Long Island bottler – Bay Bottles

Edmund Spieler, Cold Spring Harbor, L.I.

Edmund (sometimes Edward) Spieler was a local brewer and beer bottler in the Town of Huntington on Long Island New York’s north shore. Located in the hamlet of Cold Spring Harbor, the business was active from sometime in the mid-1870’s up until Spieler’s death in 1889.

Born in Bavaria in 1846, Spieler apparently arrived in the United States around 1870 where he first appeared in New York City’s 1871/1872 directory with the occupation “beer” and an address of 546 W. 36th Street. By 1880, census records put him in the Town of Huntington with the occupation “brewer.”

He had arrived on Long Island as early as 1878 when the Board of Excise” granted him a license for the sale of “ALE & BEER.” The announcement appeared in the May 18, 1878 edition of the “Suffolk Weekly Times.”

During the late 1870’s and early 1880’s he continued to obtain what appears to be the same license to sell ale and beer during which time he delivered his product in a horse drawn wagon. Those deliveries did not always come without incident as evidenced by this story that appeared in the August 11, 1882 edition of a newspaper called the “Long Islander.” The story definitely falls in the category of “they don’t write them like this anymore!”

In this town we have a wholesale peddler of beer. He has a handsomely painted wagon. That wagon has long borne the owner who answers to the euphonious patronymic of Spieler. Last Friday Mr. S. came to this village with a full load of his “sour lightning” – the kegs and bottles were full and so was the owner. The wagon was being turned in front of Simon Hirschfeld’s when, mindful of the request embodied in the name of the proprietor, it proceeded to “spill-her” in good style. The spoke of one wheel of the vehicle broke and down it came on its side. The stream was la(r)ger as it flowed and many stood on its brink eager to stop the waste. Some who assisted could only say in the technical phase of the newspaper man “For further particulars see our inside.”

Less than a month later, the September 8th edition of the same newspaper reported that Spieler’s beer wagon had run into trouble again.

The redoubtable wagon of Spieler. the lager beer peddler has again been on a rampage. On Tuesday while coming down the hill from Greenlawn near Merril’s Hotel, Centreport, the wagon struck a stone and one of the wheels completely collapsed, letting the vehicle down in the sand. Well the occupant of the vehicle said about everything “but his prayers,” and left for home to get another wagon.

All that aside, Spieler continued to deliver his beer by horse drawn wagon up through at least 1885 as evidenced by this item that appeared in the June 26, 1885 edition of the “Long Islander.”

There were six horses brought up on the steamer on Tuesday night last, one of which was for Edmund Spieler to be used on his beer wagon.

Sometime about 1888, it appears Spieler traded his beer wagon in and became a saloon/hotel operator and bottler. That year, the May 12th edition of the “Long-Islander announced that the Board of Excise granted Spieler an INN KEEPER’s license in lieu of ALE & BEER.

Less than two years later, on December 10, 1889 Edmund Spieler passed away, with his death notice appearing in the December 21st edition of the “South Side Signal.”

It appears that Spieler’s wife, Frances, continued the hotel/saloon/bottling business for a while after his death. The May 6, 1890 edition of the “Brooklyn Daily Times” included her on a list of applicants who had been granted a hotel license by the Huntington Board of Excise that year. She was still in business in 1892 when this story appeared in the January 9th edition of the “Long Islander.”

A team of young horses belonging to Mrs. Spieler started from before her saloon Thursday and ran down the street until they came to the mill dam at the old saw mill and ran across passing safely over where it would be almost impossible for a man to drive them, and then ran through the woods to Dr. O. L. Jones’ fields where they were captured. Horses, wagon and harness were uninjured.

What became of the business after 1892 is not clear. That said, in 1894 Frances Spieler married John Wolfert who, according to a December 12 1896 “Long Islander” story, operated “a large beer bottling business” in Cold Spring and later listed his occupation as “saloon and bottling” in 1900 census records. Though I can’t confirm it, this at least suggests that Spieler’s business may have been the predecessor of Wolfert’s business or possibly incorporated into it.

