Found the Glass Lady of My Dreams!

[Jim]

I have finally found my most sought-after bottle. This is the only known example of the Mrs. F. Bossinger Lewistown, PA beer bottle. This bottle was found in the river all the way back in the 1950s by one of our earliest collectors of local bottles. A collector friend of mine bought it around 1986 or 87 from his estate. I was surprised and extremely grateful when he offered me the chance to own it today.

She wasn't cheap, and rightfully so. She has a few scars from her 60 years in the river, but none of that bothers me. This is simply the most significant and awesome bottle I have ever owned. It is legendary among local collectors and historians, and I am very pleased to have it. ~Jim

 

[Jim]

Slug plate. I dug one of these in a thousand pieces back in 2007. I almost needed electroshock therapy and heavy medication after that [&:] I saved the slug plate that I glued back from that one. It's nice to see that slug plate as part of an actual bottle now.

 

[Jim]

The Mrs. F. Bossinger brewery is shown here on an 1885 map of Lewistown. Located at the mouth of Kishacoquillas Creek along the Juniata River, the brewery was started before 1863 by an unknown brewer, possibly named Walters or Walter. John Henry Bossinger, Sr. bought the operation in 1870. Upon his death in 1879, the brewery was continued by his wife, Mrs. Frederica Bossinger and their two sons, John Henry Bossinger, Jr. and Frederick Bossinger.

The brewery was sold in 1895 to Charles Roper, who established the Lewistown Bottling Works there. Lewistown Bottling Works moved to another location around 1905-10. The brewery property was torn down in the 1950s for highway construction. My grandfather's grandparents were the last people to live there. They were not related to any of the bottlers, but there is still a family connection to the property for me. That makes owning this bottle even better. ~Jim

 

[rockbot]

Good for you Jim. Nothing like getting ones dream bottle. Congrats!

 

[BillinMo]

I love these great historical pieces with an intriguing story behind them! Glad to hear this bottle is in the hands of someone who will treasure it and share the history with others.

 

[Wheelah23]

If they were in business under the Mrs. from 1879-1895, then why's the bottle so rare? It's definitely a nice bottle, women rarely ran businesses in the 1800's.

 

[Jim]

Thanks, guys. You would think that there should be more of these around, and I wish there were. Part of the brewery site is under a road now, but most of it is still accessible. The place has been scoured by diggers for decades, with no success in locating any of the bottles.

I have a few theories on why these bottles are so rare. There may have only been a small quantity produced. Similar bottles with a blank slug plate, as well as plain stoneware beer bottles are found around here. Those may have been used by this brewery. Also, when the brewery was sold and the name changed, the existing stock of the old Bossinger bottles may have been destroyed. Lewistown Bottling Works bottles from the same site are not all that hard to find. A lot of dumping was done in the abandoned Pennsylvania Canal, and if that is where these bottles went (behind the brewery), they are now gone for good under the road. This is all conjecture, as nobody who is alive today was around in the 1890s, but there has to be a reason for the extreme rarity of these bottles.

There have to be a few more in the river, in privies, in dumps or who knows where, but will any of them ever be found? I hope that a few more are, but it hasn't happened yet. ~Jim

 

[Poison_Us]

Congratz, Jim. I can only imagine the feeling of getting one of your dream bottles.

 

[JOETHECROW]

Cool bottle with cool history...Glad you got one Jim!

 

[treasurekidd]

Congrats on finding your "holy grail" bottle Jim, I know the feeling!