J. C. Riddle
Jno. Riddle Jr.

07 Oct 2021, 16 Jul 2024

J. C. Riddle and John Riddle Jr. had the only embossed bottles from Greenland and Rockland, towns located in the southern region of the Copper Country. These bottles pose several questions. How were J. C. and John Jr. related? Who started the bottling works and why did it change hands? Did the bottling works start in Greenland or in Rockland?

James Constantine Riddle was born in Greenland on 24 Aug 1854 (1). John Riddle Jr., according to his death certificate, was born in Greenland on 02 Dec 1864 (2), but this date does not match early census records (3,4). They were brothers, and their parents immigrated from Ireland (3,4). James moved from Greenland to Ironwood in 1893 and resided in the household of his brother-in-law, James W. Oxnam (1). In Dec 1895, he purchased the Union Bottling Works in Ironwood from Gust Nord (1).

Polk directory ad - 1893

Polk directory ad - 1897

From the bottles, we know that James also established a bottling works in Rockland. We could not find him listed in the Michigan State Polk directory (5,6), but we do not have access to the 1901 volume. Luckily, The Ontonagon Herald featured his ad for Rockland from 16 Sep 1899 to 22 Jun 1901. Thus, he likely started the Rockland branch sometime between 1897 and 1899. We found no ads that specified Greenland as the location.

Newspaper ad - May 1900

Ill health forced James to retire in 1903 (1), and then he died in Ironwood on 01 Jan 1904 at the age of 49 (2). His brother-in-law, James W. Oxnam took over the bottling works in Ironwood (1). Evidently, his brother, John Jr., took over his other bottling works, which was now in Greenland, based on the bottles and an ad in The Ontonagon Herald.

Newspaper ad - Apr 1905

John Jr. was listed as proprietor of Union Bottling Works in the 1907 directory (7). He died on 02 Dec 1909 at the age of 45 due to acute alcoholism and his death certificate noted that he was a bottler (2). Thus, it appears he continued to operate the bottling works until his death.

Questions still remain about the Union Bottling Works in Greenland/Rockland. Who managed it given James lived in Ironwood? When did it move from Rockland to Greenland? Why were only quart-size bottles used? Why has only one bottle bearing John Jr.'s name been discovered given he operated the bottling works for five years?

References

1. Cox, B. K. 1996. Bottles and Bottlers of the Gogebic Range. Agogeebic Press. Wakefield, MI.
2. Michigan Department of Community Health, Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics; Lansing, Michigan; Death Records (accessed on ancestry.com).
3. U.S. Census Bureau. 1860 United States Federal Census. accessed on ancestry.com.
4. U.S. Census Bureau. 1870 United States Federal Census. accessed on ancestry.com.
5. R. L. Polk & Co. 1897. Michigan State Gazetteer and Business Directory for 1897. R. L. Polk & Co. Detroit, MI.
6. R. L. Polk & Co. 1903. Michigan State Gazetteer and Business Directory for 1903-1904. R. L. Polk & Co. Detroit, MI.
7. R. L. Polk & Co. 1907. Michigan State Gazetteer and Business Directory for 1907-1908. R. L. Polk & Co. Detroit, MI.