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whiskey bottles THE CUTTER LEGACY western whiskey

ebay Bret Heinemann nasa

.....There is a lot of discussion today on desirability, rarity, and price of western whiskey bottles, but there hasn't been much discussion on the history behind these bottles. Well, this is understandable since the whiskey collectors are familiar with the history already. This article is for those who aren't familiar with the history, since there has not been much published in recent years. The article is about three wholesaleliquor agents: Anson Hotaling and Company for J.H. Cutter; and Pond-Reynolds for G.O. Blake.

Anson P. Hotaling and J.H. Cutter

Anson Parsons Hotaling and his company became the Pacific Coast agents for the J.H. Cutter brand of whiskey in 1862(1). The owners of J.H. Cutter whiskey at this time were Charles P. Moorman and Milton J. Hardy. These two had purchased the company from John H. Cutter on either July 2, 1860, five days before his death(2) or shortly thereafter(3). Charles Moorman had been a partner of John H. Cutter since 1858(4), and Milton Hardy had been a partner since 1859. Milton Hardy was married to John H. Cutter's daughter, Susan(5). Hardy was, also, the J.H Cutter wholesale distributor for Boston(6); and he would, eventually, handle the legal and management side of the business from New York(7) beginning in the 1870s(8). Charles Moorman was involved in the distilling portion of the business until the 1870s. Moorman then moved into other areas including the vice-presidency of the Kentucky National Bank and dealing in wholesale commodities other than whiskey(9).

The Anson Hotaling wholesale wine and liquor business had it's headquarters in San Francisco at the corner of Jackson Street and Johnson Alley in 1867(10). The firm, in addition to selling in California, traded overseas as far south as Australia and north as Alaska(11). Hotaling opened an office in Portland, Oregon, in 1873, and he began operations in Australia in 1877. He sold the Portland business in 1894(12).

Henry R. Sherwood and William R. Sherwood began a wholesale liquor business in San Francisco in 1886 at 212-214 Market Street. In a few years, their business grew to include warehouse located at 15 and 17 Pine Street. In 1905 they bought out Anson P. Hotaling's interest in J.H. Cutter whiskey. On April 18, 1906 an earthquake and fire destroyed their Market Street warehouse. When they rebuilt, the J.H. Cutter business was kept separate at 336-348 Second Street. The rest of the business would end up at 41-47 Beale Street(13). Fortunately, one of the warehouses was not destroyed, much to the dismay of the temperance crusaders of the time(14).

Edward Martin and Company and J.F. Cutter

Henry M. Cutter took over his father's agency in San Francisco in 1866 and operated it until John F. Cutter began a business with Edward Martin in 1870. His father William Tenny Cutter was John H. Cutter's brother. E.P. Rowe was a partner of Henry M. Cutter in 1869(15).

The third child of the John H. Cutter family, John Francis Cutter always thought that Moorman had taken advantage of his father on his death bed in order to steal the Cutter name. This dispute was probably enhanced because John F. Cutter, although he had attended college in the north, served in the Confederate Calvary, and he was captured and served time in a Union prison camp(16).

In 1870, Milton J. Hardy introduced the J.F. Cutter Extra brand(17) through John F. Cutter and Edward Johnson Martin and Company(18), a wholesale liquor house in San Francisco. The other partners of Edward Martin were Danial V.B. Henarie, E.P. Rowe, and James Mairs(19). John F. Cutter supervised sales and merchandise until 1875(20). John F. Cutter had apparently began drinking too much and became obsessed with the idea that Moorman had stolen the Cutter name from the family. He left San Francisco went back to Louisville; and he, in February, 1875, found Charles Moorman at the Galt Hotel in Louisville. He demanded part of the profits from the sale of J.H. Cutter whiskey; and, when Moorman refused, he assaulted Moorman. This attempt, having been a failure, was followed by another assault in a few days. This time John used a sword cane in the assault. He was convicted, sent to jail, became sick, and died there on February 21, 1875(21).

In addition to J.F. Cutter Extra Whiskey, Edward Martin and Company was also the distributor for Miller's Extra Old Bourbon(22) from March 28, 1871 through July, 1875(23). Milton Hardy bought the controlling interest from Charles Moorman on December 1, 1873(24),or in early 1874(25). However, by 1877 Moorman wanted back into the business. They both agreed to share the use of the J.H. Cutter name from 1877 until July, 1879.

In 1879, Moorman won the right for sole ownership of the J.H. Cutter name in a bid for $51,050(26). Another source of conflict was that Moorman and Hotaling charged that the whiskey was of inferior quality, because the whiskey Hardy and Edward Martin sold was manufactured in Cincinnati(27).

Pond-Reynolds and G.O. Blake.

