J. C. Riddle
Jno. Riddle Jr.

07 Oct 2021, 04 May 2026

J. C. Riddle and John Riddle, Jr. had the only embossed bottles from Greenland and Rockland; towns located in the southern range 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 Rockland?

J. C. Riddle as Proprietor

James Constantine Riddle (1) was born in Greenland (2) on 24 Aug 1854 (3) to immigrants from Ireland (4). He was the eldest of seven children and spent his youth helping his parents on the family farm in Greenland (2). He was referred to as "Mr. James Riddle of Ironwood" in Jun 1892 (5), indicating that he was living in Ironwood at that point in time. But then he was referred to as "Mr. James Riddle of Greenland" in Mar 1894 (6), indicating that he had moved back. When is mother died on 12 Aug 1894 in Greenland, James was said to "reside at home" (7). James' obituary stated that after his mother's death, he left the farm for Ironwood (2). He resided in the household of his brother-in-law, James W. Oxnam (1,4). In Dec 1895, he purchased the Union Bottling Works in Ironwood from Gust Nord (1).

In Feb 1899, "Jas. C. Riddle, proprietor of the Union Bottling Works of Ironwood," visited Rockland to arrange for a building to start a bottling works (8). Rockland was to have a bottling works "just as soon" as James could "move his plant or a portion of it" (8). An update in May 1899 stated that work on Riddle's pop factory was being rushed (9). We could not find an announcement of when his pop factory started operating, but his ad in The Ontonagon Herald first appeared on 16 Sep 1899.

In Sep 1899, the Rockland plant was running at full capacity and experiencing "a ready sale for its product" (10). James visited Rockland and intended to enlarge the plant as soon as necessary (10). He was referred to as "proprietor of the Union Bottling Works of Rockland and Ironwood" (11), indicating that he was still operating the bottling works in Ironwood.

It is unknown when James started the plant in Greenland. James' obituary stated, "His business prospered so that he built works at both Rockland and Greenland." (2). Does this mean that he had separate operations running simultaneously, or just that he operated in both locations, possibly sequentially?

James Riddle died in Ironwood on 01 Jan 1904 at the age of 49 (2) and was buried in Riverside Cemetery, Ironwood (3). His brother-in-law, James W. Oxnam took over the bottling works in Ironwood (1). Evidently, John Jr. took over the bottling works in Greenland.

John Riddle, Jr. as Proprietor

John Riddle, Jr. was James' younger brother (5,7,12). He was born in 1860 (12) in Greenland (13).

The 1907 Michigan State Polk directory listed John Jr. as proprietor of the Union Bottling Works in Greenland (14).

In May 1909, John Jr. leased the bottling works in Greenland to F. Samm, who would continue the business, while John Jr. would conduct a confectionery store (15). John Jr. then died on 02 Dec 1909 (13) at the age of 49 (16). His death certificate stated that he died of acute alcoholism and noted his occupation as a bottler (13). His obituary stated that he lived in Greenland his entire life (16).

The Legacy

Questions remain about the Union Bottling Works in Greenland/Rockland. Who managed the Rockland plant given James lived in Ironwood? Did the Rockland plant move to Greenland, or did James run three pop factories concurrently? Why did they bottle with only quart-sized bottles? Why did John Jr. have only one bottle when he operated the bottling works for five years?

Citations

1. Cox, B. K. 1996. Bottles and Bottlers of the Gogebic Range. Agogeebic Press. Wakefield, MI.
2. anonymous. (1904, Jan 09). James C. Riddle is dead. The Ontonagon Herald (Ontonagon, MI). p. 1.
3. Find a Grave. accessed on May 2026. James C. Riddle. www.findagrave.com/memorial/170798084/james-c-riddle
4. U.S. Census Bureau. 1900 United States Federal Census. accessed on ancestry.com.
5. anonymous. (1892, Jun 11). Personal pickups. The Ontonagon Herald (Ontonagon, MI). p. 3.
6. anonymous. (1894, Mar 31). Personal pickups. The Ontonagon Herald (Ontonagon, MI). p. 3.
7. anonymous. (1894, Aug 18). Died at Greenland. The Ontonagon Herald (Ontonagon, MI). p. 3.
8. anonymous. (1899, Feb 11). Bottling works. The Ontonagon Herald (Ontonagon, MI). p. 3.
9. anonymous. (1899, May 06). Rockland pebbles. The Ontonagon Herald (Ontonagon, MI). p. 3.
10. anonymous. (1899, Sep 16). Rockland pebbles. The Ontonagon Herald (Ontonagon, MI). p. 5.
11. anonymous. (1899, Sep 16). Our camera. The Ontonagon Herald (Ontonagon, MI). p. 5.
12. U.S. Census Bureau. 1860 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. R. L. Polk & Co. 1907. Michigan State Gazetteer and Business Directory for 1907-1908. R. L. Polk & Co. Detroit, MI.
15. anonymous. (1909, May 22). Local events. The Ontonagon Herald (Ontonagon, MI). p. 5.
16. anonymous. (1909, Dec 11). John Riddle dead. The Ontonagon Herald (Ontonagon, MI). p. 1.