Category: Mineral Water and Soda

Wm. V. Geis, Far Rockaway, N.Y.

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The March 3, 1899 issue of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle announced the formation of a new corporation called Kirkman, Rae & Geis. William V. Geis was named as one of the three principals.

Walter B. Kirkman, Albert F. Rae of Far Rockaway, and William V. Geis of 218 East One Hundred and Twenty Fourth Street, Manhattan, have associated together under the incorporated name of Kirkman, Rae & Geis for the manufacture of mineral waters and other similar beverages. The capital stock is $7,500 and its principal place of business will be at Far Rockaway.

The 1899 Trow Business Directory of the Borough of Queens listed the business of Kirkman, Rae & Geis in Far Rockaway at William n Crescent, Far Rockaway, under both ‘bottlers” and “manufacturers of mineral water” headings. Subsequently, the 1903, 1904, 1907, 1908-1909 and 1912 Trow Business Directories of the Borough of Queens all listed Wm V. Geis at the same location. Based on these records, I’m guessing Geis bought out Kirkman and Rae and became a sole proprietor sometime between 1899 and 1901.

In addition to mineral water, Geis also bottled beer, apparently acting as an agent and bottler for Pabst. He placed an advertisement in the “Wave of Long Island”, a weekly newspaper, for delivery of two-dozen bottles of Pabst for $1.25. The advertisements were found in the Sept 7, 1901 and July 5, 1902 issues.

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In 1905 Geis purchased the long time Far Rockaway mineral water business of Brock L. Carroll. An item announcing the purchase appeared in the April 15, 1905 edition of the American Bottler.

Mrs. B. L. Carroll has sold the mineral water business conducted at Far Rockaway, N. Y., for many years by her late husband, to William Geis.

Geis never listed the Carroll plant in the Queens directories, suggesting that he consolidated both operations at his William street plant.

More on Brock Carroll’s business, which dated back to the late 1870’s, can be found in another post on this web site.  Brock L Carroll, Far Rockaway L.I.

In 1909, Geis joined with Sidney Jackier forming the Geis-Jackier Company. An item in the November 27, 1909 issue of the Brooklyn’s Times Union reported:

A certificate  of incorporation of the Geis-Jackier Company of the Borough of Queens has been filed with the Secretary of State. It is proposed to deal in mineral waters, wines, liquors, cigars, etc., with a capital of $10,000, divided into shares of $100 each. The directors for the first year are Sidney Jackier, William V. Geis, Hattie Jackier and Elsie C. Geis, of Far Rockaway.

According to a  story written years later, in the October 23, 1915 edition of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Sidney Jackier had signed a five year lease to operate the Haffner Neptune Park Hotel in August of 1909, three months prior to incorporating Geis-Jackier.  Back then it was fairly  typical for hotels to maintain a bottling operation as part of their business and I’m fairly certain that Geis Jackier was established to serve as the bottler for the hotel operation.

N.Y.S. records indicate that Geis Jackier was a liquor tax certificate holder up through September, 1914, however, the business came to a practical end sometime before that, likely in late 1913 or early 1914, when according to the October 23, 1915 Brooklyn Daily Eagle story, Jackier missed the final year’s payment on the hotel lease and declared bankrupt.

Around the same time Geis-Jackier was nearing its end, Geis became proprietor of the Hewlett Inn located at McLean and Sherman Ave in Hewlett, Long Island. He’s first listed as a liquor tax certificate holder there in the Annual Report of the New York State Commissioner of Excise for the year ending September 30, 1913.

For a short time he continued to operate his bottling business in Far Rockaway where’s he’s listed individually, as a liquor tax certificate holder through September 30, 1915. After that, the Hewlett Inn appears to be his sole interest.

I haven’t seen a Geis bottle with “Hewlett” embossing so I have to think he was out of the bottling business by this time.

He remained with the Hewlett Inn until his tragic accidental death in 1921. According to a story in the October 15, 1921 issue of the N.Y. Times he died in an accidental shooting.

While preparing to start on a hunting trip in the Adirondacks early yesterday morning, William V. Geis, proprietor of the Hewlett Inn at Hewlett, L.I., was accidentally shot by Paul Weidman of Woodmere, L.I., one of three friends who were to have accompanied him. Geis was rushed to St. Joseph’s Hospital at Far Rockaway, where he died several hours later. When dying he made a statement to Justice of the Peace Raisig exonerating Weldman from all blame.

