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

Alamogordo (from 1899-1904) and Las Cruces, New
Mexico. The 1900 Sanborn map reflected little
change. The ice house now also says “Beer Vault”
and “W.J. Lemp Brew’g. Co’s. Beer Depot.” is
written along Fourth St.
Figure 5-11 – El Paso Bottling Works, Houck
& Dieter (Sanford Fire Insurance Map 1893)
HOUCK & DIETER 1881” on the east side
(facing the alley). The second warehouse
building (also along the alley) is signed “THE EL
PASO BOTTLING WORKS / WARE-HOUSE.”
On the building farthest north, only “HOUCK &”
is visible. The bottle storage shed is visible in
the foreground (Figure 5-13 & 5-14). A wagon
delivering Lemp’s beer in kegs, also provided by
the Dieter descendants, many have been taken at
the same time (Figure 5-15).
This Lemp designation may be helpful in
dating two photographs provided by the Dieter
descendants. The photos show a sign for “W.J.
LEMP’S ST. LOUIS LAGER BEER DEPOT” facing
Fourth St. above the soda bottling works building
(Figures 5-12). The building at the corner of Fourth
M
St. and the alley has “DEPOT / W J. LEMP” on the
side facing Fourth St. (south side) and “EST’D / 1881
Figure 5-12 – The Houck & Dieter complex seen
from Fourth St. (Dieter descendants)
Figure 5-13 – The Houck & Dieter complex seen
from the alley (Dieter descendants)
The firm also maintained its own brands of
whiskey. The left side of the 1903 letterheads
show three stacked whiskey barrels with the note
below them: OUR BRANDS. In addition to the
Houck & Dieter name plus the location (El Paso,
Texas), each barrel bears a name: Old Ingleside
Whiskey, Old Baltimore Rye, and Glenrock
Bourbon. The right side of the letterhead reads:
“FINE KENTUCKY WHISKIES SHIPPED
DIRECT FROM THE DISTILLERIES” (Figure
5-16). Another major change in 1903 was the
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