Hans Iversen, according to 1910 census records, was born in Norway in 1878. By the early 1900’s he was living on the north shore of Long Island in Suffolk County, New York where up through the mid-teens he wore several different hats including hotel proprietor, saloon keeper, beer bottler and mineral water manufacturer in and around Huntington.
His Long Island story began in 1902 when he took over the hotel business of a man named George Doty whose story can be found in his May 9, 1902 obituary published in a local newspaper called the “Long Islander.”
Mr. Doty was born in New York. Soon after this his father Richard Doty removed to Manetto Hill, Plainview. George learned the carriage painting business and after working at it for several years he went to the city and filled the position of conductor on the horse cars. About eighteen years ago he removed to Centreport and took charge of the Fabian Hostelry , which under his management became a popular summer resort for city people.
Located just east of Huntington in Centreport, it was sometimes referred to as the Centreport Hotel and other times as the Fabian Hotel. This description of the hotel’s 1889 seasonal opening appeared in the July 13th edition of the “Long-Islander.”
The season here was formally opened on the evening of last Saturday by a grand ball at the Fabian Hostelry, over whose inspiring wines presides the genial George Doty. In regard to the number of those present, the gorgeousness of dress, and the sweetness of the music, the affair of last week has never been equalled in this district. Stage after stage, carriage after carriage drew up before the house and discharged the precious freight of lovely women in grand attire and gentlemen in full dress.
Another “Long- Islander” story, this one written on May 2, 1902, just days before Doty passed away, described Iversen’s appearance on the scene.
John Wolfert has bought the Centreport hotel formerly owned by George Doty and has leased to Hans Iversen, who will conduct a hotel and beer bottling and mineral water manufacturing establishment on the premises. Mr. Wolfert has sold out his bottling business to him and will go out of the business himself.
At the time of the sale, Wolfert’s bottling operation, described in a December 12, 1896 “Long Islander” story as “a large beer bottling business” was located just west of Huntington, in Cold Spring (later renamed Cold Spring Harbor to differentiate it from another town called Cold Spring in upstate New York). While the story states that Iverson intended to conduct the bottling business on the hotel premises in Centreport, the presence of “Cold Spring Station” embossed on the subject bottle suggests that he may have kept the bottling operation at Wolfert’s Cold Spring location for at least a while. That being said, not long afterwards he apparently did move the operation to Centreport, as evidenced by a “Hans Iversen” bottle that’s embossed with the Centreport location. The bottle was found in “A Historical Guide to Long Island Soda, Beer & Mineral Water Bottles & Bottling Companies, 1840 – 1870,” By George Fisher.
Iversen’s Centreport Hotel was included in a 1904 publication called simply “Long Island” under the heading “North Shore Resorts.” That year Iversen was charging $8.00 for a weekly stay (2nd line down).
On February 18, 1905, the “Brooklyn Daily Times” reported that Wolfert sold the hotel property to a man named Archie Hall.
Archie Hall, proprietor of the Lakeside Inn, has purchased the Centreport hotel property owned by Mrs. John Wolfert, and now leased by Hans Iverson. Mr. Hall proposes building a new hotel with modern improvements on the opposite side of the road from the present hotel.
The sale of the hotel property apparently triggered a move by Iversen because soon after he was serving as the proprietor of a saloon on Huntington’s Main Street owned by a man named Bernard Friedman. Not long after Iversen’s arrival, a January 5, 1906 “Long-Islander” story, announced that Friedman was putting the property up for sale.
The sale of the late Bernard Friedman property on Main Street, now occupied by Hans Iverson, at the Suffolk hotel tomorrow morning at 11 0’clock, promises to produce some lively bidding, as it is understood that several out-of-town people have their eye on this particular piece of real estate, and the purchaser will probably have to pay well for his bargain…
Later, the May 5, 1906 edition of the “Long-Islander” announced the new owner of the property was Welz & Zerwick, a large Brooklyn, New York brewery.
Welz & Zerwick, the Brooklyn brewers, who recently bought the Friedman property used by Hans Iversen as a saloon, are having extensive improvements made in the place. The lower floor has been gutted and new beams, flooring, sidewalls, ceiling, fixtures, etc., will be put in making a different appearing place. Contractor A. L. Jacobson has the work in hand, and Herman Miller is doing the masonry.
