Idaho's earliest soda bottle is embossed Pioneer, Brown &
Co. This was the firm of Brown & Company of
Idaho City. The firm was established in the Spring of
1864 as announced in this article in The Boise News on April
16, 1864:
SODA FACTORY.--Messrs, Brown & Co. have started
a soda factory on Commercial street near State. As
a starter have dropped a dozen at the printing office.
The sample was of excellent flavor, and highly charged
with gas. As this article is intended as a credit
against the charge, it is hoped the books will balance.
On June 27th of that same year, the "front of Brown & Co.'s
soda factory was carried away" by a "violent wind" as were
damaged many other buildings in Idaho City according to the
July 2nd edition of the Boise News. Note that the firm
does not appear as F. C. Brown & Company, but simply Brown &
Company, which matches the embossing on the bottle.
F. C.
Brown was listed in the IRS Tax Records starting in May of
1865 and continued to be listed in them thru August, 1866.
There are tax records for the remainder of 1866 and 1867 thru 1870, but Brown was not
found in them. There is a reference on the "Delinquent
Tax List" to a lot and building "on Commercial street next
above the School House and below the soda factory" in the
Idaho Semi-Weekly World on November 20, 1867 and F. C.
Brown & Co. were listed as soda water manufacturers in the
1867 Pacific Coast Directory.
In the September 19, 1868 edition of the Idaho Semi-Weekly
World, there is an account of a child named Clark, who was
four years old, playing with other small children "in the
old soda factory formerly occupied by F. C. Brown, at the
foot of Commercial street." The child tasted the dregs
of acid in a jar that was used to make the carbonic acid for soda water. Due
to some quick action the child was given an antidote by Dr.
Healy and the injury was restricted to his tongue.
This event would seem to indicate that Brown & Company had
left Idaho City and possibly for some time. In the
1870 Idaho City Census, Samuel W. Wolff was operating the
soda water factory and living with the retired liquor dealer
Francis Miller. They had established the Idaho Soda
factory in May of the same year as F. Miller & Company.
In the summer of 1869, F. C. Brown & Company set up shop in
Hamilton, Nevada as documented in this advertisement in the
Inland Empire on June 16, 1869:
F. C. BROWN & CO.,
Pioneer Soda Water Factory,
HAMILTON, NEVADA,
ARE READY TO SERVE CUSTOMERS IN THIS and surrounding Districts. je16-1m
Brown was not listed in the 1870 Hamilton Census, but there
was listed a Maisie Frazier as a soda water manufacturer and
it seems that there was not room enough for two soda water
manufacturers in that town. So we can assume that
Brown was long gone by the summer of 1870. Where he
move to after that is not known.
So what can we conclude from all this information? We
are certain that Brown & Company were in Idaho City and
started business in April of 1864. We do not know if
they were located elsewhere before coming to Idaho City.
In fact we do not know who Smith's partner or partners where
nor do we know his given name. We know that he is
listed in IRS Tax records up until August of 1866. The
soda factory is mentioned in November of 1867, but it does
not state that it was operational. Smith & Company
were listed in Langley's Pacific Coast Business Directory
for 1867, but this listing is misleading as can be learned
form this article in the Idaho World on May 26. 1866:
PACIFIC COAST BUSINESS DIRECTORY.--This
is the title of a work now in preparation by Henry G.
Langley, San Francisco. Mr. Langley is well known
to business men as compiler of Langley's San Francisco
Business Directory. an invaluable work for the counter.
The Pacific Coast Directory will be gotten up in a
similar style. ... containing the names and business
address of all merchants, manufacturers and professional
men in California, Oregon, Nevada, and the Territories
of Washington, Idaho and Montana. ... Mr.
Selah Smith, agent for the work, is now in Idaho City
for the purpose of collecting facts for publication, and
will proceed from Idaho to Montana for that purpose. ...
So we can see that the the Brown listing in the 1867
Directory was actually collected in May of 1866. We
also know that he abandoned his factory some time before for
September, 1868 and the building was in such a derelict state
that very young children easily gained access to it.
We also know that F. C. Brown & Company were operating in
Hamilton, Nevada in June of 1869, if not slightly earlier
and only appears to have been there for one season, with
Frazier operating in Hamilton during the 1870 season.
