North American Auction Company
Live Auction

Wild West Wonders: May Collector's Auction Event

Sat, May 18, 2024 11:00AM EDT
Lot 745

Red Lodge & Big Chief Beverages Glass Bottles (3)

Estimate: $100 - $200

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $5
$50 $10
$100 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $250
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$25,000 $2,500
$100,000 $5,000
For your consideration are three glass bottles from Red Lodge Beverage Company (Montana) and Big Chief Beverage Company (Wyoming) circa 1920-40s. Julius incorporated the Red Lodge Brewing Company in 1910, hiring the prominent architectural firm of Link and Haire to design the monumental brick brewery as well as the bottling plant next door. Red Lodge contractor Anton Roat constructed both buildings. Prohibition spelled the end of the brewery, but the building received a second life when a Billings capitalist purchased it in 1925, and the former brewery was soon converted into a pea cannery. Big Chief brand started in the early 1900s with alternative flavors outside of Cola. Flavors such as Strawberry, Orange, Creme soda, Lemon and Orange as a few. Big Chief was eventually distributed through select Coca-Cola distributors throughout the United States with concentration in the deep south and western regions. The two Red Lodge Beverage Company bottles show a textured glass with the logo painted on the front reading, "Red Lodge Beverage Company" while the back of the bottles read, "Made with Red Lodge water / Red Lodge, Montana 7 FLU OZS." in white lettering. The Big Chief Fine Flavor Beverages bottle shows a ribbed style glass with the logo painted on the front reading, "Big Chief Fine Flavor Beverages" and showing a side profile portrait of a Native American chief. The back of the bottle reads, "Big Chief Beverages / Property of Rock Springs Bottling Company / Rock Springs, WYO" in black lettering. All three bottles show good condition overall with wear present from their age and use over the years but no signs of cracks or chips are present. The bottles measure 8" in length to 8 3/8" and have a bottom diameter of 2 3/16" to 2 5/16". The bottles have a collective weight of 2 pounds and 4 ounces.