A. Huckels & Co. -The Story of a Bottle- Thanks to Jaan Kolk

Linda, I thank you for all your research into your local soda water bottlers.

You have a great future treasure in your town. Adin Daigle is a very keen collector of Carleton Place and area history. You also are lucky to have Scott Wallace. Please involve Adin in research projects and mentor him in research. One day this will pay off in preserving the local history for generations to come.

I have a challenge for you. I have two bottles from A. Huckels & Co. from Ottawa. I cannot find information them. He has a flag for a logo. No one has been able to tell me the significance of the flag. Perhaps you can unlock this secret?

I hope you join our hobby, it holds lots of history and we have some passionate collectors like Adin and Scott. You would be very welcomed.–Glen William Gordon–

Linda says: We are on this Glen– with my Ottawa historian friend Jaan Kolk

Photos of bottles by Glen William Gordon-

^{Jaan Kolk}

Jaan Kolk—In 1901, A Huckels and Co. was at 326-328 Queen street, with about 8 employees. By 1909, Huckels and his company had moved to nearby 181-185 Lyon Street.

Jaan Kolk This is pure speculation, but given that the flagship ( 😉 ) product was “German Seltzer”, the flag in the trademark may have represented the National and merchant flag of the German Empire, 1871-1918, which was three stripes: black, white, red. From the 1901 city directory:

Image may contain: text that says '(A Huckels & Co), Huckels Alexander h 326 Queen HUCKELS A & co (Alexander Huck- els, Frederick Cirkel) ,Mineral and Aerated Waters and Bottlers, 326- 328 Queen, Telephone 1082'

Jaan Kolk—The company was established in Ottawa in 1894. Here is an ad from the Citizen, June 29, 1894

Jaan Kolk A note from the Citizen, Sept. 27, 1895 on the display at the Exhibition

Jaan Kolk–In 1912, The A. Huckels operation was taken over to become the Ottawa branch of major beverage producer J.J. McLaughlin Ltd. (of Canada Dry Ginger Ale fame), retaining the same 1082 phone number. From the Citizen, Mar. 29, 1912

Jaan Kolk—I could not find much mention of Alexander himself in the papers, except for this incident you might find amusing, Linda: Alexander was assaulted by Johnny “Dixie” McDowall, “America’s oldest newsboy.” From the Citizen, Aug. 25, 1910

Linda Seccaspina

Ottawa Daily Citizen
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
07 Jun 1894, Thu • Page 8

Ottawa Daily Citizen
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
07 Aug 1894, Tue • Page 7

According to a research book the A. Huckels & Co. were one of Ottawa’s larger bottlers and operated from 1894-1911 and then seem to disappear. Their bottles were also smaller from the typical soda water bottle possibly 6 ounces or 7.5 ounces in size. The Huckel family was well known in the Ottawa area and when I get a chance I will write about Benjamin and the tragedies he went through.

The Ottawa Journal
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
17 Jan 1900, Wed • Page 7

Alexander Huckels was of German descent and as Jaan Kolk said given that the flagship product was “German Seltzer”, the flag in the trademark may have represented the National and merchant flag of the German Empire. Mr. Davis was noted as one of the managers of the company.

The Ottawa Journal
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
29 Aug 1895, Thu • Page 3

The Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
15 Dec 1898, Thu • Page 6

Huckel’s was once located at 326-328 Queen Street in Ottawa-328 Queen St. E. has been vacant for more than a decade. It was extensively damaged in a 2009 by a fire that was blamed on faulty wiring.

Not much is known about his private life but in May of 1907 he began building a lovely home on Slater Street for a mere $4000.

eThe Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
30 May 1907, Thu • Page 1

The Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
26 Jun 1906, Tue • Page 3

The Ottawa Journal
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
11 Sep 1897, Sat • Page 2

Of course with everything there were discrepancies in the water.. just like today..:P Check out the article below.

The Ottawa Journal
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
08 Mar 1911, Wed • Page 2

The Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
06 Nov 1909, Sat • Page 1

The Ottawa Journal
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
03 Feb 1911, Fri • Page 4

Ottawa Daily Citizen
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
10 Jun 1897, Thu • Page 8

The Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
13 Aug 1909, Fri • Page 4

The Ottawa Journal
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
03 May 1899, Wed • Page 1

Interesting People –R. E. Irvine — The Story of a Bottle

Where Were the Miracle Salt Springs in Pakenham? I Love a Challenge!

Social Note Shenanigans from the Almonte Gazette June 1899

Mrs. James Lawrie and Her Ginger Beer

“One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer” in Lanark County

Mississippi Hotel Beer — Brading’s Beer

The Marvellous Jaan Kolk

Talking Through Your Hat? Jaan Kolk

So Where Was Caldwell Mills? Thanks Jaan Kolk

The Thrift Store Couple – More Information-Jaan Kolk

The House on the Hill — Up the 8th Line of Ramsay — Jaan Kolk Files

Britannia Boat House Doomed— April 1907 Ice Jam –Jaan Kolk Files

Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign–Dr. Winters 154-160 Bridge Street Carleton Place –Jaan Kolk Files

Please take the Devil Out of Me? Rev. James Wilson of Lanark

Did You Know we Once Had a Grand Hotel? The Grand Central Hotel

The Cholera Epidemic of 1911

The Ashton Hotel– Questions Questions Flemmings and McFarlanes

Benoit & Richardson Photo– a Mystery

Before there was Baker Bob’s There was The Almonte Bakery

Does Anyone Remember Cohen’s in Lanark Village?

Interesting People –R. E. Irvine — The Story of a Bottle

Photo-Adin Wesley Daigle

Our community Carleton Place archaeologist Adin Wesley Daigle posted this photo on Facebook and said it was his favourite bottle. Not being a bottle collector I still had to agree and decided to investigate one R. E. Irvine from Ottawa. The bottle was great so I figured it must have a story!