So we can safely date these bottles 1864-1869. With
usage in Idaho City, ID from 1864-1866 and Hamilton, NV in
1869. The usage in 1867-68 and after 1870 is not known
and could have been some other gold or silver boom town of
the period.
As I was collecting soda and beer bottles, small amber
squatty bottles just under five inches in height with
rounded taper or blob tops and metal lightning stoppers
would catch my eye. Many of these were marked "Pluto"
and Boston. I initially thought these might be early
sample Pluto water bottles, but paid little attention to
them for years.
Somewhat recently, I saw one of these marked "Vulcanizing"
and thus the mystery of these little bottles was resolved.
These bottles contained the cement that was used to
patch inner tubes for cars, motor cycles and bikes and were
part of a kit. The conditions of early roads
necessitated lots of these kits. These bottles seem to
date 1900 to about 1920. The below ad is from the Automotive
Dealer and Repairer for July, 1910 and shows a pottery M.
& M. bottle:
Other ads in the same publication show ceramic
bottles from the Empire and Peerless companies, but to date
these bottles are not known.
The 1910 Motor Cycle, Motor Boat & Automobile Trade Directory,
published by the Chilton Company of Philadelphia lists 30
companies offering "Tire Cement" as follows:
Ball-Fintz Co., The, Newark, O. "Evalon"
Brooklyn Rubber Co., 397-401 Summer Ave, Brooklyn, N. Y. "Clingfasta"
Diamond Rubber Co., Akron, O. "Titan" & "In-a-Jif."
Empire Mfg. Co. 200 E. Exchange St., Akron, Ohio.
Firestone Tire & Rubber Co., Akron, O. "Firestone."
Fisk Rubber Co., Chicopee Falls, Mass. (Auto & Bi.)
Fry, Keyser, 723-25 Chestnut Stt., Reading, Pa. "Ever Right."
G & J Tire Co., Indianapolis, Ind. "G & J." Goodrich, B. F. Co., Akron, O. "Goodrich." Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., Akron, O. "Goodyear."
Hartford Rubber Works Co., 691 Park St., Hartford, Conn. Hazen-Brown Co., 100 South St., Boston, Mass. "Pluto Cement," "Vulco-Nu-Tread" & "Hazenoid."
India Rubber Co., 1461 Michigan Ave., Chicago, Ill. M. & M. Mfg. Co., Akron, O. "M. & M." & "Knead It."
Mansfield Rubber Co., Mansfield, O. "Mansfield."
Mattson Rubber Co., Lodi, N. J.
Michelin Tire Co., Milltown, N. J. "Michelin." Morgan & Wright, Foot of Bellevue St., Detroit, Mich.
O'Neil Tire & Protector Co., Akron, Ohio, "O'Neil."
Parks, Co. B. F., 173-5 Prescott St., Grand Rapids, Mich.
Peerless Cement Co., The, 39 Viaduct, Akron, O. "Peerless"
Seamless Rubber Co., New Haven. Conn.
Selbach Rubber Co., 471 Tremont St., Boston, Mass.
Smith, C. J., & Co., St. Paul, Minn. "Cisco." Standard Leather Washer Mfg. Co., 24-26 Boudinot St., Newark, N. J. "Gray's"
Thermoid Rubber Co., Trenton, N. J.
Tingley, Chas. O. & Co., Rahway, N. J. "C. O. T."
Van Cleff Bros., 7711 Woodlawn Ave., Chicago, Ill. "Dutch."
William Mfg. Co.. Camden, N. J. ("Williams S-V," "Williams Plug-It" bicycle)
Young, Orlando W., 174-80 Frelinghuysen Ave., Newark, N. J.
Note: Bolded names have known bottles
Just three years later, the 1913 edition of the Chilton Automotive Directory listed
no less than 49 firms selling "Tire Cement" and this list
included the The Hazen-Brown Co. of Boston and their "Pluto
Cement" and several other companies that have bottles
embossed or glazed with their name.
