South Range Bottling Works

16 Jun 2024, last revised 17 Aug 2024

The bottles indicate that the South Range Bottling Works existed from at least 1904. This would make the bottling works among the first businesses established in South Range (1), given that the town was platted in 1902 and incorporated in 1906 (2). Strangely though, the South Range Bottling Works name was not listed in the Polk directory until the 1939 volume (3). The difficulty with researching company histories is that directories and newspapers often cite the name(s) of the proprietor(s) but not the name of the bottling works, while bottles were often embossed with only the name of the bottling works. Thus, the challenge was to identify the proprietor(s) that used the South Range Bottling Works name.

The newspaper reported in Dec 1904 that Henry Haapanen had "started a bottling works at Copper Range" (4). The 1905 Polk directory then listed Haapanen & Kallio, consisting of Henry Haapanen and Andrew Kallio, as "bottlers" on Tri-mountain Ave. in South Range (5). It is unknown if Kallio was part of the operation from the beginning or if he joined Haapanen shortly after.

Henry Haapanen was born on 03 Sep 1863 in Finland (6) and immigrated to the US in 1886 (7). He was a painter and decorator in Laurium before moving to South Range (16,9). Andrew Kallio was born as Antti Hjalmar Kallio on 08 Feb 1870 in Finland (8) and immigrated to the US in 1892 (7). The 1900 U.S. Federal Census recorded him as a copper miner in Adams Township (17).

In Oct 1903, Haapanen was getting a store room with an upstairs residence built in South Range (9), and it was expected to be ready for occupancy in the first week of Nov (10). By Dec 01, Kallio had opened up a pool room and cigar and confectionary store in Haapanen's new building where "no strong drinks" were for sale (11). It appears the bottling works was housed in this building, because in Aug 1905, Haapanen and Kallio were still partners in the bottling works and they occupied a building together (12). When Haapanen's store room was becoming too small for Kallio's growing confectionary business (13), Kallio erected his own building on Trimountain Ave. (20) and moved his stock by 10 Oct 1905 (14). Haapanen had planned that once Kallio vacated, he would move his paint shop from Calumet to his South Range building (12).

The partnership between Haapanen and Kallio apparently dissolved, because by Dec 1905, the bottling works was operated by "Haapanen & Kemp" (15). In Apr 1906, Haapanen was making arrangements to erect another two-story building into which he would move the bottling work (18). He was "enjoying so large of a trade" that his present quarters were too small (18). In the proposed building, the bottom floor would be used for the machinery of the bottling works and the upper floor would be used for storage and preparing the bottles for use (18). At its current location, the machinery was located in the basement (18). It is unknown if these plans were realized.

It was quite fortunate that the newspaper identified Henry Haapanen as "proprietor of the South Range bottling works" (18), because it finally attributed him to the bottling works name that we find embossed on the bottles. In Jul 1906, the firm "Kemp & Haapanen" of the "South Range bottling works" dissolved with Emil Kemp retiring from the business (19). Haapanen then took on "V. Frendila" as a partner in Mar 1907 (21). With an expected increase in business in the coming season, they contemplated building a modern pop and soft drink factory (21).

Strangely, the 1907 Polk directory did not list the bottling works, listed Haapanen as a painter on the corner of Trimountain Ave. and Baltic Ave., and specified no occupation for "Victor Frantila" (22). They still existed, however, because in Mar 1908, the "South Range Bottling Works owned jointly by Haapanen & Frendila" were "making arrangements for an unusually busy season" (23). They were erecting an additional storage plant near their factory to store the several hundred cases they recently received (23). The business had grown "with marvelous rapidity" and they "enjoyed a heavy trade" (23).

The firm installed equipment that allowed them to increase their production; and then in Sep 1908, Haapanen purchased Frendila's interest and became sole owner (29). The plant was said to be located on Trimountain and Baltic avenues (29), but the 1908 Sanborn map did not label a building as a bottling works or pop factory. In May 1909, Haapanen recieved a shipment for 10,000 bottles and expected another shipment of about 25,000 more (36). It was necessary to replenish the stock each spring (36).

The Michigan Dairy and Food Department tested sodas for saccharin, and their annual report showed that South Range Bottling Works produced the following sodas in 1910: Ginger Ale, Root Beer, Orange Cider, Pear Cider, Jersey Cream Soda, Iron Brew, Cream Soda, and Lemon Soda (24).