The bottle I found is a champagne style beer with an applied blob finish. It fits the 1880’s era when Spieler was in business. Maybe it was on one of those wagon’s that broke down?

Will J. Fox, Oyster Bay, N.Y.

William J. Fox was the proprietor of an Oyster Bay, Long Island hotel and saloon called the Trout Pond Inn during much of the early 1900’s. Originally called the Franklin House or sometimes Franklin’s Hotel it was named after a man named John A. Franklin who was typically referred to as “Capt.” in the local newspapers. The reasoning for this was explained in his July 12, 1907 obituary published in a newspaper called the “Long Islander.”

He was a veteran of the Civil War, having fought in the Third Missouri Cavalry and was honorably discharged.

After the war, 1880 census records listed his occupation as “oysterman” so it’s likely he started his hotel sometime after 1880. That said, it was certainly up and running in the summer of 1895 when a June 15th “Long Islander” story announced:

John A. Franklin, a hotel keeper, had wells driven 54 and 156 feet deep. He conducts a part of the water into his cellar for refrigeration purposes.

Another story, this one in the October 25, 1895 edition of the “Long Islander” made it clear that his submerged beer kegs shared the space with a large number of speckled trout.

John A. Franklin of Oyster Bay, has a tank in his cellar in which he cools his beer kegs. In the tank are about 100 speckled trout. It is said the largest weighs over six pounds.

The May 1902 Sanborn Map located what I suspect was Franklin’s hotel “D” and Saloon “Sal” near the Oyster Bay waterfront at the corner of Bay Street and what would later become Bayles Place.

As far as I can tell, Franklin continued to serve as proprietor of the hotel and saloon until his death in 1907. At this point, William Fox, who census records suggest had married Franklin’s daughter Mary Anna in 1898, assumed the proprietorship. As early as 1908 Fox was listed as the hotel’s liquor tax certificate holder in the New York State Department of Excise Directory.

By that time, the February 1909 Sanborn Map officially referenced the saloon as the Trout Pond Cafe. The map also indicated that a mineral water works under the management of a man named Geo. Caspari had been established adjacent to the cafe.

This close-up view of the hotel, cafe and mineral water works suggests they all shared a common driveway and backyard.

Sometime in the early teens Fox also became proprietor of the bottling business which, by 1915 was labeled as the Oyster Bay Bottling Works on the Sanborn Map.

Fox’s business card reflecting the change appeared as part of a June 17, 1916 feature on Oyster Bay published in the “Brooklyn Daily Times.”

Fox continued to be listed as the hotel’s liquor tax certificate holder up through the start of prohibition and a May 2, 1920 story in the “Brooklyn Daily Times” suggests he wasn’t adverse to selling liquor even after the 18th Amendment was enacted.

William J. Fox, a saloon owner, and Stanley Kessler, a bartender, of Oyster Bay, were charged with violation of the prohibition law and held by Commissioner McGoldrick for examination. Fox’s bail was fixed at $1,000 and Kessler’s at $500.

How long Fox remained proprietor of the Trout Pond Hotel is not clear. According to 1930 census records he was still living on Bay Street in Oyster Bay but at that point listed his occupation as none. This March 1, 1926 item published in the “Brooklyn Eagle” suggests he may have given up proprietorship of the business by that time.

The caption below the photo reads:

Mr. and Mrs. William J. Fox of Oyster Bay, stopping for a brief rest beside the great pyramid at Cairo, Egypt. The couple are enjoying a tour of the world on the Canadian Pacific S. S. Empress of Scotland.

In 1940, still living on Bay Street he was working on account as a barkeeper (just staying busy?)

The “Brooklyn Eagle” reported that Fox passed away in May, 1940, leaving his entire estate to his wife Mary. The story appeared that year in their June 29th edition.