Yes these bottles come in glass and in glazed pottery
bottles. The glass and pottery bottles come in both
small are larger sizes. Many were made in plate molds
and this indicates there was a demand for a cheaper
alternative to having a private molds made. A bottle
with a blank plate is known. A sampling of bottles are
illustrated below:
Hazen-Brown Co. Boston, MA. Pluto
B. F. Goodrich Co. Akron, OH Vulcanizing Solution
C. O. Tingley Rahway, NJ. C. O. T. Vulcanizing
Fluid
C. O. Tingley Rahway, NJ. C. O. T. Vulcanizing
Fluid
H. I. Focht Co. Reading, PA Jewel 1910-1912
Some of these bottles, like the Goodyear and Goodrich
companies, were soon to be massive corporations that are in
business until this day. Others were started by
everyday citizens who just never were successful. An
example is
Harry I. Focht, who formed an automotive supply company in
Reading called the H. I. Focht Company in 1910 and named his "Self-Vulcanizing Fluid" after
his wife Jewell. His company was last listed in 1913,
when he switched to a shoe cleaning business.
These bottles have not been thoroughly inventoried nor have
they been inspected for details. But at least three
bottles have makers marks.
These bottles were manufactured by the the following glass
and pottery factories:
F. I. Co. Franklin Industrial Company, Warwick, OH (1906-1909) R. C. P Co. Robinson Clay Products Company, Akron, OH (1902-1975+)
A list of the firms that produced these bottles is as
follows:
Firm
Location
Glass Bottles
Pottery Bottles
Focht, H. I., Company
Reading, PA
1
Goodrich, B. F., Company
Akron, OH
1
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
Akron, OH
1
1
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Ltd
Toronto, ON
1
Hazen Brown Company
Boston, MA
1
Kansas
Rubber Company
Olathe, KS
2
M. & M.
Manufacturing Company
Boston, MA
3
3
Morgan &
Wright
Detroit, MI
1
Standard
Leather Washer Mfg. Company
Boston, MA
1
Tingley,
C. O.
Newark, NJ
2
Unknown Firm
Unknown
1
Total Bottles
9
10
Photos courtesy of Glass Works Auctions and Joe Brenckman.
Ad courtesy of Google Books.
The word "Knickerbocker" has its origins with the earliest
Dutch settlers in New Amsterdam (New York) and their
distinctive pants which ballooned above the knees and
shorted the term knickers. Later it came to represent
New York. There was a magazine called The
Knickerbocker or New York Magazine published during the
1830s thru the 1860s. So in the publics mind the two
words became synonymous with each other.
It was inevitable that merchants would use the word
Knickerbocker to refer "New York Style" products, which as
we will see was used for bottled beverages.
For purposed of this article, I will limit the scope to
pontiled soda and mineral water bottles.
The earliest use of the "Knickerbocker" moniker on soda
bottle was by Samuel Smith of New York City and he proved to
be the most prolific user.
I believe that Smith stated his career as a "ciderist"
at 108 Eight Avenue in New York City about 1838. I believe
that a ciderist was cider maker or bottler. In 1840, Samuel
Smith was listed as a brewer at 164 West Eighteenth, a
location that he remained for the rest of his days in New
York City. About 1845, soda waters were added to the mix.
Smith had plans of starting an empire and had established
branches in Troy, NY, Saratoga Springs, NY, Charleston, SC,
and Chicago, IL.
The line up, in date order of the Smith bottle mold
variations from 1845
to 1850 are below:
Earliest Smith bottle with
"Knickerbocker" ca: 1845
Smith soda bottle with
"Knickerbocker" ca: 1846-47
Smith sided bottle with
"Knickerbocker" ca: 1848-50
These are all marked New York, but Smith was also
operating in Troy, he was listed as living there in 1849,
Saratoga Springs, where he advertised as early as 1847,
Chicago and Savannah, where he did not use the work
"Knickerbocker on his bottles. In 1850, he sold the
New York business and moved his operations to Auburn, New
York. Bottles from these operations ware as follows:
Sided Smith soda bottle without a city
ca: 1848 to 1851
Sided Smith Auburn soda bottle dated
1852
ca: 1852 to 1855
Sided Smith Auburn soda bottle dated
1856
ca: 1856
Sided Smith Chicago bottle
ca: 1849-1850
The first bottle has no location and was likely a general
use bottle that was used at the various New York State
locations outside of New York City, namely, Troy and
Saratoga Springs. This mold was altered with the
addition of the year 1852, which was from the Auburn
location. The 1856 bottle has Knickerbocker Soda
abbreviated Kr. S. and is embossed Auburn. The last
bottle is from the Chicago operation, of which no supporting
historical records have been found.
Even Smith has a number of bottles from Charleston, South
Carolina, none of them are marked "Knickerbocker."