Weidman, dazed from what had just occurred, ran from the house after the shooting, muttering that if his friend died he would end his own life. Up until late last night Weidman, who is a prosperous bus owner, had not returned home and his family were apprehensive. Mrs. Elsie Geis, widow of the dead man, also exonerated Weidman.

Sheriff Charles Smith, after an investigation, said he was entirely satisfied that the gun had been accidentally discharged by Weidman during an exhibition as to how he would handle a hold-up man if the occasion arose.

Paul Weidman did resurface two days later in what one story called “an extremely bad nervous condition.”

Both Crescent and William in Far Rockaway have changed names over the years. Crescent is now Brunswick and William is now Wheatley. Wheatley near Brunswick puts the business about a block from the LIRR Far Rockaway station.

I’ve found varying type bottles, including tooled blob tops (8oz), tooled crowns (8, 12 and 28 oz) and machine made crowns (8 and 28 oz). The 12 oz bottles were brown…maybe containing the Pabst Blue Ribbon mentioned in the advertisement? All others are aqua. The pictures show an assortment of mouth blown bottles. All are embossed Far Rockaway.

 

 

Geis-Jackier Co., Far Rockaway, N.Y.

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William V. Geiss was a mineral water and beer bottler in Far Rockaway that had been in business since 1899 and Sidney Jackier was a sales agent for a Manhattan Brewing Co. In 1909, they joined together and formed Geis-Jackier Co. The notice of incorporation was printed in the November 27, 1909 issue of Brooklyn’s Times Union.

A certificate  of incorporation of the Geis-Jackier Company of the Borough of Queens has been filed with the Secretary of State. It is proposed to deal in mineral waters, wines, liquors, cigars, etc., with a capital of $10,000, divided into shares of $100 each. The directors for the first year are Sidney Jackier, William V. Geis, Hattie Jackier and Elsie C. Geis, of Far Rockaway.

According to a  story written years later, in the October 23, 1915 edition of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Sidney Jackier had signed a five year lease to operate the Haffner Neptune Park Hotel in August of 1909, three months prior to incorporating Geis-Jackier.  Back then it was fairly  typical for hotels to maintain a bottling operation as part of their business and I’m fairly certain that Geis Jackier was established to serve as the bottler for the hotel operation.

N.Y.S. records indicate that Geis Jackier was a liquor tax certificate holder up through September 30, 1914, however, the business came to a practical end sometime before that, likely in late 1913 or early 1914, when according to the October 23, 1915 Brooklyn Daily Eagle story, Jackier missed the final year’s payment on the hotel lease and declared bankrupt.

In 1915, Sidney Jackier was listed in New Rochelle, New York as the manager of the local F&M Schaefer Brewing Co. depot and by 1914 Geis was the proprietor of the Hewlett Inn on Long Island. The story of William V. Geis is told in another post on this site.

Wm. V. Geis, Far Rockaway, N.Y.

Both Crescent and William have changed names over the years. Crescent is now Brunswick and William is now Wheatley. Brunswick opposite Wheatley puts Geis-Jackier in an area between the Far Rockaway Station of the LIRR and Brunswick Avenue. The location of the Neptune Park Hotel given in advertisements is “midway between station and ocean,” so they were relatively close to each other.

I’v found several 8 oz slug plate bottles, one 8 oz private mold bottle and two 27 oz bottles; all tooled crowns. The private mold also has a G/J insignia embossed on the back of the bottle with the “J” in the shape of a fish hook.

 

M. O. Fuller, 1861, Brooklyn, E. D.

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The M stands for Mason O Fuller. The Brooklyn City Directory’s for 1862 and 1863 listed him under Soda Water with an address of 75 Remson. The Brooklyn City Directory’s for 1865 and 1866 listed him under Soda Water Manufacturer at 67 Remson. Strangely he was not listed in the 1864 Directory.

We know he was in business in 1861 (the year is embossed on the bottle) but he’s not listed in the 1858 Directory, so the business likely started sometime  between 1858 and 1860.

