Professional Documents
Culture Documents
with a single four-ring tank that serviced has developed our small beginning into a bottles were augmented by pint juice bottles
eight hand blow shops making national institution. There must be a and tavern-style no-deposit beer bottles
prescription ware (Glass Industry 1942:93; reason (American Glass Review 1927:137; (Oil City Blizzard, 1951). The operation
Glass Worker 1917:1). Underwood was to 1928:138-139). closed again, the following year, but even
retain his position until 1935 and actually In 1929, Knox No. 1 specialized in as the company was eliminating other
ran the company (Toulouse 1971:298). prescription bottles and Knox No. 2 plants, expansion at Knox continued, with
According to the Knox News (1951b:6), (both in Knox, Pennsylvania) made the erection of a large new warehouse and
the company built a second plant in the city miscellaneous bottles (Oil City Derrick eleven new batch silos for storage of raw
of Knox in 1922, although this may actually 1929a:1). At the same time, the listing for materials. After a nine-month shutdown,
refer to the Eden Glass Co. (see below). We Knox plants in general was enlarged to the new facilities opened in early 1953. In
have not found that date referenced by any prescription and proprietary ware; flint 1954, the Knox facility was still
other source. By 1926, all four Knox and amber beverages; packers and concentrating on amber ware, producing
affiliates used Lynch machines with Miller preservers; bottle specialties; milk jars in beer, liquor, bleach and pharmaceutical
feeders and were gradually phasing out 1929. The same listing continued until at bottles (Oil City Derrick 1953a; 1953b;
hand shops (American Glass Review least 1936. By 1942, milk bottles had been 1955). One of the Knox locations put in a
1926:15). dropped from the list, but the plant had new unit for making emerald green glass
In 1927, the Knox Glass Bottle Co. was added carbonated beverages. Fruit jars in 1958 (Food Packer 1958:37).
only listed in Knox, Pennsylvania. The became a new listing in 1943 (American
Knox plant made prescriptions and vials Glass Review 1929b:100; 1936:93; Wightman Bottle & Glass Mfg. Co.,
at that point on a single continuous tank. 1943:102). Parkers Landing, Pennsylvania (1921-
By the following year, the plant had added After a three-year shutdown, 1952) 2
another tank and listed milk bottles. A 1928 Underwood opened a new plant on a new Knox Glass Bottle Co. of Parker, Parker
ad noted that Knox specialized in site at Knox shortly before his death in (formerly Parkers Landing),
prescription, proprietary, perfumery, and 1951. Tank capacity was 130 tons, and Pennsylvania (1952-1968)
milk bottles in amber and flint glass. It also production was estimated at seven carloads The Wightman Bottle & Glass Co. of
noted that Knox had grown from one to six per day. Among the machines were two Parkers Landing, Pennsylvania, became a
factories since 1917, while the national Knox W. D. machines. On the first full Knox affiliate in 1921, although the plant
demand for bottles has not increased to such day of operation, four-ounce peroxide retained its name and identity became a
an extent. The demand for Knox Bottles bottles, pint wine flasks and quart black Knox affiliate in 1921, although the plant
4 May-June 2008 Bottles and Extras
retained its name and identity (Cole 2003; Pennsylvania, in 1926 replacing the former, immediately closed the Columbus plant
Knox News 1951b:6). By 1926, all four bankrupt, Sheffield Glass Bottle Co. Fire after the purchase (Warren Mirror 1928:5).
