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INDIANA BITTERS BOTTLES

According to the Bitters Bottle book by Carlyn Ring & W.C. Ham there are seventeen embossed Bitters Bottles with the word Bitters on them. There are four with the word Ind. abbreviated two with the word Indiana and four with the words Tonic and Bitters. Theirs also some different shapes of these bottles. There are ten squares, one rectangle, three semi cabins, one cabin style, one barrel and one triangle. Its also listed that four bottle are with a label with the word bitters but not embossed on the bottle. Also six advertisements adds but no bottles found yet and a listing for a dose glass. Along with one bottle that was dug in Indiana but as of now its home town is still unknown.
ind_alaska_1
1. ALASKA BITTERS // G. LOWMAN / KENDALLVILLE, IND. Listed as very rare. Color shade of amber and the shape being square. The height is 9 in.
George Lohman was born in Germany in the 1850s. He came to the United States and became a citizen in 1865. He would open a drug store in Kendallville, Indiana in 1871 at 105 S. Main Street. There was a big explosion in the basement of his drug store and to Kendallville's credit the entire block was remodeled. George married Mary Brust in 1873 and they built a fourteen room house to raise there Five children. Georges son Charles became a pharmacist in Indianapolis Indiana. George Lohman is listed in the Kendallville City Directory in 1866 and 1873 both years as a druggist. There are Druggist bottles embossed with his name also.
Reference:
The Doctors of Kendallville by Genevieve Saller 1978.
Kendallville families and their Homes by Jean Cochard 1976.

2. BUCHU // BITTERS Listed as extremely rare. Color a shade of amber and the shape being square. This bottle thought to be from Indianapolis, Indiana.
ind_bicknell
3. DR. GEO W. BICKNELLS / TONIC / STOMACH BITTERS Listed as extremely rare. Color a shade of amber and the shape being square. The height is 9 ½ in.
This Bitters is thought to be from Kendallville, Indiana from 1871-1872. It is my believe that this would be incorrect. There was a T.P. Bicknell which settled in Lisbon Indiana in 1847. Lisbon was two mile south of Kendallville. He was the first regularly educated surgeon in the county. He was also was a member of the constitutional convention for the revision of the state constitution in 1850-1851. He was twenty six years of age and the youngest member. He move to Kendallville between 1859 and 1860 when his landlord raised the rent on him. He died in 1863 and his grave site is located in the sweets cemetery in Noble County. There is no listing for a Geo W. Bicknell in Kendallville's City Directories as being a doctor or a resident. When you really take a good look at this bottle it appears to be made around the 1880s or 1890s . Having a smooth base and very little texture with a tooled lip. I have seen a small clear druggist bottle embossed Dr. Geo Bicknell Hammond Ind. on Ebay before. Could it be possible that he was from Hammond or the surrounding area. I am still trying to figure that out.
References:
The Doctors of Kendallville by Genevieve Saller 1978.
ind_caldwell_1ind_caldwell_2
4. THE GREAT TONIC / CALDWELLS / HERB BITTERS (16 squares in lattice) Listed as being scarce. The color being shades of amber and the shape being triangle. The height is 12 3/8 in. This bottle with 16 squares in the lattice is from the L.A. Marshall & C0. Goshen Ind. The 24 squares in the lattice being from Harrisburg, Pa.
covert 11covert 22covert 33
5. COVERTS // MODOC // STOMACH BITTERS Listed as being rare. The color being a shade of amber and the shape being a square. The height is 8 ¾ in.
Made by Nimmons & Coverts Princeton and Bluffton Indiana. Wm.H. Covert was born in June 29 1841 in Bluffton, Indiana in June 29 1841 at the old Covert Home. He was a member of the 47th Indiana and later with the 130th Indiana in which he was a first Lieutenant. Later emerging from service with the rank of Captain. He was a Gun Smith and also the inventor of the Modoc Bitters that bears he name. He also engaged in the manufacturing. He would move to Denver Col. in 1884 to do electrical work. Then he would follow the gold rush and move three miles from Cripple Creek. This is were he owned five gold claims and was mining them. He would die in Nov. 26 1901. His body was brought back to Denver to rest.
Reference:
Wells County Library, His Obituary from Bluffton Newspaper.

6. CROWS CELEBRATED / TONIC BITTERS // W. A. RUHE / SOLE AGENT / EVANSVILLE, IND. Listed as being extremely rare. The color being a shade of amber and the shape being a barrel figural. The height is 9 7/8 in.
Listed in the Evansville City Directories.
1866-1867: Ruhe and Finch Photographic Gallery.
1868-1869: Traveling agent.
1870-1871: Clerk.
1871-1872: Only residence is listed.
Reference:
Evansville Public Library.

