Posted 4 years ago
bottle-bud
(159 items)
Leonard & Co. (1902-1903)
Thomas J. Leonard is listed in 1902 as being in the soda water business and is located at 4415 Easton Avenue. Today Easton Ave. is known as Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd. the previous year in 1901 Thomas was listed as a shoer. I am assuming for horses.
1903 and Thomas finds a partner in Andrew F. Blong, the operation is now known as Leonard & Co. Andrew is also a partner with James Dowling and they are listed as painters.
1904 and Thomas does not have an occupation listed in the directory and Andrew is listed again as a painter. The soda operation is no more.
Highland Bottling Co. “Successors to Leonard & Co.” (1904-1908)
The only connection I could find between Highland B/C and Leonard & Co. is that is says so on the bottle. Highland Bottling Co. is located at 1424 Montrose Ave. and is more than 10 city blocks away from Easton. The new owner is George F Carvell and in 1903 he is listed as a salesman for Bonita Water Co. The listing for this operation is sometimes simply George F Carvell and sometimes Highland Bottling Co. Edward O’Donnell is listed as a salesman for Highland. Edward will come up again in this story.
1905 and Highland B/C is incorporated with capitol of $20,000. Incorporators are George Carvell, Roselle J.B. Smith, Charles A Cale, Arthur A. Brown and Malcomb Robb. 1907 and 1908 George is listed as secretary and in 1908 Edward O’Donnell in listed a manager. 1908 is the last of Highland Bottling Company.
Montrose Soda Water Company (1909)
Montrose Bottling Company (1910-1930)
Montrose Beverage Company (1931-1939)
1909: Edward O’Donnell and Thomas Fitzpatrick are listed as partners in the newly formed Montrose Soda Water Company. They are located at the same address as Highland B/C and that being 1426 Montrose Avenue.
1910: Thomas Fitzpatrick is gone and a Harry T B Johnson is now listed as owner. The name is now Montrose Bottling Co. 1911 and Edward O’Donnell is listed as salesman. Not sure if he is a part owner or not.
Let’s pause for a moment.
J. Kunkler Soda Co. (1912)
Jacob and Henry Kunkler were only listed as being in the soda water business for one year that being 1912. They are located at 2014 Menard, this address being the former home of the Union Soda Water Co. (1902-1906) and the future home of the Dr. Cherry Bottling Co. (1914-1936). 1913 and Henry goes in the saloon business and Jacob is listed as a driver, probably for Montrose. From 1914 to 1918 Jacob is listed as a salesman for Montrose. There is also an Albert Kunkler who is listed as a bottler and an Edwin Kunkler who is also a salesman for Montrose.
Back to Montrose
1919: Harry T.B. Johnson is now listed as owner of both The Phos-Ferrone Company and Montrose Bottling Co. Both companies are now listed at 2318 Olive, this is the home of the Phos-Ferrone Bottling &Pure Soda Water Company. Montrose is advertising heavily for the drink Phos-Ferrone and a drink called Orange Whip. Phos-Ferrone is a drink that was developed by the Addington brothers back in 1886.
1920: Harry T.B. Johnson dies of blood poisoning. Edward O’Donnell is now listed as a salesman for Tower Grove Soda & Mineral Water Co. 1921 and there is no listing for Montrose. 1922 and a Jacob Burstein is listed as both owners of Phos-Ferrone B/C and Montrose B/C. Both companies have moved to 409-11 S. 2nd Street. 1922 is also the last listing I find for Phos-Ferrone Bottling Company.
1929: Montrose B/C is now located at 3057 Sheridan. This is the former home of the Diamond Bottling Co. (1923-1926) Diamond B/C was run by Benjamin Burstein, I believe Jacob’s brother. The last listing, I find for Montrose is in 1939.
