J. Hayes & Co. – Manchester, New Hampshire

Posted on 23 April 2013 by Ferdinand Meyer V

The Flasks

J. Hayes & Co. – Manchester, New Hampshire

23 April 2013

Pam Selenak sent me an email link from ebay for a neat little J. HAYES & CO. | WHOLESALE DEALERS | MANCHESTER, NH flask. Pam is the FOHBC Public Relations Director, and of course she is referencing our 2013 FOHBC National Antique Bottle Show this coming July in Manchester.

Dana Charlton-Zarro followed up pretty quickly, after I posted the above picture on facebook, with another aqua example of a WM HAYES | MANCHESTER NH. Slightly different embossing. Now we have a William and not a “J” Hayes? I also see that Jeff and Holly Noordsy have sold an excellent example sometime in the past (see below). Jeff even adds “probably blown at the Lyndeboro Glass Works, Lyndeboro, NH”. Now we see the “J” stands for “John”.

“JOHN HAYES & CO / WHOLESALE DEALERS / MANCHESTER NH”, bright yellow amber, strap-sided flask, American, probably blown at the Lyndeboro Glass Works, Lyndeboro, NH, C. 1880, rare. – Jeff and Holly Noordsy

I have always been intrigued by these little pocket flasks. I also really like the embossed circle and concentric graphics that you often see within the circle. Let’s see if we can find out about Mr. Hayes. At least I might be able to say I know something about a Manchester flask if anyone asks this coming July.

Stoneware

Stoneware Lamp, Impressed ‘J.HAYES & CO / MANCHESTER /NH – from the Bramley Collection: from the Thomas Catlin House, Litchfield, CT – iGavel Auctions

A quick Google search pulls up quite a few stoneware pieces with the HAYES name inscribed in the piece.

Stoneware Jug, Cobalt Raised Wing Bird, Advertising Hayes & Company Manchester, New Hampshire. A scarce jug adverting whiskey and wine; straight sided with semi-squared spout decorated with a slip-trailed cobalt design of a bird about take flight off of a tree branch or flower stem. Bird depicted with a sense of motion, in a rare raised-wing stance with cobalt spots and feather detail to wings and body. Jug impressed “HAYES & CO., / WHOLESALE DEALERS IN / W ? S, &C. / MANCHESTER, N.H.” – Antique Associates

The Hayes name is a bit challenging meaning I can not confirm the family lineage with much support material. I do suspect there is a parent Jeremiah Joseph Hayes and the sons are John J. (born in London and died in Manchester) and William. This would correspond with the bottle embossing and the advertisement dates posted.

Pulled from Ancestry.com. Here you can see that Jeremiah Hayes (1822-1865) was the father with sons John J. Hayes (1850-1906) and William Hayes (b 1859) with an incorrect female pictogram.

Posted below you will see some Hayes & Company, Manchester, New Hampshire advertising that I was able to locate.

Advertising

We invariably hold the largest stock of Pure Liquors in the state.

Hayes & Co. advertisement in Manchester by JOHN B. CLARKE – 1875

John Hayes & Co. advertisement in Manchester Almanac, City Directory, and Business Index – 1879

John Hayes & Co. advertisement in The Manchester, New Hampshire, Directory – 1882

Historical

Elm Street (downtown) scene, Manchester NH, circa late 1800’s

Just some cool imagery to help frame my vision and give me some background on Manchester. Manchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which divides the city into eastern and western sections. Manchester is near the northern end of the Northeast megalopolis. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 109,565, the most of any city in northern New England. [Wikipedia]

Early ‘birds eye view’ map of Manchester. It is dated 1884 which is way to late in my estimation. Looks more like the early 1800s. With cross referencing other maps, I was able to locate Concord Street.

American_Locomotive_Company_Manchester_New_Hampshire_1912

Postcard photo of the American Locomotive Works (ALCO) factory in Manchester, New Hampshire. This factory was formerly known as the Manchester Locomotive Works before it was bought by ALCO in 1900. A Bangor and Aroostook locomotive is seen on the tracks at the factory. – Postmarked 1912

Posted in Advertising, Flasks, FOHBC News, Glass Companies & Works, History, Liquor Merchant, Questions | Tagged fohbc, Hayes & Company, J. Hayes & Co., Jeff Noordsy, Jeremiah Joseph Hayes, John Hayes, Lyndeboro, Lyndeboro Glass Works, Manchester, New Hampshire, William Hayes, Wm. Hayes & Co. | 1 Comment

1935-1939 – Pictures of the United States

Posted on 21 April 2013 by Ferdinand Meyer V

1935-1939 | Pictures of the United States

This was a mere 75 years ago or so….Makes complaining about no cell service, high gasoline prices, not enough cable channels, seem a bit ludicrous. No credit cards to buy what you want, but don’t need!

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without”

Thanks to Gary Beatty for forwarding these pictures.

