5-gallon bottle marked with a conjoined WP; 1954 --

[5 gallon collector]

Hello, Wise Ones,
I am looking for information about the bottle maker who made a 5-gallon water bottle for the Feather River Spring Water Company of Sacramento, California, in 1954. The mark seems to be a joined capital W with a capital P. I was not able to find this mark on two of the on-line glass/bottle mark reference sites. I did find a joined W with B (on sha.org's W list --- Whitney Bros., 1880 -- far too early), and this bottle's mark seems clearly to be WP, not WB. Images are attached of the bottle and the base. (The bottle has a dense haziness, exterior I'm told-- I may come back with questions about 'cleaning' -- but that's another issue, except for now as it affects the images.) There might* be a prize for the for the first responder who correctly identifies the mark. But hey, you're not responding for a reward.....are you?


* or more likely might not, beyond satisfaction




Any information appreciated,
Peter
Also, why would they have called it "Spring Water"? Would they not have bottled in the summer, fall, and winter? -- ah, winter I can see, the water would have been frozen, how could they get it into the bottle? -- but summer and fall?

 

[hemihampton]

I think the Spring means it comes from a natural water source like a Spring.. Springs are supposably more pure & some contain Healthy Minerals. LEON.

 

[DavidW]

There is very little info on that spring water company online, but I did find a brief reference that shows the company was formed, or filed papers in 1954. The "54" on the base is too coincidental, so yes, almost certainly is the date code for the year the bottle mold (and the bottle) was made. https://www.bizapedia.com/ca/feather-river-spring-water-co.html

They might have been a very minor, relatively short-lived operation without much publicity. Since most bottle manufacturers by 1954 were large corporations, (all relatively well known with identifiable marks) my guess is that the WP stands for a president, manager or owner of the water company, or some other "big wig" involved in the operation. There is also a slight chance the bottle was made overseas (Asia) but that seems very unlikely. Interesting!

 

[5 gallon collector]

David,
Thank you for your research and thoughts. I too found the incorporation record for the FRSWCo-- California Stock Corporation, file number 294849, December 6, 1954, merged out, expiration date September 18, 1974, and I'll be looking further into that, hoping to find the names of the company principals (perhaps as you say, a W. P.) and location - can then search directories etc for a WP glass co. Overseas is an interesting thought, to be kept in mind, but unlikely, I agree -- I recently came across a 5-gallon bottle made in the Far East -- Polaris, made in Thailand, a very nicely patterned bottle (image attached), some information available. I also considered that the WP logo might be inverted or rotated, thus actually dM or Md, but this seems quite unlikely.
I agree that 54 is very likely - almost certainly - the year.
I'll also be checking trademark records, copyright records, glass / bottle trade journals, etc
With any luck a new bottle mark can be added to the mark lists.
The Feather River Spring Water Co. needs further research too. There was a Whiskey Hill Water Co. that became the Feather River Canyon Spring Water Co. in March 1923. Then later the Feather River Spring Water Co. appeared (dates to be determined, directories searched etc, but was in existence in 1954) -- all this needs to be sorted out, and additional bottles located.
Which reminds me -- anyone with 5-gallon bottles of this or other California companies, especially early bottles (1920s-1950s), wanting to sell, please contact me. Will travel to pick-up.
Thanks again, David
Peter