Smith sold his New York City business to William Pond in
1850. Pond modified Smith soda and porter bottle
molds, replacing S. S. with W. P. These bottles were
still being used in 1860, 11 years later. The Pond
bottles come in blue, green and aqua with improved pontils
and smooth bases. The Saratoga Springs business was
sold to Carpenter & Cobb and the Troy business was sold to
Cleminshaw & Moseley in 1850 or 1851. This firm used
two bottles different bottles; one the classic sided soda
and the other not. Charles Cleminshaw bought out his
partner in about 1852 and replace the "& M" with a "C" on
the mold giving "C C" embossing. These bottles are
pictured below:
There is another New York State bottler who produced
Knickerbocker marked bottles. That firm was Boughton &
Chase. They also marketed Dr. Cronk's beer. I
have found no evidence that Smith was the original founded
of this business like those in the other New York State
cities.
Cincinnati Ohio has two bottles with the Knickerbocker
embossing and they are from successive firms. The firm
of Durfee & Tobey was formed in the Spring of 1847 and were
operating until 1849. George F. Tobey continued the
business into the 1850s.
An
article came out in 2020 that identified A. P. Smith as
none other than Andrews Perkins Smith, a native born in 1833,
who later attended theology school and in 1855 became a
preacher. This made no sense to me as the bottles have
the appearance of being made in the late 1840s thru
the mid 1850s and I doubt a teenage would have had the
capital, experience or wherewithal to open a bottling
business or had time to keep the business' books while
studying the good one.
I checked my records and looked at the census records I had
for Charleston bottles and saw that these records indicate
that A. P. Smith was a 38 year old Englishman and listed as a
manufacturer of soda water1. By contrast, Andrew was a
17 year old student living in Alabama in 1850. So I
think we know who the real A. P. Smith was, but what about
him?
Unfortunately not much. I was able to find his entry
records into New York aboard the ship Mediator from London
on September 8, 1847. He is listed as "Capt. A. P.
Smith" and was 36 years old. Placing his birth about
1811. Subsequently, I found that he arrived in
Charleston aboard the ship Catharine, from New York, as
reported on November 22, 18472.
Smith started receiving goods from New York by ship starting
soon after in 1848. Shipments from Philadelphia stated
in 1849 and Baltimore in 1852. The shipments were addressed
to "A. P. Smith (1848, 1849, 1852, 1853, 1854, 1856)," "C. &
A. P. Smith (1849, 1850, 1851, 1852)," "A. P. Smith & Co.
(1850, 1851, 1852)," and by Railroad addressed to "A. P.
Smith (1850, 1851, 1852)," "A. P. Smith & Co. (1849, 1850,
1851, 1852, 1853)."
Smith submitted his soda water in competitions for
manufactured goods.
As far as awards, A. P. Smith & Co. received second best
soda water behind Gatchall & Co., who received a Silver
Medal in November of 1849 from the South Carolina Institute3.
A. P. Smith received another diploma in April of 18554.
In April of 1850, Smith was warning the public that he never
sold his bottles and he would prosecute violators according
to the law5.
It is noted that the only bottles used by the business up to
this point were sided bottles marked "SMITH & CO., PREMIUM
SODA WATER, CHARLESTON." That indicates that the Smith
& Company mug-base bottles date after 1850. He also
applied for relief from a license or tax on his cart used to
deliver his soda water in December of 18505.
This petition was denied by the Committee on Relief two
weeks later5.
The partnership of Smith & Company was dissolved
in February
of 1852 due to the death of the silent partner Nicholas U.
Chaffee6.
Chaffee was born in Newport, Rhode Island in 1803, moved to
Baltimore some time before 1832, where he operated a cordial
distillery, was an infamous shinplaster issuer, and where he
met and married Sarah Hoffman. Chaffee's time in
Baltimore was marred with confrontations, including the
humorous, sending a barrel of "slop" to the editors of The
Sun newspaper, to the serious, an armed barricade and
standoff at the distillery. In 1843 he was found
insolvent and his property, including the distillery, were
sold at auction. He shows up in Charleston in 1845 and
was elected flour inspector in August of 1847. He
resigned this position at the end of 1847, the same time
Smith shows up in Charleston. Chaffee died in
Charleston on
February 3rd, 1852. It seems probable that Chaffee
would never do business with firms from Baltimore based on
the bitter confrontations. After he died and later that year,
his former partner, Smith, started ordering and receiving merchandise
from Baltimore. This activity corresponds to the A. P. Smith (not
Smith & Co.) marked bottles, which were manufactured at a
Baltimore glass factory.
