Sterling Spring Mineral Water Co.

22 Nov 2021, last revised 25 Jul 2023

The number of bottles from the Sterling Spring Mineral Water Co., with some being common, indicates that this was the most successful soda/mineral water company in Hancock. The bottles bear the monograms of three different proprietors: P L, L J, and H L. When Old Copper Country Bottles was published in 1978, P L was known to be Peter Larsen based on an ad, but the other proprietors were unknown. It appears Peter Larsen started the company in Crystal Falls and then established the Hancock branch.

Polk directory ad - 1893

Newspaper ad - Sep 1900

Newspaper ad - Dec 1900

Peter Larsen was born on 11 Jan 1849 in Denmark (1) and immigrated to the U.S. in 1865 (3) or 1868 (2). The 1880 U.S. Federal Census recorded that he resided in Neenah, Wisconsin, was marred to Caroline, and had Henry Larsen as one of three children (3). In 1886, he was remarried to Elizabeth and had more children (2). The 1893 directory listed Peter Larsen as proprietor of Crystal Falls Mineral Spring Water and that he was a "bottler of all kinds of mineral and soda waters" (4). The ad from the directory indicates that the mineral water came from a spring in Crystal Falls.

State labor records specified 1897 as the start date of Peter Larsen's Hancock business (17), and the 1897 Houghton County Polk directory listed him as a soda water manufacturer in Hancock with his residence being in Hancock (7). However, the 1897 Michigan State Polk directory listed him as manager of Sterling Spring Mineral Water Co. in Crystal Falls (5). The Hancock branch was first located on the south side of Franklin St., two units east of Tezcuco St. (7). In Dec 1898, he purchased property on Hancock St. with plans to erect a residence (20). He then decided to also erect a factory building on the property (21). In Mar 1899, the building was expected to be completed in four weeks (22), and Peter planned on moving his family from Crystal Falls to Hancock in the spring (23). The 1899 directory located the bottling works on the north side of Hancock St., three units west of Mesnard St. (8) and the 1903 directory specified the address as 511 Hancock St. (9).

Sanborn map - Jun 1900

Sanborn map - Nov 1907

Peter Larsen continued as proprietor and his son, Henry Larsen, was manager in 1903 (9) and teamster in 1905 (10). The business had four employees in 1904 (18) and eight in 1905 (17). Despite the name of the company, ads stated that they bottled more than just mineral water.

Polk directory ad - 1899

Polk directory ad - 1901

The next directories documented the changes in proprietors. The 1907 directory listed Larsen & Johnson as proprietors, consisting of Peter Larsen and Hans M. Johnson (11). It also listed a branch in South Range managed by Henry Larsen (11). Hans Johnson may have been related to Peter's wife, Elizabeth, given her maiden name was Johnson. In Mar 1907, Peter passed the bottling works on to "Henry Larsen of South Range and H. M. Johnson of Hancock" (24). Larsen & Johnson was then listed in the 1910 directory, with the Larsen now being Henry (12). The partnership then dissolved in Jan 1911 with Johnson retiring and Henry conducting the business (25); thus, only Henry Larsen was listed as proprietor in the 1912 directory(13). In Apr 1911, Henry replaced steam with electricity to power the pop factory (26). The company had 25 employees in 1911 (19).

Sodas from Henry Larsen in Hancock were tested by the State of Michigan Dairy and Food Department in 1910 (15) and 1912 (16), which revealed the varieties he produced: Royal Brew, Ginger Ale, Lemon Soda, Orange Cider, Cream Soda, Cremo, Iron Brew, Pear Cider, and Root Beer.

The 1916 directory no longer listed the Sterling Spring Mineral Water Co., but it listed Henry Larsen at the same address (13), and Hancock had bottles bearing only Henry Larsen's name. We continue the history of this bottling works on Henry Larsen's page.

