Moore Brothers Bottling Co. / St. Louis, Missouri

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bottle-bud

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Moore Brothers Bottling Company
1711 N. Spring Avenue
3706 Cote Brilliante
St. Louis, Missouri


Before Floyd and Paul Moore became the Moore Brothers Bottling Company, I believe they had owned and operated Hy-Rock Beverage Co. The first time I see Hy-Rock mentioned in newspapers is in January of 1933 and the business is located at 2812 Accomac in St. Louis. Well at first, I presumed that Hy-Rock was part of the American Soda Water Co. who was located at the same address. I dig a little deeper and find that American had moved to Ann Ave. in 1929, so I assume that Floyd and Paul used this location for Hy-Rock Beverage Co.

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1935. The next ad links the Moore Brothers to Hy-Rock but the operation has moved to 4141 Minnesota. If this ad did not say “Merry Xmas from Moore Bros.” I may not have been able to link them together.
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1936. Hy-Rock Beverage Company has moved again, this time going to 3301 S. Broadway.
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Now for some bottles. The first bottle is a 7-ounce Hy-Rock dated 1936. Next is a 7-ounce Kist,dated 1937 which has Hy-Rock on the bottom of the bottle. Finally, a seltzer that shows both names. Kist was a franchise soda from the Citrus Products Company of Chicago, Illinois. Not sure if Hy-Rock was franchised from somewhere or another. Any help with that would be appreciated.

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1937. Well, I guess its time to move again and this being the final time. The address of 1711 N. Spring and 3706 Cote Brilliante are for the same building. I googled the addresses and find the building is on the corner of Spring and Cote Brilliante. Why the address changed in directories is anyone’s guess. This ad shows the linkage.
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1939. Now known as the Moore Brothers Bottling Company and settled in at a new location Moore is bottling Tom Collins Jr. This is a soda franchised by Tom Collins Jr. Co. of Cincinnati, Ohio. I do not have a Tom Collins Jr. in my collection but I do have two 12-ounce paper label sodas. Mentioned as being from the Collins Division / Moore Brothers Bottling Co. I am assuming this was from the Tom Collins Jr. Co. Here is an early ad and two bottles dating to around the late 1930’s?? These bottles were full when I got them so I have the original caps. Full bottles have no extra value to me so I usually dump the contents before Idisplay them.
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These bottles have a shoulder or neck label stating “For 24 crowns (or 3 crowns and 6c) of Laff (the Perfect Cola), Sun Bottle (The BetterOrange), or Collins Root Beer, you will receive any piece of this Hollywood Silver Set.” I would like to add the Collins Root Beer bottle to my collection but she may be hard to come by.


Now for some Moore bottles. First, we have 7-ounce, 1943 art deco version. I am showing the Hy-Rock and the Moore side by side. Notice it is identical to the Hy-Rock only the name is different and of course a later date of manufacture of the bottle.
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Next, we have a 1948, 7-ounce and a 1946, 24-ounce green glass bottles. The 7-ounce, two 10-ounce and quart clear glass bottles all date to the mid to late 1940’s.
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At some point in time The Moore Brothers opened a second bottling facility in East St. Louis, Illinois. I am not certain of the timeline or the exact location. The earlier bottles I have, only mention St. Louis, Mo. on them and the later versions list both cities.







 

bottle-bud

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Moore Brothers bottle Lucky Club

We’ll back up a little to 1943 and Moore Brothers are bottling Lucky Club. Lucky Club was franchised from the Lucky Club Co. of St. Louis, Missouri. I have several more Lucky Clubs in my collection, but the one pictured is the only one I have that has Moore Brothers on it.

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Now 1947 and Moore Brothers are bottling Joe Louis Beverages. This soda was franchised by The All-American Drinks Corp. of NewYork City, New York. I have two versions to share, a 7-ounce 1947, Joe Louis Punch and a 10-ounce 1948 Joe Louis Beverages. Looks like the Moore Brothers also bottled under the name of All-American Bottling Co. Of course, I think we all know about Joe Louis as being a great boxer in his day.



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1950 and Mission Beverages is being bottled by the Moore Brothers. Mission being franchised by the Mission Dry Corporation of New Haven, Connecticut. I have three versions all dating to mid-1950’s. The Moore Brothers once again are bottling under another name this time the Mission Orange Bottling Co.

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The Moore’s also had their own brand of lemon soda and I have three different sizes all with the same style of labeling. A 1951 seven ounce, a 1946 ten ounce and a 1953 quart.
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bottle-bud

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Moore Brothers / Part Three

1956 and Sun-drop is being bottled by the Moore Brothers. Sun-drop was franchised by The Sun-drop Sales Corp. of St. Louis, Missouri. I have a lot of Sun-drops in my collection but not any Sun-drops that say bottled by Moore Brothers, only a copy of a 1956 ad.

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Now we are into the 1960’s and I have a document and two soda crates that say that Big Chief was bottled by the Moore Brothers in St.Louis. I have been on the lookout for a Big Chief from St. Louis for ages and yet to even see one. I believe Big Chief was a Coca Cola product. Please correct if I am wrong.
The bottom wooden crate looks as though someone stenciled over an existing soda crate? The top cardboard crate I found in good condition,but a flooded basement years ago did some water damage.
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Next, a clipping from an old 1953 newspaper showing a girl/woman picketing the pickers. I say girl in the fact that she still refers to her father as Daddy and as a woman who is not afraid to stand up against the AFL teamster union picketers. A great photo, I love it. Notice the sheepish grins all three picketers have, and in the window, I am sure a nervous father looks through the window.

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Finally, the building as it stands today.


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shotdwn

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Another good job of research and really nice collection of bottles.
 

Moore family

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My husband’s family owned Moore Brothers Bottling. Enjoyed reading and looking at pictures. The woman holding the sandwich board sign is his mother.
 

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