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

chronology for the different bottles is confusing
at best (Table 5-1).
Hutchinson-style bottles were almost
certainly used from the inception of the firm in
1881 to ca. 1905. However, I only know of two
styles of Hutchinson bottles. The earliest one
had a notably taller, applied finish. According
to Elliott & Gould (1988:35-36), applied
finishes were found on Hutchinson bottles from
the stopper’s invention (late 1879) to about
1885, and these bottles were probably used by
Houck & Dieter during most of that period.
The front label was embossed directly on the
bottle – not in a plate (Figure 5-20 & 5-21).
Figure 5-20 – Houck &
Dieter Hutchinson bottle
– applied finish
Figure 5-21 – Drawing of
the early Hutchinson bottle
(Staski 1984:59)
The second “known” style had a tooled finish, a technique that
probably began ca. 1885 or a bit before. About 1900, Hutchinson
finishes were generally standardized (with a few exceptions). One of the
exceptions is called a “funnel top,” and that appears to be the style used
on this second type (see Elliott & Gould 1988:35-36). These bottles had
the company information embossed in a round plate mold and were
embossed “20” on the front heel (Figure 5-22). The “20” was a model
number applied to the front heels of Hutchinson bottles by the Western
Glass Mfg. Co. of Denver – a firm only in business from 1900 to 1909.
The second style was certainly used after 1900, probably to ca. 1905.
These were probably only ordered once and used until they wore out.
Figure 5-22 – Houck &
Dieter Hutchinson bottle
– tooled finish (David
Cole collection)
It is possible that these last bottles were not ordered until 1903,
when Houck & Dieter opened the Douglas branch of the firm. The
Douglas Hutchinson bottles were the same style as these later El Paso
Hutchinsons and were embossed on the front heels with the same “20”
model code. It is also possible that the Douglas bottles were ordered
because the El Paso unit had already tried them.
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