Posted in Advice, History, Photography | Tagged Gary Beatty, photography, pictures, United Stapes | Leave a comment

A Glimpse at Providence Advertising in 1861-2

Posted on 21 April 2013 by Ferdinand Meyer V

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND

A Glimpse at Providence Advertising in 1861-2

21 April 2013

I have to admit, I get side tracked real easily when looking up information on Bitters brands. In this case it was looking for information on Barber’s Indian Vegetable Jaundice Bitters put out by Oliver Johnson & Company in Providence, Rhode Island. Looking for advertising for the product in the 1860s, I was captured and intrigued by locating the company on a map (see below) of that period and by some of the other businesses that competed with Mr. Johnson with his advertising in the various Providence Business Directories of the period. This made me to wonder what else was happening in he 1860s in Providence.

Map of the City of Providence, Rhode Island – 1870 (Location of Oliver Johnson & Co.within red rectangle)

Providence is a great city full of history. On a few previous trips to the Heckler Columbus Day Hayfield event in Woodstock, Connecticut and the Yankee Antique Bottle Show in Keene New Hampshire we have managed to stay at the historic Hotel Providence downtown, visit some of the museums and look at the old architecture. I keep a journal, I have since 1975 or so and write and sketch just about every day. Below you will see two sketches from 2006 and notes from a visit to Providence prior to the shows and a visit to Columbus Circle of of Central Park in New York City after the shows.

Journal spread from 2006 showing the Tilden Thurber building in Providence (left) and the new Time Warner Center in New York City at Columbus Circle. View from Central Park – Ferdinand Meyer V journal 2006

Providence and Civil War: 1860-1868

Providence, like every city in America, felt the impact of the Civil War, but this was a war that many in Providence sought to avoid. Yankee businessmen, especially those producing cotton textiles, had economic ties with the South which war would(and did) disrupt. As some critics remarked, there seemed to be an unholy alliance between the “lords of the loom” and the lords of the lash,” as the slave holders were called. In addition, many foreign-born Irishmen, resentful that they needed land to vote while blacks were subjected to no such discrimination, had little sympathy for freeing those who could become their rivals for jobs on the lower rungs of the economic ladder.

Consequently, when the Republican party nominated Seth Padelford for governor in 1860–a man whose antislavery views were extreme–a split occurred in party ranks. Supporters of other Republican aspirants and Republican moderates of the Lincoln variety joined with Democrats (who were softer on slavery) to nominate and elect a fusion candidate on the “Conservative” ticket. Their choice, twenty-nine-year-old William Sprague, was heir to a vast cotton textile empire and a martial man who had attained the rank of colonel in the Providence Marine Corps of Artillery. Sprague outpolled Padelford 12,278 to 10,740, carrying Providence 3,578 to 2,761–victory celebrated as a rebuke to abolitionism by the citizens of faraway Savannah, Georgia, who fired a 100-gun salute in Sprague’s honor.

But if Providence and Sprague were soft on slavery, they were strong on Union. After the Confederate attack of April 12, 1861, on Fort Sumter, the local citizenry rallied behind their once-conciliatory governor and rushed to the defense of Washington. President Lincoln issued his call for volunteers on April 15. Just three days later, the “Flying Artillery” left Providence for the front, and on April 20 Colonel Ambrose Burnside and Sprague himself led 530 men of the First Regiment, Rhode Island Detached Militia, from Exchange Place to their fateful encounter with the rebels at Bull Run. More than half of Burnside’s regiment hailed from Providence.

During the war there were eight calls for troops, with Rhode Island exceeding its requisition in all but one. Though the state’s total quota was only 18,898, it furnished 23,236 fighting men, of whom 1,685 died of wounds or disease and 16 earned the Medal of Honor. Providence, with 29 percent of Rhode Island’s population in 1860, supplied nearly half its fighting men.

The city’s contribution to the Union victory went beyond mere military manpower. Some historians have claimed that the productive element in the outcome of the Civil War. Here again Providence was prominent. Its woolen mills, especially Atlantic and Wanskuck, supplied federal troops with thousands of uniforms, overcoats, and blankets, fashioned on sewing machines made by Brown and Sharpe, while metals factories such as Providence Tool, Nicholson and Brownell, and the Burnside Rifle Company provided guns, sabers, and musket parts. Builders Iron Foundry (established in 1822 and still operating in West Warwick) manufactured large numbers of cannon; the Providence Steam Engine Company of South Main Street (established 1821) built the engines for two Union sloops of war, the Algonquin and the Contoocook; and Congdon and Carpenter (established 1792) supplied the military with such hardware as iron bars, bands, hoops, and horseshoes from its factory at 3 Steeple Street (now the city’s oldest surviving industrial building).

On the home front, the Civil War decade was a time of continued growth and modernization for Providence. The city’s most important and dynamic mayor, Thomas A. Doyle, began a nineteen-year reign in 1864. He promptly reorganized the police department into an efficient, modern force and converted the Market House into a municipal office building.

City health and sanitation programs, under the capable direction of Dr. Edwin M. Snow, were models for other municipalities to emulate. Elsewhere in the field of medicine, the urgings of Dr. Usher Parsons combined with the philanthropy of Thomas Poynton Ives to establish Rhode Island Hospital, giving Providence a first-class medical facility at last.

In education, business and commercial schools such Scholfield’s and Bryant and Stratton flourished as they provided a growing white-collar work force with the office skills needed to administer the affairs of the city’s burgeoning industries. And in the public schools a momentous event, inspired by the outcome of the war, occurred in 1866: racial segregation was abolished both in the city and throughout the state.