William J Fox owner of the Trout Pond Inn at Oyster Bay for many years, who died in that village May 24, left an estate of more that $11,000, according to his will dated Nov. 19, 1925 and filed here for probate yesterday with Surrogate Leon D. Howell. The entire estate was left to the widow, Mary Anna Fox. She is the executrix.

This undated photograph appeared in a feature on Oyster Bay found in the October 13, 1994 edition of a newspaper called the “Glen Cove Record Pilot.” As far as I can tell right to left are the hotel, cafe, driveway and former bottling works.

Today’s view, courtesy of Google Maps, is not all that different.

The bottle I found is a 7-ounce tooled crown. It likely dates to around the time when Fox became proprietor of the mineral water works, sometime in the early teens.

On a final note, this story appeared in the January 13, 1919 edition of the “Evening World.” While it exaggerates the age of the Trout Pond Hotel it’s certainly not the only exaggeration the story contains. That said, it’s certainly worth a read!

Out at Oyster Bay, set among a cluster of antique dwellings on the sands of the beach itself, is one of the oldest inns on Long Island. It is also one of the most remarkable.

Over the door swings a sign which tells the close observer that the place is the Trout Pond Inn. The sign starts to tell you when the inn was established, but it gets no further than “18” – the century is distinguishable but the year has long faded into a weather beaten blurr.

William Fox, the present proprietor has been there for more than 30 years and his predecessor was there longer than that.

If you happen to be the kind of a person he likes he’ll tell you who put the trout pond in the Trout Pond Inn..

Bill consented to show the writer the trout pond, although he said he didn’t like to at that particular time, because there had been an accident a few days ago from which the fish had not yet recovered. However he led the way to a dark cavern underneath the bar, where the sound of running water could be heard.

Suddenly Bill flashed on a string of electric lights and revealed a concrete lined, circular cave, at the bottom of which was a glistening pool of clear sparkling artesian well water.

Submerged in the pool were several beer and ale kegs attached to the spigots on the bar by long metal tubes.

Around the kegs cavorted a dozen huge trout. The smallest Bill said, weighed considerably more than six pounds and several tipped the scales at better than eight. “Tipping the scales”is one of Bill’s standard jokes.

Just then Bill dropped down among the group and brought up a glass of water that was clear as crystal. As he held it up against one of the electric light bulbs the water shone like liquid diamonds.

“See them trout?” he added. “Well there ain’t one that has been in that pool for less than ten years. Now, there’s Jesse, for instance. She’s hidin’ behind the beer barrel ’cause she’s sort of shy with strangers.”

“Jessie ain’t as spry as once she was,” declared Bill. “She is close onto eleven years old now, and I guess she’ll be passin’ out soon. Her father, a trout called Old Bill, whose remains are stuffed and hanging up behind the bar, lived in this pool for twelve years and three months. At that age he died a natural death. This part of Oyster Bay went into mourning when old Bill died. He was the most gentle souled, affectionate trout I ever see. He’d come when I called him and eat out of my hand.”

“All the fish you see here are Old Bill’s children. When Old Bill died he was twenty-five inches long and weighed just a trifle over nine pounds, which is some proportions for a trout.”

“Now you see them small kegs under the water, right next to the ale kegs? Well, they got sherry in ’em.

You wouldn’t believe it, but when I opened up here the other morning I heard a great splashing down in this pool and I hustled right down to see what the matter was. The trout were racing around, chasing each other in all directions and making general fools of themselves.

One of them was lying on the surface upside down and I thought at first he was dead. I couldn’t understand what had happened until I noticed a queer odor of sherry in the pool. Then I noticed that one of the sherry casks had sprung a leak and I knew in a minute that all those fish were plum intoxicated.

The one lying on the surface was sleeping his jag off. The rest were simply having a wild cabaret. I let a lot of fresh well water into the pool and after a while they began to sober up. Most of ’em had had headaches for a long while after.