7. HARTLEYS / PERUVIAN BARK / BITTERS // W. D. SOUDERS & CO / MUNCIE, IND. Listed as being extremely rare. The color being a shade of yellow amber and the shape being square. The height is 9 ¼ in.
Listed in the Muncie City Directories.
1885-1886: Souders, William D.- Clerk at George H Andrews book store.
1889: No listing.
1891-1892: Souders, Wm. D. - Chemist (no business name listed)
1892 Business directory : druggists- Andrews, George H. 109 s. walnut & 214 E Main.
1893: Souders, W. D. & Co. (George Andrews) mnfrs of Hartleys Peruvian Bitters, 123 S. Walnut.
1893 Business directory - Andrews, Geo H. 123 S. Walnut Souders, W. D. & Co. (Geo H. Andrews) mnfrs of Hartleys Peruvian Bark Bitters, 123 S. Walnut.
Business directory: Druggist- Andrews, Goe H. ,123 S. Walnut.
It appears that W.D. Souders was a chemist that work for (or in partnership with George H. Andrews who was a book store owner and then a druggist.
References:
Muncie Public Library.

8. HARVEYS // PRAIRE // BITTERS PATENTED Listed as being very rare. The color being shades of amber and the shape being a cabin figural. The height is 9 ½ in.
This Bitters being one of the top ten bitters bottles of all time.

9. S. KAUFMANS / CELEBRATED // ANTI CHOLERA / BITTERS Listed as being extremely rare. The color being a shade of amber and the shape being a semi cabin. The height is 9 7/8 in. Soloman Kaufman was a Liquor Dealer in Indianapolis, Indiana.

10. KAUFMANS // WORLD // PREMIUM // BITTERS Listed as being extremely rare. The color being a shade of amber and the shape being a square. The height is 9 ½ in.
Soloman Kaufman was a Liquor Dealer in Indianapolis, Indiana.

11. DR. F. A. MITCHELLS // SAN GENTO / BITTERS Listed as being rare. The color being a shade of amber and the shape being square. The height is 9 in.
Listed in the New Albany City Directory.
1868 F.A. Mitchell & Co. (Frank A. Mitchell, M.D. and John o. Greene) Mfrs of Dr. Mitchells San-Gento Bitters, Ague Tonic and Blood Purifying Pills.
1871-1872 Mitchell F. A. traveling agent.
1873-1874 Mitchell Francis A. Insurance agent.
1877-1878 Mitchell Francis A. justice of the peace.
1880 he moved to poke county to practice medicine . In the mean time taking a post graduate course at the University of Louisville. He returned to New Albany in 1892 where he was making a specialty of the treatment of nasal catarrh, throat and ear disease.
References:
New Albany Public Library.
The Advantages and Surrounding of New Albany, Floyd County by D.P. Robbins.

12. DR. PATRICKS BITTERS // BUNTIN & MADISON // TERRE HAUTE, IND. List as being extremely rare. The color being a shade of amber and the shape being a semi cabin. The height is 10 ¼ in.
Dr. Septer Patrick practiced his medicine on the Wabash River. During the gold excitement he move his family to California were he died in 1858 at the advanced age of seventy eight. This bottle is later than 1858 and still needs more research.
References:
Early Physicians of Terre Haute, Indiana.

13. ROCKY / MOUNTAIN / TONIC BITTERS // 1840 TRY ME 1870 Listed as being very rare. The color being a shade of amber and the shape being square. The height is 9 7/8 in.
1870 Indianapolis City Directory listed Saler & McCaslins as Liquor dealers.

14. DR. TAYLORS FEMALE BITTERS Listed extremely rare. The color being aqua and the shape being rectangle. The height is 5 1/2in.
Listed in the Madison City Directory in 1858.

15. PETER VIERLINGS / BLOOD PURIFIEING / BITTERS // EVANSVILLE / INDIANA Listed as being extremely rare. The color being a shade of amber and the shape being square. The height being 10 in.
Listed in the Evansville City Directory.
1860-1861 as a dealer in drugs, medicines , chemicals, ect.
1863-1879 as a dealer in drugs, medicines, chemicals, ect.
1880 as Vierling & Runge.
1882 Vierling, Haas & Runge.
1883 was just his residence listed.
References:
Evansville Public Library.