It was during the Civil War decade that urban mass transit came to Providence. Its vehicle was the horsecar, a mode of travel over the streets of the city that combined the old (actual horsepower) and the new (iron rails). The horsecar lines, extending from the Union Depot in Market Square over the surface of every major thoroughfare, were essential factors in the growth and settlement of the city’s “streetcar suburbs”–the outlying neighborhoods of Providence that were reclaimed from the surrounding towns of Cranston, North Providence, and Johnston beginning in 1868. Closer to the city’s core, splendid mansions, built by the city’s business magnates, sprang up on the East Side and in the West End along Elmwood Avenue, Westminster Street, and Broadway.

With the war a partial stimulus, industrial Providence began to scale its greatest heights, pulled from above by its wealthy Yankee entrepreneurs and investors, pushed from below by a growing immigrant work force that now began to include migrants from Germany, Sweden, England, and French Canada. Together the titans and the toilers labored to make Providence an industrial giant among the cities of the nation. As the cataclysmic sixties rushed to their conclusion, the city rushed onward towards its Golden Age.

City of Providence, Rhode Island

The Providence Directory | 1861-2

The Providence Directory – Business Directory & City Record – 1861

Providence Directory Drug Listings – 1862 (OliverJohnson put out Barber’s Indian Vegetable Jaundice Bitters)

Thurston, Gardner & Co. advertisement showing theiroffices and warehouses on the waterfront. Providence Directory Listings – 1862

Chilson’s Patent Cone Furnaces and Double Oven Cooking Ranges – Providence Directory Listings – 1861

Corliss Steam Engine Co. – Providence Directory Listings – 1861

Franklin Foundry and Machine Company – Providence Directory Listings – 1861

John W. Greene & Brother – Providence Directory Listings – 1861

Various Advertisements – Providence Directory Listings – 1861

Earl P. Mason & Co. Dealers in Drugs, Medicines, Chemicals etc. – Providence Directory Listings – 1862

Welch & Griffith‘s Celebrated Cast Steel Saws – Providence Directory Listings – 1862

A Dr. Langley’s Root and Herb Bitters advertisement Boaston – Providence Directory Listings – 1862

Posted in Advertising, Advice, Bitters, Civil War, Ephemera, History, Publications, Questions | Tagged Barber's Indian Vegetable Jaundice Bitters, Chilson's Patent Cone Furnaces, Corliss Steam Engine Co., Dr. Langley's Root and Herb Bitters, Earl P. Mason & Co., Franklin Foundry, Gardner & Co., Hotel Providence, John W. Greene & Brother, Oliver Johnson & Company, Providence, Rhode Island, Thurston, Welch & Griffith | Leave a comment

Barber’s Indian Vegetable Jaundice Bitters – Rhode Island

Posted on 20 April 2013 by Ferdinand Meyer V

Extremely rare BARBER’S INDIAN VEGETABLE JAUNDICE BITTERS, Providence, R. I. – ebay

BARBER’S INDIAN VEGETABLE JAUNDICE BITTERS

OLIVER JOHNSON & CO.

PROVIDENCE, R.I.

20 April 2013

I received a brief e-mail, as I do sometimes, alerting me to a specific bottle on ebay (see above). In this case it was from Bill Ham regarding a 12-sided Barber’s Indian Vegetable Jaundice Bitters from Rhode, Island. You see, just because it is listed as extremely rare, doesn’t make it jump out in the way I review bottles on ebay, which is the highest cost to lowest. This usually filters the rift-raff and the better stuff usually pops to the surface.

“It is amazing that so “plain” a bottle is so rare.”

Bill said in his e-mail “Here is a really rare bitters that may fall through the cracks that is on ebay – 290900331394 – You probably have it. It is amazing that so “plain” a bottle is so rare.” – Bill

This bottle is similar and should not be confused with a Lancaster Indian Vegetable Jaundice Bitters which is typically a Wheaton reproduction bottle from the 1970s. You can find them for sale every day on Ebay. The Lancaster’s Indian Vegetable Jaundice Bitters repros appear to have been made by several companies other than Wheaton. Some are marked Tiawan in the base and others have no marking but were probably made in China. These attractive bottles come in a variety of sizes from miniatures to the large size shown above. They can be found in blue, amethyst, yellow, green, red and other colors.

The Barber’s bottle is also a dead ringer for many of the Moses Atwood’s Jaundice Bitters from Georgetown, Massachusetts.

