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To add a new posting, send an email to me at bassriverhistory@gmail.com with a comment, question, story, photo, observation, etc. It will be posted below, shortly after the email is received. To comment on an existing posting, click on the "comments" command below the posting and type your comment. Your comment will show up immediately.   Pete Stemmer

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

John Headley's Mystery Bottle

I visited with John and Nancy Headley of West Creek the other day. They are always interesting to talk with, as they collect a wide range of historical "stuff" from West Creek and the surrounding area.



John Headley


During the visit, John brought out an old bottle with the following embossed words:


P.E. BIRMINGHAM

BOTTLER

WEST CREEK, NJ


I asked John if he would do a rubbing of the bottle for me. Luckily, having grandchildren who visit often, John was able to quickly put his hands on a box of crayons and some paper. He soon handed me a rubbing of the embossed words on the bottle.


Needless to say, I was surprised when I read the inscription. I had never heard of a "Birmingham" in West Creek nor have I ever heard of a bottling plant in the tiny town. I remember hearing something about a glass works in Barnegat in the old days and wondered if the bottle could have been made there and shipped to to West Creek. This may be true, but it doesn't explain the P.E. Birmingham. Is he a person or is it the name of a company?

The bottle was clearly old, with a green tint and some bubbles noticeable in the glass. There was no indication on the bottle regarding the date it was manufactured. The presence of seams on the bottle indicate that it was manufactured by machine in a mold and not hand blown. I am not an expert in old bottles, so I don't have a clue as to how old it might be or what it's contents may have been. It looks like a soda bottle to me. Perhaps someone out in the Blog-O-Sphere can tell from the photo below.


I Googled "P.T. Birmingham" and found that there was a Birmingham Bottle Company in Alabama who made a wide assortment of mostly soda bottles. I'm wondering if someone in West Creek may have ordered bottles from this company to fill with and sell soda, etc. If this is true, then P.E. Birmington is a bottle company rather than a person. It's a logical possibility.

The bottle was found by Tom Miller, a bottle collector from Warren Grove, in a wooded area on Route 9 in West Creek across the street from the location of the old Tower Tavern. It was with a case of the same bottles, but it was the only one that was not broken. The fact that the bottle was a part of a case and was found across the street from the Tower Tavern may indicate that it came from the tavern.

Site of old Tower Tavern

Tom gave the bottle to John, in 2009, for safe keeping until the West Creek Historical Society had a location where it could be displayed for public view. Could the place where the bottle was found be a clue for the bottles West Creek origin?

I wonder if someone out in the Blog-O-Sphere has any knowledge or another theory regarding the source of John Headley's bottle? It's a mystery I would like to solve!

Pete S

10 comments:

  1. Hey pete, im Jimmy Mulligan. im from new gretna nj , born and raised, and have been a clammer all my life, and me and my father caught the same bottle back in the 70s in LEH bay, off parkertown. But like you I dont know a thing about the bottle, BUT< Icaught a bottle in Manahawkin over by LBI in the 90s .....it is dark green and on the bottle reads...."CEDAR RUN BOTTLING WORKS, J.MASCOLO,PROP.CEDAR RUN N.J."....and on the bottom it reads....."REGESTERED CONTENTS 8 FL.OZ 1108"I have not found anyone that ever heard of or ever seen a bottle like this. Do you have any information about this bottle?

    i will post a picture of it as soo as i can......jim mulligan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My dad was jimmie mascolo, we had a few of these bottles which were from his dad james mascolo..story id that sr dabbled in any $ making scheme...dont know much about company..supposedly was sold and became one of the major name sodas, not sure if that is true. My brother..also jimmie may have more ingo

      Delete
    2. I'd be interested in purchasing the Mascola bottle. Please let me know if you're interested in parting with it ??
      Dane Apgar
      Exchf5200@aol.com

      Delete
  2. ok , i got it.

    if you need or want to see the bottle, let me know.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Jimmy,

    I would love to see a photo of the bottle. Unfortunately, you can't upload a photo to the Blog. If you have a digital camera, please take a photo and email it to me at bassriverhistory@gmail.com. I would appreciate it.

    Meanwhile, perhaps, someone out in the Blog-O-Sphere knows something about J. Mascolo. I'll have to get my history buddy, Shirley Whealton, on the case. Nobody knows more about local family genealogies than she does.

    Pete S

    ReplyDelete
  4. hey pete, isnt the pic up on my replies now? i can see it, but i will email it to you anyway.....and if one of the historical society wants to display it, i might be willing to share it...lol....jim

    ReplyDelete
  5. it wont let me connect to the email you gave me......just email me at....goosebarjim@yahoo.com.....and i will sebd it to your addy.....

    ReplyDelete
  6. Has any one found information on the John Headly mystery bottle? My father has the same bottle & we're trying (without success) to find out anything we can about it.

    ReplyDelete
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