Sometime in the late 1860’s Fuller turned the business over to Theron Neff, who at the time was an employee of the business. According to Neff’s obituary, published in the April 5, 1906 edition of the Brooklyn Times Union:

Mr. Neff came to Brooklyn in 1865. He went to live in the Fifteenth Ward and accepted a position with Mason O. Fuller…Mr. Neff worked worked for Mr. Fuller for three or four years, and finally obtained control of the business and afterwards conducted it under the name of T. L. Neff.

The business continued under the T. L. Neff’s Sons name until the 1930’s when it merged with the Hirsch corporation. More on T. L. Neff and T. L. Neff’s Sons can be found here.     T. L. Neff

Today both 67 and 75 Remson are old brownstones with a cellar under the main entrance stoop. Its likely that this was Fuller’s residence or possibly a retail location. According to the Neff obituary the plant at that time was located in Grand Street near Grahm Avenue.

The bottle is a pony with an applied blob finish.

Forman Bottling Co., Yonkers, N.Y.

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The Forman Bottling Co was not listed in the 1892 Yonkers Directory nor were they listed in the Directories from 1902 to 1917. The Directories from 1893 to 1901 could not be found so it’s possible that the business falls within this period.

The only reference I could find is a lawsuit that began in 1903 between Forman Bottling Co and Wittemann Brothers. The suit involved ginger ale labels produced by both companies that so closely resembled each other as to be likely to deceive the public. I can’t even confirm that it’s the same Forman Bottling Co.

The bottle I found is a champagne style (12 oz) with a tooled blob finish so it fits the late 1800’s time frame.

Finkenstadt & Kaufmann, Long Island City, N.Y.

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Finkenstadt & Kaufmann was a soda water business located across the East River from Manhattan in Long Island City, Queens. They were listed with an address of 235 Broadway in the 1924 Brooklyn Queens Telephone Book and 34-11 7th Avenue in the 1925 edition. They were not listed in the 1920 Telephone Book or in the 1922 Copartnership and Corporation Directory for Brooklyn and Queens, suggesting that the business started sometime in 1923 or 1924.

Subsequently, in 1926, the business incorporated under the name Finkenstadt & Kaufmann, Inc. The incorporation notice was published in the January 6, 1926 edition of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.

Finkenstadt & Kaufmann, Inc., Queens, to manufacture beverages, etc. Capital, $20,000. Directors: Harry Bartel, 310 Radde St.; George Ridder, 129 Newton Ave., Long Island City; Walter Gropler, College Point.

They were still listed in 1928 at the 34-11 7th Avenue address.

It’s not clear when the business ended but the fact that you rarely see one of their bottles on the Internet makes me think they weren’t around much past the early 1930’s.

Seventh Avenue was renamed 36th Street in Long Island City but I’m not able to relate the former business address to a current location.

The bottle I found is machine made (27 oz) which fits with a mid to late 1920’s manufacture date.

 

Dingwell Bros., 1017-25 Greene Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y.

The business was first listed in the 1908 Brooklyn City Directory as Dingwell Brothers, waters, located at 1025 Greene Avenue. The business was listed in the Copartnership and Corporation Directory of the Boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens 1913-1914 as Francis S and Henry C Dingwell, 1017 &1025 Greene Ave.

This Dingwell Brothers advertisement found in the November 29, 1913 edition of the “Brooklyn Citizen” touted “Club Ginger Ale and “Celery Tonic” a specialty.” It also identified the company as an agent for a soda brand called “Moxie” in several South Brooklyn neighborhoods.

In 1913 the company absorbed the business of former Brooklyn bottlers Smith & Layton. Smith & Layton    The Smith & Layton partnership had been dissolved two years prior. The announcement  appeared in the November 15, 1913 edition of the “American Bottler.”

On October 8th, DINGWELL BROS. 1017 Greene Avenue, Brooklyn, took possession of the bottling business of Smith & Layton, 10 Ormond Place.

It looks like the Dingwells sold the business sometime in 1917. An article in the July 1917 1ssue of the “American Bottler” stated that Dingwell Brothers has been incorporated with a capital stock of $10,000 to manufacture soda and mineral water. Incorporators are Martha Rosenberg, Abraham Sussman and Max Sussman. Several months later on November 18, 1917 Henry Dingwell passed away.