Extremely rare BARBER’S INDIAN VEGETABLE JAUNDICE BITTERS, Providence, R. I. – ebay

[ebay listing]

This bottle is listed by Ring & Ham as B 19, extremely rare. It is slightly over 6” tall with a tooled top and a smooth base. It is 12-sided, and the panels travel up the shoulder as well. It is embossed on five panels: BARBER’S // INDIAN VEGETABLE // JAUNDICE BITTERS // OLIVER JOHNSON & CO. // PROVIDENCE, R. I. The product was probably an Atwood’s rip-off, but its rarity indicates that it was much less successful. It has no cracks, but there is a base chip which is about an inch at its widest. It’s visible is a few of the pictures. Also, there a tiny and shallow lip chip, visible in the picture of the top at 6 o’clock. There is also overall light stain, not bad. A great rarity in spite of some imperfections! [rudyrm – 100% positive feedback]

Billhead for Oliver Johnson & Co., importers, manufacturers and dealers in white lead, colors & painters supplies, office 19, warehouse, 13 & 15 Exchange Street, Providence, Rhode Island, June 23, 1877

The Carlyn Ring and W.C. Ham listing in Bitters Bottles is as follows:

B 19 BARBER’S INDIAN VEGETABLE JAUNDICE BITTERS, Circa 1850 – 1870

BARBER’S // INDIAN VEGETABLE // JAUNDICE BITTERS //
OLIVER JOHNSON & CO. // PROVIDENCE R.I. // f // f // f // f // f // f // f //
6 1/8 x 2 1/4 (4 5/8) 5/8
12-sided, Aqua, FM, Tooled lip, Extremely rare
Copyrighted in 1875, in business since 1858

Extremely rare BARBER’S INDIAN VEGETABLE JAUNDICE BITTERS – Meyer Collection

Extremely rare BARBER’S INDIAN VEGETABLE JAUNDICE BITTERS – Meyer Collection

OLIVER JOHNSON

“Oliver JOHNSON, son of Elisha and Asee (Albro) Johnson, was born at East Greenwich, R.I., June 14, 1799. His paternal ancestor in this county came from Wales and settled on the island of Rhode Island, where, in company with his brother, he commenced the business of fulling and dressing cloth, which he had pursued in his native country. He subsequently removed to that part of East Greenwich now called Frenchtown, where he purchased a tract of land (part of which is still owned by the Johnson family) and erected a mill and dwelling house. Benjamin Johnson, the grandfather of Oliver, served for some time as judge of the common pleas court, and at the time of his death was one of the judges of the supreme court of Rhode Island, which position he had occupied for several years. Mr. Johnson’s maternal ancestors were of French descent. He was educated at the common school in his native town, and Washington Academy at Wickford. At the early age of 15 he began to teach school, and thus worked his way through the academy, and was enabled to acquire a good education. He continued to teach until he was 23 years of age.

Image from: “The History of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations” By Thomas Williams Bicknell Published by American Historical Society, 1920

In 1822 he quit teaching, and, with Whipple A. Arnold, engaged in general merchandising at Centreville, R.I. After being thus associated for about two years the partnership dissolved, and Mr. Arnold continued to carry on the business alone. He next opened a variety store in a building owned and occupied by Dr. Sylvester Knight, and having a desire to learn the drug business, added drugs and medicines to his stock. For some time he was assisted by Doctor Knight, and studied with him until he had acquired a thorough knowledge of the drug business. He continued in business at Centreville until 1833, and a part of the time while there kept the Centreville Hotel, and also engaged in cotton manufacturing with John J. Wood.

The year of his removal to Providence he and Doctor Knight opened a wholesale drug store on Weybosset street, where they continued until the death of Doctor Knight in 1841.

In April, 1833, he removed to Providence, where he has since resided. The year of his removal to Providence he and Doctor Knight opened a wholesale drug store on Weybosset street, where they continued until the death of Doctor Knight in 1841. The stock and fixtures of this store were then sold to Grosvenor & Chace, of Providence, and Mr. Johnson afterward opened a store for the sale of drugs, groceries, cotton, cotton goods and manufacturers’ supplies, at the present site of the ‘Journal’ office, where he continued in business alone, and succeeded in building up a large and profitable trade. In 1846 he removed his business to 13 Exchange Street, and has continued there until the present time. In consequence of increased trade, his store has been greatly enlarged, and now extends through to Exchange place. In 1852 he associated with his son, William S. Johnson, and the firm continued as Oliver Johnson & Son until 1859, when Benjamin W. Spink, who had for several years been in Mr. Johnson’s employ, was also admitted as a partner, and the business has since been continued under the firm name of Oliver Johnson & Co. They also have a large building on the corner of Eddy and Elm streets, where they grind white lead and colors.

Mr. Johnson is at present the oldest wholesale druggist in the state, and, though not now an active partner, being over 91 years of age, still retains a relish for the activity of business, and may be seen almost every day at his desk in the counting room. His uprightness of character and business qualifications have won him the esteem of his fellow citizens, and caused him to be called upon to fill various public positions. He was justice of the peace and notary public in Warwick for some time; in 1841, ’52, ’53, ’54, ’56 a member of the city council of Providence, holding while there the offices of chairman of the committee on education, chairman of the committee on highways, and was instrumental in locating and purchasing the present site of the city hall. He was a representative in the general assembly of Rhode Island in 1854,’55 and ’57, holding there the office of chairman of the committee on corporations, and was a member of the two conventions in 1841, called for the purpose of drafting the constitution of the state. He has been a director in several insurance companies; was a director of the City National Bank from 1834 to 1848, and has been a trustee of the Mechanics’ Savings Bank since 1864, having been one of the incorporators in 1854. He has also been a director of the Westminster Bank several years.

