JB St. Clair embossed 7-1/2 oz

[Blackfoot58]

Hard to read in photo:
The J.B. St. Clair
Bottling Works
Contents
7 1/2 Fluid Oz.
Muscatine, Iowa

The side seams appear to go the entire height of the bottle: from the base to the top edge of the lip.

Early Duraglas I believe. I still need to look up the code. Found in an abandoned farm dump. I was happy to find this one, as I worked in Muscatine for over 40 years.

 

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[WannaDig3687]

I'm thinking, the pic of the bottom needs turned, and your bottle may be from 1931. That's my guess.

Pretty cool.

 

[Blackfoot58]

I'm thinking, the pic of the bottom needs turned, and your bottle may be from 1931. That's my guess.

Pretty cool.

I’m told the JB St Clair Bottling works closed the Muscatine facility in 1920.

 

[WannaDig3687]

I’m told the JB St Clair Bottling works closed the Muscatine facility in 1920.

Well that's interesting considering this quote:

"From its beginning in 1929, the Owens-Illinois Glass Co. has been a giant in the bottle and jar industry"

 

[WannaDig3687]

That's what I just found, also. I don't have the time this morning to work on this. Maybe tomorrow, or maybe someone else can enlighten us.

 

[Blackfoot58]

That's what I just found, also. I don't have the time this morning to work on this. Maybe tomorrow, or maybe someone else can enlighten us.

I’m using my resources but it just gets more confusing. Thanks for any help you can give. 😊

 

[Red-Coat]

Notwithstanding the belief that the bottling works closed in 1920, the Owens-Illinois mark on the bottle categorically can’t be prior to 1929 when the Owens and Illinois glass companies merged. Might the bottling works have relocated to a new address in Muscatine after 1920, leading to ambiguity about the word "closed"?

Plant codes are at the left of the Owens-Illinois logo and date codes (as the last digit or digits of the year) to the right. As you’re showing it in the picture it looks like ‘1’ and ‘6’ respectively, but you have it upside down and it's actually ‘9’ and ‘1’. The ‘9’ is for the Streator, Illinois plant in operation from 1930 to present day.

The date code ‘1’ could only be for 1931 or 1941. Although Owens-Illinois decided to move from one-digit to two-digit date codes in 1940 so that a distinction would be made between 1931 and 1941, full implementation was delayed by labour shortages for mould-making in the lead-up to America joining in WWII. As a quick fix, in 1941 they began adding a dot after the single digit but only for soda and beer bottles. Even then, many bottles are missing the distinction.

The dot system was abandoned almost immediately in favour of a full roll-out of two digits (occasionally seen as a small superscript ‘4’ before the single digit) from 1943 onwards.

Although there are various anomalies and exceptions to some of the above I would be pretty sure that’s a 1931 bottle… but you theoretically couldn’t rule out 1941 based on the marks it has.


[One other thing to note, as an aside, is that bottles like this were generally returnable with a typical life up to about 5 years and sometimes as long as ten years. The date of the bottle itself isn’t necessarily the year in which it was last filled].

 

[Blackfoot58]

Notwithstanding the belief that the bottling works closed in 1920, the Owens-Illinois mark on the bottle categorically can’t be prior to 1929 when the Owens and Illinois glass companies merged. Might the bottling works have relocated to a new address in Muscatine after 1920, leading to ambiguity about the word "closed"?

Plant codes are at the left of the Owens-Illinois logo and date codes (as the last digit or digits of the year) to the right. As you’re showing it in the picture it looks like ‘1’ and ‘6’ respectively, but you have it upside down and it's actually ‘9’ and ‘1’. The ‘9’ is for the Streator, Illinois plant in operation from 1930 to present day.

The date code ‘1’ could only be for 1931 or 1941. Although Owens-Illinois decided to move from one-digit to two-digit date codes in 1940 so that a distinction would be made between 1931 and 1941, full implementation was delayed by labour shortages for mould-making in the lead-up to America joining in WWII. As a quick fix, in 1941 they began adding a dot after the single digit but only for soda and beer bottles. Even then, many bottles are missing the distinction.

The dot system was abandoned almost immediately in favour of a full roll-out of two digits (occasionally seen as a small superscript ‘4’ before the single digit) from 1943 onwards.

Although there are various anomalies and exceptions to some of the above I would be pretty sure that’s a 1931 bottle… but you theoretically couldn’t rule out 1941 based on the marks it has.


[One other thing to note, as an aside, is that bottles like this were generally returnable with a typical life up to about 5 years and sometimes as long as ten years. The date of the bottle itself isn’t necessarily the year in which it was last filled].

Thank you for the info. That matches up with most of what I’ve seen too. I need to research the bottler more. Possibly they left Muscatine, but kept the title for Business reasons. Thanks again

 

[unclemac]

and to think a 7 ounce soda was sufficient.... not like today

 

[Blackfoot58]

and to think a 7 ounce soda was sufficient.... not like today

LOL! You’re right. After 3 heart attacks (in one day), I stopped the Fast Food Train completely. No more Super Sizing since 2007. I remember the small sodas from my childhood, but compared to nowadays… what light weights! Also, convenience stores don’t carry individual, 12 oz beers; all Tall Boys or quarts.

 

[unclemac]

been drinking IPAs with a half shot of cheap vodka tossed in lately.... can't handle all the fluids of a 6 pack anymore.

 

[Blackfoot58]

been drinking IPAs with a half shot of cheap vodka tossed in lately.... can't handle all the fluids of a 6 pack anymore.

I like most IPAs. Never tried the vodka booster though.

 

[scruggs]

It's a nice one!