The five Turner Brothers, James, Malcolm, Archibald, Thomas and Robert, were manufacturing soda water in Buffalo New York as early as 1850.By 1853 they have opened a branch depot in San Francisco and are listed as syrup and cordial manufacturers. The Turner Brothers are advertising 
in the October 1858 Nevada Journal newspaper that they are manufacturers of Turner’s Ginger Wine, Forest Wine Bitters, syrups, cordials and an unrivalled Vegetable Bitters, all manufactured at their San Francisco depot. Sometime in 1865 the Turner Brothers sellout to the firm of McMillan and Kester and thereafter McMillan & Kester start advertising that they are the proprietors of the Turner brands. I do not have any information on how long McMillan & Kester used the Turner Brothers brand or if they bottled their bitters or cordials in Turner embossed bottles.
in the October 1858 Nevada Journal newspaper that they are manufacturers of Turner’s Ginger Wine, Forest Wine Bitters, syrups, cordials and an unrivalled Vegetable Bitters, all manufactured at their San Francisco depot. Sometime in 1865 the Turner Brothers sellout to the firm of McMillan and Kester and thereafter McMillan & Kester start advertising that they are the proprietors of the Turner brands. I do not have any information on how long McMillan & Kester used the Turner Brothers brand or if they bottled their bitters or cordials in Turner embossed bottles.The Turner bottles come in four different variants with the earliest and rarest variant having a pontil base. Although these bottles are considered scarce the California gold rush country seems to be where most of the known examples have been 
found in the west.
found in the west. 
A few years ago we dug an embossed Turner's like the one pictured standing straight up at the bottom of a 12' outhouse. It was corked and still full of the original contents. We pried the cork away a few weeks later and poured out what looked like a burgundy colored wine mixed with about 1/6 wood bark shavings. The contents had been perfectly preserved and had a rather pleasing somewhat strong forest like aroma, smelling like a combination of cedar & pine.
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It has been brought to my attention that there are 7 variants of the Turner's square, including an aqua pontiled example. I stand corrected and would love to see an aqua Turner's.
ReplyDeleteThis is the very reason for this blog, the bringing together of scattered information into a common place for the advancement of the hobby.
G.P uncovering a Turner's with the contents, including the wood bark shavings, got my attention. Could this have been the Forest Wine Bitters that they were advertising?
rs
Richard,
ReplyDeleteI was not aware of their being 7 different variations on the Turner's square bottle. Are you including the pontil mark and color variation as separate examples? Please elaborate some more, as I am aware of only the 4 mold deviation examples.
Yes, there's no doubt in my mind that what I poured of the bottle was the actual Forest Wine Bitters. You could of drank the stuff it was so well preserved. I know of no pontiled Turner's shards or bottles being dug in the West.
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Where is the one that you pried off my shelf, Warren? As I recall, you "just had to have it".
ReplyDeleteOld Cutters,
ReplyDeleteProbably scattered to the four winds I suspect along with my entire first time western square collection.
Just acquired a Civil War era tintype with two gents playing cards with a Turner Brothers bottle on the table between them. I'd happily post a photo if someone would tell me how...
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