Advertisement for Oliver Johnson & Son – The Providence Directory – 16861

He has been an active and prominent member of the order of Freemasons since June 7th, 1823, at which time he was initiated in Manchester Lodge, No. 12, at Coventry, R.I. Notwithstanding the religious and political persecution to which Freemasons were subjected during the anti-Masonic movement, Mr. Johnson remained firm in his adherence to the order. He was twice called before the church of which he was then a member to answer to the charge of being a Freemason; but the charge was withdrawn. He received all the degrees in Ancient Masonry, and the orders of Knighthood, and was honored with the highest offices in the gift of the fraternity. He was elected grand master of Masons by the Grand Lodge of Rhode Island in 1855-56; (grand commander) eminent commander of St. John’s (Encampment) Commandery in 1859; and grand high priest of the Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Rhode Island in 1860. He has received in all 44 degrees and orders, including the degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rites. On the 6th of July, 1816, when 17 years of age, he joined the First Baptist church in Exeter, R.I., and has since been a member and prominent leader in many other churches.

He has been twice married; first to Hannah S. Davis, daughter of Ezra D. and Mahitable (Reynolds) Davis, of Davisville, R.I., September 5th, 1824. She died May 24th, 1862, aged 57 years. They had two sons: William S. and Edwin A. Johnson. He married, second, February 23d, 1864, Cordelia M. Stanwood, daughter of Solomon and Jane D. (Hamoor) Stanwood, of Ellsworth, Maine. Mr. Johnson was for many years a member of the standing committee of the Rhode Island Society for the Encouragement of Domestic Industry, and has given considerable attention to agriculture, having for some time owned a farm on Coweset bay, in Warwick.”

History of Providence County, Volume I
Edited by Richard M. Bayles
W. W. Preston & Co., NY. 1891

Paint dealer, Oliver Johnson & Co. was situated on the corner of Exchange Place and Exchange Street. The view shown here is of its building facing Exchange Place. – A Survey of Nineteenth Century Rhode Island Billheads – University of Rhode Island

OLIVER JOHNSON & Co Providence RI 1878 INVOICE VILLA LEAD Paint WALTER PRICE & C – ebay

Barber’s Indian Vegetable Jaundice Bitters A rare RI bitters bottle – Taylorsribottles2’s

Barber’s Indian Vegetable Jaundice Bitters A rare RI bitters bottle – Taylorsribottles2’s

Posted in Bitters, Druggist & Drugstore, eBay, History, Medicines & Cures | Tagged Barber's, Benjamin Johnson, Bill Ham, bitters, Dr. Sylvester Knight, East Greenwich, Exchange, Indian, jaundice, John J. Wood, lancaster, Oliver Johnson, Oliver Johnson & Co., Providence, Rhode Island, Whipple A. Arnold | Leave a comment

Mexican Bitters – Henry C. Weaver – Lancaster, O

Posted on 19 April 2013 by Ferdinand Meyer V

MEXICAN BITTERS – HENRY C. WEAVER

LANCASTER, OHIO

19 April 2013 (R•102214) (R•031516)

“Just think he probably visited Henry Weavers bar and possible drank his bitters?”

Ferd, how about you doing a small article with pictures on Peachridge about the bitters from my home town, Lancaster, Ohio. “Henry C. Weavers Mexican Bitters 1866, Lancaster, Ohio”.

By the way. I was the first person to own one having gotten it at an estate auction in Cardington, Ohio. Ted Christ has mine.

Here is a side bar to that? Lancaster is also the birthplace, and home of a famous Civil War General, “Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman.” Just think, he probably visited Henry Weavers bar and possibly drank his bitters? Think about that Bitters for a minute! It is in the shape of the Constitution Bitters, and is more rare than the American Life Bitters, from Tiffin, Ohio and much more rare than any of the Holtzermanns Bitters.

Best Regards,

Gary (Beatty)

Well, I think we can handle that. This is a super bitters that is much tougher to find than the Constitution Bitters with the similar form from Buffalo, New York. I found my example (pictured at the top of the post) at the FOHBC 2009 National Antique Bottle Show in Pomona, California in August 2009. It only comes in amber though.

Read: The Constitution Bitters from Buffalo, NY

A MOST FAMOUS RESIDENT

General William T. Sherman

Lancaster, Ohio was founded as New Lancaster in 1800 where Zane’s Trace crosses the Hocking River. The earliest settler may have referred to the area as Old Fairfield or Tarhe Town. By 1830, Lancaster had grown into a center of considerable political, economic and cultural influence. Many notable politicians and jurists lived in Lancaster or in one of the surrounding townships within Fairfield County Ohio. Approximately 75 early cabinet makers, chair makers and wheelwrights are known to have worked in Lancaster, Ohio.

Groceries and saloons, as such, were almost unknown; groceries were principally sold at the dry goods stores, and drinking was principally done at the taverns.

These were the principal industries of Lancaster in 1839, though there were others on a small scale, such as weavers, coopers, and the like, which I cannot take space to particularize. I must not, however, omit to mention Hunter and Edingfield, and Adam and Jacob Guseman, blacksmiths. Groceries and saloons, as such, were almost unknown; groceries were principally sold at the dry goods stores, and drinking was principally done at the taverns. There was not then a shoe and boot-store, or a merchant-tailor in the place; cloth was purchased at the stores, and made to order by the tailors. This was a little less than forty years ago; and when Lancaster is written as it is now, in 1876, the difference will appear. (Complete history of Fairfield County, Ohio)

Two Mexican Bitters found in a house in Ohio in the 1970s and one dug in Ohio.

