Hancock Pop Co.
Louis Wolfsky

14 Nov 2021, last revised 29 Nov 2023

The Polk directory listed Louis Wolfsky, but strangely, not the name of his bottling works, nor the Hancock Pop Co. The bottle book, Old Copper Country Bottles, cataloged two bottles embossed with HANCOCK POP CO. and one bottle embossed with LOUIS WOLFSKY. Since its publication, a Hancock Pop Co. bottle (#s13) was discovered with initials, L. W., linking the company name to Louis Wolfsky as proprietor.

Louis Wolfsky was born on 05 Aug 1866 in Russia (1), and immigrated to the U.S. in 1880 (2). In Nov 1899, Haefer's new store room was about ready for occupancy by "L. Wolfsky" (17). In Mar 1900, Louis Wolfsky went on a purchasing trip to Chicago (18) presumably for his new store. The 1901 directory then listed Louis Wolfsky as manager of Dora Oshinsky's fruit and cigar store at 106 Quincy St., while his residence was at 805 Franklin St. (3). Due to the re-numbering of Quincy St., the business address was not shown until the 1907 Sanborn map, but by then, the building was rebuilt and it was no longer a fruit store. The 1900 Sanborn map labeled the location as a fruit and candy store. It was located on the south side of Quincy St. between Tezcuco St. and Reservation St.

Sanborn map - Jun 1900

In Nov 1901, Wolfsky left for Chicago to purchase an ice cream plant with plans to start operations in the spring (19). The 1903 and 1905 directories listed the business at the same address, but now Wolfsky was proprietor of the California Fruit Store (4,5), where he was a "manufacturer of high grade ice cream and pop" and "dealer in fruit, candy, cigars and tobacco" (4). Thus, the fruit store likely housed the pop factory.

There are missing pieces as to what happened next. The 1907 directory listed Wolfsky as a bottler, but now at 805 Franklin St., his residence (6). It is unknown what happened to the California Fruit Store especially since it was not shown on the 1907 Sanborn map. Then in Jun 1908, Wolfsky sold his pop and ice cream factory to Edward Carrigan, who would "continue the business at the old stand" (20). It is unknown where "the old stand" was located if not at Wolfsky's residence. Strangely, Wolfsky was still listed as a bottler on the 1909 directory (7), and then as an ice cream manufacturer on the 1910 and 1912 directories (8,9). The 1910 directory listed two Edward Carrigans, but neither was a bottler (8).

In 1916, Wolfsky was a clerk in his wife's confectionery store (10). In 1920, he was a traveler (11). In 1930, he was a salesman of dry goods in Chicago (12). He then died on 07 Feb 1950 at the age of 83 in Stanton Township, Houghton County (13) and was buried in Forest Hill Cemetery, Houghton (14).

One bottle (#s13) bears the S B & G Co mark, which dates from 1881 to 1905 (15). Two bottles (#61 and 63) bear the AB ligature, which dates from 1905 to c.1909 (16). These maker's marks along with the Polk directory listings suggest that Wolfsky likely bottled from about 1903 to 1909. One feature unique about the bottles is that he used "Pop Co." instead of "Bottling Works" in the company name. Pop arguably better matches the sale of ice cream and candy. In contrast, many bottling works sold mineral water, which was marketed as a healthful, even medicinal, beverage.

References

1. Michigan Department of Community Health, Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics; Lansing, Michigan; Death Records (accessed on ancestry.com).
2. U.S. Census Bureau. 1910 United States Federal Census. accessed on ancestry.com.
3. R. L. Polk & Co. 1901. Houghton County Directory 1901-02. R. L. Polk & Co., Publishers. Detroit, MI.
4. R. L. Polk & Co. 1903. Houghton County Directory 1903-04. R. L. Polk & Co., Publishers. Detroit, MI.
5. R. L. Polk & Co. 1905. Houghton County Directory 1905-06. R. L. Polk & Co., Publishers. Detroit, MI.
6. R. L. Polk & Co. 1907. Houghton County Directory 1907-08. R. L. Polk & Co., Publishers. Detroit, MI.
7. R. L. Polk & Co. 1909. Michigan State Gazetteer and Business Directory for 1909. R. L. Polk & Co. Detroit, MI.
8. R. L. Polk & Co. 1910. 1910 Calumet, Houghton, Hancock and Laurium Directory. R. L. Polk & Co., Publishers. Detroit, MI.
9. R. L. Polk & Co. 1912. 1912 Calumet, Hancock, Houghton and Laurium Directory. R. L. Polk & Co., Publishers. Detroit, MI.
10. R. L. Polk & Co. 1916. Houghton County Directory 1916-17. R. L. Polk & Co., Publishers. Detroit, MI.
11. U.S. Census Bureau. 1920 United States Federal Census. accessed on ancestry.com.
12. U.S. Census Bureau. 1930 United States Federal Census. accessed on ancestry.com.
13. Michigan Department of Community Health, Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics; Lansing, Michigan; Death Records (accessed on ancestry.com).
14. Find a Grave. accessed Nov 2021. Louis Wolfsky. findagrave.com/memorial/67331242/louis-wolfsky
15. Lockhart, B., B. Schriever, B. Lindsey, and C. Serr. 2019. Streater Bottle & Glass Co. In: Encyclopedia of Manufacturer's Marks on Historic Bottles. posted on Historic Glass Bottle Identification & Information Website. https://sha.org/bottle/pdffiles/StreatorBottleGlassCo.pdf
16. Lockhart, B., P. Schulz, B. Lindsey, C. Serr, D. Whitten, and B. Schriever. 2013. The American Bottle Co.: A study in contrasts and contradictions. In: Encyclopedia of Manufacturer's Marks on Historic Bottles. posted on Historic Glass Bottle Identification & Information Website. https://sha.org/bottle/pdffiles/AmericanBottleCo.pdf
17. anonymous. (1899, Nov 07). Hancock. The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
18. anonymous. (1900, Mar 08). Hancock Brevities. The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.
19. anonymous. (1901, Nov 28). Hancock Brevities. The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 5.
20. anonymous. (1908, Jun 07). Hancock Brevities. The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 3.