Tag: Far Rockaway history

Mimnaugh Bottling Co., Far Rockaway, L.I.

The name Mimnaugh in Far Rockaway dates back to at least 1867 when Curtin’s  Long Island directory named James Mimnaugh as the proprietor of a “country store.” He’s not listed in the 1865 directory suggesting that the Mimnaugh business got its start sometime in the mid-1860’s.

At some point in the early to mid 1870’s it appears that his son, also named James, joined the business at which time it operated under the name “J & J Mimnaugh”until 1887 when James Mimnaugh, Sr. left and turned complete control of the store over to his son. An announcement to this effect, dated June 3, 1877, appeared in several editions of Freeport Long Island’s “South Side Signal.”

JAMES MIMNAUGH, JR., would inform the public that he has assumed entire control of the store business conducted under the firm name of J. & J. Mimnaugh.

The announcement referred to the business as:

…and went on to say:

A year later Mimnaugh still owned the business when it was burglarized on a Sunday morning. The burglary was reported in the March 13, 1878 edition of the “Brooklyn Daily Eagle.”

At one 0’clock on Sunday morning thieves effected an entrance to the store of James Mimnaugh, in Far Rockaway. They bored holes around the lock, knocked the wood out and thus were enabled to unlock the door. The hand of one of the men was cut in the operation. They had a wagon and one horse, and carried off dry goods, boots and shoes and groceries to the amount of $680. The burglary was not discovered until seven o’clock the next morning.

Up to this point it’s clear that the business was still operating as a general or country store, so it’s possible that Mimnaugh was selling bottled beer and soda, however, if he was it certainly wasn’t apparent in his advertising. In fact, I can’t connect the Mimnaugh name with bottling until 1889 when this item appeared in the July 13th edition of the “South Side Signal.”

On complaint of Charles L. Looker, agent of the Bottler’s Association, Henry Lotz, of Rockville Centre, and James E Mimnaugh of Far Rockaway, were arrested on the charge of using and trafficking in bottles belonging to Pflug and Ackley and E. Matthews, bottlers , of Hempstead. They were tried before  Justice B. V. Clowes and found guilty. Lotz was fined $65 and Mimnaugh $10. Lotz had 198 bottles in his possession and Mimnaugh 20.

Subsequently, in the 1890’s, I’ve been able to find three Far Rockaway business listings for James Mimnaugh all of which suggest bottling.  In 1890, he’s listed with the occupation “liquors” with an address of Central Avenue, near Cornaga Avenue. Later, in 1898 and 1899, he’s listed as a “bottler of lager beer” at the corner of Carleton Avenue and R.R. Avenue. During the same 1890’s period there’s no listing I can find that associated Mimnaugh with a general store, dry goods or groceries. By 1900, census records list Mimnaugh’s occupation as a day laborer and business directories in the early 1900’s don’t associate him with any bottling related categories.

This all suggests that Mimnaugh got out of the country store and established a bottling business sometime in the 1880’s and continued it until 1900 at the latest.

The bottle I found is a mouth blown champagne style with a blob finish. It fits the late 1880’s to 1890’s time frame when Mimnaugh was certainly in the bottling business.

John J. Kane, Far Rockaway & Arverne, L. I.

John J. Kane was a salon keeper, hotel proprietor and bottler in New York’s Far Rockaway and nearby Arverne, Queens New York during the first two decades of the 1900’s.

Kane was first listed under the heading “Wine, Liquor and Lager Beer,” in the 1904 Trow Business Directory for the Borough of Queens. Though  not listed in the 1903 directory he was certainly in business by then as evidenced by this story that appeared in the June 15, 1903 edition of the “Brooklyn Daily Eagle.”

Captain Louis Kreuscher has instructed his men that there must be no violation of the excise law. While excursionists got all the drinks they wanted yesterday, there was only one excise arrest. This was made by policeman Robert Rau, who brought James Kane to the station house. Kane is barkeeper at Amerman Avenue and the railroad of which his brother, John J. Kane is proprietor. The officer said he found eight men in the place drinking liquor. Kane was taken before Magistrate Healy in the Far Rockaway court and held for examination.

In 1904 John Kane had also built a hotel in Arverne as evidenced by this item that appeared in the March 26, 1904 edition of the “Brooklyn Daily Eagle”

At Arverne there has not been as much building going on as for the last two years… A cottage costing $5,000 is just nearing completion on Atlantic Avenue, and a two story hotel has been built on the railroad near Gaston Avenue, for John J. Kane, at a cost of about $4,000.

Almost certainly bottling beer in connection with his saloon and hotel business, by 1907 the April 15th edition of the “American Bottler” announced he was expanding his bottling operation.

John J. Kane, a beer bottler at Far Rockaway, is going to engage in the soda water and siphon trade as well.

Queens directories and New York State liquor tax records always listed the Far Rockaway saloon/bottling business with a White Street (now Beach 21st Street) address in Far Rockaway, typically as:  “White Street 200 feet south of Mott.” Queens telephone books throughout the teens described the business as both a “cafe” and bottling establishment.  No longer listed in the early 1920’s, the business was likely a victim of prohibition.

Recognizing that the June 15, 1903 “Brooklyn Daily Eagle” story above named John Kane’s brother James as a bartender in his saloon, it’s likely that he was involved in the bottling business as well. A supposition supported by a  bottle, similar in style to the subject bottles but embossed “Kane Brothers, Far Rockaway,” that was recently offered for sale on the internet.

It appears that the Arverne Hotel was a Kane family business as well. In further support of this supposition, liquor tax records for the Arverne hotel list other Kane’s as the certificate holders; namely James P. Kane in 1907 and later, Andrew Kane in 1913 through 1917. The liquor tax records name the hotel’s location as the Boulevard, East of the (subway) Crossing. New York State liquor tax records also name Kane’s wife, Minnie, the certificate holder for a Far Rockaway Hotel located at Remson and McNeil (now Redfern and McNeil) from 1911 to 1914.

It’s not clear exactly how long the Kane’s continued in the hotel business. Census records in 1920 named John J. Kane’s occupation as the: “Proprietor of Hotel,” but by 1930, census records indicate that he and his wife Minnie, were living in Miami Florida.

I’ve found two identical bottles, each with a blob finish and embossed with both Far Rockaway and Arverne locations. They could date as early as 1904 when Arverne hotel was built.

Post updated on July 17, 2025