Lancaster, Ohio as viewed from Mount Pleasant – 2006

HENRY C. WEAVER

Christopher Weaver was born about 1780 and came from Shippensburg, Pennsylvania (exactly year not known) as a young man. He married Elizabeth Arnold, daughter of Frederick Arnold. Weaver was a cabinet maker and contractor. He built a house and shop on Main Street. Weaver died on July 6, 1829 in Lancaster, Ohio. He is buried in Methodist graveyard in Lancaster, Ohio. Their children were named in order, Sarah, George, Eliza, James, John W, Jane Marle, William, Richard S, Christopher and Henry Christopher.

1870 Federal Census show Henry C. Weaver (Grocer and Saloon) and family (Henry C Weaver 40, Mary M Weaver 38, Richard Weaver 19, William H Weaver 17, Inez M Weaver 9, Cornelius Van Brunt 75, Lucy Van Brunt 74)

Henry Christopher Weaver was born on March 22, 1829 and married Mary Matilda Malvania Van Brunt. An 1870 Federal Census I found shows Henry C. Weaver listed as a Grocer and owning a Saloon. In 1870 Henry was 40, Mary M, Weaver 38, Richard Weaver 19, William H. Weaver 17, Inez M. Weaver 9. Also living with them at the time were Mary’s parents, Cornelius Van Brunt, 75 and Lucy Van Brunt, 74.

MEXICAN BITTERS – Meyer Collection

The Carlyn Ring and W.C. Ham listing in Bitters Bottles is as follows:

M 77.5 MEXICAN BITTERS

ASF5 ( au ) / 1866 // MEXICAN BITTERS // ASF5 ( au ) 1866 // HENRY C. WEAVER / LANCASTER, O //
9 1/2 x 3 x 2 1/4 (& 1/8) 1/4
Rectangular, Amber, LTC, Applied mouth, 4 sp, Extremely rare
Embossed with hand grabs on front and reverse near base.

Label: Advertised in 1866 – 68.

Two found in house in Ohio in 1970’s and one dug in Ohio.

Question: What does ASF5 stand for? The similar Constitution Bitters is embossed A.M.S.2. 1864.

MEXICAN BITTERS GALLERY

MEXICAN BITTERS – sold by greatantiquebottles.com

MEXICAN BITTERS – sold by greatantiquebottles.com

MEXICAN BITTERS – sold by greatantiquebottles.com

UPDATE

Ferd this is going to blow your mind. I found this postcard on eBay under collectables. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I believe the older man is Henry Clay Weaver and the younger his son. It gets better. Remember in my story I made a connection with Weaver & Rochester N.Y. ? Well look at the reverse of the card. Let me know what you think. By the way the card is dated. Gary (Beatty)

PS. Now to go to Lancaster and find this house!

Read: Henry Clay Weaver: 19th Century Entrepreneur Extraordinare. Lots more bitters stories in Bottles and Extras. Subscribe now.

NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS

Weavers_The_McArthur_Enquirer_Wed__Feb_17__1869_

To The Afflicted – Weaver’s Mexican Bitters advertisement – The McArthur Enquirer, Wednesday, February 17, 1869

MexicanBitters_The_McArthur_Enquirer_Wed__Mar_2__1870_

J. G. Swetland carries Dr. Weaver’s Celebrated Mexican Bitters – The McArthur Enquirer, Wednesday, March 2, 1870

Posted in Advertising, Bitters, Civil War, History, Medicines & Cures, Questions | Tagged bitters, Cardington, Clay, Gary Beatty, Henry, Henry C. Lancaster, lancaster, Mexican Bitters, ohio, Ted Christ, Weaver, William Tecumseh Sherman | 1 Comment

Unlisted Diamond “M” Bitters? – Saint Louis

Posted on 17 April 2013 by Ferdinand Meyer V

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

Posted in Bitters, Druggist & Drugstore, Questions | Tagged Buffalo, Charles H. Davis, Diamond "M" Bitters, Eugene Mulligan, Missouri, Mulligan & Company, New York, St. Louis | Leave a comment

Dr. J.R.B. McClintock’s Dandelion Bitters – Philadelphia

Posted on 16 April 2013 by Ferdinand Meyer V

Dr. J.R.B. McClintock’s Dandelion Bitters – Philadelphia

16 April 2013 (R•102013) (R•110318)

Closing on ebay last night (for the 2nd time) was an extremely rare aqua bitters put out by Dr. J. R. B. McClintock of Philadelphia. See eBay listing: Antique Dr. JRB McClintock’s Dandelion Bitters Bottle Philadelphia NICE! It took me a little while, as I almost settled on James R. McClintock as the namesake, until I discovered he had a son. Jesse R. B. McClintock.

1870 City of Philadelphia Directory listing showing Jesse and James McClintock, physicians at the same address. Jesse R. B. McClintock & Co. later listed in Directories

John McClintock

James R. McClintock, M.D.

Jesse R. B. McClintock, M.D.

