bottlekid76
Well-Known Member
John Ryan in Georgia produced so many great varieties and colors of his bottles, John Lomax was also busy in Chicago producing as many different shapes sizes and colors for his soda business too. The Lomax bottles come in a large range of shapes, sizes and transitions. Most of his products came in many shades of cobalt and sapphire, with green Lomax bottles being tough to come by. He and his son George who also has some bottles ran what must have been a very popular establishment.
I found ths online to be interesting...
George Lomax is a native of New York, his
birth having occurred in the town of Haver-
straw, on the 9th of June, 1852. In 1854,
however, he was brought to Chicago by his
parents, and the days of his boyhood and
youth were passed in a manner usual to
children of that period. The city schools
afforded him his educational privileges, and
his business training was obtained in the es-
tablishment of his father, J. A. Lomax, who
on coming to the city in 1854 began the
manufacture of soda-water.
In 1872 Mr. George Lomax was united
in marriage with Miss Helen Bolton, who
was born at Jersey City, New Jersey. They
have four children George, J. Alfred, Frank
B. and William L. , aged respectively twenty-
three, twenty, eighteen and eight years.
From the time that Mr. Lomax entered
his father's employ he applied himself assidu-
ously to the mastery of the business, and as
time passed, more and more relieved his fa-
ther of the management and care of the en-
terprise. He also purchased a controlling
interest and extended the business in its fa-
cilities and scope. He is a gentleman of
great energy and excellent ability, whose
careful management of its interests, com-
bined with the true western spirit of prog-
ress, has brought to him success. He and
his father are now the principal owners of the
Chicago Consolidated Bottling Company,
the most extensive concern of the kind in
the United States. This is the outgrowth of
the business which was established by John
A. Lomax more than forty years ago. He
began operations on a small scale at No. 38,
West Lake street; but the plant was com-
pletely destroyed by fire in 1859. In the
fall of the same year business was resumed
at No. 1 6 Charles place, in a two-story
frame building twenty by thirty feet, which
was then in the midst of the heavy timber.
The sales of the house materially increased
as the years went by, and in 1871 John A.
Lomax and his son George erected a large
stone and brick building, which was sup-
posed to be fire-proof, the dimensions being
forty by one hundred and ten feet; but the
great conflagration of October 9-11, 1871,
which laid the city in ruins, destroyed their
new plant. With characteristic energy,
however, they at once began rebuilding, and
now occupy with their business a four-story
brick structure three hundred by one hun-
dred and twenty-five feet, which is the larg-
est exclusive bottling-house in the world.
On the 7th of March the stock was cap-
italized under the name of the Chicago
Consolidated Bottling Company, for six
hundred thousand dollars, with John A.
Lomax as president, Herman Pony as treas-
urer, and George Lomax as manager. In
their plant every device and improvement
known to the business is used. They em-
ploy three hundred men, use two hundred
horses and eighty double and single wagons
to deliver their goods to their customers.
They manufacture one million boxes of two
dozen bottles each per annum; and out of
seven thousand saloons in Chicago they
have the patronage of more than five thou-
sand of them, furnishing soda-waters, ginger
ale, mineral and spring waters and other
light drinks. This is an indication of the
volume of the business which is carried on
at the extensive establishment of the Chi-
cago Consolidated Bottling Company, which
now controls one of the leading industries
of the city.
The quality of their products is unsur-
passed, for only the best materials are
selected for their manufacture and every
precaution is taken to secure cleanliness and
purity. The laboratory is under the super-
vision of a skilled chemist, and all the dif-
ferent departments are superintended by
men of the utmost reliability, thoroughly
understanding the duties entrusted to their
care. The genial manager, George Lomax,
is a man of far-seeing ability, of courteous
bearing and manly dignity. He possesses
that happy faculty of making friends, hun-
dreds of whom speak highly of his hospital-
ity and generosity. At a meeting held by
the Hudson County (New Jersey) Bottling
Protective Association, October 5, 1896,
most favorable and complimentary resolu-
tions were passed concerning the kindness
and courtesy of Messrs. John A. and George
Lomax for the courteous and charming way
they entertained the members of the asso-
ciation at the eighth annual meeting of all
the bottlers of the United States, which was
held in Chicago in October, 1896. The
resolutions are handsomely engrossed and
framed, and occupy a most conspicuous
place in the company's office.