The above story described a saloon but as far as I can tell the property also included a hotel as well. This was certainly the case by 1908 when Iversen’s liquor tax certificate indicated his business as “HOTEL”
Whether Iversen continued his bottling operation after the move to Huntington is unclear, though I’ve yet to come across a “Hans Iversen bottle that includes “Huntington” within its embossing.
By 1910 Iverson’s hotel had been found in violation of the county’s liquor laws on more than one occasion. One such instance was reported in the January 14, 1910 edition of the “Suffolk County News.”
There was considerable surprise on Monday when it became known that Sherriff Platt had been to Huntington and placed Hans Iversen, of Iversen’s Hotel, in Main St., and Frances J. Colgan of the Northside Hotel at Fairground, under bonds, they having been indicted by the last Grand Jury for illegally trafficking in liquors, presumably selling on Sunday. Iversen was one of those indicted a year ago.
Undaunted, sometime in 1910 Iverson hired on as the proprietor of a second Huntington hotel, this one located at the east end of town. The announcement appeared in the April 1, 1910 edition of the “Long-Islander.”
The frame work of Mrs. Alonzo Brown’s new hotel on Lower New York Avenue has been raised. Upon Mrs. Brown leaving the East End Place it will be taken by Hans Iversen, who will run it in connection with his Main Street business.
Iversen’s wife, Christiana, was listed as the liquor tax certificate holder for both locations in 1912 (Y.E. Sept 30, 1911).
Sometime in late 1912 it appears that Iversen decided to unload both businesses. On January 7, 1913 the “Suffolk County Review” announced that he had sold the Main Street business.
Hans Iversen has sold his hotel business in Huntington to Jacob Gulde of Manhattan
Gulde was still listed as the location’s liquor tax certificate holder as late as 1918 (Y.E. Sept. 30, 1917).
Iversen apparently sold the “East End” business to William Allinger (or Alleger) sometime in late 1912, however, according to court proceedings published in the February 7, 1913 edition of the “Long-Islander,” he later bought it back.
William Allinger had purchased the hotel business of Hans Iversen at the East End, and after running it for a while had sold the same back to Mr. Iversen.
The reasoning for this quick reversal can be surmised from a story that appeared in the December 23, 1912 edition of the “Brooklyn Daily Times.”
Huntington’s historic east end was the scene of a lively fracas on Saturday evening. William Alleger recently purchased the good will of the hotel there from Hans Iversen. On Saturday evening Alleger objected to acts of Harry Jarvis, and blows were struck. A hurried message brought Officer Wenzel. He arrested Jarvis and locked him up. Dr. Hendrickson took a dozen stitches in Alleger’s head, and Mr. Iversen took the license of the place, which was in his name….
Iversen’s wife was still listed as the liquor tax certificate holder in 1914 (Y.E, Sept 30, 1913) but not in 1917 (Y.E. Sept 30, 1916) In fact, I don’t see the location listed in the tax records at all that year. What became of the business and , for that matter, the Iversen’s after 1913 is unclear.
The bottle I found is a champagne style beer that was blown in a mold and exhibits a tooled blob finish. In addition to Iversen’s name and the Cold Spring Station address, the bottle also features a monogram of an anchor and chain. It certainly dates no earlier than 1902 when Iverson acquired John Wolfert’s Cold Spring bottling business.
On a final note: In addition to running his various businesses, Iversen was also active in the area’s harness racing scene, owning and racing several horses. A September 11, 1908 “Long-Islander” story told of one race involving a horse named “Black Bean.”
The match race for $100 a side between Hans Iveresn’s “Black Bean” and Frank Kennedy’s “Black Hal” on the Morris Busch track at Woodbury yesterday afternoon resulted in a victory for Iversen’s entry. It was the best two in three. Hal took the first heat and the black mare the next two and race, the fastest time being 2:17 1/2. Nelson Varney drove the Iversen mare and Mr. Kennedy his own horse. Black Hal had raced five hard heats at Islip Monday, and the race Thursday was too soon after the other effort for him to make a good showing.