# JD Brown's Gravenhurst Ont  spring water bottle



## RCO

found this neat local on ebay nobody else bid so i got it at a good price , is of course a chance i might find something similar swimming this summer but it was in such good condition i figured i'd pick it up . 
 it looks like a pop bottle from 1900's-20's era but on back says its for "pure spring water " , which is what brown's beverages of Gravenhurst Ontario  bottled alot of in its early days here , this area is known for its clean lakes and natural setting but back in early 1900's early settlers and loogers had nearly ruined the place and lakes were not drinkable due to logging and tannery operations so there was a big market for water from what i read . anyways find it odd they were bottling water way back then assumed it was a more recent thing .


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## RCO

back of bottle just says "pure spring water " figure bottle is maybe 8-10 oz in size


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## cowseatmaize

I have no idea where you go swimming but you got the better of the two on ebay for sure. []
 What blows my mind is that people were buying spring water back then. 
 Healing mineral water, OK but just spring water in a small town? Maybe if you go swimming in Toronto you'd be more likely to find them. [][] I guess the same is true today though. 
 My Maine place had a spring and I would never buy water up there but it is for sale and Poland Spring (now Nestles) was near by. Now that's not a spring though, it's artesian and the sucking the whole area dry with the station in Fryeburg. []
 Oops, getting political, I'll shut up now.


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## botlguy

Neat bottle, what is the subject of the embossed figure? Can't quite tell.


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## RCO

there is lots of spots to go swimming here , might be able to go by end of this week or early next week as weather seem to be warming up finally , i've found a few good locations old docks , sites that once had old hotels and such that are publically accessible is some others now private cottage properties i'd need permission to access . you never know what your going to find though is places i've found mostly modern junk but in same area you'll find an old bottle . 

 there was a market for basic water here cause of poor water quality on the lakes back in early 1900's , logging and industrial pollution caused this , there isn't much industry here anymore but used to be alot of sawmills and logging operations , leather tanneries were also a big industry as 2 large operations were located here in bracebridge and huntsville until 1930's i believe and likely polluted the lakes alot as one can only imagine what chemicals were being used back then , . i read the bottled water was being sold to hotels and such as alot were located on the lakes here and must not of been able to drink the water 

 i don't know what symbol is on the bottle , some sort of machine maybe ? something to do with making beverages ?


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## botlguy

> ORIGINAL:  RCO
> i don't know what symbol is on the bottle , some sort of machine maybe ? something to do with making beverages ?


 A purification filter perhaps.


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## cowseatmaize

Does this help? Not to me.


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## muskokajoe

Re: J.D. Brown Gravenhurst, Ontario

 I grew up in Gravenhurst and knew three generations of the Brown's family.
 I toured the 'pop shop' many times and collected their bottles, wood cases and labels.
 The first bottle they ever used was 'gravitating stopper', D. BROWN GRAVENHURST  in 1873.
 The second bottle Dugald used was a 'hutchinson stopper, early style DUGALD BROWN, GRAVENHURST, ONT.

 Unfortunately Dugald died in 1885 at the age of 46.
 His wife Louisa King took over until J.D. came home from college.
 J.D. built up the business and the logo on the bottle is a 'ram water pump' operated from a flume from a head of water south of the pump house. 
 The water was driven to the pop shop (as well as other residences) through the hydraulic ram. This eliminated the windmill they had been using.
 This was very hi-tech for that time period hence the logo on the bottle. The water source was an artesian well.
 In 1907 they built a new plant that was operated by a steam engine. I have many pictures of the pop shop including the horse drawn carriages 
 taking the pop to their destinations. Dugald's son was J.D. J.D.'s sons are Charles & Jack, Jack's son was 'Buster' and his son is Gerald.
 Charles and Jack had taken over the operation of the plant in 1928. Charles died in 1933. J.D. died in 1941. 
 The plant you see today on Bay Street was built in 1957. (view it on Google street view)

 They had many bottle styles of which I have plenty. I should post some of those pics if anyone is interested.


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## RCO

definity post some pictures of the bottles you have , i haven't seen alot of the older brown's bottles before and be curious to see them . i have most they used from 30's-60's but not alot of the older ones , the spring water bottle i just got is the oldest brown's bottle i currently have . i find alot of brown's bottles around muskoka some broken some not but there usually not that old the ones i find , rarely would find anything older than 1920's.


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## muskokajoe

Some J.D. Brown bottles.


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## muskokajoe

More J.D. Brown Gravenhurst bottles.


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## muskokajoe

More J.D. Brown Gravenhurst, Ontario soda bottles.


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## muskokajoe

D. Brown Gravitating Stopper, Gravenhurst, Ontario


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## muskokajoe

J.D. Brown Gravenhurst, Ontario splitâ€“another style.


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## muskokajoe

J.D. Brown Gravenhurst, Ontario Skinny Blob Quart (colour)


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## muskokajoe

These are huge applied crown bottles 'Silver Spring Water' & 'Distilled Water' with wood crate.


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## muskokajoe

This is the label used on the large water bottles (they use blob, applied crown and machine made bottles in this huge size).


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## muskokajoe

J.D. Brown Lithia Water Label


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## muskokajoe

Ginger Beer Label 11 oz. (also came in 30 oz. â€“ glass bottles) I have the original labels for this and many other early labels.
 I have contacted the printer who made these labels. Someone has been sticking these labels on blank ginger beers and selling them (sad).
 Brown's used amber applied crown bottles and apparently amber blob quarts also (have not found any pint bottles in amber). I have only dug broken ones. I showed the broken one to an unbeliever.


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## muskokajoe

Some crown tops.


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## botlguy

Very interesting, thanks for sharing it.


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## mctaggart67

Joe: Thanks for sharing pix of your fantastic assortment of bottles from Muskoka's most famous historic bottling enterprise. I find the split especially most impressive. You have every reason to be proud of what lines your shelf! Muskoka is a special place and bottles from there are just as special.


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## muskokajoe

Nickel Dry label-Brown's Beverages Gravenhurst, Ontario


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## muskokajoe

Muskoka Dry-Early Silk Screen 30 oz.


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## dw3000

Nice collection.  That split is cool!


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## muskokajoe

Early Muskoka Dry 7oz. Ginger Ale bottle.
 Note the ram water pump logo in more detail than what appears on other labels and embossed bottles.


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## muskokajoe

Muskoka Dry bottles-3 sizes
 There are many variations of this design, some in the yellow background colour, and also slightly different stylings for the silkscreened designs.
 Also there are embossed bottles with 'Brown's Ginger Ale' that predate 'Muskoka Dry'.
 There is an embossed Muskoka Dry bottle as well (I will post this one later).


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## muskokajoe

These two sizes are for the main stream flavours.
 Cream Soda (red and clear), Lemon-lime, Orange, Grape, Root Beer.
 I have labels for some the early exotic flavours like Lithiated Lemon, Double-Soda, Blood Orange etc.


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