Unlisted Diamond “M” Bitters? – Saint Louis
17 April 2013
While tracking down leads and support information for another bottle, I was surprised when I saw reference to a DIAMOND “M” BITTERS in an 1868 St. Louis business directory advertisement. That name sure didn’t ring a bell. I knew that I possessed an extremely rare DIAMOND BITTERS from Detroit but this ad was from St. Louis, or at least the brand was sold in St. Louis by Mulligan & Company. I little more searching in Fold3 and Ancestry.com showed me that we were talking about Eugene Mulligan and Charles H. Davis.
A quick search in Carlyn Ring and Bill Ham’s Bitters Bottles, Bitters Bottles Supplement and new archived material compiled by Bill showed no reference to this bitters name or The Mulligan Company. How odd. An unlisted bitters.
Westward The Star of Empire Wends Its Way”
What is most intriguing are a few phrases on the advertisement I found (see below). The first is “Westward The Star of Empire Wends Its Way”. The second is “Established in New York, September 1828, Do. Buffalo, N.Y. October 1843 and Do. St. Louis, Mo. August 1867”, and the third is “An Experience of forty-five Years”. Has this brand really been around that long”, starting in New York in 1828?
“Established in New York, September 1828,
Do. Buffalo, N.Y. October 1843 and
Do. St. Louis, Mo. August 1867″
“An Experience of forty-five Years”
Well there are no bottles for this post, nothing more than what I found below. Maybe someone has some more information? Bill I guess we will need a number. Diggers, start digging.
The new listing by Bill Ham for the forthcoming Bitters Bottles Supplement 2:
D 68.5 Diamond “M” Bitters
Mulligan & Co., Sole Proprietors, St. Louis, Mo.
St. Louis Directory, 1868
1868 Edwards’ annual directory to the inhabitants, institutions, incorporated companies, business, business firms, manufacturing establishments, etc., in the city of Saint Louis – Southern Publishing.
St. Louis directory listing for Mulligan & Co.’s famous “Diamond M” Bitters – 1868
St. Louis directory advertisement for Diamond “M” Bitters – 1868
City Directory St. Louis 1868 – Eugene Mulligan & Charles H. Davis wholesale liquors, 700 N. 4th where Diamond “M” Bitters were sold