Sterling Bottling Works, D. C. Petty, Greenport N.Y.

The Sterling Bottling Works operated in Greenport Long Island from 1897 up through 1920. During this time the company exhibited two different spellings of the word Sterling on their embossed bottles. Some like the subject bottle spelled it “Sterling” while others, like the one pictured below spelled it “Stirling.”

Recognizing that both versions were embossed on bottles of similar age, type and design it appears that both were generally accepted at the time.

The company’s initial proprietor was a man named David C. Petty who was born in Good Ground (Hampton Bays) Long Island in the mid-1850’s. The son of a bayman, according to census records, Petty was still living in Good Ground (Hampton Bays) with the occupation “fisherman.” in 1880. Not long after he would find himself in Greenport, Long Island where he managed several different business enterprises up until his death in 1914. This likeness of him accompanied his December 22, 1914 obituary found in the “Brooklyn Daily Eagle.”

Another obituary, this one in a local newspaper called the “Suffolk Weekly Times,” described Petty like this:

The deceased was a familiar figure in the business life of this village. He was a large man, with a heart of the same size. He was a cheerful giver and during the long winter months made many firesides happy with the necessities of life.

As far as I can tell, Petty’s presence in Greenport got its start when he acquired the Greenport grocery business of Clark H. Raynor. A story in the May 4, 1878 edition of the “Suffolk Weekly Times” announced that Raynor had started his business at around that time.

Mr. Clark H. Raynor opened his new store on Front St., near First, on May 1st, with an extensive assortment of Fancy Groceries. In connection with the grocery business, he will keep an Ice Cream Saloon and lunch room in the rooms adjoining the store.

Five years later an October 6, 1883 item published in the “Suffolk Weekly Times” reported that Petty had purchased the Raynor business and the following Spring another “Suffolk Weekly Times” item, this one in their April 26, 1884 edition, announced that he was opening for business at that time.

David C. Petty having purchased of Mrs. C. H. Raynor the Bakery, Ice Cream Saloon and Restaurant, No. 30 Front St., Greenport, will take possession on May 1st, and will open it to the public with a new stock of Confectionery, Fruit, Cigars, etc. Fresh Bread, Pies, Cakes, etc., every day. Ice Cream, in its season, by the plate, quart or gallon.

A Sanborn Insurance map, dated December, 1890, located what is almost certainly the saloon, bakery and restaurant on the northwest corner of Front and First Streets.

In 1887 a series of D. C. Petty advertisements published in the “Long Island Traveler” made it clear that by then Petty had added “Mineral Waters of All Kinds” to his menu. At this point, whether he was simply selling them or manufacturing and bottling them as well is not clear.

By the mid-1890’s Petty, apparently no longer involved in the Front Street operation, took over the Greenport mineral water business of John Lellmann. The announcement appeared in the April 16, 1897 edition of the “Long Island Traveler.”

The Greenport Bottling Works which for years was carried on by John Lellman is now being put in order and will be run by D. C. Petty

More on Lellmann and his bottling works prior Petty’s involvement can be found in another post on this site. John Lellmann.

An 1897 Sanborn map located Lellmann’s mineral water busines at the south end of the block bounded by Main, Centre, First and South Streets (lower right-hand quadrant).

This close-up shows it was set back from Main Street with access to the street via an alley.

As early as 1898 New York State’s Factory Inspection Report was referring to Petty’s mineral water business as the Sterling Bottling Works. That year, the company employed 4 male employees all working a 60 hour week.

Around the same time it was announced that the Brooklyn brewer, William Ulmer, who apparently owned much if not all of that block, was planning to build an ice plant there. The January 19, 1899 edition of the “Brooklyn Times Union” made the announcement.

AN ARTIFICIAL ICE PLANT

Greenport – It has now been positively decided that an artificial ice plant will be constructed at this village by William Ulmer. It is to be erected in the rear of Mr. Ulmer’s property situated on Main Street and known as the Greenport Bottling Works. The buildings on this piece of property have been torn down to make room for the new plant. Bids have been asked for and work will commence as soon as the contract is awarded.

