# Breimeyer Bottling Co. / St. Louis, Missouri



## bottle-bud (Jan 25, 2019)

H.C. Breimeyer BottlingCompany
1940-1942 North 9[SUP]th[/SUP]Street
St. Louis, Missouri

The earliest year I find an  H.C. Breimeyer is in an 1885 city directory. Looks like he has partnered with Gerhard Sudhoff.   G. H. Sudhoff & Co. was a soda bottling operation in St. Louis from approx. 1865 to 1891. He was located at 921-923 N. 8[SUP]th[/SUP] Street. In 1891, I find no listing for Sudhoff but a listing for H.C. Briemeyer doing business at 2111 N. 9[SUP]th[/SUP]Street.  In 1897 The operation moves to 1940 North 9[SUP]th[/SUP] Street and will remain there at least until 1936. 

G.H. Sudhoff dies in 1893 at the age of 73, so I am guessing that Gerhard retired in 1891 and Breimeyer takes full ownership and moves the operation to 9[SUP]th[/SUP] street.

Here is an 1886 directory clip that shows the partnership and two Sudhoff bottles that date to that era.



 


Here are some of my earliest bottles from H. C. Breimeyer. By the way the H.C. is an abbreviation for Henry Charles. These bottles will date from the early 1900’s.

  


And some quarts. Dating from the 1920’s to the 1930’s.


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## bottle-bud (Jan 25, 2019)

*More Breimeyers*

I find while researching different local bottling operations that there are a lot of twist and turns which at times can be quite confusing yet interesting. In this case I find aHerman Dohrman buys the Breimeyer Bottling Co. in September of 1925, yet keeps the name of the company as Breimeyer Bottling Co. Mr. Dohrman I find is listed as owner of the Hamilton Hotel in St. Louis and in 1941 is listed as the president of the  Red Rock Beverage Co. which is the local franchise for Red Rock Cola. H.C. Briemeyer has retired as of the sale of the company. The last ad I find for Briemeyer’s soda is in 1953, so not sure if another change of ownership occurred or if Dohrman owned both soda companies.

So in 1927 I find an ad for a drink called Mt. Cabin and Breimeyer is listed as one of three bottlers for the drink. I just posted a thread for Hygrade Water & Soda Co and they were advertised as bottlers for Mt. Cabin in 1926. A little more digging and I find that a Mt. Cabin Co. was franchising their drink and were located in the Granite Building here in St. Louis. Not sure how long the drink lasted or how many bottlers they had at one time. I am guessing a short lived product




Here is an art deco from the mid 1920’s



We are going to jump to 1947 and an ad is found for Breimeyer as being a sponsor for power boat races. Wait, in 1885  H.C. is listed working for Sudhoff, I am confused again, perhaps this is the first year H.C. started in the bottling business? Hmmm! One bottle below says "Since 1885" and one says "Since 1884" LOL


Anyway, here are some 7-ounce bottles from the late 1930’sto the 1940’s
  


The last ad I find is for picnic soda and the Hummer Brand.


Here are two more Hummers and a quart.
  


Lastly, I have a Virginia Dare, 8-ounce bottle dated 1956 that was bottled by Breimeyer Bottling Co. I am not certain if Breimeyer bottled any other nationwide brands.


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## shotdwn (Jan 25, 2019)

Another good job of research and a great group of bottles.


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## bottle-bud (Jan 26, 2019)

Thank You for the nice compliment shotdwn


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## iggyworf (Jan 27, 2019)

Always love your stuff bottle-bud! Do you know how many different bottling plants there were in St Louis? Has too be many.


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## bottle-bud (Jan 27, 2019)

Thanks iggy. Wow, how many bottling plants? I do, believe it or not have a data base that includes bottling companies addresses and years in service. So I am going to estimate from the early 1800's to present there were over 300 different bottling companies. At least 40 or so that started in the prohibition era. Many only lasting 1-3 years. So I have many threads to come. LOL


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