Based on the transitions in proprietors, we can date the bottles with the different monograms. P L monogram bottles date to 1897-c.1906. The L J monogram bottles date to c.1906-1911. The one H L monogram bottle dates to 1911-1912.

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. 1900 United States Federal Census. accessed on ancestry.com.
3. U.S. Census Bureau. 1910 United States Federal Census. accessed on ancestry.com.
4. U.S. Census Bureau. 1880 United States Federal Census. accessed on ancestry.com.
5. R. L. Polk & Co. 1893. Michigan State Gazetteer and Business Directory 1893-94. R. L. Polk & Co. Detroit, MI.
6. R. L. Polk & Co. 1897. Michigan State Gazetteer and Business Directory for 1897. R. L. Polk & Co. Detroit, MI.
7. R. L. Polk & Co. 1897. Houghton County Directory 1897-98. R. L. Polk & Co., Publishers. Detroit, MI.
8. R. L. Polk & Co. 1899. Houghton County Directory 1899-1900. R. L. Polk & Co., Publishers. Detroit, MI.
9. R. L. Polk & Co. 1903. Houghton County Directory 1903-04. R. L. Polk & Co., Publishers. Detroit, MI.
10. R. L. Polk & Co. 1905. Houghton County Directory 1905-06. R. L. Polk & Co., Publishers. Detroit, MI.
11. R. L. Polk & Co. 1907. Houghton County Directory 1907-08. R. L. Polk & Co., Publishers. Detroit, MI.
12. R. L. Polk & Co. 1910. 1910 Calumet, Houghton, Hancock and Laurium Directory. R. L. Polk & Co., Publishers. Detroit, MI.
13. R. L. Polk & Co. 1912. 1912 Calumet, Hancock, Houghton and Laurium Directory. R. L. Polk & Co., Publishers. Detroit, MI.
14. R. L. Polk & Co. 1916. Houghton County Directory 1916-17. R. L. Polk & Co., Publishers. Detroit, MI.
15. State of Michigan Department of Dairy and Food Department. 1910. Bulletin No. 173-178, Jan-June 1910. Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford Co., State Printers. Lansing, MI.
16. State of Michigan. 1912. Nineteenth Annual Report of the Dairy and Food Commissioner of the State of Michigan for the year ending June 30, 1912. Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford Co., State Printers. Lansing, MI.
17. Bureau of Labor and Industrial Statistics. 1906. State of Michigan Twenty-Third Annual Report of the Bureau of Labor and Industrial Statistics Including the Thirteenth Annual Report of State Inspection of Factories. Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford Co., State Printers. Lansing, MI.
18. Bureau of Labor and Industrial Statistics. 1905. State of Michigan Twenty-Second Annual Report of the Bureau of Labor and Industrial Statistics Including the Twelfth Annual Report of State Inspection of Factories. Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford Co., State Printers. Lansing, MI.
19. Michigan Bureau of Labor and Industrial Statistics. 1912. Twenty-Ninth Annual Report of the Department of Labor of the State of Michigan. Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford Co., State Printers. Lansing, MI.
20. anonymous. (1898, Dec 09). Portage Lake News. The Copper Country Evening News (Calumet, MI). p. 3.
21. anonymous. (1899, Feb 09). Portage Lake News. The Copper Country Evening News (Calumet, MI). p. 3.
22. anonymous. (1899. Mar 03). Portage Lake News. The Copper Country Evening News (Calumet, MI). p. 3.
23. anonymous. (1899, Mar 25). Portage Lake News. The Copper Country Evening News (Calumet, MI). p. 3.
24. anonymous. (1907, Mar 30). County Brevities. The Copper Country Evening News (Calumet, MI). p. 4.
25. anonymous. (1911, Jan 11). Partnership Dissolved. The Calumet News (Calumet, MI). p. 3.
26. anonymous. (1911, Apr 10). Hancock Briefs. The Calumet News (Calumet, MI). p. 3.