Knox affiliates (including Wightman) used had destroyed the older factory on January
Lynch machines with Miller feeders and 29, but Knox began construction on the new Pennsylvania Bottle Co., Wilcox,
were gradually phasing out hand shops one on February 17. The Simplex Pennsylvania (1927-ca. 1932)
(American Glass Review 1926:15). A 1927 Engineering Co. completed the new When Knox moved into the Wilcox
ad (American Glass Review 1927:136) installation in time to light the first fire on plant in June 1927, the factory was already
listed both the Wightman Bottle & Glass April 20, 1926, and the plant began set up to make amber bottles and a
Mfg. Co. and the Marienville Glass Co. as operations on May 17. The renewed miscellaneous line of drugware (Oil City
affiliated companies. The ad also operation used a single tank to supply six Derrick 1927a:3). The plant used three
claimed that Knox made Just Good ONeill feeders and automatic machines ONeill feeders and automatic machines
Bottles. (Glass Industry 1926:181). (Glass Industry 1926:181). However, a
The Parkers Landing plant burned in The plant did not appear in the 1927 disastrous fire destroyed the unit on July
June 1929 and the company became Glass Factory Year Book, but it was listed 25, 1927. The plant was almost new, having
financially strained. Underwood bought with R. R. Underwood as president in the been rebuilt by the Sheffield Glass Bottle
the remains and rebuilt the factory as a 1928 edition, making prescription ware, Co. after an earlier fire in 1925. Knox
Knox unit, still retaining the Wightman flint beverages, packers and preservers, again rebuilt the factory in 1928 (Oil City
name (Toulouse 1971:295). The new milk jars, bottle specialties by machine at Derrick 1927b:1; Warren Mirror 1927:12;
factory included a $150,000 tank that one continuous tank with five rings. By Warren Tribune 1928:5). We have found
doubled the output of the unit (Titusville 1931, the plant was up to six rings. The no reference to the closing of the Wilcox
Herald 1929:1). Under Knox, the plant listing continued to be the same until at plant, but the city was not listed in ads after
made amber glass bottles and milk bottles least 1936 (American Glass Review 1927; 1932.
(Olean Herald 1929:8). The Knox decision 1928:94; 1931:88). In 1932, however, milk
to sell the milk production to the Thatcher bottle production ceased, when Knox sold Oil City Glass Bottle Co., Oil City,
Mfg. Co. in 1932 required a change of that portion of the business to the Thatcher Pennsylvania (1930-1952)
product at the Wightman plant (Oil City Mfg. Co. (Oil City Derrick 1932:11). The Oil City Glass Bottle Co. at Oil
Derrick 1932:11). Unfortunately, we have In 1933, the Sheffield plant pioneered City, Pennsylvania, was built in 1930, and
not discovered the changed products. After colored inscriptions on prescription this is an excellent example of Roy
the 1952 reorganization, the plant was bottles (Ceramic Age 1933a:86). Although Underwoods use of local capital to enlarge
renamed the Knox Glass Bottle Co. of the process was never popular for production by building new factories. In
Parker. Knox built an addition to the prescriptions, the Owens-Illinois Glass Co. December 1929, Underwood met with local
factory in 1956 (Goldinger & Fetters named the method Applied Color Lettering businessmen at Oil City and created a new
[1999]:58). the following year and it became the corporation with a capital stock of
standard for labeling soda and milk bottles. $100,000. Underwood and his Knox
Eden Glass Co., Knox, Pennsylvania Knox closed the decorating plant in 1935, associates would only own 20% of the stock,
(1925-1927) transferring the work to the Oil City unit. while the remaining 80% was controlled
In 1925, the Eden Glass Co., a Knox The plant was reopened in May 1937 3 by local people. A single tank, operating
affiliate, opened at Knox, Pennsylvania, (McKean County Democrat 1935a:3; two Knox-ONeill suction machines was
adjacent to the original Knox plant. The Williamsport Gazette and Bulletin 1937:2). expected to begin production on May 1,
plant originally operated two Lynch By 1942, the plant had seven rings and 1930 (Oil City Derrick 1929a:1-3).
machines each with a Wm. J. Milller feeder was making flint glass wide mouth and The Oil City and Jackson plants were
and five hand shops. This was the full narrow mouth food packers and preservers known as the Depression Factories
productive capability for the continuous ware, liquor ware, beer bottles, ammonia because of their construction in the early
tank (American Glass Review 1926:15). bottles, private mould work (American years of the Great Depression (Glass
The plant was built primarily for the Glass Review 1942:106). In 1951, in the Industry 1942:93). W. K. Rolland, a local
manufacture of laboratory and amber face of a sharp curtailment of orders due investor, described why Knox chose Oil
glass (Glass Worker 1925:12). On to unstable business conditions, Knox laid City as a site. He noted that for Knox, this
December 22, 1926, the stockholders voted off about 100 workers and shipped three of was merely a step in an expansion program
to transfer all property and assets of the the plants seven machines to the new they have outlined for several years ahead.
company to the Knox Glass Bottle acquisition in Gas City. The following The location was chosen because Oil City
company effective January 1, 1927 (Oil year, the name was changed to the Knox has a very satisfactory labor situation:
City Derrick 1926:11). Thereafter, it was Glass Bottle Co. of Sheffield, but the factory excellent transportation facilities ...
usually impossible to distinguish the closed in 1953 (Warren Times-Mirror 1951; excellent power facilities ... low industrial
original Eden and Knox plants in reports Toulouse 1971:295, 333-334, 532). This rates on power ... a friendly cooperative
on the companys operations in the city. was probably another plant sold in the spirit towards incoming industries (Oil
unpopular 1952 decision by Chester City Derrick 1929b:1).