The ice plant, with Petty serving as manager, opened in the Spring of 1900, with the initial advertisement appearing in the June 30, 1900 edition of the “Suffolk Daily Times.”

A 1902 Sanborn map located the ice plant directly adjacent to Petty’s bottling works.

By then Petty was also managing the “Ye Tavern,” which was likely located within the same block. It could possibly be the saloon shown on the above map that fronts on Main Street and is located adjacent to the alley access to the bottling works.

So as the dust settled, with Ulmer’s ice plant, the mineral water bottling operation and tavern all under Petty’s management its not much of a stretch to conclude that at some point he began bottling Ulmer’s product. This had likely occurred by 1909 when that year’s Sanborn map, shown below, now included a building labeled “Beer Storage” in the bottling works/ice house footprint.

This conclusion is further supported by this photo of a D. C. Petty delivery wagon that both advertised and apparently delivered Ulmer’s Cabinet Beer. The photo is part of the Hartley Collection of the Southhold Historical Society.

Petty continued to manage all three businesses until he passed away in December 1914 after which they were acquired by John J. Burns. The ownership change was reported in the March 27, 1915 edition of the “Suffolk Weekly Times.”

John J. Burns has bought the entire business interests of the late David C. Petty in “Ye Tavern,” the Hygeia Ice Works and the Hygeia Bottling Works and has taken possession of the big business. Mr. Burns has a force of men at work this week making important changes and improvements including better accommodations in the horse stables, new machinery in the bottling works and enlargement of the office with an outside entrance. Mr. Burns’ friends wish him every success in the enterprise.

The 1917 Sanborn map confirmed the ownership change, listing the bottling works under the Burns name.

Burns ran the operation for several years before ultimately putting the ice plant and bottling works up for sale in December, 1918. This item announcing the sale appeared in the December 20th edition of the “Suffolk Weekly Times.”

John J. Burns has decided to dispose of the Hygeia Ice Works and the Stirling Bottling Works and offers the business for sale. It is one of the substantial business properties of the place and should meet with a ready buyer.

The following January classified advertisements began appearing in the “Suffolk Weekly Times.”

It took took a year or so but the ice plant and bottling works were ultimately sold to F. E. Barth, another long time Greenport businessman and bottler. The announcement appeared in the April 23, 1920 edition of the “Suffolk Weekly Times.”

F. E. Barth has purchased the Hygeia Ice Plant, which hereafter will be known as the Greenport Ice Co. Many modern improvements are being made in the plant and patrons will be given the best ice service ever had in Greenport. The mineral water department is also being enlarged and many improvements made that will meet any demand in this branch of the business. The plant will be under the management of Frank L. Barth.

Operating as the Mineral Water Department of the Greenport Ice Company they continued to manufacture and bottle mineral water for a time as evidenced by this bottle that was recently offered for sale on the Internet. Its embossed:

GREEENPORT HYGEIA ICE CO.

DISTILLED WATER USED

409 MAIN ST.

GREENPOINT L.I.

Its not clear when exactly the company ceased the manufacture of mineral water however, as late as the 1950’s, the company was still in the beverage business serving as a local distributor for both Hamms and Schmidt’s Beer. This Hamm’s Beer ad appeared in the May 4, 1950 edition of “The (Riverhead) County Review.”

The subject bottle is a Hutchinson-style bottle that includes D. C. Petty’s name in its embossing. This dates it between 1897 and 1914 when Petty was associated with the business.

W. H. Hallock, Commack, N.Y.

Wesley H. Hallock according to census records was born the son of a Long Island clergyman in August, 1872 (1900 census). In 1895 he and his brother, J. Frederick Hallock, opened a general store in Commack, Long Island under the name Hallock Brothers. The store’s opening was announced in the “Commack” column of the May 25, 1895 edition of “The Long-Islander.”