Here is a nice ale that I have from his busy location on Charles Place. I remember Rory showing a pic of a very nice early JAL soda he has. Maybe he can post that one again sometime. [
]
I found ths online to be interesting...
George Lomax is a native of New York, his
birth having occurred in the town of Haver-
straw, on the 9th of June, 1852. In 1854,
however, he was brought to Chicago by his
parents, and the days of his boyhood and
youth were passed in a manner usual to
children of that period. The city schools
afforded him his educational privileges, and
his business training was obtained in the es-
tablishment of his father, J. A. Lomax, who
on coming to the city in 1854 began the
manufacture of soda-water.
In 1872 Mr. George Lomax was united
in marriage with Miss Helen Bolton, who
was born at Jersey City, New Jersey. They
have four children George, J. Alfred, Frank
B. and William L. , aged respectively twenty-
three, twenty, eighteen and eight years.
From the time that Mr. Lomax entered
his father's employ he applied himself assidu-
ously to the mastery of the business, and as
time passed, more and more relieved his fa-
ther of the management and care of the en-
terprise. He also purchased a controlling
interest and extended the business in its fa-
cilities and scope. He is a gentleman of
great energy and excellent ability, whose
careful management of its interests, com-
bined with the true western spirit of prog-
ress, has brought to him success. He and
his father are now the principal owners of the
Chicago Consolidated Bottling Company,
the most extensive concern of the kind in
the United States. This is the outgrowth of
the business which was established by John
A. Lomax more than forty years ago. He
began operations on a small scale at No. 38,
West Lake street; but the plant was com-
pletely destroyed by fire in 1859. In the
fall of the same year business was resumed
at No. 1 6 Charles place, in a two-story
frame building twenty by thirty feet, which
was then in the midst of the heavy timber.
The sales of the house materially increased
as the years went by, and in 1871 John A.
Lomax and his son George erected a large
stone and brick building, which was sup-
posed to be fire-proof, the dimensions being
forty by one hundred and ten feet; but the
great conflagration of October 9-11, 1871,
which laid the city in ruins, destroyed their
new plant. With characteristic energy,
however, they at once began rebuilding, and
now occupy with their business a four-story
brick structure three hundred by one hun-
dred and twenty-five feet, which is the larg-
est exclusive bottling-house in the world.
On the 7th of March the stock was cap-
italized under the name of the Chicago
Consolidated Bottling Company, for six
hundred thousand dollars, with John A.
Lomax as president, Herman Pony as treas-
urer, and George Lomax as manager. In
their plant every device and improvement
known to the business is used. They em-
ploy three hundred men, use two hundred
horses and eighty double and single wagons
to deliver their goods to their customers.
They manufacture one million boxes of two
dozen bottles each per annum; and out of
seven thousand saloons in Chicago they
have the patronage of more than five thou-
sand of them, furnishing soda-waters, ginger
ale, mineral and spring waters and other
light drinks. This is an indication of the
volume of the business which is carried on
at the extensive establishment of the Chi-
cago Consolidated Bottling Company, which
now controls one of the leading industries
of the city.
The quality of their products is unsur-
passed, for only the best materials are
selected for their manufacture and every
precaution is taken to secure cleanliness and
purity. The laboratory is under the super-
vision of a skilled chemist, and all the dif-
ferent departments are superintended by
men of the utmost reliability, thoroughly
understanding the duties entrusted to their
care. The genial manager, George Lomax,
is a man of far-seeing ability, of courteous
bearing and manly dignity. He possesses
that happy faculty of making friends, hun-
dreds of whom speak highly of his hospital-
ity and generosity. At a meeting held by
the Hudson County (New Jersey) Bottling
Protective Association, October 5, 1896,
most favorable and complimentary resolu-
tions were passed concerning the kindness
and courtesy of Messrs. John A. and George
Lomax for the courteous and charming way
they entertained the members of the asso-
ciation at the eighth annual meeting of all
the bottlers of the United States, which was
held in Chicago in October, 1896. The
resolutions are handsomely engrossed and
framed, and occupy a most conspicuous
place in the company's office.
Here is a nice ale that I have from his busy location on Charles Place. I remember Rory showing a pic of a very nice early JAL soda he has. Maybe he can post that one again sometime. [
]
