7up 3-1-3 bubble bottle!

Brief Update ...

(That might assist others who are conducting searches)

Using only three search words; "Sturdy Bilt Jonesboro" I just tapped into 113 various beverage crates. What I found interesting is that 109 of them were the smaller, flat crates, and only 4 of them were the larger crates. Some of the small crates were 7up's but none of the large crates were 7up's. The reason I mention this is because it might be that the Jonesboro, Arkansas factory primarily produced the small crates and one of the other factories (Minneapolis or Waterloo) primarily produced the large crates. As I continue my search, I will keep this in mind and see if I notice a trend.

Talk about confusion, I just discovered something I hadn't noticed before. As it turns out, the small 7up crates from Los Angeles all have the 2-2-3 bubble placement. And not only that, but the numbers on the small crates are similar, and in some cases identical to the numbers on the large 3-1-3 Los Angeles crates.

Here is a partial list of the numbers I have seen on the small 2-2-3 Los Angeles crates ...

Note: The two crates with an asterisk* have the same numbers

Small Crates 2-2-3

6-72*
6-73
1-68
5-69

And here are some more of the numbers I've seen on the large 3-1-3 Los Angeles crates ...

Large Crates 3-1-3

6-66
1-65
1-71
6-65
10-74
6-64
6-74
6-61
6-72*
6-53
6-67
1-72
6-70


Question:

Why do the small Los Angeles crates have 2-2-3 bubbles, but the large Los Angeles crates have 3-1-3 bubbles?


Here's an example of one of the small 2-2-3 Los Angeles crates. Its also the only 7up crate I have seen that starts with the number 12

Sturdy Bilt
Jonesboro, Arkansas
12-64

One picture is worth a thousand words!

Observations of interest ...

1. When I use the search words "7up Crate" it pulls up approximately 1,300 matches

2. When I use the search words "Los Angeles 7up Crate" it pulls up approximately 100 matches. About 75% of which are the large crates, and about 25% of which are the small crates

3. Of the approximately 100 Los Angeles matches, only a handful of them describe who manufactured the crate

4. Of the handful who describe the manufacturer, its generally "Sturdy Bilt" and/or some variation of "Flour City Box"

5. No matter how I word it, the majority of the matches don't say anything about the numbers stamped on the inside or the outside of the crate

6. However, in most instances the numbers are clearly evident on the images of the crates

7. The various list of numbers I have compiled are generally due to my having seen the numbers from the images, and not due to the numbers being described. In other words, most posters/sellers don't address the numbers whatsoever

8. Based on my having looked at so many of the crates, and reading the posters/sellers descriptions, it seems obvious to me that the majority of the crates, especially the large 3-1-3 crates from Los Angeles, are not stamped with a manufactures mark

9. Even though the majority of the 3-1-3 crates from Los Angeles are not stamped with a makers mark, those same crates do have numbers stamped on the outside of the crates, most of which that start with the number 6

10. The bottom line in my opinion (based on selected evidence) is as follows ...


Inconclusive Conclusion ...

1. The first numbers on the 3-1-3 Los Angeles crates represent months of the year

2. The second numbers on the 3-1-3 Los Angeles crates represent the year of manufacturer

3. As much as I would like to say I know the answer, I cannot find any evidence whatsoever to explain why the Los Angeles crates have the 3-1-3 bubbles - nor why the 1941 Los Angeles bottles have the 3-1-3 bubbles

4. I do not believe at this juncture that the 3-1-3 Los Angeles crates have any direct connection with the 1941 Los Angeles 7up bottles that have the 3-1-3 bubbles. I say this primarily because I believe the majority of the Los Angeles 3-1-3 crates were manufactured many years after the Los Angeles 3-1-3 bottles were produced

Footnote:

I will gladly stand corrected if/when evidence is presented to refute my observations and/or personal opinions

Signed;

Sodabob

( Which leads to )

In Search of ...

A Los Angeles, California 7up crate (large and/or small) that can positively be identified as having been manufactured during the 1930s or 1940s*

*I have no doubt whatsoever they used wood crates during that time period, but finding one that can be positively dated is the challenge

P.S.

Because the Los Angeles 7up Company might have used generic wood crates during the 1940s that do not have "Los Angeles" stamped on them, I will settle for (and intend to search for) ​any 7up crate from anywhere that can be positively dated from the 1930s or 1940s

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water, here I go again with a list of various manufactures who produced beverage crates. Notice that Chattanooga Box actually stamped full dates (years) on the inside of their crates. I haven't even begun to fully research the specifics regarding each of these particular companies, and am posting them now for a future reference. Other than the companies we are already familiar with, I have no idea yet if the other companies manufactured 7up crates. Nor do I know yet when these box companies began and stopped operation. However, based on what I have seen, most if not all of them were in operation during the 1940s

Note: Just copy/paste the primary name into your search browser/engine and it should pull up various matches. If necessary, leave out the '&' and use 'and' instead


1. Sturdy Bilt / Flour City Box

2. Durabilt / Owens-Illinois

3.Chattanooga Box & Lumber Company / Tennessee / Mostly Coca Cola crates / Used full dates

4. Anchor Box & Lumber Company / Pittsburgh, Pa.

5. McWilliams & Schulte Box & Lumber Co. / Cincinnati, Ohio

6. Duncan Box & Lumber Company / Huntington, West Virginia

7. Providence Box & Lumber Company / Providence, Rhode Island

8. New Durham Box & Lumber Company / New Durham, New Jersey

9. Hassell Lumber Company / Savannah, Tennessee

This is the closest thing I have found so far that might qualify as a 1930s 7up crate. I say this because...

1. It has the "For The Stomach's Sake" slogan

2. It has 8 bubbles

3. It has the number '37 on it that might represent 1937

4. It has dovetailed corners









Footnote:

But it doesn't appear to look anything like the 3-1-3 Los Angeles crates that we originally thought might be from the late 1930s or early 1940s ... ???

iggy/Rich

Even though not everyone will agree with my inclusive conclusions regarding the wood 7up crates, I feel I have exhausted that subject and plan to shift gears and continue searching for more evidence regarding the 3-1-3 bottles themselves. To start with, I'd like to present this ...

Amber 7up Bottle ~ Houston, Texas ~ Owens-Illinois ~ 9 <(I)> 1. ~ Dot ~ Duraglas ~ 8 Bubble ~ 1941

Observation:

I can't help but wonder why this 1941 7up bottle has Duraglas on the base but your 1941 Los Angeles 3-1-3 7up bottle does not have Duraglas on the base? As we know, Duraglas was a glass hardening element introduced by Owens-Illinois in 1940.

iggy/Rich

In answer to my own question about "Duraglas," notice that this "Bali" soda bottle from Los Angeles was also made by Owens-Illinois in 1941 but does not have "Duraglas" on it. Also notice that it came from Plant #20, whereas yours was produced at Plant #23. Depending on which Owens-Illinois chart you reference, Plant #23 is usually shown as being located in Los Angeles, California and Plant #20 as being located in Oakland, California. It could be that none of the Owens-Illinois California plants had adopted the use of "Duraglas" at that time and possibly started using it sometime after 1941. Maybe only Plant #9 (Streator, Illinois) like on the amber 7up bottle, was using "Duraglas" in 1941. Anyway, this might provide a clue or two while searching for more of the 3-1-3 7up bottles. Lets make a note of the plant numbers as we search and see what develops.