The Messers. Hallock Bros. have opened a general country store in the building recently erected by Jas. F. Lewis for that purpose. The new building is a very handsome structure.

Less than five months later the October 12, 1895 edition of “The Long-Islander” reported that the store had been completely destroyed by a large fire.

The business portion of this village was completely wiped out by fire between the hours of 12 and 1 Sunday morning. The fire started in the store of Hallock Bros., part of which is used as the village post office, and it soon spread to the hotel of Henry Beatty, the only public house in the place. This was soon in ruins and the end wall is all that is now standing. The fire originated in the basement of Hallock’s store, but the cause has not been ascertained. The firm has met with a severe loss, as they carried no insurance. They had only recently started in business and it is a question whether they will be able to resume. They rented a portion of the store for the post office and quite a quantity of stamps was burned up, but the mail matter lost was small, as on a Saturday evening nearly everybody called for their mail. This place has no organized fire company, so there was no means of fighting the fire except by organizing a bucket brigade. This was done and soon all the cisterns nearby were emptied, and then there was nothing left but to watch the fire burn until there was nothing left to feed it…

In spite of his loss, a month later this November 30, 1895 item in the “South Side Signal” announced that Welsley Hallock had just gotten married and was committed to rebuilding upon returning from his honeymoon.

Wesley Hallock was married on Thursday. After the honeymoon Wesley will “pull himself together” and build a new store in place of the one burned some time ago.

And rebuild he did, apparently without the support of his brother. No longer called Hallock Bros., advertisemnts for W. H. Hallock’s new country store began appearing as early as June, 1896 in “The Long-Islander.”

The store offered a wide variety of items but the ad suggested that ice cream was their primary focus stressing in large capital letters “ICE CREAM BY THE QUART OR PLATE.” Three years later another advertisement in “The Long Islander,” this one in the September 2, 1899 edition, simply said “WHOLESALE AND RETAIL MANUFACTURER OF MINERAL WATERS & ICE CREAM,” suggesting that by then Hallock’s store was now serving primarily if not exclusively as a confectioner.

In 1902 a May 19th “South Side Signal” story announced that Hallock was adding a building next door to serve as a catering hall/party facility.

W. H. Hallock who bought the North schoolhouse, has moved it onto his ground, adjoining the store, and is fitting it up as a village hall, to let for socials and entertainment, as Burr Homestead Hall is quite a distance from the center of the village.

In announcing his 1911 seasonal opening in the May 19th edition of “The Long-Islander.” Hallock referred to his business as an “ice cream saloon.”

W.H. Hallock has opened his ice cream saloon, and Fussell’s famous cream can be had by the plate or quart.

Directory information found in “A Historical Guide to Long Island Soda, Beer & Mineral Water Bottles & Bottling Companies, 1840 – 1870,” by George Fisher, indicates that as late as 1917 Hallock was listed as a confectioner on Jericho Turnpike in Commack.

I suspect Hallock remained in business until 1920 when an April 2nd classified advertisement in “The Long-Islander” suggested he was shutting it down. The ad announced he was selling among other things “50 cases of 8 oz. soda bottles” as well as “Ice Cream Machinery, Tubs, Cans etc.

Census records in 1920 through 1940 suggest Hallock became a full-time farmer east of Commack in the Lake Grove/St. James area. As late as 1940 census records listed his occupation as “Proprietor of Road Stand.”

The “Northport Journal” reported that Hallock passed away tragically in August of 1943

Friends of Wesly H. Hallock of St. James were shocked to learn of his sudden death Thursday evening, following an automobile accident, and extend their sympathy to his family. Mr Hallock was a long time resident of Commack…

More detail was provided in this item found in the August 6, 1943 edition of the “Brooklyn Daily Eagle.”

A Wac and a 71-year old man were killed and another Wac was seriously injured last night when an army mail truck and a light delivery truck collided at Yaphank and Horseback Roads, Brookhaven Village.