Pennsylvania Bottle Co., Sheffield, Underwood. The Oil City plant made flint
Pennsylvania (1926-1952) Sheffield Glass had consisted of three prescription and proprietary ware at one
Underwood next opened the plants, at Sheffield and Wilcox, both in continuous tank with three machines in
Pennsylvania Bottle Co. at Sheffield, Pennsylvania, and Columbus, Ohio. Knox 1931. The factory added another machine
Bottles and Extras May-June 2008 5
in 1933 and two more by 1942 for a total organization. Roy Underwood worked with special factory for making amber glass
of six (American Glass Review 1930:93; Emanual M. Terner, the main backer of (Food Packer 1958:37). Eventually, the
1931:87; 1933:69; 1942:104-105). Knox Metro, to form the Metro Glass Bottle Co., plant provided jobs for almost 500 local
closed the plant in 1948 but reopened it a Knox associate. Using local financing, citizens and became the towns most
with a larger furnace supporting three the new corporation built a new plant with important industry.
Knox W-D machines, one Lynch 10 one continuous tank and four machines. In
machine and on five section Hartford- 1939, the plant was enlarged to two tanks. Lincoln Glass Bottle Co., Lincoln, Illinois
Empire I. S. Machine (Warren Times- Local interests, backing Terner, purchased (1942-1952)
Mirror 1959:2). Oil City was one of the the plant back from Knox in 1949, added a Knox established the Lincoln Glass
branches sold in Chester Underwoods third tank in 1950, and a fourth by 1957 Bottle Co. at Lincoln, Illinois, on October
unpopular 1952 decision. The now (Glass Industry 1942:93; Toulouse 21, 1942. 4 The branch used a single
independent factory renamed itself the Oil 1971:296, 298, 342-343). By 1942, Metro continuous tank with five machines to make
City Glass Co. (Oil City Blizzard 1952; made a general line of wide mouth and amber beer bottles for Anheuser Busch and
Toulouse 1971:298). narrow neck containers, including beers was open from 1942 until 1952 when it was
and liquors. Flint and Amber, still at two sold to the Obear-Nester Glass Co., East
Knox Glass Bottle Co. of Mississippi, continuous tanks (American Glass Review St. Louis, Illinois (American Glass Review
Jackson, Mississippi (1932-1968) 1942:104). 1943:174; Oil City Derrick 1942:10;
Chester Underwood searched the South Toulouse 1971:296, 298; Underwood
for a good location for a new Knox plant. Canadian Knox Glass Co., Ltd., Oshawa, interview).
He fell in love with Jackson, Mississippi, Ontario (1939-1940)
and rebuilt the former Dixie Glass Mfg. Co. Underwood announced plans for the Seaboard Glass Bottle Co., Pittsburgh,
plant there in 1932. The factory added two Canadian Knox Glass Co., Ltd. at Oshawa, Pennsylvania (1943-1947)
new machines in 1933 (Ceramic Age Ontario, in April 1939 (Glass Packer Knox purchased the J.T. & A. Hamilton
1933b:119; Glass Industry 1942:93; 1939:237). Knox actually obtained a federal Co. On February 1, 1943 and renamed it
Toulouse 1971:296, 298). This was the first charter on February 1, 1939, and rented the Seaboard Glass Bottle Co. Knox
plant built under the Underwood aegis buildings to establish the Knox presence retained J.T. Hamilton as an officer. The
alone. Chester moved to Jackson and in Canada. The new plant made a number plant had two continuous tanks with
operated the Southern plants until he of wine, soda, vinegar, sauce and modern forming machines. The factory was
became president of Knox upon his mayonnaise bottles, but the Dominion already equipped to make perfume and
brothers death in 1951 (Toulouse Glass Co. purchased the property on May cosmetic bottles, as well as milk containers.
