2 West, house
South Hudson near curve
I have only been only able to find one Edmund McIntire who would
have been of age when theabove listing was published. I found the
following information in Minnesota: Its Story and Biography, Vol.
2:
Samuel B. McIntire was born at the old town of Dedham,
Massachusetts, May 21, 1838, a son of Edmund and Sarah Ann (Palfry)
McIntire. His father, of Scotch-Irish stock, was born in Vermont in
1809, and died in 1882, while his mother was born in Massachusetts
in 1810 and died in 1894. Edmund McIntire was a farmer, in 1849 went
out to California gold fields, later lived in Chicago for a time,
and in 1856 became one of the pioneers at Yucatan in Houston County,
on the northwestern frontier, where he entered land from the
government. In 1860 he moved into the village of Houston, and
remained there until his death....He and his wife were married in
Massachusetts, and of their five children two are living....
Dedham is a suburb of Boston and the above history is supported by the following United States Census
records:
1840 Census Dedham MA Edmund McIntire
1850 Census Stockton CA E. McIntire 39 W M Miner Vermont
1860 Census Yucatan MN McIntire Edmund 49 Miller Vermont
1870 Census Houston MN McIntire Edmund 57 Hotel Keeper Vt
1880 Census Houston MN McIntire Edmund 69 Farmer Vt
I do not have any evidence that McIntire was in New Orleans, but
he may have moved there briefly, shipped his wares there, or sold
his bottles to a soda water manufacturer there. It has been
reported that some of his bottles have been found in New Orleans,
but it is very interesting that the squared collar on his newer soda bottles,
which has a top that is unique on soda shaped bottles, is identical
to the top on the 1845 Darling & Ireland torpedo and C. A.
Browne soda bottle, which are also from Boston and of the same
period. The early bottle
dates to 1844 and was likely manufactured by a Philadelphia area
glass works.
James W. Garrison was reported to be a druggist in
Louisville, who was reported to be selling soda and mineral
waters as early as 1838. I have not been able to find
reference to Garrison as a druggist, but did find reference to him
bottling soda and mineral waters. Garrison was born in
Virginia in about 1805 according to Census records and he married Mary Jane Foster on January 27, 1844
in Louisville.
Garrison is listed in the 1850 Louisville Census as a "Soda
W. Manufacturer," with holdings of about $6,000. He is
again listed as a "Soda Manufacturer" in that 1860 Census
with holdings of $25,000. Directory listings put the business
at 13 Bullitt St. or Bullitt alley, which was between Main and
Market Streets and Fourth and Fifth. Garrison not only sold
soda and mineral waters, but also "sirup (sic)."
Garrison died some time between 1861 and 1864. The business
was carried on by his wife Mary Jane Garrison and David Enochs under
the firm name of M. J. Garrison & Company until 1866.
Enoch may have run the business for one year after that alone as
Mrs. Garrison appears to have left Louisville in 1866. In 1871 H. G.
Prenger & Company were operating out of 13 Bullitt Street and
sided soda bottles exist from this firm.
The Garrison bottles mimic the Philadelphia style and should date
1844-1845, making them the oldest in Kentucky. They were
likely manufactured by one of the many glass manufactories operating
in Pittsburgh. The glass color is somewhat different than that
of Philadelphia and the expenses of shipping bottles from the
Philadelphia are would have been prohibitive.
