Mineral Water and the "Old West"

Delmonico · June 13, 2005, 10:26:28 PM

Ok, few things surprise me any more. My research shows bottled mineral water is as old as glass bottles, but this picture is really one I'm glad Solomon Butcher took.

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/award98/nbhihtml/pshome.html

Type "Mineral Waters" into the search. Blow it up all the way and look at the cases.

Myself I would like to have a cold bottle of "Victoria Springs Mineral Water" right now. I've never had it bottled, but have drank it out of the springs, mighty good water. Victoria Springs is now a State Recreation Area. The present nearest town is Anselmo, it is 6 miles west of the springs.

Standpat Steve · June 14, 2005, 12:06:29 AM

Howdy Delmonico,

They sure have that photo set up to be viewed easily in detail. 'Course, the mineral water thing is just to throw off the revinoors<G> Everybody knows the water is the most important part in makin good beer!

Silver Creek Slim · June 14, 2005, 10:26:09 AM

That's great Del. It's amazing what ya can find if ya look hard enough.

Slim

Silver Creek Slim · June 14, 2005, 10:33:36 AM

Here a link to info on Anselmo and New Helena. http://www.casde.unl.edu/history/counties/custer/anselmo/anselmo.htm

Slim

Steel Horse Bailey · June 14, 2005, 11:25:33 AM

I got 93 hits when I typed it in! Which one is it?

Delmonico · June 14, 2005, 12:56:11 PM

The one with the single hit. The other one with 92 hits contain one or the other word, but not both.

Once again I'll whine and morn the fact that Solomon Butcher was about the only one to set the photo's up to record history and also save the 8X10 glass negative. Sad there is a 6-7 year gap in his in the 90's, those plates were lost in a fire.

If we would have had another 100 or so like him all around the West we would have a lot more answers, but also a lot more questions. But his documentation for the most part is wonderful.

Go to the site and type in Nebraska Gothic, it is rumored Grant Wood was influenced by this photo, it pre-dates his famous American Gothic painting.

BTW, the Mineral Water photo I found looking for somthing else. Also note the shovel with the long straight handle, I have had folks tell me the one I use like that ain't correct, the ones with the shorter, carved handles are the proper ones. Yes more common, but the long ones show up in a couple more of his photos and in one 1850's California one I've looked at. These are much better to drag coals out of a large fire, cosies never have any hair on their hands and forearms anyway.

Silver Creek Slim · June 14, 2005, 04:23:40 PM

Quote from: Delmonico on June 14, 2005, 12:56:11 PM
The one with the single hit. The other one with 92 hits contain one or the other word, but not both.

Once again I'll whine and morn the fact that Solomon Butcher was about the only one to set the photo's up to record history and also save the 8X10 glass negative. Sad there is a 6-7 year gap in his in the 90's, those plates were lost in a fire.

If we would have had another 100 or so like him all around the West we would have a lot more answers, but also a lot more questions. But his documentation for the most part is wonderful.

Go to the site and type in Nebraska Gothic, it is rumored Grant Wood was influenced by this photo, it pre-dates his famous American Gothic painting.

BTW, the Mineral Water photo I found looking for somthing else. Also note the shovel with the long straight handle, I have had folks tell me the one I use like that ain't correct, the ones with the shorter, carved handles are the proper ones. Yes more common, but the long ones show up in a couple more of his photos and in one 1850's California one I've looked at. These are much better to drag coals out of a large fire, cosies never have any hair on their hands and forearms anyway.

What's that drawn on the plate on the ground in front on the well?

Slim

Delmonico · June 14, 2005, 06:38:04 PM

Ya got me, it's not in the notes as to what it is. SB sometimes did a little strage touch up to hide flaws. I'll put that on my list to ask John Carter about the next time I get a chance to talk with him.

Silver Creek Slim · June 15, 2005, 10:06:05 AM

Looks like a prairie poodle or something.

Slim

River City John · May 25, 2009, 02:07:05 AM

Kinda nice to see bib overalls on the man on the left. Look to be just about the same cut and pattern as what's available today.

RCJ

RattlesnakeJack · May 25, 2009, 01:34:36 PM

Quote from: Annady17 on May 25, 2009, 01:35:08 AM
Can yo explain further what is that "Old West" all about?

Ummmm .... Nebraska .... c.1886 .....

What isn't "Old West" about it?

Delmonico · May 25, 2009, 01:46:46 PM

I use the " " in Old West since it's not really in my opinion a term that can really be defined but everyone uses. Good example of how it's not easy yo define is tell me when "The Old West " began and when it ended.

Texas Lawdog · May 25, 2009, 02:14:57 PM

Good point!, Del.

Dutch Limbach · May 25, 2009, 05:03:43 PM

Quote from: River City John on May 25, 2009, 02:07:05 AM
Kinda nice to see bib overalls on the man on the left. Look to be just about the same cut and pattern as what's available today.

RCJ

Obviously a man of style and distinction!

Ottawa Creek Bill · May 25, 2009, 05:22:21 PM

Del.....

This area I live in was at one time well known for its mineral water...especially Martinsville (about 12 miles south), From about the 1840's to around 1930/40.

At one time Martinsville was known as the Artesian Capital of the world.

My well is one of the last pure artesian wells in the area. The water is pure and the taste is the best.....just ask any of my buddies here on the NCOWS forum that had the good fortune to have had a glass......I bring a cooler full to our monthly shoots.

Bill

Delmonico · May 25, 2009, 10:53:23 PM

The area SE of Lincoln about 50 miles where my Dad greww up used to have a lot of those free flowing artesian wells. They've all pretty much been capped but the water from out 200 foot deep well at our farm is great. Still ain't figured out why folks buy water from have way across the country when we have such good water here. Lincoln gets it water from deep wells near the Platte and even after all the do with tap water it's good stuff. Fact is the only water I've ever drank in this state I didn't like was from the towns on the Missouri.

Roscoe Coles · May 28, 2009, 11:10:41 AM

Let me add something else about mineral water in the Old West. In my daily life I am an historical archeolologist and I have done some work in Virginia City, Nevada digging up buildings from the 1860s and 1870s. One of the most common things found was a brown earthenware bottle. A coworker did some research and it turned out these bottles held water imported all the way from Germany. Virginia City had terrible water and bars would import this water to use when making drinks. I don't have one here to take a picture of but the bottles were straight walled, about a foot high and dip glazed to about the shoulder in a brown glaze.

We also found a large ceramic charcoal water filter, a 19th century Brita.

Delmonico · May 28, 2009, 05:20:08 PM

Interesting but it does not surprise me at all.

Tensleep · May 28, 2009, 05:33:05 PM

The mineral water in Mineral Wells Texas was outstanding.... for bathing!

Folks came from miles away to stay at the Crazy Water hotel and take the "baths."

Dern sure wouldn't drink it!

Delmonico · May 28, 2009, 05:42:47 PM

Quote from: Tensleep on May 28, 2009, 05:33:05 PM
The mineral water in Mineral Wells Texas was outstanding.... for bathing!

Folks came from miles away to stay at the Crazy Water hotel and take the "baths."

Dern sure wouldn't drink it!

Was supher one of the minerals in it?

I know there's some of them down there.