John McClintock (1784-1856) (wife Martha McMacklin), father of James R. McClintock, emigrated from Tyrone county, Ireland, in the year 1807. During the following year he moved to Philadelphia and engaged in mercantile pursuits, and was for many years successful, but in the sequel experienced the reverses almost inseparably from such business in this country.

Dr. James McClintock, M.D. (1809-1881) was born in Lancaster county in 1809 and died on 18 October 1881 in Philadelphia. He was very prominent and well known as a physician. He was also a Professor at the Philadelphia College of Medicine (Dean and Professor of Principles and Practice of Surgery).

Dr. Jesse R. B. McClintock (abt 1839 – 1891) was the son of James and grandson of John. The J.R.B. initials on the Dandelion Bitters pictured above should be Dr. Jesse McClintock. Jesse practiced at 823 Race Street with his father James. Later with a listing of J.R.B. McClintock & Co.

“he would be a doctor, and not only that, but he would be a “head doctor”

Jesse’s father James commenced the study of medicine in the office of Dr. John Eberle, in 1826. The medical profession was the object of is boyhood dreams; he would be a doctor, and not only that, but he would be a “head doctor.” From The Medical Advisor by James McClintock – 1855

The Medical Advisor by James McClintock – 1855

“Dr J. M’Clintock’s – Family – Medicines”, America, 1840 – 1860. Colorless with a slight amethystine tone, rectangular with beveled corners, applied thin square collared mouth – blowpipe pontil scar, ht. 4 3/4″, perfect; (note, a little light interior reside that should easily wash out). N #434 (variant C). A neat little bottle found in the wall of a old home in Monmouth County, NJ. Apparently this smaller size was for their cold and cough mixture. A great example, nicely whittled. – American Glass Gallery Auction 11

FAMILY MEDICINES

James R. McClintock, M.D.

Dr. McClintock’s Pectoral Syrup

Dr. McClintock’s Rheumatic Mixture

Dr. McClintock’s Asthma and Hooping-Cough Remedy

Dr. McClintock’s Diarrhea Cordial and Cholera Preventative

Dr. McClintock’s Vegetable Purgative Pills

Dr. McClintock’s Dyspeptic Elixir

Dr. McClintock’s Cold and Cough Mixture

Dr. McClintock’s Rheumatic Liniment

Dr. McClintock’s Tonic Mixture or Fever and Ague Specific

Dr. McClintock’s Anti-Bilious Pills

Dr. McClintock’s Tonic Alterative Syrup

Dr. McClintock’s Anodyne Mixture or Instant Pain Destroyer

Lot: 204 “Dr Jas M’ Clintock’s / Family / Medicines” Bottle, America, 1840-1860. Rectangular with beveled corners, colorless, applied sloping collared mouth – pontil scar, ht. 8 1/2 inches; (minor loss to edges of label). AAM pg. 346 An eye appealing example with an interesting original label and bold embossing. Fine condition. Heckler Auction #170

Philadelphia College of Medicine, 1838-1859

The Philadelphia College of Medicine had its origins in the Philadelphia School of Anatomy, which was established by James McClintock in 1838. In 1847 McClintock obtained a charter from the Pennsylvania Legislature to establish the Philadelphia College of Medicine. He had organized the school in 1846, holding classes that winter and summer in the building of the Philadelphia School of Anatomy on Filbert Street above Seventh Street. With the charter, McClintock’s school had the power to confer degrees to students. The year the charter was obtained, the College moved to new facilities at Fifth and Walnut Streets which had originally been constructed for the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. The five story building contained two lecture rooms, an anatomical theater, a museum, a dissecting room, classrooms, and rooms for professors. In addition, the College included a pharmacy department to instruct advanced students. Students had access to Pennsylvania Hospital, Wills Hospital, and the Philadelphia Dispensary for clinical instruction. By 1858 the College was experiencing financial difficulty, and reached an agreement with the Medical Department of Pennsylvania College by which the two schools would merge in 1859. The Medical Department faculty would resign, and the faculty of the Philadelphia College would assume the name and operate as the Medical Department of Pennsylvania College. Eventually that institution closed in 1861.

McClintock’s Dandelion Bitters

McClintock’s Dandelion Bitters was put out and marketed by Jesse R .B. McClintock in Philadelphia. I am sure he was hoping to follow in the footsteps and the success of his famous father and his many medicinal products. At this point I can only find one product by Jesse. The Carlyn Ring and W.C. Ham listing in Bitters Bottles is as follows:

M 52 DR. J.R.B. MCCLINTOCK’S DANDELION BITTERS

DR. J. R. B. MCCLINTOCK’S // DANDELION / motif – monogram J.R.B.M. / BITTERS / PHILADELPHIA // c //
7 1/4 x 2 3/4 x 1 3/4 (5)
Oval, Aqua, NSC, Applied mouth and Tooled lip, Extremely rare

Dr. J.R.B. McClintock’s Dandelion Bitters Almanac – Bitters Bottle Supplement

Dr. McClintock’s Dandelion Bitters article in reference to the Almanac above – American Agriculturist for the Farm Garden & Household, Volume 33, New York – 1874

Posted in Bitters, Druggist & Drugstore, eBay, History, Medicines & Cures | Tagged bitters, Dandelion, James R. McClintock, Jesse R. B. McClintock, John McClintock, M.D., McClintock, Philadelphia | 1 Comment

