Bottles on the Border: The History and Bottles of the Soft Drink ...

Figure 5-8 – John Phillip Dieter,
October 27, 1895 (Sacramento
Mountain Historical Society, J.P.
Dieter Collection)
expanded from a quarter block
(half of the west half of the block)
to 3/4 of the west half. The major
change is the construction of three
new buildings along the alley.
From south to north, they were
labeled “Tobacco Storage,” “W.
Figure 5-9 – Dieter’s signature,
1895 (Anonymous 2007)
Ho.” (warehouse), and a two-story building that says “Sleeping
Room” on top. The shed across the alley now says “Storage
Empty Beer Bb’ls” (barrels) The central building on Fourth St.
is now marked “Soda & Bottling Wks,” and the former office is
now a store room. The office apparently moved off the “Works”
property, although the first mention of that I have found was in
1900 (see below).
Figure 5-10 – 1892 Houck & Dieter letterhead (Jim Cullen collection)
By 1898, the map shows a “Wagon Shed” extending west from the third building (which
is now a hay loft and sleeping quarters) to Chihuahua St., and the tobacco storage is now
combined with the second building to form a “Liquor W. Ho.” The storage shed across the alley
is now just “Storage Empty Bbls.” The place was now labeled “Houck & Dieter Bottling Wks.”
With minor changes in names, the layout remained the same until at least 1908 (Figure 5-11).
With a capital of $90,000, the firm incorporated in 1900 with J. Philip Dieter as president
and Fred G. Lemley as secretary and treasurer and opened an office at 220 South El Paso Dr.
(EPCD1902, p. 82 “Corporations”). Along with El Paso, the company sold to anyone wishing
service up and down the railroad line. Houck & Dieter advertisements ran in newspapers in
76