Coxe & Macpherson operated a drug store at 29 Camp
Street. The firm was made up of Edward Jenner Coxe and Edward
Macpherson who were Philadelphia natives that relocated to New
Orleans some time between 1837 and 1840. Coxe was the son of
John Redman Cox, an early experimenter with pox vaccines, who
vaccinated his son Edward; the first child in the United States to
be vaccinated against a disease. Edward attended the
University of Pennsylvania and graduated in 1823. We find the
following biographical in formation in the University of Pennsylvania Medical Bulletin Volume XX
1907-1908:
Edward Jenner Coxe, M.D., University of Pa., 1823, son of John Redman Coxe, M.D., and Sarah, daughter
of Colonel John Coxe, of Bloomsbury, Trenton, New Jersey, was born December 8, 1801, at Philadelphia. He married Mary Louisa,
daughter of Louis Clapier, of Marseilles, France. He died at New Orleans, September 21, 1862. When twenty-three days old, he
was vaccinated from the cow; so much faith had his father in the virus that he placed him in the arms of a man dying of
smallpox. The disease did not prove contagious. The child was called Edward Jenner, after the great benefactor of mankind.
Macpherson is a bit more elusive, but does leave a trail. Based
on Census records and his death records, we can estimate that he was
born in 1807 in Pennsylvania, likely Philadelphia. He died in
New Orleans November 28, 1882. What is clear is that both men
knew each other. The following are directory listings from
Philadelphia:
1828 Coxe Edward Jenner, M D M D 419 Chesnut
1828 M'Pherson E., druggist, N E cor Broad and Chesnut
1829 Macpherson Edward druggist cor Broad and Chesnut
1830 M'Pherson E. druggist N E cor Broad and Chestnut
1831 Coxe Edward Jenner, M D M D 419 Chesnut
1831 Macpherson Edw, drugg c Broad & Chestnut
1833 Coxe Edward Jenner, M D M D 419 Chesnut
1833 Macpherson Edw, drugg c Broad & Chestnut
1837 Macpherson E., druggist, N E Broad and Chestnut
419 Chesnut Street, the early name for Chestnut Street and the office of Coxe, was about one block away from the Northeast corner
of Broad and Chestnut, the location of Macpherson's drug store. The
two young men must have formed a close friendship and decided to
relocate to New Orleans and open a drugstore there. The 1840
New Orleans Census list both men living next to each other with no
other members in their households. In 1842 and
1846 New Orleans Directories, they are listed as
druggists under the name of Coxe & Macpherson at 29 Camp
St. According to the book American Pot Lids, the firm
dissolved in 1847. Macpherson continued to operate the
drugstore at 29 Camp Street, while Coxe practiced at a different
location.
Coxe became a well published authority on cholera and developed
medications to treat the disease. He also presented
information that led to the development of the cottonseed oil
industry.
Coxe and Macpherson likely retained close associations with
family, friends, businesses and the professional organizations that
existed in Philadelphia. Many of Coxe's publications, while he
was in New Orleans, were published in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia was also the leading supplier of drugs and chemicals.
So it seems likely that they would have known about the soda water
craze that was taking place in Philadelphia in the early 1840s and
took a stab at the bottling business.
Their soda water bottle bears the form that was
used about 1844 and was likely made at the Dyottville Glass
Works in Philadelphia due to the similarity in color, form, and
manufacturing technique to the Philadelphia bottles.
Agricol Favier
operate a series of business offering food and refreshments to the
citizens and politicians of Washington City. The earliest
reference that was found is dated April 4, 1831 and is an auction of
the property known as the White House Retreat, a tavern was occupied
by Favier at the time of the sale. A year later, he is selling
brandy, wholesale or retail, that he had recently imported at a new
location on 19th near the "Seven Buildings." During the 1830s,
Favier advertised extensively several related businesses.
These included renting rooms and properties, operating a restaurant,
and a bar, and running the "eating department" at the Washington
Race Course. In 1839, Favier was looking for a gardener to tend
to his gardens, which he opened to the public. Although later
ads claimed that Favier was manufacturing mineral waters as early as
1837, the following is the first reference that was found. It
appears that he had imported a mineral water apparatus from France as
recorded in the Daily National Intelligencer on June 13, 1840:
A CARD.
FOUNTAIN OF HEALTH.
