The business of Plant & Ahrens was in business on Evergreen Avenue in Brooklyn, New York, from 1919 up through the late 1920’s. The principals of the business were Otto Frederick Ahrens, Humphrey L. Plant and Edward J. Plant. That being said, the roots of the business date back to Ahrens’ father, Henry Ahrens.
Henry Ahrens was born in Germany in 1852 and census records (1900) indicate he arrived in the United States in 1869. Later, in the early 1880’s the Brooklyn directories began to list his occupation as either soda water or mineral water; initially at 20 Union Ave. (1884 to 1885) and later at 156 Boerum Pl. (1885 to 1888). Then, sometime in 1888, he moved the business to 212 Evergreen Avenue.
Sometime in the late teens he apparently turned the business over to his son who in 1919, along with brothers Humphrey and Edward Plant incorporated the business of Plant & Ahrens. The notice of incorporation was published in the January 3, 1919 edition of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.
The Plant brothers were the sons of another long-time Brooklyn mineral water manufacturer, Humphrey Plant, who was in business dating back to 1889 with the firm of Plant Bros.
Plant & Ahrens, was listed in the Brooklyn telephone book at the old Henry Ahrens address of 212 Evergreen Avenue from 1920 up through 1928. During this time, in addition to manufacturing soda and mineral water the company also bottled near-beer, as evidenced by this November 25, 1919 advertisement found in the “Brooklyn Daily Eagle” that named them as a local distributor for Milwaukee’s Blatz Brewery.
In 1929 H. L. Plant was listed individually at 212 Evergreen Avenue with the occupation “mineral waters,” but the company was no longer listed. By 1930, neither Plant or the business were listed.
Today, 212 Evergreen Avenue is a renovated two-story brick building with a garage door entrance. Streeteasy.com indicates it was built in 1931, a year after Plant & Ahrens vanishes from the directories.
The bottle I found is machine made (27oz) and fits with a 1920’s manufacture.