Very Scarce Clear 9″ Tall Royal Pepsin Bitters Bottle

Posted on 15 April 2013 by Ferdinand Meyer V

ROYAL PEPSIN STOMACH BITTERS

“Shamed be he who thinks evil of it”

L & A SCHARFF – SOLE AGENT

15 April 2013 (R•060314) (R•032119) (R•081119) (R•082919)

Up for your consideration is this very nice, very scarce Royal Pepsin Bitters bottle in Clear glass standing 9″ tall with the original glass Stopper, making it 9 3/8″ tall. In Picture #3, at about 7 O’clock, you can see the Glass stopper has a 1/2″ by 3/8″ chip out of the stopper only. The bottle is very nice with just some light spotty, mostly inside, haze and some content stain mostly at the bottom. The stopper is stuck very tight, so didn’t try to force it out and clean the inside. A really scarce, Nice Royal Pepsin Bitters bottle, especially in the Clear glass.

St. Louis, Missouri, circa 1900. “Olive Street west from Sixth.” 8×10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company.

Closing on ebay yesterday was a great example of a clear Royal Pepsin Stomach Bitters. A later St. Louis bitters brand that is typically seen in amber, this clear example soared to a very healthy close at $510 with 8 bids. More evidence of a broadening and healthy bitters market. Also interesting that a clear example showed up on one of Elvin Moody’s bottle shelves.

Lazarus and Adolph Scharff tried hard to promote the medicinal values of their product and even sold it in drug stores but make no mistake, this is a spirit that should have been and probably was sold at liquor stores. The label does try hard to say the medical powers of the product, but if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck…

Read: The Scharffs: Love (and Money) in a Time of Malaria

“Children, delicate women and persons in debilitated state should commence by taking small doses and increase with their strength”

Front of clear ROYAL PEPSIN STOMACH BITTERS – ebay

Reverse of clear ROYAL PEPSIN STOMACH BITTERS – ebay

This prompted me to pull out my Bitters Bottles and Bitters Bottles Supple ment books and to re-look at my examples.

R 113 ROYAL PEPSIN STOMACH BITTERS

motif rampant lion and unicorn on either side of shield with
HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE ( au ) / ROYAL PEPSIN / STOMACH BITTERS /
L & A SCHARFF / SOLE AGENTS / ST. LOUIS. U.S. & CANADA. // f / f // f //
L…Royal Pepsin Stomach Bitters
8 3/4 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/4 (6)
Rectangular, CM, Applied mouth and Tooled lip, Amber – Common; Clear – Rare
Row of 5 square motifs at top and bottom of label panel
Neck 2 rings and 5 expanding ribs. Glass stopper in cork.

Label: In addition to pepsin it contains gentian root, cinchona, real Italian anise. wormwood, cloves, sassafras, and wintergreen. Relieves dyspepsia, aids digestion and strengthens the nervous system…Children, delicate women and persons in debilitated state should commence by taking small doses and increase with their strength.

1902 Royal Pepsin Stomach Bitters advertisement – Meyer Brothers Druggist, Volume 23

LAZARUS & ADOLPH SCHARFF

L. & A. Liquors: St. Louis Directory shows a listing in 1890 for L. & A. (Lazarus & Adolph) Liquors at 15 S. 2nd Street in St. Louis, Missouri.

Adolph Scharff: (wholesale liquors, partner with brother Lazarus) was born in Essingen, Daun, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany on 01 June 1846. He arrived in America around 1862 – 1864. He spent a short time in Cairo, Illinois and from there went to Vicksburg, Mississippi and became a clerk in the dry goods house of Scharff Brothers. In 1870, with brother Lazarus, opened a wholesale liquor business in Vicksburg, continuing until 1876, when removed stock to St. Louis, where firm continued business as L. & A. Scharff until 1906; then incorporated as L. & A. Scharff Distilling Co. In St. Louis, Adolph primarily livied at 3104 Washington Avenue. His wife was Jeanette Meyer. They were married in Montgomery, Alabama on 07 May, 1874.

Lazarus Scharff: (partner with brother Adolph – see above) was born in Essingen, Daun, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany on 25 January 1843. Residence: 4371 Lindell Avenue, St. Louis. His wife was Clara Eiseman. They were married in Jefferson, Mississippi. Death 02 April 1830.

In the 1840s and 50s, St. Louis received a large number of German and Irish emigrants. Germans who could afford the voyage came to St. Louis to escape political unrest in their country. They settled in St. Louis, close to the area in Mid-Missouri where other German settlers established homes due to the geographical similarity of Missouri and the German wine country.

Lazarus and Adolph Scharff were also the “proprietors” of Pure Old Maple Hollow Whiskey (above), Spring Hill Perfection Whiskey and Pretoria Rye (pictured further below).

“Honi soit qui mal y pense” (embossed on bottle) is a French phrase meaning: “Shamed be he who thinks evil of it”. The phrase is sometimes archaically rendered as “Honi soit quy mal y pense”, “Hony soyt qe mal y pense” and various other phoneticizations. It is the motto of the English chivalric Order of the Garter. [Wikipedia]

ROYAL PEPSIN STOMACH BITTERS