George O. Blake was a junior partner in the J.H. Cutter Company from 1866 to 1871(28), He was in charge of supervising he rectifying and quality control operations. In 1871 he decided to establish his own brand. The new firm would include as partners G.R. Miller, and S.G. Stewart(29). The Pond-Reynold Company, established in 1868(30), was chosen to distribute the new whiskey from San Francisco(31). The Adams-Booth Company of Boston would handle the distribution from Boston and Louisville. The Adams-Booth Company would buy out the partners in 1876(32). Edward B. Pond of the Reynolds-Pond wholesale liquor house sold his interest to Samuel More in 1875(33), who had been a junior partner(34). Edward Pond would become involved in the banking business and later serve as mayor of San Francisco(35).

The More-Reynolds company distributed the G.O. Blake brand until 1878(36). Samuel More bought out Frank B. Reynolds in 1880(37), and he, More, operated the business until 1895(38) with Charles Flammer, a junior partner. Samuel More sold the business to Edward H. Michels in 1895. Michels took over the company in 1896(39).

REFERENCES

  1. John L. Thomas, Whiskey Bottles of the Old West, (Bend: Maverick Publications, 1977) 10-11

  2. Ibid.10-11

  3. William L. Wilson, and Betty Wilson, Spirit Bottles of the Old West, (Wolfe City: Henington Publishing Company, 1968) 53

  4. Ibid. 53

  5. John L. Thomas, Whiskey Bottles of the Old West, (Bend: Maverick Publications, 1977) 10-11

  6. William L. Wilson, and Betty Wilson, Spirit Bottles of the Old West, (Wolfe City: Henington Publishing Company, 1968) 53

  7. John L. Thomas, Whiskey Bottles of the Old West, (Bend: Maverick Publications, 1977) 10-11

  8. William L. Wilson, and Betty Wilson, Spirit Bottles of the Old West, (Wolfe City: Henington Publishing Company, 1968) 53

  9. Ibid. 53

  10. John L. Thomas, Whiskey Bottles of the Old West, (Bend: Maverick Publications, 1977) 10-11

  11. Ibid.10-11

  12. Ibid.10-11

  13. Gerald Carson, The Social History of Bourbon An Unhurried account of Our Star-Spangled American Drink, (Binghcampton: Vail-Ballou Press Inc., 1963) 144

  14. John L. Thomas, Whiskey Bottles of the Old West, (Bend: Maverick Publications, 1977) 10-11

  15. Ibid.10-11

  16. 17. William L. Wilson, and Betty Wilson, Spirit Bottles of the Old West, (Wolfe City: Henington Publishing Company, 1968) 10-11

  17. 18. John L. Thomas, Picnics, Coffins, and Shoo-Flies, (Bend: Maverick Publications, 1977) 66.

  18. 19 John L. Thomas, Whiskey Bottles of the Old West, (Bend: Maverick Publications, 1977) 10-11.

  19. 20. William L. Wilson, and Betty Wilson, Spirit Bottles of the Old West, City: Henington Publishing Company, 1968) 53.

  20. 21. John L. Thomas, Whiskey Bottles of the Old West, (Bend: Maverick Publications, 1977) 10-11.

  21. 22. John L. Thomas, Picnics, Coffins, and Shoo-Flies, (Bend: Maverick Publications, 1977) 66.

  22. 23. John L. Thomas, Whiskey Bottles of the Old West, (Bend: Maverick Publications, 1977) 16.

  23. 24. Ibid 11.

  24. 25. William L. Wilson, and Betty Wilson, Spirit Bottles of the Old West, (Wolfe-City: Henington Publishing Company, 1968) 53.

  25. 26. John L. Thomas, Whiskey Bottles of the Old West, (Bend: Maverick Publications, 1977) 10-11.

  26. 27. Ibid. 10-11.

  27. 28. William L. Wilson, and Betty Wilson, Spirit Bottles of the Old West, (Wolfe-City: Henington Publishing Company, 1968) 53.

  28. 29. Ibid. 36.

  29. 30. John L. Thomas, Whiskey Bottles of the Old West, (Bend: Maverick Publications, 1977) 36.

  30. 31. William L. Wilson, and Betty Wilson, Spirit Bottles of the Old West, (Wolfe City: Henington Publishing Company, 1968) 36.

  31. 32. Ibid. 36.

  32. 33. John L. Thomas, Whiskey Bottles of the Old West, (Bend: Maverick Publications, 1977) 36.

  33. 34. William L. Wilson, and Betty Wilson, Spirit Bottles of the Old West, (Wolfe City: Henington Publishing Company, 1968) 36.

  34. 35. Ibid. 36.

  35. 36. Ibid. 36.

  36. 37. Ibid. 36.

  37. 38. John L. Thomas, Whiskey Bottles of the Old West, (Bend: Maverick Publications, 1977) 36.

  38. 39. Ibid. 36.

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