Wanted: New Birmingham Hutchinson bottle: Silsbee resident and museum owner seeks a piece of history from Texas ghost town

In February of this year the Cherokeean introduced readers to Casey Roby, a Silsbee resident and owner of the Historical Bottling Works Museum, and told about his search for a very specific bottle for which he was offering a $500 reward. Roby is still searching for the same bottle, but has increased the reward offered.

The bottle in question is a Hutchinson bottle that would have been filled at a bottling company in the now ghost town of New Birmingham.

The bottle works was mentioned on a historical marker regarding New Birmingham, and although a bottle with New Birmingham on the slug plate has yet to be found among collectors in the area, evidence indicates that those bottles would have been in circulation.

Roby’s interest in collecting bottles began with his uncle, who was also a collector.

“Long before I began collecting myself, I was familiar with the terms,” Roby said. “It wasn’t until I ended my military service that I really became interested in collecting bottles. I wanted a rustic look when I started decorating my house, and old bottles were a part of that.”

Roby also gave credit to his mentor and fellow collector Wayne Fults, saying that he frequently taps into Fults’ experience and knowledge.

Roby said that he began collecting soda bottles around 2010, but his interests changed from soda bottles with painted labels to Hutchinson bottles about six years ago.

A Hutchinson bottle refers to glass bottles corked with a stopper with metal handles that sealed the bottle during the bottling process.

In 1879, the process was patented and named after Charles Hutchinson, the individual responsible for the invention of the stopper and sealing process.

Hutchinson bottles were used until 1912 when they were replaced by the crown-style top. Crown-style tops were used for almost 70 years when they were replaced with plastic tops in the 1980s.

“The most expensive part of a bottle works company was the actual bottle,” Roby said. “The bottles were made in a glass works factory and shipped by rail to the bottling company. As these bottles would be collected and re-used, many had initials on the bottom to help identify the bottler or bottling company. The towns listed on the slug plates were not where the bottle itself was made, but where the bottle was filled for distribution.

“During that time, soda did not last long, so many towns had to bottle, distribute, collect and sterilize empty bottle for redistribution. This process is part of what leads me to believe that a bottle with a New Birmingham slug plate exists.”

Roby has several bottles from surrounding cities including Jacksonville, Alto, Tyler and Nacogdoches.

“The one I have from Alto is the only known bottle (among collectors) from there,” Roby said. “I have several only known examples and those are hard to assign a dollar value to. I recently sold a Coca-Cola bottle on eBay that went for $5,301. Sometimes the value is what the collector is willing to pay.”

When it comes to the value for the New Birmingham bottle, Roby is willing to pay $2,500 for a New Birmingham bottle that is in pristine condition.
“The price I am willing to pay may decrease a little from that amount, depending on the condition of the bottle,” Roby said.

When asked what sparked his interest in the New Birmingham bottle, Roby states it is from a recount of events shared with him by another collector. The story goes the collector was in a creek bottom looking for arrowheads when an elderly gentleman rode up on a tractor asking, “Do you know that you are on my land?” As the two began talking, the landowner showed the collector a New Birmingham bottle.

“At this point, this is the only sighting of a New Birmingham bottle that we have heard of,” Roby said. “I would love to add one to my collection and have it on display at the museum. Even if the person is not willing to sell the bottle, I would love to be able to just photograph it and display it in the museum.”

The Historical Bottling Works Museum is a privately owned facility and tour reservations can be scheduled by calling (409) 658-4539.

“We have a replica 1800s bottle works facility with refilling equipment, and over 200 bottles that include both Hutchinson bottles and crown-top style bottles,” Roby said. “The museum came about because I have always been a history buff, especially when it comes to local history. We can look at these bottles and they are tangible pieces that we can touch, hold and feel. They take you back to an older time.”

The 1,500 square foot Historical Bottling Works Museum is located on Mr. Roby’s property and is dedicated to the bottling process from start to finish. It features a lobby, meeting room and a 36-foot long custom display.

Anyone with information on a New Birmingham bottle, or anyone wishing to obtain more information on these collectable bottles and the museum, can contact Mr. Roby at (409) 658-4539 or visit Mr. Fults’ website at www.fults.org