THE ROVING ALGONA BOTTLING WORKS

This past summer a reader sent me a photo of a bottle she had acquired.  The container bears the imprint of the Algona Bottling Works and appears to be from the very early part of the 20^th century.  Her curiosity about the bottle was infectious so I had to find out a little bit about the history of the company. 

THE FIRST ALGONA BOTTLING WORKS

I first did a little poking around in the newspaper archives without much success until I discovered that the Algona Bottling Works was often referred to as the Algona Pop Factory.  The History of Kossuth County which was published in 1913 reports that the Algona Pop Factory opened in 1891.  However, I was not able to find anything about the plant until 1897 when two articles caught my eye.

The first – published in the Upper Des Moines on June 30^th of that year – reported the following: ”Algona’s new pop factory is in full blast and doing a rushing business.  The proprietor is Mr. J. F. Conlee, formerly of Manson, and he understands the pop-making business to perfection.  Algona welcomes this as another addition to its manufacturing industries.”  Just two weeks later on July 14^th the Republican reported, “The plant of the pop factory was on Monday taken possession of by Mr. Vesper of the C. & N.W. railroad company, the proprietors having failed to pay the freight.  The success of the institution has been placed in doubt from the start by the disposition of the managers to neglect their own home manufacture for other drinks.”  What a difference two weeks (and editors’ opinions) can make!

HERE TO STAY

Algona wasn’t ready to give up on a pop factory yet.  In early 1898, Charley Stewart decided to open shop in a facility just north of the alley on the east side of North Dodge Street, at the address now known as 114 North Dodge.  Charley had the novel of idea of using distilled water from the Algona Milling Company and was the only factory in Iowa making pop in this manner.  By May of that year he was turning out 30 cases per day.

I have been unable to determine all the types of “pop” the factory manufactured.  Ginger ale bottled there was mentioned by one customer as having done him so much good that he thought Stewart should advertise it as a tonic and cure for summer complaint. However another article in August of 1898 from the Armstrong Journal reported “The police courts were busy in Algona last week.  Four drunks besides other matters demanded their attention in one day.  That pop factory must be doing a big business.”  This leads me to wonder if perhaps they bottled something a little more potent than ginger ale?

Stewart slowly and steadily built his business.  He sold 300 cases for the Fourth of July celebration the first year and could have sold another 500 had he been able to get them.  By September he employed three men full time.  He established a delivery route and was soon distributing his products all across northwest Iowa. By 1900 he had implemented a bottling machine increasing his output to the extent that it was necessary to order bottles two train car loads at a time.  One news article stated that he had used nine barrels of sugar within a six week period.

The bottling factory was experiencing growing pains and it became obvious that a larger, more modern facility was needed.  When the quarter block on which his bottling facility sat was sold to build a brick livery and feed stable, Charley decided to erect a 40 x 40 foot building that would house new, state of the art machinery.  He purchased a lot on the east end of State Street “nearly opposite the North-Western hotel” which according to the Sanborn Fire Maps sat on the northwest corner of the State and Phillips Streets intersection.  Another article says that plant was built near the Northwestern depot and still another states that it got its power from the Spurbeck & Lambert Company which stood on the east side of the Northwestern depot along Lantry Street.  A few years later an article describing the future location of the Athletic Park described that property as a tract of ground running 340 feet south from the alley in the rear of the bottling works and 460 feet west from Phillips Street.  In addition two corner lots east of the bottling works were to be part of the Athletic Park.

Perhaps the site of the Algona Bottling Works?

Charley Stewart’s personal life was also busy.  He had married his wife, Maggie Stockman, in 1896, and by 1902 several children had joined their family.  The scourge of his life, however, was diabetes.  In 1903 it almost caused him to go out of business, but he managed to keep going until 1905 when he sold the business to William F. Nierling of Waukon.  The Stewarts remained in Algona and Charley sought out diabetes specialists, but the disease ended his life in 1908 at the age of 46.  He was survived by his wife and four small children, the youngest of which was only a few months old.

OTHER OWNERS

Nierling was new to the bottling business.  Previously he had worked as a bank cashier and also deputy county treasurer for Allamakee County.  Several months after moving to the Algona area, he married Fannie Palmer Stewart at Ledyard.  It does not appear from my research that Fannie was related to Charley.  The two settled in Algona where they would start a family and become involved in community activities.

Under his ownership, the pop works continued to grow.  By 1911 the business had a capacity of about 600 cases per day.  Deliveries expanded as far north as Minneapolis.  In January of 1912, Nierling sold the business to Mark Sarchet and Jesse Staley.

Described as young and ambitious, the two were excited to lead one of Algona’s best known businesses.  They established a good reputation for having an up-to-date factory using thoroughly filtered city water for their products.  In addition to beverages, they began to manufacture bluing for washing purposes which could be found at any local grocery store.  They operated the company until December of 1916 when they sold their interest to O. J. Stephenson and L. A. Miner who planned to place the bottling plant in their new candy factory and ice cream parlor.

ALGONA CANDY KITCHEN & BOTTLING WORKS

Stephenson and Miner formed a corporation to hold the various entities.  Sarchet remained with the firm to operate the pop factory.  The future location of the new store was 15 East State.  Construction would not be completed until September of 1917.  The bottling works was to occupy the rear 30 feet of the first floor and as much of the basement as it needed. 

The new structure had large plate glass windows on each side of the center door.  The front section was to be used as a candy and ice cream parlor.  The interior was golden oak with fixtures to match.  It had tiled floors and a metal ceiling.  The beautiful new soda fountain was the main feature and served soft drinks, ices, ice cream, sodas, sundaes and other sweet delights.  The large glass counters displayed a large variety of candy and sweets made on the premises.  Two rows of white marble topped tables flowed through the space while custom-made oak seats lined the walls.

Soft drinks, soda waters, ciders and ginger ale, crushed fruits and syrups and gas for fountains were all manufactured in the bottling department.  O. J. Stephenson marketed the products within a 75 mile radius of Algona. 

The second floor provided space for a candy manufacturing room and a large store room.  One of the best features of the building was an elevator allowing maximum use of all three floors.  Six to ten people were employed at the business with a total payroll of around $250 weekly. 

From the Algona Courier, March 28, 1918

In 1923 L. A. Miner sold his interest in the business to Tony Goeders who had been operating the Burt Bakery.  Goeders converted a portion of the upper floor into a bakery moving his equipment from Burt and adding a new bread molder.

ANOTHER MOVE

The bottling works was moved once again in 1928 when O. J. Stephenson established it in the North American Engine Company building at the east end of East State Street where it struggled as several managers came and went.  In 1932 Louis Hoffbauer came here from Eagle Grove where he owned another bottling works.  He purchased the ailing company which he regenerated and went on to run successfully for almost 30 years.

And although the history of the Algona Bottling Company continues on, this seems a good place for my story about it to come to an end.  Thanks to Abigail Huff for sharing the bottle photos with me.  Some bottles have a magic genie inside—this one just happened to have an interesting story!  

Until next time,

Kossuth County History Buff

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