9653 Mrs. B. Sturm West Bend, Wisconsin

This is a bottle I would really love to add to my collection. In fact, it is my wish-list bottle. Here is my wish-list description. If you have one of these, I would really appreciate the chance to make a deal!

My wish list bottle is a Hutchinson soda bottle that is embossed, "MRS. B. STURM / WEST BEND / WIS." One thing that is very odd about the bottle is that it has the word "MRS" written on it. No other early bottler from Wisconsin is known to have that title. In those days gone by, it must have been fairly progressive to have a woman's name at the head of a company. These bottles were made in the 1880s and early 1890s. This is earlier than we typically think of the women's liberation movement in America. However, the bottling works had already been in place and was earlier run by "WILLIAM STURM & SON" and later simply "B. STURM". Presumably, Mrs. B. Sturm had been widowed by B. Sturm. (In the United States, a widow traditionally retains the right to be addressed as Mrs, followed by her late husband's full name). The amazing thing is that the bottling works was able to transition from the loss of Mr. B. Sturm and continue on in business under the name Mrs. I'm guessing that the company was already established, organized, and efficiently operating. It was also in a relatively small town with an established local reputation. So, Mrs. B. Sturm continued to run the company and produce a product for several years. With any luck, one of you will offer me the chance to own a bottle embossed with this interesting legacy. Thanks, Bob