Dingwell Brothers was one of many Brooklyn and Long Island Bottlers of Beverages that “patriotically contributed” advertising space in the June 27, 1918 edition of the “Brooklyn Daily Eagle”. The advertisement contained a plea from Uncle Sam to Brooklynites to sign a pledge card to purchase war savings stamps to fund the war effort.

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Sometime in the early 1920’s the business moved to 62 Stanhope Street where they would remain for over three decades.

According to this advertisement in March of 1934, at the end of prohibition Dingwell began bottling beer as well as soda. “Wholesale distributors leading brands of bottled beer at brewery prices.”

The business was still listed on Stanhope Street in the 1954 Brooklyn Telephone Book. The following year, in 1955, the listing disappears, likely marking the end of the business..

The bottle I found is a machine made quart (28 oz) with the Greene Ave address. It dates no later than the mid-1920’s when the company moved to Stanhope Street.

 

Wm. Dieckman & Son, 59-63 Stockholm St., Brooklyn N.Y.

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“A History of Long Island From Its Settlement to Recent Time” Vol 3 by Peter Ross; published in 1902 included a short biography of Frederick William Ernst Dieckman. The biography contains the following paragraph about the start and early years of his mineral water business:

In 1878 he began the manufacture of mineral water at No. 125 Elm Street, there conducting a successful business until 1884 in which year he purchased the three lots at No.s 59, 61 and 63 Stockholm Street. There he erected the dwelling and other buildings used in his manufacturing business and in addition he secured the accessories and other conveniences for the successful operation of his trade. In his undertaking he has prospered and the volume of his business is constantly increasing.

The early Brooklyn City Directories confirm and add a little to the story. William Dieckman was first listed in the 1879/1880 Directory at 125 Elm Street. He was also listed as pop/beer and vinegar in the 1882/1883 and 1883/ 1884 Directories respectively. By 1885/1886 he was listed at the 63 Stockholm address as vinegar and by 1890 he was listed primarily as a bottler of soda and/or mineral water. During these yearly years he was sometimes listed as having two n’s in his last name.

Around 1899 the son, also William, becomes associated with the business. The 1899 Trow Business Directory refers to the business as Wm Dieckman and Son and the 1902 General Directory lists both William and William Jr at the Stockholm Street address. Sadly, William Jr died prematurely of pneumonia in June of 1911 at the age of 36.

The business was still listed in the 1929 Brooklyn Red Book but I haven’t been able to find any listings in the 1930’s. Born in 1844, William Sr would have been in his 80’s by then.

Dieckman was one of several bottlers who incorporated the Brooklyn and Long Island Bottler’s Protective Union. The April 13, 1890 issue of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported:

The Brooklyn and Long Island Bottler’s Protective Union has been incorporated by James Ward, Hugh Goodwin, George Russell, William Dieckman, Charles Maurer, John J. Dunn, F.W. Witt, J.F. Knoble, Daniel Bahr, Ebenezer Seely, P. Klein, George Bohlen and Henry Ahrens, of this city; Robert Finan of Long Island City, and Phillip Schweickert, of Coney Island.

Today, the Stockholm Street address is a vacant lot.

The one bottle I found is machine made, quart size (27 oz) probably from the last decade of the business.

I came across a humorous episode involving Dieckman in an item printed under the heading “Court News” in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Published in the February 17, 1881 Issue, it occurred early in his career.

William Dieckman is a dealer in root beer in the Eastern District, and he left the compound at various candy stores and other places where the stuff is sold. One Frederick Feltman was also interested in the root beer business, and Dieckman charged him with stealing his beer bottles and substituting his own in their place. He caused his arrest, but on the hearing before Justice Semler the complaint was dismissed, because it appeared that the Dieckman business really belonged to Mrs. Dieckman. Then the lady in the case had Feltman arrested on the same complaint, but that case was also dismissed by the justice. Now Feltman took his innings in the game and sued Mr. and Mrs. Dieckman for $5,000 each for false imprisonment and malicious prosecution. The case was tried yesterday afternoon before Judge Reynolds and a jury. The suit against Mrs. Dieckman was dismissed, and in the suit against the husband the jury gave Feltman a verdict for six cents damages. Honors may be said to be easy between the root beer litigants.