Smith advertised his soda bottling business for sale in
August of1854 due to declining health7.
It is likely, but not confirmed that Smith sold his bottling
business soon after this advertisement as all subsequent
references only mention soda water fountains and not the
bottling of soda and mineral waters. The first is a
mention of his fountain at the "Fair" in April 1855, where
Smith had a "soda fount" in a "Small ante-room" with a
"variety of syrups8."
A few months later, in August of the same year, Smith was
offering for sale his soda water stands; one at 97 Meeting
and two in the market. His reason for sale was
"declining health9."
Finally, his remaining fountains and fixtures were sold at
Sheriff Sale on December 1, 1856 "at the suit of James
Hafferty, survivor10."
This seems to indicate that Smith had died, but a week later
he shows up arriving on a the steamer Carolina, from either
Jacksonville or Fernandina in Florida as listed in the
shipping news section of the Charleston Mercury on December
9, 1856. Perhaps Smith had moved there to improve his
health or maybe this was not the "Captain" but was the
Reverend Andrews Perkins Smith.
I can find no record of Captain A. P. Smith alive or dead
after this date.
JOHN
RYAN NOTES: There
are a lot of holes in the story of the earliest soda water
and beer bottlers in Savannah. These notes will
hopefully patch some of these holes.
What did John Ryan do before establishing his bottling
establishment in Savannah in 1852. It is know based on
various later records that he was born in the New York City
area and that he had worked for years in the soda water
business in New York City before coming to Savannah.
But a search of directory and other records from New York
fail to identify what Ryan was doing. Was he in
business for himself? Was he working for someone else?
Are there bottles from New York that bear his mark?
Since no records were found, these questions remain
unanswered. And it does not help matters that there
were anywhere from 10 to 23 individuals named John Ryan in
New York City in the years leading up to 1852.
One clue is in one of John Ryan's later advertisements
that appeared in the Savannah Daily Morning News on June 1,
1857. In it he states:
As to capability. 12 years practical experience in
constructing the apparatus, and preparing Soda water, should
entitle me to the confidence of a discriminating public.
Since he started bottling soda water in 1852, 5 years
earlier, it would appear that he was involved in the
construction of soda water apparatus starting about 1845.
Thinking about a manufacturer of this product in 1845
conjures up John Matthews, an early pioneer in the soda
water and apparatus trade. Matthews even bottled soda
water very briefly about 1846 and had one marked bottle.
Searching for info on Matthews and Ryan turned up an 1850
New York City Census Record as follows:
Dwlg No.
Family No.
Name
Age
Sex
Race
Occupation
Real Estate
Birthplace
468
1061
John Matthews
41
m
Machinist
4000
England
Elizabeth "
39
f
"
Mary
"
19
f
"
John
"
18
m
Machinist
"
George "
16
m
"
N Y
Thomas "
7
m
"
Edmund "
3
m
"
Ann Anderson
24
f
Scotland
John Ryan
24
m
Machinist
N Y
Pat Cornich
20
m
"
Ireland
Everything lines up. John Matthews came to New York
City from England in 1832 and started the peddling soda
water and later building the apparatus. The fact that
his 18 year old son was born in England and is 16 year old
in New York supports a move between 1832 and 1834.
Ryan's listing notes he is 24 and born in New York.
That places his birth in 1825 or 1826 in New York, which
match later Census and death records.
So it is settled, John Ryan worked for John Matthews, the
famous apparatus manufacturer in New York City and was manufacturing
soda water equipment and possibly bottled
and/or manufactured soda waters before leaving New York and
opening his plant in Savannah. During the 1871, Ryan
was an agent for John Matthew, selling his soda water
apparatus.
It is probable that Ryan purchased his soda water
generators, bottling equipment, and fountains from his
former employer. And maybe he built his own machinery before
leaving! We know that Ryan had his bottles
manufactured by the Union Glass Works in Philadelphia.