THE Subscriber respectfully informs the Public
that he has imported direct from Paris complete apparatus for
making artificial Mineral Waters, as Soda, Seltzer, and others,
which in all respects resemble those obtained from the springs,
they have been analyzed by distinguished chemists, and found to
contain precisely the same component parts as the natural water
of the springs. He also prepares Gas Lemonade, Raspberry
and Current Waters, and many other delightful effervescent
drinks, such as are well calculated to please the palate during
the hot days of summer, while they invigorate and refresh the
body; all of which he will furnish to families or individuals,
by the single bottle or by the dozen, on the most reasonable
terms, at their residences, or at his Restaurant on 19th street
west, near Pennsylvania avenue, or at his Garden, between 17th
and 18th streets west, about four squares north of the
President's House, where the apparatus may be examined by such
scientific gentlemen as desire to do so.
A. FAVIER.
N. B. All kinds of Syrups may be obtained as above.
In the spring of 1844, Favier opened his Spring Garden Park.
The Park was in the First Ward and located north of the Six
Buildings and was his water source for the manufacture of mineral waters
at the soda fountain located in the park and ice cream and other
refreshments were also served.
The park was landscaped and entertainment was provided periodically.
His "Spring Garden" spring waters were also used in bottled waters as announced
(re-announced?) in the Daily National Intelligencer on June 13,
1844:
A. FAVIER would respectfully inform the public that he
is now prepared to furnish his Mineral Water in bottles to
families, at their residence, in a great variety of flavors,
such as Raspberry, Lemon, Strawberry, &c.; together with plain
seltzer, soda, Saratoga, and other mineral waters.
A. F. would respectfully invite your attention to the subjoined statement
in relation to these waters, which you will perceive is signed
by Dr. Thomas P. Jones, formerly Professor in the Franklin
Institute at Philadelphia, and more recently Professor of
Chemistry in the Medical Department of the Columbian College in
the District, and the late Dr. Frederick Hall, Professor of
Chemistry in the last named institution, together with many of
the most eminent physicians in the District.
The proprietor would state that the water made by machines like his is
very extensively in use in Paris, and is daily becoming more so
on account of its great celebrity and invigorating, and
refreshing qualities as a summer drink.
Orders directed to A. FAVIER, 19th street west, near Penn. avenue, will
be promptly attended to.
A. F. has also on hand for sale sirups in great variety of flavors.
The bottles can be sent to any part of the District, and so packed as to
be sent to any of the neighboring cities.
Although Favier had listed bottles waters an 1840 advertisement
and an 1843 directory listing which is a copy of the same
advertisement,
there was no mention of bottled waters until the above 1844
advertisement. The known bottle dates to this exact time
period. It is likely that the 1840 advertisement used bottles
that were not conducive to bottling pressurized mineral and soda
waters and were quickly abandoned.
Favier continued to rent rooms in his home and serve dinners for
paying customers and private parties. In December of 1845, he
converted his bar into a "Confectionary and Comestible Establishment"
as advertised in the Daily National Intelligencer on December 20,
1845. Perhaps he was feeling the pressures of the Temperance
movement. Over the next several years, Favier continued to
improve and expand his businesses. In 1846, he added a Swiss
Cottage to the Park to be rented for parties and perfumery and fancy
goods to his confectionary store.
Up until 1847, Favier appears to had a monopoly on the bottled
soda water business, but that was about to change. In the
spring of that year Julius Rother, a vinegar manufacturer in nearby
Georgetown, turned his attention to the mineral water trade.
The two faced off in adjacent ads during 1847 with each touting
the medical properties of their waters and sporting a list of
eminent scientist and physicians indorsing their products.
Favier touted his French equipment and Rother his American made
fountain. Favier ran an advertisement in the Georgetown
Advocate on August 12, 1847 where he had analysis done on mineral
water in white bottles, his, and green bottles manufactured by
another manufacturer (Rother). That in the white bottles was
pure and that in the green bottles had the taint of sulfuric acid.