The dead are Wac Junior Leader (Corp.) Marie Craig, 37, of Memphis Tenn., who was pinned beneath the overturned mail truck, and Wesley H. Hallock of St. James, who was crushed in the cab of his quarter-ton vehicle. Auxiliary (Pvt.) Elsie Robinson, 38, of Lincoln Neb., is in the post hospital with a broken leg and several fractured ribs.

Miss Craig was riding with Mrs. Robinson, carrying post mail to the Patchogue railroad station. Police said Hallock was driving alone.

The bottle I found is a mouth blown 8-ounce hutchinson style soda that likely dates it to the earlier days of Hallock’s ice cream and mineral water business. It quite possibly could have been in one of the 50 cases of 8-ounce bottles he would later offer for sale.

Hicksville Bottling Co., Hicksville, N. Y., “ROXY”

Long Island New York’s Hicksville Bottling Company had its roots with the mineral water business of a man named Edgar Davis whose brief biographical sketch appeared in the July 23, 1890 edition of the “Brooklyn Times Union.”

Edgar Davis, proprietor of the Davis Bottling Works which was established in 1873, is a jolly fellow and believes in having the people drink nothing but temperance drinks. He has a large demand for his excellent soda water, ginger ale, sarsaparilla, vichy, seltzer, wine punch soda and golden seal. Mr. Davis has served the people of Oyster Bay town in various official capacities. He was a Justice of the Peace for eleven years, Commissioner of Highways for two terms, Assessor and Excise Commissioner and was Postmaster of Jericho under Jackson’s Administration. He is also a member of the firm of Davis & Kieonne, auctioneers.

Bottles produced for the Hicksville Bottling Company in the 1940’s and 1950’s include the phrase “Since 1873,” supporting the start date referenced in the above biography.

Davis ran the business until 1894,when it was acquired by brothers-in-law William F. Staude and Charles Fassbender. The transaction was announced in the May 12, 1894 edition of a Huntington, New York newspaper called “The Long-Islander.”

William F. Staude of the Roadside Hotel and Charles Fassbender, collector for the Ulmer Brewing Company have bought out the mineral water business of Edgar Davis and have leased the old Pahde property where they will carry on a bottling business on a large scale. Both young men are sons in law of August Fleischbein, proprietor of the Grand Central Hotel and are well-known. We wish them success.

As far as I can tell their initial location was near the Hicksville train depot on the northeast corner of East Marie Street and Railroad Avenue. A map, circa 1914, confirmed their plant was located there by that time.

This advertisement, published in the September 21, 1907 edition of the Brooklyn Times Union, made it clear that by then, in addition to manufacturing temperance drinks the company also billed themselves as beer bottlers and wine and liquor dealers.

The advertisement specifically mentioned Ulmer Cabinet Beer. According to Fassbender’s April 12, 1922 obituary published in the Brooklyn Standard Union he worked for Brooklyn’s Ulmer Brewery from 1880 to 1920.

During his forty years connected with the Ulmer Brewing Company, Mr. Fassbender advanced himself from clerk to personal collector for Brooklyn and Long Island. He also handled a considerable portion of its real estate dealings with its various agencies.

So, it’s no surprise that the company not only bottled Ulmer beer, but almost certainly bottled it from the start in 1894. Recognizing that their father-in-law, August Fleischbein, owned Hicksville’s Grand Central Hotel including its 600 person capacity hall, it’s also likely they had an immediate market for their products.

Staude passed away in 1917 and Fassbender ultimately sold the business in 1921. The sale was reported in the August edition of the American Bottler.

HICKSVILLE BOTTLING PLANT CHANGES HANDS

The Hicksville Bottling Co., at Hicksville, Long Island, has been purchased by Jac. Friedman, who was formerly connected with the Christ Wagner Bottling Co., of Java Street, Brooklyn. Charles S. Fassbender was the former owner of the plant, which he had successfully conducted for a number of years.