The only thing I could find out was that R. E Irvine was served a lawsuit in 1910 from the Sanitaris Co. in Ottawa. Well I knew who Sanitarius was as I had written about their affiliation to Diamond Park Mineral Water. Irvine bottled beer and other beverages like Lithia water. Lithia water is defined as a type of mineral water characterized by the presence of lithium salts which he got from the Diamond Park and sold by Sanitarius. Natural lithia mineral spring waters are rare and between the 1880s and World War I, the consumption of bottled lithia mineral water was popular as well as the Mineral Water spas outside Pakenham. ( Diamond Springs and Dominion Springs).

Mr. Irvine also owned the local Ottawa Livery and Boarding Stable in Ottawa– but that is another story. Actually, it could be a series of stories from the vast amount of postings in the Ottawa newspapers.

As well as the waters business, R.E. Irvine purchased a high-end livery and riding stable in 1906. From the Citizen, April 26, 1906: Photo Jaan Kolk and information.

The Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
03 Feb 1910, Thu • Page 11

Diamond Park Mineral Water was world famous in its day, and it was located near Arnprior. Among the components in the water were salt and sulphur and the water was said to have curative powers dealing with rheumatic problems, hangover headaches and an aid in flushing the kidneys. Diamond Park Springs was located on the edge of Pakenham Township in the late 1800s, but was flooded by Ontario Hydro when the dam was put in place at the head pond. At one point there was a 12-room hotel on site and proved to be a popular spa in its day. The plant was later sold to Sanitaris Ltd. who continued bottling water from their plant at the corner of John and William streets behind the current LCBO in Arnprior.

Sanitaris Natural Mineral Water Building, Arnprior, Canada–Date: 1914 Location:
John Street, Arnprior, Ontario, Canada

By 1910 R. E. Irvine looks like he was no longer running his namesake company and was letting someone else run it. (Morel Bros. Aerated Waters?) Sanitaris was taking him to court for the disappearance of “empties” as we kids used to say. Irvine said that they had been returned — Sanitarius said he or his successor had not. Needless to say Mr. Irvine’s company was on the hook for a grand sum of $480 unless all was returned.

Jaan Kolk said: “Irvine was a businessman, who came likely came to Ottawa for a business opportunity and left for a better one”. (I don’t think the minor legal disputes were of any importance.)

Jaan Kolk our favourite historian found this: Robert Irvine, mineral waters 359 Wellington, boarding at Butler House, is listed in the 1901 Ottawa City Directory, The business seems to have peaked around 1909, when it was at 200 Bay Street. Still there as Irvine in 1911, it was shown as Morel Bros. Aerated Waters in 1912. Here is an Ottawa Journal ad from May 18, 1909. (above)

After researching — no mention of the case was made in the media again except for this one above Jaan Kolk found from 1900. This Ottawa Citizen note from Aug. 25, 1900 on a suit over Irvine’s use of the name “Hygeia Water” mentions he was formerly in Toronto. So what was Hugeia Water? J.J. McLaughlin started out professional life as a druggist and eventually focused on what started out as a typical pharmacy sideline, making soda water, which he initially called Hygeia Waters, the Hygeia, being a play on the word hygiene. McLaughlin’s Hygeia Waters were based on a Belfast dry ginger ale recipe. The name was rebranded as the much more successful Canada Dry.

Meanwhile, the case from Sanitarius stated that “judgement was reserved”. Most often, the judge will reserve judgment which means that the judge will take some time – days, weeks, or even months – to consider the matter before issuing the judgment and it is usually written though it may be delivered orally. In this case Irvine had left from the Ottawa area, but if you looked hard enough you would see what happened. By 1910 the ads for the Irvine Company had stopped in the Ottawa Journal and The Ottawa Citizen and Irvine was now– wait for this– in Vancouver.

May 1909- Ottawa Citizen

In May of 1909 it looks like R. E. was preparing for a future elsewhere. First there was a massive auction sale at his home on Slater and Bay. In June of the same year he transferred some land from R. E. Irvine to R. Irvine Ltd. In 1910 R. E. Irvine had bought and was running Cross & Co. in Vancouver. The business had been under various ownerships. Originally founded by Mr. Cross D. Gavinit, as Vancouver Soda Water Works in 1896. Then purchased by the late J. J. Banfield, who remained owner until he sold his interests to the late R. E. Irvine. R.E.’s son E. L. Irvine bought the business from him in 1917.

Early Circa. 1915-30s British Columbia Soda Siphon / Syphon Seltzer Bottles – Cross and Company Vancouver BC

In an ironic twist like every trade or profession, Irvine’s venture into the Cross & Co soda water business had its troubles just like Sanitarius did with the R. E. Irvine Company in Ottawa. One of the chief problems was maintaining the bottle supply. Bottles cost the company 7 cents each, and since a deposit of only 5 cents a bottle is charged, a loss of 2 cents was sustained on very bottle not returned.

“When the public consider these figures it will realize the benefit, both to the consumer and to ourselves, of returning all empty bottles,” Mr. Irvine said. “For every bottle returned the customer reduces the cost of his thirst-quenchers by five cents. For every bottle not returned we lost two cents.” The loss on bottles was so heavy that Cross & Co. had to purchase $3000 worth annually to maintain its supply. Is this what happened to the R. E. Irvine Co in Ottawa or, was it just for a better opportunity as Jaan Kolk said?

One thing is for sure Mr. R. E. Irvine never set foot back in Ottawa until 1918 and the couple was described in the news as having been residents of Ottawa until 1910 and of course Sanitarius never got their money for the empties.