Collectors should be on the lookout for clear or lead glass Favier
bottles, which may or may not be embossed.
In 1848 due to the success of his other businesses, or perhaps
competition from Rother, Favier was
seeking a partner or a leasee to operate the Spring Garden park and
the Mineral Water operations. Unfortunately, a fire destroyed
the mineral water operations during the summer of 1848. Favier
quickly reopened the works and added a new ice cream and mineral
water saloon to his mix of businesses.
At this point both of the competitors were using torpedo shaped bottles. In fact according to the August 16, 1849 edition of
the Daily National Intelligencer, Rother was using Favier's bottles:
A CARD.-A. FAVIER gives notice to his customers that an
injunction has been granted by the Circuit Court of this
District upon his bill of complaint against Julius Rother,
commanding and enjoining the said Rother, his agents and
servants, from collecting and using the mineral water bottles
bearing the name of A. Favier, and belonging to him. He has been
informed that this injunction has been repeatedly violated, and
is determined, if the fact being so, to bring the parties to
proper punishment for a contempt of Court at its next meeting.
Meantime he thinks it due to his customers, as well as to
himself, to put them on their guard against a spurious article
not manufactured by him.
Perhaps Favier won the competition as Rather sold his mineral
water establishment to Henke & Maack in August of 1850.
But Favier was also selling off his businesses starting in 1850
and continuing thru 1851 selling his restaurant and boarding
rooms, several other rental properties, and the confectionary
business. He focused on the Spring Garden Park, adding
several buildings, and the mineral water business ordering a new
silver plated fountain and a batch of new bottles as documented
in the Daily National Intelligencer on June 9, 1852:
A. FAVIER respectfully sends his sincere thanks to the
Medical Facility for the recommendation of his Analyzed Mineral
Waters to their patients and the public in general. His mineral
water has been analyzed twice by the most distinguished
chemists; first by our late Dr. T. P. Jones in 1837, and the
other by our Dr. Page in 1847. A. F., to continue to merit the
same approbation, has sent to Europe for one silver-plated
machine, which is daily expected. In order to prevent any
misunderstanding, he has changed the shape of his bottles-the
octagon bottles are engraved "A. Favier, Spring Garden, Analyzed
Mineral Water," and the round ones "A. Favier, Mineral Water,
recommended by the Medical Faculty."
Wanted, immediately, two good colored boys, to work in the establishment,
from twelve to fourteen years of age.
A. FAVIER
The description of the bottles, although backwards in
description, should accurately date the later Favier bottles.
The following year, Favier, likely due failing health, was seeking a
partner or to lease either individually or jointly the mineral water
business or the park. On October 23, 1854, Agricol Favier died
after a lingering illness of four months and his wife continued the
businesses and tried to lease or rent them apparently without
success. By the summer of 1855, Spring Garden Park, on M Street
between 17th and 18th, was under the control of Christian
Lightsbecker. The last advertisement for the lease of the
mineral water manufactory was in December of 1855, by this time,
several competing makers were present both in Washington City,
Georgetown, and Alexandria, and the value of the business was
diminished and was likely sold at auction soon after.
This bottle is certainly a product of the Baltimore Glass Works
and is from about 1844 and bears an early improved pontil.
There is one known bottle and it is heavily repaired.
Davenport & Companyis from an unknown firm that may have been from the Middle Atlantic
States. There are at least two bottles known; one was picked in
south central Pennsylvania and the other resides in a collection of
Southern soda water bottles. There are the initials of D. G.
& K. on the reverse of the bottle. Whether this stands for D. G. & K. Davenport & Company or
Davenport, G? & K? is not known. There was a David G.
Davenport who was born in Maryland and was a farmer in the Midwest
in 1850 and in the same year there was a Chicago coppersmith named
D. Davenport who was born in Vermont. It is possible that
either of these individuals could have been members of this firm
when they were on the East Coast five or six years prior.
