Dec 09, 2017 — GREENWOOD, BC (BG)

Among the many breweries, distillers and bottlers in early Greenwood, another of the most successful was Lion Bottling Works. While the Elkhorn Brewery began its brewing operation in early December 1898, Lion Bottling got an even earlier start.

More than a year before the Elkhorn received its inland revenue license allowing it to legally make beer, the Lion Bottling works announced its plans to bring quality beer to Greenwood. In November 1897,_[1] Mr. Louis Blue, the president of Lion Brewery in Rossland, visited Greenwood. Lion Brewery was one of the biggest breweries in the province at that time, and Mr. Blue wished to expand his business by entering the growing Greenwood market, offering beer, sodas, and ginger beer.

"During his visit here, Mr. L. Blue made arrangements to establish at Greenwood a branch of the Lion Brewery, Rossland, of which he is president. A large boiler will be placed in the saw mill for the purpose of securing sufficient power to run steam bottling works, soda water works, and cold storage.

The Lion Brewery is one of the largest establishments of the kind in the province. The beer will be shipped here in carload lots and bottled at the local works. The Greenwood City Mercantile Co. have secured the agency for the Lion Brewery. Work on the new building has been commenced and will be rushed to have the beer on the market as quickly as possible.

Messrs. Blue and Fisher have also decided to secure a portable sawmill which will be placed in one of the timber limits in the district. The lumber will be hauled to Greenwood and the local mill will be used for planing."

Whether the bottling works referred to was already in operation, or started up after Lion Brewery announced it was coming to Greenwood, by March 1898 the operation was already undergoing a name change:_[2]

"The name of the Greenwood Steam Bottling Works, whose advertisement occupies a prominent position on page 9 of this paper, has been changed to the Columbia Steam Bottling Works."

While beverages were the primary business of Lion Brewery, the glass bottles they filled with beer, ginger beer and soda waters were also essential components of their product. In the late 1800's, many of the glass bottles that were used by British Columbian breweries and bottlers were manufactured in Germany. Bottles like the olive green 'quart' style bottle shown here (which probably held around 24 to 26 ounces), and other cylinder liquor bottles, were made in Germany for a number of West Coast companies. They were found primarily in B.C., Washington, Oregon and California. These green bottles were mouth blown glass, embossed with the customer's particulars.

The German connection to west coast bottlers is thought to have come through relationships between several importers in the Bay Area who were of German ancestry, such as Abramson & Heunisch in the early 1880s. Most of the bottles were made by the Dresden Glass Industry Corporation of Dresden, Germany. They were the largest bottle manufacturer in the world at the turn of the century. Their bottles are described as follows:_[3]

"The binding characteristics of these German bottles are: thick, heavy olive green, red-amber or colorless (non-manganese decolorized) glass; non-era typical body crudeness in the form of copious whittle marks and often unusual horizontal "ripples" on the lower body; crude "true" applied finishes; a glossy sheen to the bodies indicating fire polishing; and typically cup-bottom mold conformations for bottles that would otherwise have been mostly post-bottom molded during that era."

In November 1897, Lion Bottling of Rossland announced its plans to produce bottled goods in Greenwood, and just over a year later, the company was sold:_[4]

"James McCreath of Nelson, B.C., has purchased the Lion Bottling works from the Boundary Creek Milling and Lumber company. He intends enlarging the plant."

Mr. McCreath continued doing business as Lion Bottling company. In July 1900, McCreath and business partner Mr. Howe leased the Commercial hotel from J. A. Cameron._[5] By the fall of that year, Lion Bottling had won acclaim in the Times' business directory edition:_[6]

THE LION BOTTLING WORKS
Wholesale Dealers in Wines, Ales and Porters. Manufacturers of all Carbonated Drinks

"There is no establishment in Greenwood that it gives us more pleasure to mention than the above. This establishment is located in the southern part of the city, and is supplied with all the latest improved machinery and necessary apparatus for the making of a superior quality of all the different carbonated drinks, including ginger ale, sarsaparilla and the different flavored pop. They are also agent for the celebrated Lion Brewery of Rossland, and keep constantly in stock a sufficient quantity of this company's beer, in both bottles and kegs, to supply all orders on short notice. This firm have conducted their business upon such honorable and liberal principals, using nothing but the most wholesome ingredients in the manufacture of their product that they now have a trade extending not only over the entire city but in all the surrounding towns and villiages, and their drinks are becoming more celebrated and popular with each month's business.

Messrs. McCreath & Co., the genial and ever accomodating proprietors, have had a large experience in this line of business, and are thoroughly posted, enabling them to place the different articles of their product on the market at prices as low as is possible with high class goods. This firm are also wholesale dealers in wines, ales and porter, and are in a position to quote prices and furnish you with as good an article in this line as can be obtained in the district. Patrons will find Messrs. McCreath & Co. gentlemen, ever ready to extend to them all the courtesies of the business, and we predict for this establishment a success well worthy of the untiring energy which has characterized the management from the start."

Anaconda News – Sep 30, 1903, p. 6

"James McCreath of the Lion Bottling Works, has placed on the market a delicious life renewer, called Ironbrew. The beverage is made after a recipe of a celebrated Carlsbad physician. Ironbrew besides being pleasant to the taste is a splendid tonic. It can be secured at all the hotels in the city."_[7]

In 1904, the Lion Bottling Works expanded its business, acquiring another well established Greenwood company:_[8]

"Business Sold The business which has been carried on for some time under the name of the Greenwood Liquor company, has been purchased by James McCreath of the Lion Bottling Works. A. R. Shewan of Montreal, who was interested in the Liquor company, was here this week in connection with the transfer. Mr. McCreath will continue the business at his premises on Government street. He will also run the bottling works on Gold street.

R. Greiger, who was manager of the Greenwood Liquor company for several years, is arranging with the Pabst Brewing company to take charge of their agency at San Francisco. This is one of the best positions in the service of the big brewing company. Mr. Greiger was Pabst's agent here. In his numerous dealings with the hotel men and other business men of the Boundary district Mr, Greiger was always fair and courteous and his many friends, while regretting his departure, are congratulating him upon his probable appointment to such an important and lucrative position. He does not expect to leave here before the middle of February, as he has considerable business to wind up."

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Boundary Creek Times — Nov 13, 1897, p. 4
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0170580

[2] Boundary Creek Times — Mar 12, 1898, p. 10
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0170457

[3] Society for Historical Archaeology
https://sha.org/bottle/beer.htm

[4] Boundary Creek Times — Jan 25, 1899, p. 1
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0170337

[5] Boundary Creek Times — Jul 20 1900, p. 6
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0172806

[6] Boundary Creek Times — Oct 31, 1900, p. 6
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0172860

[7] Boundary Creek Times — May 15, 1903, p. 1
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0170859

[8] Boundary Creek Times — Jan 22, 1904, p. 4
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0170958