Polish immigrants, the Friedman’s apparently operated the business as a family affair. In addition to Jac (Jak), 1930 census records indicate that Eli Friedman, likely his brother, as well as Jak’s two sons, Louis and William, were all involved in the business. Census records in 1940 continued to associate the Friedman’s with the business.

It was the Friedman’s who, during Prohibition, began utilizing the name “Roxy.” They trademarked the name in 1930, but their application indicated that it had been in use since July 1, 1926.

The “Roxy ” brand came in a wide variety of flavors including cola, orange, cream, sarsaparilla, ginger ale and root beer. A crown bottle cap featuring their ginger ale is presented below courtesy of http://www.crowncaps.info

After Prohibition they were back in the beer business as evidenced by this May 26, 1937 advertisement in the New York Daily News listing them as a Brooklyn and Long Island distributor for the Fidelio Brewery. By then the company had apparently moved, listing their address as 10-2 Lenox Avenue in Hicksville.

Another advertisement, this one published in the March 17, 1939 edition of the Nassau Daily Review named them as a distributor for New York City’s John Eichler Brewing Company as well.

The company, as well as the Roxy brand, endured well into the 1950’s and possibly longer. As late as 1957, this July 21 New York Daily News advertisement listed “Roxy – dietetic” (halfway down the second column) as a beverage made with Sucaryl.

Recently I heard from a grand daughter of the Friedman’s who read the initial version of this post. Her father drove a truck for the business while home from college and he provided some additional history.

The article is accurate to my knowledge but it doesn’t mention that Eli eventually bought out his brother who started Glen Cove Bottling. I believe we sold the business in late 1966 or early 1967.

The bottle I found is machine made with the Hicksville Bottling Co. name embossed on the bottom. The name “Roxy” is embossed on both sides in a style matching the patented trademark.

The bottle was likely made in the late 1920’s or 1930’s, and certainly no earlier than July, 1926 when the trademark application declared it was first used.

The company also used the Roxy name on siphon bottles as evidenced by this item recently offered for sale on the internet.

Bay Shore Bottling Co., Bay Shore, L. I., N. Y.

This advertisement published in several editions of Babylon’s South Side Signal between August and November, 1896 identified the Bayshore Bottling Company as a carbonated water manufacturer that produced mineral water, as well as soda, sarsaparilla, ginger ale and root beer.

They also bottled beer as evidenced by this July 7, 1907 advertisement published in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle that listed the company as a local bottler for Brooklyn’s S. Liebmann Sons brewery (3rd on the list).

A story published in the April 20, 1978 edition of the Islip Town Bulletin identified the proprietor as Lou Smith and listed the company’s location as the “northeast corner of Union Blvd and Fourth Avenue.” The story went on to describe the end of the business.

Lou Smith grew old, as we all do, and when his sons expressed no desire to continue the business, he sold it to Charles Mecklenberg along with the boarding house which went with the property. The year was 1919…

Upon purchasing the Bottling Plant a gas station was erected and a regular oil and kerosene depot emerged.

The story mentioned a boarding house associated with the property. Census records listed Lewis (sometimes Larvis, sometimes Louis) Smith’s occupation as “hotel proprietor” in both 1900 and 1910. That being said, it’s almost certain that the hotel and bottling operations were connected (which was common back then) and operational from at least the mid 1890’s to 1919.

1870 Census records listed Lewis Smith’s mother, Caroline, with the occupation “selling liquors,” so it’s possible that the roots of the business date back much earlier than the 189o’s.

Courtesy of Google Earth, its evident that today the northeast corner of Union Boulevard and Fourth Avenue remains an operational gas station.

The bottle I found is the Hutchinson style with a tombstone slug plate that fits a late 1800’s to early 1900’s time frame.

Thanks to Howie Crawford, President of the Long Island Antique Bottle Association, for pointing me in the direction of the 1978 Islip Town Bulletin story.