There were no male Davenports found in the 1840 or 1850 Census
records whose name stated with a "K."
The bottle also has the words "Mineral & Soda
Waters" embossed on the face of the bottle. Only the
Carter & Wilson bottles from
Boston and the Bentley bottles from
Philadelphia use both these products embossed on the face of the
bottle. Both these firms used the term "Soda &
Mineral Waters" whereas the Davenport bottles have the terms
reversed as "Mineral & Soda Waters." The
Davenport bottle also has the word "Patent" embossed under
the initials on the reverse. All other bottles of this style
have "Patent" embossed on the reverse shoulder of the
bottle. More research and a little luck is needed to identify
the firm that used this bottle.
The Davenport bottle has the attributes of a bottle that should
date to the period 1844 and may have been manufactured by a glass works
in the Philadelphia or South Jersey region.
C. A. S.is embossed on a bottle found in the Ohio area. The only
name that I have in my database that matches these initials and was
operating during the 1840s was C. A. Sammis of Hempstead, Long Island in New York State. It is
doubtful that this bottle is from Sammis as there were already a
number of manufacturers in the New York area and I do not believe
Sammis was operating in the early 1840s when this bottle was
produced. C. A. is a name pattern that I have seen often in
old records that would have often stood for "Charles A."
There are no Eastern bottles that bear the embossing style of
this bottle with just initials and embossed vertically across the
face of the bottle. This coupled with the fact that this
bottles was found in Ohio makes it seem more likely, to me, that
this bottle is from a major city along the Ohio River.
Possible candidates are Pittsburgh, Wheeling, Louisville, or
Cincinnati. Sutton is a name that occurs on early soda water
bottles in Cincinnati and may be associated with this bottle.
However, the Sutton that has the earliest bottles was named Isaac.
This bottle was likely manufactured by a Pittsburgh area glass
manufacturer and dates to the period of 1844. It could be a
year earlier as this bottle has the form of an 1843 bottle, but it
is likely that the Midwestern mold makers were stylistically a year
or two behind their Eastern mold maker counterparts. It is
also interesting to note that the mold maker forgot to cut the cross
bar on the "A" in the mold. This makes it an
error bottle.
Unnamed bottles are those that are unembossed or only have a product name
embossed and were produced by glass houses for soda and mineral water
manufacturers who could not afford to have molds made with their
names embossed on them. These bottles cover the full period of
1840 to 1844.
and his
mineral water manufactory and perfumery to 44 Prune Street (now
Locust). The Prune Street location was the site of Tivoli Theater
and the first site of the Jefferson Medical School. More
important to bottle collectors, Roussel created a demand for bottles that
induced Henry Seybert, a successful chemist, to reopen the
Dyottville Glass Works, which had not been operated successfully
since Thomas W. Dyott's bankruptcy in 1839.
John Reynolds operated a large bottling establishment.
In his initial year, 1841, he added 14 Pear Street as a second
location for the bottling business. We know that they were
importers of Importers of London brown stout, Scotch and Burton ales
and they sold bottles, corks and other bottler's supplies. As
early as 1843, Samuel Kirkpatrick was associated with the firm and
was likely a partner. During 1846, the 5 Pear Street location
was no longer listed and operations appear to have centralized at 14
Pear Street. In
the 1850 Census the following names were listed as bottlers in the
immediate vicinity of Reynolds and those with asterisk eventually
operated their own works:
After serving my apprenticeship with the late John
Wilbank, deceased, Market street, and after an experience of
about 20 years in the manufacture of Bells, I offer the public
that article which cannot be excelled in the United States, and
having received the premium from the Franklin Institute,
at their Exhibition, for the Bell of best tone and mode, I
believe that my many years' experience in the business and the
numerous well known proofs of the superior, tone of my bells
throughout the United States, have sufficiently established the
character of them. I therefore, with confidence, off to
the public the cheapest and best article in the United States:
and also continue to cast every description of Bells from 1 to
10,000 pounds in weight.
f 1819 after
long and arduous trip where the captain became deranged.
