# Billy Baxter Soda Bottles & Crate



## Jesse lombardi (Jan 16, 2011)

I have a crate that had a few bottles in it from Billy Baxter beverage Co. The crate is stamped 1888 and there is no date on the bottles which are still full and unopened. Is anyone familiar with this company that can tell me the information I got on this stuff is true? and an estimated price range on the bottles and crate. I have attached a pic of the crate.


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## epackage (Jan 16, 2011)

Pics of the actual bottles would be much better, the more the merrier, welcome to the forum....Jim


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## epackage (Jan 16, 2011)

Are they all ten pins with labels ?


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## epackage (Jan 16, 2011)

From Digger O'Dells site;

 I have a glass bottle with a slight bluish tint. The name "Billy Baxter" is written across the bottle near the bottom in script form. The shape is somewhat like a small coke bottle. Any clues as to what this may be ??

 I found reference to Billy Baxter Ginger Beer which came in a Seven-Up green colored bottle and a Billy Baxter Ginger Ale (aqua glass), Billy Baxter Self-Stirring Billy Baxter Quinine Soda and Billy Baxter Club Soda (clear glass), earliest reference I found was 1932. I found a Billy Baxter Lemon soda for sale for $6.  The company appears to have been in Red Raven, PA


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## LtlBtl (Jan 16, 2011)

Billy Baxter was made in Cheswick, PA which is just a few miles down the Allegheny from Pittsburgh, by the Red Raven Corp. I have two styles, both bowling pin shaped. One is clear, other is very light aqua. The clear bottles are marked Self-stirring, the Aquas are Double stregnth. Self stirrings have copyright dates on labels of 1932. The double stregnths do not. Double stregnths are a little more bulbuous. 
 10 bucks seems to be about the money for either 6 oz style for me.  
  Hope this helped.


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## Jesse lombardi (Jan 16, 2011)

This is the response I got from the President of the Oakmont Historical Society in Oakmont, Pa----
 "Yes Hello, Billy Baxter was a line of ginger ale and sasparillo soft  drinks manufactered by Red Raven Bottling in Harmarville. They were in  business in the late 1800s-early 1900s. Their main plant was in  Harmarville where the bowling alleys are now located and they operated a  facility in Oakmont for a time. The name Red Raven probably comes from a  train station on the B&LE Railroad in Harmar that was named the Red  Raven Station, not sure how they got the name Billy Baxter. The company  was owned by the Kountz family. In  1888 Mr. Kountz published a book of  short stories titled "Billy Baxter's Letters."


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## surfaceone (Jan 16, 2011)

*RE: Billy Baxter Soda Bottles & Crate*



> I have a crate that had a few bottles in it from Billy Baxter beverage Co. The crate is stamped 1888 and there is no date on the bottles which are still full and unopened. Is anyone familiar with this company that can tell me the information I got on this stuff is true?


 
Hello Jesse,

Welcome to A-BN, and thanks for bringing this crate of unseen stuff. Could'ya put up spme photos of yer bottles? If you search "Billy Baxter" on this forum, you'll see that they have been much discussed.

I have no doubt that the "President of the Oakmont Historical Society in Oakmont, Pa" means well and has some good information. Perhaps, not so much, in the case of your crate.






 "Word Mark BILLY BAXTER (CANCELLED) IC GINGER-ALE AND SARSAPARILLA. FIRST USE: 1920. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19200 Filing Date January 22, 1920 Registration Date March 29, 1921 Owner (REGISTRANT) Red Raven Corporation, The CORPORATION PENNSYLVANIA Red Raven PENNSYLVANIA (LAST LISTED OWNER) ABARTA, INC. CORPORATION ASSIGNEE OF PENNSYLVANIA SUITE 301 1000 RIDC PLAZA PITTSBURGH PENNSYLVANIA 15238 THE MARK SHOWN ON THE DRAWING IS A NOM DE PLUME USED BY WM. J. KOUNTZ, JR. (DECEASED) THE AUTHOR OF "BILLY BAXTER" LETTERS PUBLISHED BY APPLICANT." From.

Check out the dates on this Lawsuit.

"Appellant Billy Baxter, Inc., is a Pennsylvania corporation organized in 1962 for the purpose of selling or otherwise
[ 431 F.2d 185 ]

granting franchises authorizing the production and bottling of a line of nonalcoholic carbonated beverages under the federally-registered trademark "Billy Baxter." The beverages, which include club soda, quinine water, ginger ale, ginger beer, sarsaparilla, root beer, and "lime 'n quine" (quinine water containing lime), have been produced and sold locally in the Pittsburgh area by others since 1889, bearing the registered trademarks "Red Cross" and "Billy Baxter" since 1900 and 1921, respectively...."


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## Jesse lombardi (Jan 17, 2011)

Thanks for the good information....surfaceone! Wish all were as helpful as you. I sold this crate and all 9 bottles today for a price of $1250.00 to a historical society in Pa. They showed be information on a plant that used these shipping crates and were operational in 1888 with pics of the crates identical to mine in the background. It is always hard to find the truth about somethings that are rare especially with so much misleading info out there on the internet but I see with my own eyes the pics taken in 1890 and I sold her. If ya'll want I could try to get a copy of those pics to post on here if it might be helpful..the same pic also shows some of the bottle styles used in or around the late 1800's from Billy Baxter beverage Co.


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## epackage (Jan 17, 2011)

Jesse what did the bottles look like, are there any pic's ?  Thanx, Jim


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## splante (Jan 18, 2011)

nice haul $1250 for everything...I would of kept one bottle for myself..but thats just me.


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