H. F. McManus soda bottle

The notebook records H. F. McManus, 186 Water Street, Fitchburg, Massachusetts, USA. Whether the business manufactured the bottle or commissioned it remains to be researched.

Credit: Philip McManus.

1898 directory: matching name and address

The 1898 Fitchburg directory, printed page 203, lists Henry F. McManus, cigars and tobacco at 184 Water Street, with his home at 186 Water Street. That home address matches the bottle and supports its association with Henry F. McManus. The directory does not establish the bottle’s date or manufacturer.

Related newspaper article

H. F. McManus: License Is Suspended — 13 October 1909 names Henry F. McManus at 13 and 15 Market Street, South Fitchburg, and mentions a bottling department. The 1898 directory now provides a Water Street listing for Henry F. McManus; the continuity with the 1909 Market Street business still needs to be traced.

Research leads — unverified

Google-supplied information suggests the following searches. The specific records have not yet been located:

• Bottle catalogues: Check dated examples, glass colours and maker or bottler details.
• May 1900 newspapers: Look for H. F. McManus’s reported election as a Foresters Sub-Chief Ranger.
• Further directories and maps: Follow the confirmed 1898 listing at 184 and 186 Water Street through to the 1909 Market Street business.
• 1919 newspapers: Check the reported association of George Pelletier with 186 Water Street. This may help establish the address’s history; it does not establish a McManus connection.