Early Western square bitters

[westernbittersnut]

I was able to acquire a large (variant) Rosenbaums Bitters in light olive yellow, courtesy of a longtime collection, dug from the Redwood City area thirty-five to forty years ago. Research shows that the first time N. B. Jacobs put up this product in embossed square bottles was late 1864.

 

[caldigs]

Sounds nice, any photos ?

 

[onekick1]

By all means let's see some photos

 

[CALDIGR2]

The larger bottles, embossed N. B. Jacobs, San Francisco, but not Rosenbaum's, appear to be earlier by a few years. I have dug them fom pits that contained both pontilled and smooth base western bottles, as well as along mountain roads leading to the early NV gold and silver mining areas. There are no "Rosenbaum's" bottles, or pieces of them, in these Sierra locations. Along one trail in particular, there are small rock walled ruins about every half mile, indicators of long gone toll stations and tent "grog shops" that had been set up along this route. Frags of many interesting bottles littered the downslope hillsides at those locations. My brothers and sisters, cousins, wife, and friends all dug those places, giving up many nice bottles, coins, buckles, and other traces of fleeting and itenerary occupation. The last significant find was several years ago, when my father-in-law insisted on visiting one relay station in particular. Darned if he didn't pull out a fantastic little iron pontilled Lockport and a couple of OP umbrellas that still retained their "David's Black Ink" paper labels. Undoubtedly, there are more bottles buried under the pine needles, but they are very elusive.

 

[Lordbud]

Amazing that there is still stuff out there...if you know where to look and get way off the beaten path.

 

[CALDIGR2]

Actually, they are not at all far from the "beaten path". You can hear the highway 100 yds down slope, but you damn sure can't see it. It's high lonesome, but near to civilization.