Where he purchased his syrups and other supplies is not
known. From newspaper records, we learn that there
were many ships traveling between New York and Savannah in
1852. The trip took just 60 hours or a day and a half.
CHARLES A. H. UMBACH & COMPANY NOTES:
Information on this company is a bit sketchy, but a few
newly uncovered advertisements and court records fill in
some of the missing pieces. The earliest ad appears in
the Savannah Daily Morning News on February 23, 1858:
NOTICE.
THE UNDERSIGNED would respectfully inform their
friends and the public in general that they have this
day opened at the corner of Bay and Montgomery streets,
where they will be happy to receive orders for Bottled
Soda Water Porter, Ale and Lager Beer. CHAS. A. H. UMBACH
& CO.
This firm was short lived and was dissolved on June 1st,
1858. The following advertisement appeared in the
Savannah Daily Morning News on June 5th, 1858:
Dissolution of Co-partnership.
THE Co-partnership heretofore existing
under the firm of CHAS. A. H. UMBACH & CO., has been
dissolved by mutual consent by the withdraw of Mr.
GEORGE GEMENDEN. The business will hereafter be
conducted by CHAS. A. H. UMBACH on his own account.
CHAS. A. H. UMBACH.
GEORGE GEMENDEN,
__________________
THE undersigned begs leave to announce to his
friends and customers that he now conducts the Soda
Water Manufacturing business on his own account.
Being thankful for the liberal patronage heretofore
bestowed upon him, begs for continuance of the same.
June 1, 1858
CHAS. A. H. UMBACH.
On August 9th, 1858,
George Gemenden filed a petition against Charles A. H.
Umbach for failure to make payment on note for $500 in the
City Court of Savannah.
The note was signed on June 1, 1858 and due 60 days later.
It is not certain why Umbach took a loan from Gemenden.
The note was apparently the payment to George Gemenden to
buy him out of the partnership. The note read as follows:
$500.00
Savannah June 1st 1858 Sixty days after date I
promise to pay to the order of George Gemenden at Either
of the Banks in this City Five Hundred dollars Value
received
Indorsed
Chas A H Umbach
G. Gemenden
P Geibelhouse
A Champion
The Court ordered that Umbach appear in Court on the
first Monday of November, 1858. The case went to trial
on November 19th, 1858 and the Jury ruled in favor of
Gemenden and the court ordered Umbach to pay the $500.00,
plus interest, damages, and court costs.
A short 39 days later Umbach, sold
the soda water business to Charles Ehlers & Company as
recorded in the Savannah Daily Morning News on December 28, 1858:
NOTICE.
THE SUBSCRIBERS having purchased from
Chas. H. A. Umbach his Soda Water Factory and fixtures,
request all persons having his bottles in their
possession to return them to us at the factory corner of Montgomery
and Bay streets. Savan'h
CHAS. EHLERS
& CO.
So there we have it. Umbach and Gemenden started a soda water
manufacturing and bottling business in February, 1858. On
June 1st of the same year, Umbach brought out his partner
for $500 and being unable to pay him off sixty days later,
he was forced to sell the business to raise the funds having
lost his case in court. This would make the tenure of
this firm less than four months. It is probable that
Umbach was unable to purchase bottles with his name only
embossed on them. It should be noted that Gemenden was
receiving merchandise from Philadelphia in January and
February of 1858 and it is likely these were the shipments
of bottles for the new firm.
HELLER & COMPANY NOTES: It has been
documented that George Gemenden sold his bottling business
to Philip Heller and Fanny Silber, as Heller & Company, in
1856 and John Ryan bought the business in 1857, because he
claimed the bottles so marked his property. But not
much is known.
When exactly did Heller & Company form and when exactly
did if sell out to Ryan. On February 25th, 1856, Gemenden
and four other mineral water manufactures and beer bottlers
listed the agreed prices for their products in the
Savannah Daily Morning News. So we
know Heller & Company was after that date. On January 24th, 1856
Edward Kirby and Philip Heller formed a partnership, known
as Kirby & Heller, for the purpose of the brewery business.
The initial advertisement was to run for three months in the
Savannah Daily Morning News as follows:
CO-PARTNERSHIP.
THE undersigned have this day entered into
Co-partnership, under the firm of KIRBY & HELLER, for
the transaction of the Brewery business.
EDWARD KIRBY.
jan 24-3m
PHILIP HELLER.