According to port of Philadelphia records, we find that Seitz arrived in Philadelphia on September 9, 1817
on the ship Hope from Amsterdam. It is possible that this could have been a different Frederick Seitz as Sebastian Goundie was aboard the ship Elizabeth that arrived in Philadelphia
on August 2, 1819, with his family, but I could not find Frederick Seitz on
that ship. This is a small mystery that needs to be unraveled.
In any case, the experience traveling to America kept Frederick from ever
traveling by sea again. 
at the brewery and bottles were marked "F.
Seitz." One of Seitz's claims was that he was the first
brewer to bottle beer in Pennsylvania. Although we know that
not to be true because beer was bottled in Philadelphia in the
colonial period and a sealed beer bottle from the late 1820s exists,
he was the earliest brewer to bottle beer in marked bottles of
his own mold starting in about 1844 or 1845. Seitz also built a bottling works on Bushkill Street on
ground he purchased from Samuel Wilhelm in 1853. From
this point forward, the bottles
were marked 
1787.
He immigrated
to Baltimore in August of 1817 at age 30. His early years in
Baltimore are not documented, but he appears in 1827 to be operating an
oyster and porter cellar at 11 South Street, a location he would
remain at for the next 25 years. In 1842, John took his son
Richard in as a partner. Soon after, they started to bottle
mineral water. Edgar Allen Poe visited their cellar for some
drinks in 1846. The following directory listings were found for the Boyds: 
which may place him in Baltimore in 1833 or perhaps he was brewing
in Providence starting in that year. 
Ezra
Gates under the name of Keach & Gates. This partnership
was formed on September 18, 1844. On March 18, 1845, Keach
advertised his mineral water fountain and accessories for sale, but
mentioned he would continue "to carry on still more extensively
than the past season" his mineral water bottling
business. The bottling business was relocated behind Keach
& Gates store and facing Wine Street. Keach bottled
mineral water extensively during the 1845 and 1846 seasons, but sold
the bottling business to his foreman, John Olive, on February 1,
1847. There are no known Olive bottles, but the Keach mold was
later used by 
an
"extravagant increase in rent" Chapman closed the South
and Market Street location and moved to 2 South Street. By 1842, he had
opened a new branch store at 25 Sharp Street, but that store was closed
by 1845.
appeared in the August 28, 1847
Baltimore Sun:
They
kept the drug stores at 110 Broadway & 10 Astor House. James S. Aspinwall went it alone and kept the drug store at 86
William Street. It is interesting to note that both firms
continued to sell bottled mineral waters.
He was
born in 1807 and died on November 5, 1891. He was an 1828 graduate
of Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and
transition form a plumber in Philadelphia to a soda water bottler in
New York City:
Jersey, as he was listed as bottling at 336 Broad Street in the
1846 directory, this business was sold to 
issued
patent number
8,641 for a gold pen. This patent was reissued on July 22,
1856. He immediately starts extensively advertising his pens and
establishes a shop in Philadelphia for their sale. His last
directory listing is in 1856 and he may have died during that year
at nearly 70 years of age. This may also be why his patent was
reassigned in July of 1856. 
amongst
the Philadelphians. His working knowledge of metalwork may
have served him well in producing soda waters. His trail was not
successful, and he appears to have returned to the trade of
silversmith. An 1844 advertisement, lists Bostwick at 128
William Street, which at the time was the business of William
Thompson. In 1845 Bostwick purchased Thompson's business,
which had its roots back to 1801. An 1846 advertisement lists
the wares he had for sale in an appeal to New York City families.
In the 1850 New York City Census Bostwick is listed as a thirty-six
year old silversmith born in Vermont.
Up until 1847, Favier appears to had a monopoly on the bottled
soda water business, but that was about to change. In the
spring of that year 