Columbia Bottling Co., 105 & 107 Columbia Street, New York & 734 East 6th Street, New York

The proprietor of the Columbia Bottling Company, Bernard (sometimes Barnett) Sandrowitz was first listed as a bottler in the 1894 NYC General Directory with a business address of 84 Columbia St., and a home address of 109 Columbia St. By 1897 and 1898 the Trow NYC Business Directory listed the business under “mineral water” at 330 Stanton Street.

The Columbia Bottling Company was first listed in the 1900 NYC Corporation and Copartnership Directory at 330 Stanton Street . They also appear in the 1901 New York State Factory Inspection Report with 8 employees. In 1902 the company moved to 734 East 6th Street and remained listed there through 1909 with Bernard Sandrowitz as proprietor.

The January 15, 1909 issue of the “American Bottler” announced that the business had incorporated.

The incorporation is announced of the Columbia Bottling Co 734 East 6th Street New York to bottle water and beverages: capital $ 5,000. The incorporators are: Harry Schiffman No 135 E 115th St, Leon Katz No 1461 Fifth Avenue, Samuel Slonim No 1590 Lexington Ave, all of New York.

In 1910 the business changed their name in the directories to the Columbia Bottling Works but remained at the 734 East 6th Street location. Sandrowitz continued to be listed with the company in the Copartnership and Corporation Directories  so I assume that he continued to run/manage the business.

The company apparently went out of business in 1914. The 1914 directory stated that the company name had been discontinued.

In the 1915 NYC General Directory, Sandrowitz was still living at the East 6th Street location but was employed as a foreman at the Columbia Soda Water Works, located at 375 East 4th Street. Adolph Goldstein was listed as both president and vice president of the company and Frances Sandrowitz (probably a relative) was secretary/treasurer.

By 1917 Sandrowitz was listed in the NYC directory as a laborer and the Columbia Soda Water Works was not listed.

I’ve found two Columbia Bottling Company bottles. One is embossed Columbia Bottling Co with an address of 105 & 107 Columbia Street. This is the same block as 330 Stanton Street, so it looks like the business was located on the northwest corner of Stanton and Columbia. Recognizing that the business moved to 6th Street in 1902, this bottle dates between 1900 and 1901 or possibly a couple of years earlier depending on when Sandrowitz started using the Columbia name. The bottle is quart sized (27 or 28 oz) with an applied blob finish.

The other bottle is embossed with the 724 East 6th Street address, so it probably dates between 1902 and 1909, before they started calling themselves the Columbia Bottling Works, but certainly no later than 1914. The bottle also has the monogrammed initials “BS” embossed on it which must stand for Bernard Sandrowitz. The bottle is also quart sized (27 oz) with a tooled blob finish.

I’ve also seen bottles on the internet embossed Columbia Bottling Co with a Harrison St address in Brooklyn. Their Bottle Registration Notice, printed in the February 18, 1898 issue of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle stated that they had been in business since 1896 and that they maintained addresses at 117 Columbia Street and 36 Harrison Street in Brooklyn. They were owned and operated by Eugene R Judge. I can’t find any connection between the two companies.

The City Bottling Works of New York, Henry Downes, 1873

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According to his obituary in the December 15, 1905 edition of “The American Bottler” Henry Downes was one of the first makers of ginger ale in the US.

Henry Downes, the veteran bottler, died at his home, 429 Henry Street, Brooklyn on the 23rd, at the age of 72 years.

He was a native of County Clare, Ireland, and came to this country when a young man, and as a pioneer in the soda water business was one of the first manufacturers of ginger ale in this country.

Henry Downes was first listed in the 1870/1871 Trow New York City Directory at 411 1st Avenue with the occupation minerals. A year later, he was listed as a bottler at the same address. In 1873-74 he changed his address to 404 E 25th St.

This advertisement that appeared in Goulding’s 1874-1875 Business Directory mentioned his “Belfast Ginger Ale,” as well as a menu of other products he was marketing at the time.

He remained listed at the 25th Street address through 1888. Then sometime around 1890 he moved to Brooklyn where he was listed as a bottler at 98 Wycoff Street. He was still listed at this address in 1897, however, by that time his listed occupation was “agent,” not “bottler.”