1971:296, 271-272). 14, 1940, for $618,270. Dominion Although Seaboard was a separate
In 1934, the Knox Glass Bottle Co. of continued to sell the existing stock of bottles corporation, the entire output of the plant
Mississippi made bottles and containers, until 1942 (King 1987:151, 156). was sold through Knox. The company
milk jars at one continuous tank. The list operated the factory until 1947 and tore it
was amended to packers and preservers Knox Glass Bottle Co. of Mississippi, down (American Glass Review 1943:104-
ware, bottle specialties, private mold work Palestine, Texas (1941-1968) 105; 1944:169-170; Oil City Derrick
in 1935, and the list remained the same In 1942, a reporter for the Glass 1943:2; Toulouse 1971:290-291, 296, 298;
until at least 1936. By 1942, the list had Industry noted: On a plot of ground that 455).
changed to prescription and proprietary at this time last year was a cotton field, now
ware, packers and preservers, flint stands a modern Knox Glass Bottle Denver Glass Bottle Co., Denver,
beverages, fruit jars, bottle specialties; Company plant. The Palestine, Texas, Colorado (1946-1951)
private mould work. In 1954 the factory plant opened on July 5, 1941, after only 95 The Denver plant opened at 35th and
was credited with liquor, wine and days of construction. The latest Knox Wazee Streets on May 12, 1946. The
pharmaceutical bottles, as well as wide addition sported a 90-ton furnace, fired by factory made amber and colorless bottles
mouth and miscellaneous ware (American natural gas. The eighth in the sequence of and jars in sizes ranging from -ounce to
Glass Review 1934:95; 1935:87; 1942:102; Knox plants, Palestines furnace supplied 32-ounce containers. A second plant was
Oil City Derrick 1955). four Lynch 10 machines, a Lynch J P being contemplated while the first was still
machine, and a Lynch J P M machine being constructed (Glass Industry
Metro Glass Bottle Co., Jersey City, New through six forehearths and feeders. The 1926:351; Rocky Mountain News March
Jersey (1935-1949) unit produced containers for soft 12, 1948). Despite all the fanfare, the plant
The Metro Bottle Co., a jobber, opened drinks, beverages, foods, cosmetics, closed on December 10, 1951 (Toulouse
at Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1916 and pharmaceuticals, chemicals, extracts, wines 1971:296, 298).
began operating a small hand plant in 1931. and liquors, fruit, and, in fact, glass
Knox bought the company and built a new containers of every description in 1942 Midwest Glass Co., Gas City, Indiana
factory in 1935. Knox sent several and reportedly was making liquor, wine and (1951-1968)
Marienville employees to Jersey City in pharmaceutical bottles, as well as The Midwest Glass Company, Gas City,
early October to help the new plant get off miscellaneous and wide-mouth containers, Indiana (formerly the Slick Glass Co.),
to a good start (McKean County Democrat twelve years later (Glass Industry 1942:91- became part of Knox in 1951 and remained
1935b:2). 93; Oil City Derrick 1955). The Palestine until the sale to the Glass Container Corp.
This was a typical Underwood plant broke ground in June 1957 to build a in 1968 (Toulouse 1971:296, 298).
6 May-June 2008 Bottles and Extras
lower-case letters), surrounded by a circle, (Figure 5) from its inception in 1932 mark for all Knox plants. Neither author
was embossed above Genuine / MASON (Toulouse 1971:271) until 1952, when cited the source for his information, but
on another rounded square variation Chester Underwood was ousted, and all Peterson used trade mark data from the U.S.
(Figure 3) that was made during the 1940s plants switched to K in a keystone. Patent Office. It is therefore likely that the
or 1950s (Creswick 1987b:79; Roller use of the mark began in 1932.6 The mark
1983:186). was certainly used until the sale to the Glass
Container Corp.
Knoxall Toulouse did not mention any
Knoxall was trade marked (No. manufacturers mark for the Marienville
188,175) by R. R. Underwood of the Knox Glass Co.; however, a 1964 table of glass
Glass Bottle Co. on August 19, 1924. Knox trademarks compiled by Owens-Illinois
renewed the trade mark on August 19, 1944 noted that Marienville used the K-in-a-
(U.S. Patent Office 1944). The trade mark keystone mark after it became part of Knox
was stenciled on cases rather than embossed (Berge 1980:83). In her earliest table of
on bottles. manufacturers marks, Jones (1965:[22])
noted the K-in-a-keystone mark as being
used by the Marienville plant.