This firm was short lived and dissolved on February 27,
1856, just over a month after it was formed as advertise in
the Savannah Daily Morning News on March 1st, 1856 as
follows:
NOTICE. THE firm of KIRBY & HELLER
was dissolved on the 27th inst. All persons
indebted to the firm are expected to make immediate
payment. Either partner is authorized to receipt
for the same.
EDWARD KIRBY. ;feb 29-2t PHILIP HELLER.
The next reference that I can find is a shipping notice
of goods received for Heller & Co. aboard the steamship
Florida from New York on August 25th, 1856 as advertised in
the Savannah Daily Republican. According to
legal records referenced in the book on Savannah Soda & Beer
Bottles, Gemenden sold his business to Philip Heller and
Fanny Silber on
August 1,1856. Other periodic shipping notices can be
observed on a monthly basis with goods coming in from
Philadelphia.
The firmed continued to thrive until disaster struck as
reported in the Savannah Daily Republican on May 21st, 1857:
A
story and a half wooden tenement, on the corner of
Taylor and West Broad-sts., owned by Christian Ubele,
and occupied by P. Heller as a Soda Water and Bottling
establishment, was consumed by fire about half-past
twelve o'clock, last night. The building was
insured for $600 in the Southern Mutual office ; and the
contents insured in one of the offices of which A.
Wilbur is agent, for $2,700. Mr. Heller estimates
his loss at $3,500, the machinery of his establishment
being very costly.
Heller must have decided that the cost to rebuild his
establishment was too great and sold what remained of his
business to John Ryan, on May 29, 1857, as documented in the
Savannah Daily Morning News:
TAKE NOTICE.- I have this day bought the entire
interest of P. Heller & Co. in the Soda Water, Porter;
and Ale business, and will hereafter conduct his
business connection with my own.
I have also brought of the late firm of P. Heller & Co. the right to
claim and take possession of all bottles bearing the
names of P. Heller & Co., and George Gemenden. I
do hereby caution all persons against buying, selling,
purloining, or in any way depriving me of the use of
bottles bearing the following names: John Ryan, T. & H.
Rober, C. Clark, and F. W. Headman.
JOHN RYAN.
Soda Water Manufactory, corner of Bay and
West Broad sts, where all orders will be thankfully
received and promptly attended to.
may29 1m
So Heller & Company's business existed for a short ten months.
GEORGE W. PORTER NOTES: Nothing tangible has been
found on this firm previously. My previous searches
focused on the period 1869 to 1879 based on the appearance
and embossing of the bottles. Turns out the bottle
actually dates to the end of the Civil War and
Reconstruction.
According to the Savannah Daily Herald on July 6, 1865,
George W. Porter was receiving consignments from New York as
early as July 5, 1865. A few days later on July 14, 1865
the following advertisement appeared in the same paper:
SODA WATER,,
We are prepared to supply Soda Water in any quantity, at the lowest
market price, and by strict attention to business,
neatness, promptness and dispatch, we hope to merit a
reasonable share of patronage.
PORTER & CO., jy14-2
cor. Jones and Montgomery sts.
During the remainder of 1865, G. W. Porter is listed in
the shipping news monthly as receiving goods delivered via
steamer form New York and in October of that year Porter
returned to New York to retrieve his wife and return to
Savannah. For the 1865 Tax year, a Porter & Fell are
listed as manufacturers, but in a March 1886 tax record,
George W. Porter
is back taxed as a manufacturer ten months and as a retail
liquor dealer back 3 months. It seems probable that
Porter and Company was dissolved by the end of 1865.
Starting in January 1866, Porter is listed alone as a
manufacturer, retail liquor dealer and soda water seller.
These tax records continue thru July 1866. shipping
news records, of goods coming from New York City, also stop
during June of 1866. The reason for this is that
Porter sold his business to John Ryan at the end of August
1866 as documented in the Savannah Daily News & Herald on
August 29th, 1866:
Notice.
HAVING DISPOSED OF THE SODA WATER, PORTER AND ALE
BOTTLING BUSINESS, with all the appurtenances thereunto
belonging, unto Mr. John Ryan, all persons having
bottles or other property belonging to said business
will please deliver the same to him, his agents or
drivers. We would also solicit for him the
patronage extended to us
G. W. PORTER,
Per A. E. Porter, Attorney
________
Having purchased the above business, I intend to conduct
it in connection with my own, in such a manner as, I
trust, will give entire satisfaction to all who favor me
with their patronage. My desire is to please.