Downes held the rights to at least two patents. One (No. 145139), dated December 2, 1873, and held jointly with Frederick W. Wiesenbrock was for “a fountain for soda water.” The other (196437 A) was for improvements in vent faucets for bottles, Filing Date: May 31,1877, Publication Date: October 23,1877.

Another obituary, this one in the November 25, 1905 issue of the New York Sun, said that Downes was a writer and lecturer, and for many years was connected with the Bottlers Gazette.

Today this area of First Avenue in Manhattan is heavily occupied by NYU Hospital facilities. Their College of Dentistry occupies the former 411 First Avenue address. The 25th Street address was just east of First Avenue and is now occupied by a modern building.

The bottle I found is a pony style with an applied blob finish. Its embossed  with the date of 1873 which puts it on the bubble between the First Avenue and East 25th Street locations. I’ve seen bottles embossed with the Wycoff Avenue address on the Internet but have not found one.

California Bottling Co., 142 King St., Brooklyn, N.Y.

The first listing I can find for the California Bottling Co. was in the 1920 Brooklyn telephone directory, however, the newspaper advertisement quoted below suggested that the company was established in 1917. Suffice to say the company was up and running sometime in the late teens, likely with the aim of capitalizing on Prohibition laws.

Their business card appeared in several issues of the “Brooklyn Citizen” during the spring/summer of 1922.

That year the California Bottling Company patented a  design of the word “click” for non-alcoholic, non-cereal, maltless beverages sold as soft drinks and syrups for making same. Used since: February 1, 1920, Filed: February 28, 1922, Published: July 18, 1922 and Registered: October 17, 1922.

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This advertisement, highlighting both “Click” and the California Bottling Company, appeared  in the July 9, 1922 edition of the “Brooklyn Citizen” disguised as a legitimate news story.

CLICK COMES IN TIME FOR SUMMER

New Beverage Meets With Instant Favor and Is In Great Demand

“Click” the newest member of the beverage family, has arrived in good time for the abatement of summertime thirsts. It comes in three flavors, orange, grape and cherry. Brooklynites have been pleasantly surprised with the latest addition to the long line of excellent products sold by the California Bottling Company of No. 142 King Street.

Their four delivery wagons are being kept busy all day long supplying the needs of their many customers both in this borough and across the river in Manhattan.

And it is little wonder that there is such a wide demand for “Click” and the other products such as ginger ale, soda and carbonated waters that this company specializes in, for they are thoroughly satisfying in all ways.

Sparkling, filtered waters are used in the manufacture of these drinks. Pure fruit juices are used exclusively for coloring and flavoring purposes. The machinery is of the modern type and the plant is up-to-date in every respect.

L. Diccor, manager of the factory, says that the concern has increased its size yearly. It was established five years ago, and its growth has been remarkably rapid. Since the advent of prohibition there has, of course, been a marked increase in the demand for soft drinks.

“Click,” they say takes some of the sting out of prohibition, for it really does quench even the most obstinate thirst and is soothing to the driest of throats.

The following year, the February 7, 1923 edition of the “Brooklyn Daily Eagle” announced that the California Bottling Company had filed a voluntary petition for bankruptcy.

At the same time, the February 9, 1923 edition of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle announced that the Click Cola Bottling Company had been incorporated.

After the dust settled , both the California Bottling Company and the Click Cola Bottling Company appeared in the Brooklyn Telephone Book from the mid-1920’s up through 1931. Both listed the 142 King Street address, suggesting that the companies were, in practice, one and the same.

Bottles embossed Click Cola (in script) Bottling Co., with the 142 King Street address occasionally appear for sale on the internet.

Looking very much like a Coca Cola bottle, one internet bottle web site stated that Coke sued them for infringement and put them out of business. While I can’t confirm this, it certainly appears likely.

Today 142 King Street is a one story building with two garage door size openings. Property Shark.com states that it was built in 1931 so it post dates the business.

The bottle I found is machine made (8 oz) with California Bottling Co embossed inside a large horseshoe. There is no mention of “Click” Cola, suggesting that it contained another one of their flavors. It fits the 1920’s period that the company was in business.