16. PETER VIERLINGS / BLOOD PURIFIEING / BITTERS // EVANSVILLE / INDIANA Listed as being extremely rare. The color being a shade of amber and the shape being a semi cabin. The height is 10 1/8 in.
Listed in the Evansville City Directory same as above.
ind_white_1ind_white_2ind_white_3
17. WHITE'S // STOMACH // BITTERS listed as being rare. The color is a shade of amber and the shape being square. The height is 9 ½ in.
Listed in the 1880 Indianapolis City Directory Dr. A. R. White as being a druggist.


18. F. Dittmar's / Stomach Bitters. Evansville, Ind.


LABEL ONLY BITTERS BOTTLES

1. DROMGOULES BITTERS - McCULLOUGH DRUG CO. LAWRENCEBERG, IND. (For more imformation see bottle article 32)

2. HILLS MOUNTAIN BITTERS- INDIANA DRUG CO. ST. LOUIS & INDIANAPOLIS. The color is a shade of amber and the shape being rectangle. The height is 7 ¾ in.
ind_lin
3. LINCOLN BITTERS - FT. WAYNE, IND. The color is clear and the shape being rectangle druggist style. The height is 9 ¼ in. Listed in the 1920 Ft. Wayne City Directory ( For more information see Bottle Articles 2 Lincoln Bitters )
ind_primley_1ind_primley_2
4. PRIMLEYS IRON AND WAHOO TONIC BITTERS // JONES ELKHART, IND. The color of these bottle have many shades of yellow to amber and strong green. The shape is square. There are two sizes 9 ½ down to 8 ¾ in.
Listed in the Elkhart City Directories.
1883-1885/6 J.P. Primley as a Druggist on Main St.
1889-1891 His occupation was a maker of Patent medicines and Gum Manufacturing Under the name of Jones and Primley located at E. Franklin St.
1891 J. P. Primley purchased the interest of S. A. Jones in the stock Known as Jones & Primley Co. and is still carrying on the manufacture of patent medicines and chewing gum.
1891 J. P. Primley would move to Chicago to a Four Story building were he would manufacture chewing gum, eventually becoming one of the founding firms in the American Cicle Company. J. P. Primley was born in 1851 in Elkhart, Indiana
He started his drug store in 1876 at the corner of Main st and Tylr Ave. and was their for fifth teen years. He would die in Feb. 10 1914 as a millionaire in Pasadena, California. This is were he would live in the winter. His medicines were world renown. The building which he had in Elkhart was purchased by mayor Sporn of Goshen, Indiana and then was called the Clem drug Co. They also produced embossed medicine bottles.
References:
Elkhart Public Library.
1883 Daily Review newspaper.
1891 Elkhart Weekly Review newspaper.
1891 The Daily Ocean newspaper.
1914 Elkhart progressive Democrat newspaper.

BITTERS ADDS OR LISTING BUT NO BOTTLES EVER FOUND
1. BRAZILIAN SODA BITTERS Listed in the 1878 Indianapolis City Directory Nathaniel S. Driggs & Winfield S. Lynn.

2. BUCHO // BITTERS Thought to be a semi cabin. Very possible to be from Indianapolis because of the embossed Bucho Bitters.

3. KAUFMANS BITTERS Listed in the 1871 Indiana Daily Commercial.

4. REEVES CELEBRATED VEGETABLE BITTERS Listed in the 1872 Indiana State Gazette W.M. Reeves Logansport, Indiana.

5. RYANS BOURBON BITTERS Listed in the Jan 19 1871 Indiana Daily Commercial. Thomas F. Ryan 143 S. Meridian St. Indianapolis, Indiana.

6. DR. C.A. WILDES CELEBRATED BITTERS- G.O.E. WILDES BONNVILLE, INDIANA. Illustrated Historical Atlas Indiana.

7. DR. W. SIMONS / INDIAN BITTERS. A bottle was dug in Indiana. No information found . Color was green and the shape was round. The height was 5 ¼ in.

8. WABASH / BITTERS / ALBERT SIEFERT / TERRE HAUTE, IND. This is a dose glass.


9. J. Dearbaugh- 1870 Bitters Manufacture Huntington,Ind. Listed in the Indiana State Gazateer.

10. Unlisted Bitters- Murturx Bitters from Jasper, Ind.
murturx bitters ad



References:
(Could not have been done without) Bitters Bottles and Bitters Bottle Supplement by Carlyn Ring & W.C. Ham.

Frank and Frank Jr. (Wicker) Bottle Collection.

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