Parties are requested to report to me any misconduct or
inattention on the part of my drivers.
JOHN RYAN
au19-6t Manufacturer and Bottler of Soda Water.
So that places Porter's business existing for about 8
months ending in August of 1866. Another Savannah
mystery solved.
FRANCIS W. HEADMAN NOTES: Headman is an
overlooked soda water bottler in Savannah and whose bottles
are basically ignored by Southern collectors. Part of
the issue is that Headman was a mineral water manufacture in
Philadelphia and Baltimore prior to coming to Savannah.
Headman arrived in Savannah on March 2 or 3 1852 aboard
the steamship Florida from New York, about
the same time as John Ryan. Perhaps they both saw a
potential in establishing a mineral water bottling
establishment there. Unfortunately the was not a
market for both men and it is obvious who the won the soda
wars during these early years in Savannah.
The earliest advertisement for Headman in Savannah, can be
found in the Savannah Daily Morning News on May 15, 1852:
We received yesterday from Mr. HEADMAN, samples
of six bottles each of Lemon, Ginger, and Sarsaparilla
Soda water, manufactured by him at his establishment at
the foot of Abercorn street, on the Bay, and which he
serves to customers in any quantity required. By
the use of choice syrups Mr. HEADMAN is enabled to
produce a very superior article--equal to any thing of
the kind we ever tasted. There can be no more
delightful or wholesome summer beverage than his Ginger
or Sarsaparilla Soda water, which later, especially, we
consider the best we ever drank. The introduction
of his bottled Soda waters into public houses will
afford an excellent substitute for stronger and less
healthful drinks. The low price at which it is furnished
will also cause it to be extensively used in private
families. He furnishes it to public houses at 37
1/2, and to private families at 50 cents per dozen.
Headman continues to get shipments from Philadelphia and
New York steadily for the next three years. At some
point he sold his bottles and possibly the entire business
to John Ryan as recorded in this ad in the Savannah Daily Morning News on June
22, 1857:
TAKE NOTICE.--I have this day bought the entire
interest of P. Heller & Co. in the Soda Water, Porter:
and Ale business, and will hereafter conduct his
business connection with my own.
I have also brought of the late firm of P. Heller & Co.
the right to claim and take possession of all bottles
bearing the names of P. Heller & Co., and George
Gemenden. I do hereby caution all persons against
buying, selling, purloining, or in any way depriving me
the use of bottles bearing the above names, as also
bottles bearing the following names: John Ryan, T. & H.
Rober, C. Clark, and F. W. Headman.
JOHN RYAN Soda Water Manufactory, corner of
Bay and West Broad sts, where all orders will be
thankfully received and promptly attended to.
The bolding is mine to highlight that Ryan owned and was
using Headman's old bottles.
Starting in 1855, George F. Headman was shipping goods to
Savannah. Francis was working as an agent for George F. Headman
which was ended with an announcement in the Savannah Daily Morning News on March 18, 1858.
It can be speculated that Francis was in business from 1852
until about 1855, when he sold it to John Ryan and started
working for George F. Headman as an agent. Three years
later the two were disassociated and by 1860 Francis W. had
moved back to Pennsylvania, residing in Bensalem Township in
Bucks County as a Farmer.
There are several pontiled bottles marked F. W. Headman.
Some are marked with Philadelphia and are from his time in
that city. Others are not marked with a City
embossing. Some of the earlier bottles may be from his
time in Baltimore, Philadelphia or some other city. I
suspect the later bottles without a town name were used in
Savannah,
Philip Young & Philip Young & Company Notes:
Not much is known on this firm. P. Young arrived from
Philadelphia aboard the State of Georgia Steamship On
November 7th or 8th of 1858. During 1859, he was
receiving shipments from Philadelphia. In February of
1860, P. Young & Company received good from Philadelphia and
in March, P. Young received good from the same city.
It is likely this firm lasted to the start of the Civil War.
A
story and a half wooden tenement, on the corner of
Taylor and West Broad-sts., owned by Christian Ubele,
and occupied by P. Heller as a Soda Water and Bottling
establishment, was consumed by fire about half-past
twelve o'clock, last night. The building was
insured for $600 in the Southern Mutual office ; and the
contents insured in one of the offices of which A.
Wilbur is agent, for $2,700. Mr. Heller estimates
his loss at $3,500, the machinery of his establishment
being very costly.