The Polk directories documented several changes in proprietorship in the later years. It is unknown when Haapanen ceased being proprietor, especially since the 1916 directory did not list the bottling works and listed Haapanen for billiards (25). The 1921 directory then listed "Waisamen & Ojala" for a bottling works in South Range (26). We could not find a Waisanen that was a resident of South Range and a bottler, but the 1920 U.S. Federal Census listed John Ojala as "proprietor" of a "pop shop" (31). The 1927 directory listed John Ojala and Daniel Kuona for the South Range Bottling Works (35). The 1930 directory did not list the bottling works and listed Ojala as a laborer, but it did list Frank O. Samuli for a "bottling works" (30). Ojala, however, was apparently still involved since the 1930 census listed him as "operator" of a "bottling works" (32). The 1939 directory located the "South Range Bottling Works" for John Ojala and Frank Samuli on the east side of Champion Ave. between Trimountain Ave. and 1st St. (27). The 1940 census listed John Ojala as "proprietor" of a "pop shop" and Francis O. Samuli as "co-owner" of a "pop shop" (33). The bottling works was still on Champion Ave. in a 1947/48 business directory (28). The 1950 census listed Ojala as "bottler" of a "bottling factory" and Samuli as "truck driver" of a "pop and bottling works" (34). It is unknown when the bottling works closed, but based on the bottles, it lasted into at least the late 1950s, making it one of the longest-lived bottling works in the Copper Country.

Citations

1. anonymous. (1905, Mar 24). Postoffice probable. The Copper Country Evening News. (Calumet, MI). p. 4.
2. "South Range, Michigan". accessed 2024. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Range,_Michigan
3. R. L. Polk & Co. 1939. Polk’s Houghton (Michigan) Directory 1939. R. L. Polk & Co., Publishers. Detroit, MI.
4. anonymous. (1904, Dec 02). Calumet-Laurium brevities. The Evening Journal (Hancock, MI). p. 6.
5. R. L. Polk & Co. 1905. Houghton County Directory 1905-06. R. L. Polk & Co., Publishers. Detroit, MI.
6. Michigan Death Certificates, 1921-1952 database, FamilySearch.org
7. U.S. Census Bureau. 1910 United States Federal Census. accessed on ancestry.com.
8. Find a Grave. accessed Apr 2024. Antti Hjalmar "Andrew" Kallio. findagrave.com/memorial/209786092/antti-hjalmar-kallio
9. anonymous. (1903, Oct 24). South Range. Hancock Evening Journal (Hancock, MI). p. 3.
10. anonymous. (1903, Oct 28). South Range brevities. Hancock Evening Journal (Hancock, MI). p. 3.
11. anonymous. (1903, Dec 01). South Range brevities. Hancock Evening Journal (Hancock, MI). p. 7.
12. anonymous. (1905, Aug 17). May erect rink. The Evening Journal (Hancock, MI). p. 7.
13. anonymous. (1905, May 23). South Range brevities. The Evening Journal (Hancock, MI). p. 7.
14. anonymous. (1905 Oct 10). South Range brevities. The Evening Journal (Hancock, MI). p. 7.
15. anonymous. (1905, Dec 15). The holiday rush. The Evening Journal (Hancock, MI). p. 7.
16. R. L. Polk & Co. 1903. Houghton County Directory 1903-04. R. L. Polk & Co., Publishers. Detroit, MI.
17. U.S. Census Bureau. 1900 United States Federal Census. accessed on ancestry.com.
18. anonymous. (1906, Apr 25). New buildings for South Range. The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 4.
19. anonymous. (1906, Jul 15). To dissolve partnership. The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 6.
20. anonymous. (1905, Aug 02). New building started. The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 2.
21. anonymous. (1907, Mar 01). South Range brevities. The Evening Journal (Hancock, MI). p. 7.
22. R. L. Polk & Co. 1907. Houghton County Directory 1907-08. R. L. Polk & Co., Publishers. Detroit, MI.
23. anonymous. (1908, Mar 20). Increase storage quarters. The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 2.
24. State of Michigan. 1910. Dairy and Food Department. Bulletin No. 173-178. Jan-June 1910. Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford Co. State Printers. Lansing, MI.
25. R. L. Polk & Co. 1916. Houghton County Directory 1916-17. R. L. Polk & Co., Publishers. Detroit, MI.
26. R. L. Polk & Co. 1921. Michigan State Gazetteer and Business Directory for 1921-1922. R. L. Polk & Co. Detroit, MI.
27. R. L. Polk & Co. 1939. Polk’s Houghton (Michigan) Directory 1939. R. L. Polk & Co., Publishers. Detroit, MI.
28. The Daily Mining Gazette. 1947 or 1948. Copper Country Classified Business and Professional Directory. Houghton, MI.
29. anonymous. (1908, Sep 25). Buys partner's business. The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 7.
30. R. L. Polk & Co. 1930. Polk’s Houghton (Michigan) Directory 1930. R. L. Polk & Co., Publishers. Detroit, MI.
31. U.S. Census Bureau. 1920 United States Federal Census. accessed on ancestry.com.
32. U.S. Census Bureau. 1930 United States Federal Census. accessed on ancestry.com.
33. U.S. Census Bureau. 1940 United States Federal Census. accessed on ancestry.com.
34. U.S. Census Bureau. 1950 United States Federal Census. accessed on ancestry.com.
35. R. L. Polk & Co. 1927. Polk’s Michigan State Gazetteer and Business Directory 1927-1928. R. L. Polk & Co. Detroit, MI.
36. anonymous. (1909, May 21). Consignment of bottles. The Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI). p. 12.