Figure 5: J-in-a-Keystone mark. Unfortunately, she did not name her source,
but it may have been the same table.
J in a Circle (ca. 1932) No specific marks are known for the
Robert Wagner, Hazelhurst, plants at Danielson, Connecticut (built in
Mississippi, reported a bottle used by the 1959) and Atlanta, Georgia (built in 1961)
Hazelhurst Bottling Works during the ca. or for the former Buck Glass Co, Baltimore,
1936-1938 period. The base was embossed Maryland, that joined Knox in 1961. It is
with the K-in-a-keystone mark typical of virtually certain that all of them only used
Knox but it also had a J-in-a-circle mark the K-in-a-keystone mark that was
beside the keystone. Jack Underwood apparently mandated to all Knox plants
suggested that the initial molds used by the about 1952.
Jackson, Mississippi, plant were probably
Figure 4: D-in-a-Keystone mark.
sent down from the main Knox plant with L in a Keystone (1942-1952)
D in a Keystone (1946-1952) the K-in-a-keystone mark already on them. The L-in-a-keystone mark was used by
Some soft drink bottles are embossed Engravers at the Jackson branch probably the Lincoln Glass Bottle Company, a Knox
on the bases with D in a keystone (Figure added the J-in-a-circle mark to distinguish plant established in Lincoln, Illinois, in
4). In our sample, both the D and the their new plant. It is also likely that new 1942 (Figure 7). The company used the
keystone were a bit cruder than those on baseplates with J in a keystone were mark until the ousting of Chester
most Knox bottles, and the D bottles substituted for those from the main plant Underwood in 1952 (Underwood
lacked the typical three-part code used by as soon as possible, so the J-in-a-circle mark interview).
Knox. According to Jack Underwood, the combined with the K-in-a-keystone mark
bottles were probably made by the Denver was probably only used during the first year,
plant, which opened in 1946. According 1932.
to Toulouse (1971:298), Knox closed the
plant in 1951. K in a Keystone (Knox, Pennsylvania:
1932-1968; all surviving plants ca. 1952-
F in a Keystone (ca. 1914-at least 1920) 1968)
F in a Keystone, used by the C. L. Peterson (1968:49) claimed that the K-
Flaccus Glass Company was unrelated to in-a-keystone mark was first used by Knox
the Knox factories, and this is addressed Glass in 1932 (Figure 6). Toulouse
in Lockhart et al (2007b:41). (1971:293) dated the mark 1924 to 1968
and added that it was later the general
HOM-PAK (1943-1947)
The HOM-PAK was used by the
Seaboard Glass Bottle Co., the Knox factory
Figure 7: L-in-a-Keystone mark.
at Pittsburgh, on jars from 1943 to 1947.
HOM-PAK was used in conjunction with LP in a Keystone (1940-1952)
the S-in-a-keystone mark (described Toulouse noted that LP in a keystone
below). was used by the Pennsylvania Bottle Co.,
Sheffield and Wilcox, Pennsylvania, from
J in a Keystone (1932-1952) 1940 to 1952. The initials stand for both
The Knox Glass Bottle Co., Jackson, Lummis and Pennsylvania (see next entry).
Mississippi, used the J-in-a-keystone mark Figure 6: K-in-a-Keystone mark. Pennsylvania Glass made the bottles, and
8 May-June 2008 Bottles and Extras
S in a Keystone (1943-1947)
The Seaboard Glass Bottle Co.,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, used the S-in-a-
keystone mark from the date Knox
purchased it from J.T. & A. Hamilton
(1943) to the factorys closure in 1947
(Figure 11).
Figure 8: LP-in-a-Keystone mark. [Whitten]
1932 150 Will Get Jobs as Plant Here Reopens. 1951 Pleasant Township. Warren Times-Mirror,
Oil City Derrick, December 10. June 21, 1951:10.
1942 New Knox Glass Plant Opened. Oil City Warren Tribune
Derrick, November 6. 1928 To Reopen Factory. Warren Tribune.