McSorley - Seattle
Hugh McSorley came to Seattle in 1884 and was listed as being in the dairy business with his brother George in 1887 as "McSorley & Bros - Dairymen" located at Mill & West Sts. in Seattle. He remained in the dairy business until 1890 when he ventured into the soda bottling business at the Corner of B & Water Sts. near Yesler's Wharf in Seattle and was listed as "Hugh McSorley - Mineral Water" which lasted until 1892. He then joined the George T. Maginnis Co. in 1892 as co-owner; left Maginnis soon after and then joined the Pacific and Puget Sound Bottling Co. in 1893 or 1894, as Secretary-Treasurer. In 1922, McSorley ran as a candidate for City Council being listed as a former dairyman and having worked in the soda business for a number of years. According to local newspapers, McSorley died at the age of 80 years old in April 1939 and his obituary stated that he had left a sum of around $50,000 to a variety of Catholic charities in the city.
Note: A Hugh J. McSorley was listed in various Seattle Polk Directories at the same time and was in the Harness/Saddle business and later the real estate business in West Seattle but never the soda business.
Seattle Soda Works - Seattle
The Levy Brothers, Jack and Emanuel originally from Victoria B.C. started a soda business in Seattle in 1871 that manufactured ginger beer, sarsaparilla, root beer, mineral water and other soda beverages which was later re-named as the Seattle Soda Works. Jack Levy also ran the Grotto Cigar stand on Mill St. and was the local correspondent for the British Colonist newspaper of Victoria. In 1897, Levy's business interests took him the the Yukon with the Klondike gold rush and he operated businesses there for the next 12 years. Levy returned to Victoria following injuries sustained in a boating accident and died on April 29, 1913. The Levy brothers had sold the Seattle Soda Works business to San Franciscan George T. McGinnis in 1879 who ran the business until his death in 1888. The McGinnis company was owned by a variety of different owners until closing in 1915.
Washington Liquor Co. - Spokane
The Washington Liquor Company was started in late 1895 and was first located at 218 Howard Street in Spokane. Sometime in 1899 the business was moved to 321-323 Riverside Avenue where they sold liquor, beer and soda and remained there through a portion of 1904. It was during this year that another move was made to more permanent facilities located at 510-514 Railroad Avenue. Sam W. Holland was the manager of the firm until his death in 1908 with Issac D. Holland as president; Ella Scanlan as vice president and H. A. Holland as secretary treasurer. The last listing for the company was at South 169 & Stevens in 1911.
Adolph Liska - Roslyn, Wa.
Adolph Liska was born in Germany in 1855. He emigrated to America in 1885 arriving in Roslyn in 1886 where he worked in the local coal mines. After a mine injury he opened a candy store and in 1895 he opened the Roslyn Bottling works where he owned and operated the business until around 1905. Apparently he did quite well in the soda business as it was reported that he owned 41 lots in Seattle, 3 in Fairhaven and owned half interest in the bottling works in Cle Elum. He was listed in the 1910 Census as a grocer in Seattle and died in Seattle at the age of 80 in 1935.
Adam Wieser - Spokane
Sam W. Holland, owner of the Washington Liquor Co. was also owner of the Spokane Soda Bottling Works which was operated at the same address from 1895 until being sold to Adam Wieser in 1901. Adam Wieser was in business with R. E. A. Mueller establishing the Castalia Spring vinegar works in Spokane in 1887 and in 1891 changed the name to the New York Bottling Works which was located at 818 Third Ave. He purchased the Spokane Soda Bottling Works from Holland in 1901 and sold it to Fred Schuler in 1905. Wieser remained strictly as a bottler in Spokane and the soda business lasted thru prohibition. Weiser died in July 1918 with his body taken for burial to West Bend, Wisconsin.
Pacific & Puget Sound Bottling Works - Seattle
William Brix (former hotel-keeper) started Pacific & Puget Sound Soda Works around 1880, and eventually took on a Mr. Stewart as a partner. The soda factory was located at 717-1/2 Front Street. In 1883, Brix ran afoul of the law and sold the business to James Morrison and in 1889, Morrison sold part ownership of the company to Herman J. Ritter and George Buxmann. In 1890/91, they bought Morrison's interest and moved the plant to 513 8th Ave where they manufactured soda and mineral water and were agents for the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Co. In 1894, they purchased F.H. Sheldon & Company, and merged it with their existing firm under the new name "Pacific and Puget Sound Bottling Company". The company engaged in the manufacture, bottling and selling of lager beer, soda water, mineral waters and other beverages, in casks, kegs, bottles and boxes. The company moved to a new location at 1701 8th Ave and remained there until moving to the San Telmo Apartment building located at the corner of Minor and Stewart. The firm lasted past Prohibition and eventually closed the doors sometime around 1920.