Geyser Spring Water

Geyser Spring.

Saratoga Springs.

State of New York.

“The Saratoga” Spouting Spring

Jacob M. Adams, Saratoga, Springs

Emerald Green Pint

Provenance: Dave Merker Collection

Our museum example of an emerald green Geyser Spring pint is interesting as it came from a Saratoga spouting spring. It was also bottled and sold by the State of New York.

Jacob M. Adams filed and received a Medicinal Waters Trade Mark 5,094 in Saratoga N.Y. for “The representation of a spouting spring and the letter “G.” The application was filed on August 14, 1877. His advertising stated that the spring property is not managed by a stock company, and for the purpose of the business, the proprietor has adopted only the name “Geyser Spring.” Jacob was the son of James I. and Hester A. (Winney) Adams. He was born in Rensselaer County N.Y., in 1858.

Our Geyser Spring Water bottle was blown in a two-piece hinge mold and has a cylindrical neck, hand-tooled finish with rounded shoulders, a cylindrical body, and an applied mouth. The embossed primary copy on the face of the bottle reads ‘GEYSER SPRING’ in a serif typestyle that curves downward creating an arch. ‘SARATOGA SPRINGS’ is embossed beneath in a similar concentric arch. The copy, ‘STATE OF NEW YORK’ is located in the cavity created by the arch and beneath. On the reverse side, “THE SARATOGA” SPOUTING SPRING’ is embossed from the shoulder downwards in a book spine fashion. The bottle also comes in quarts. There are mold variations.

According to marketing material, Geyser Spring Water was sold in cases of four-dozen pints, two dozen pints, or two dozen quarts and in block tin-lined barrels containing 30 gallons, for drought by druggists.

Saratoga Springs

The area known as Saratoga Springs once drew interest from Mohawk and Iroquois Native American tribes for its hunting and mineral springs. Sir William Johnson, in the first recorded use of the springs, was brought to Saratoga to recover from wounds during the French and Indian War. In the 19th century, the area became a summer retreat much visited for its natural beauty, public parks, hotels and purported medicinal effects from the spa water. Entrepreneurs also dug wells or associated themselves with named springs and bottled the mineral water for sale.

The Saratoga Springs area has the only active spouting geysers east of the Mississippi River. The mineral springs for which the area is famous arise from fissures in the Saratoga Fault, which runs 65 miles from Whitehall to Albany. The carbonated water that vents in springs and geysers are rich in minerals and salts.

The following is an account of Geyser Spring by R. F. Dearborn, entered according to an act of Congress in the year 1872, in the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.

The Geyser Spouting Spring Is about a mile and a half below the village, on the Ballston road, and near the railroad. This wonderful mineral fountain was discovered in February 1870. There had been indications of mineral water in this neighborhood, which had been noticed for a long time. The building which is now used as a bottling-house, and beneath which the spring was found, was used as a bolt factory. The proprietors, Messrs. Vail and Seavy, determined to bore for a spring. They were successful, and when they had reached a point 140 feet below the surface rock, they struck the mineral vein. The water immediately burst forth with vehemence, and the marvelous phenomenon of a spouting spring was established.

The orifice bored in the rock is five and a half inches in diameter and 140 feet deep. The tubing is a block tin pipe, encased with iron, eighty-five feet in length and two inches in diameter. The diameter of the orifice of the tube is three-eighths of an inch. The tube is firmly secured at the bottom, and “seed bags” are filled in around it, so that all the water and gas is compelled to enter the tube, thereby preventing the possibility of adulteration. The fact that the spring is located 140 feet beneath the solid rock renders it free from all impurities of surface waters.

The water is thrown up by the action of its own carbonic acid gas, with great force, producing a fountain jet very attractive in appearance. The height of the fountain is twenty-five feet. A portion of the stream is allowed to flow through a hollow globe of glass, and large bubbles of gas of a bright pearl color rising in rapid succession through the water, form a beautiful addition to the attractiveness of the fountain. The curious will find an opportunity to obtain a sniff of pure gas at a wooden tube, near the bottling room, where water is drawn for bottling.

It is noticeable that when a portion of the stream is allowed to flow through another tube to the bottling-room, the fountain spouts to an unusual height.

The water, as shown by the analysis, is a powerful cathartic, and contains a larger amount of valuable medicinal properties than any other spring at Saratoga. The dose is from one to two glasses. The temperature of the spring is 46 deg. Fahr., being only 14 deg. from the freezing point. As the water is drawn from the fountain it foams like soda water, from the great abundance of carbonic acid gas, which gives to the water its agreeable taste.

During the two years since its discovery, the water has been introduced all over the Union and is now to be obtained in the principal cities of America and Europe.

A beautiful ravine, cascade and lake, and a sulfur spring also are in the immediate vicinity south of the spring. Seats are provided and the pleasure seeker will find a few hours in this locality a delightful recreation. The Geyser Spring is one of the chief attractions of Saratoga, and no visitor should fail to see it and taste its sparkling water.

Primary Image: Geyser Spring Water bottle imaged on location by the FOHBC Virtual Museum midwest studio led by Alan DeMaison.

Support: The Project Gutenberg EBook of Saratoga and How to See It, by R. F. Dearborn, 1873

Support Image: A fine selection of historic Saratoga mineral water bottles (Geyser Spring Water on left) – Norman C. Heckler & Company

Support Image: Auction Lot 110: “Geyser Spring. / Saratoga Springs. / State Of New York – (The Saratoga) Spouting Spring” Mineral Water Bottle, America, 1860-1880. Cylindrical, emerald green, applied sloping collared mouth with ring – smooth base, ht. 7 1/4 inches; (mouth has been replaced). T #S29B type 1 Rare in this color. Bright, clean condition. – Norman C. Heckler & Company

Support Image: (Front) Aqua quart reading GEYSER SPRING, SARATOGA SPRINGS, NEW YORK, (Reverse) AVERY N. LORD, 66 BROAD ST., UTICA N.Y. Avery N. Lord was a soda manufacturer in Utica, N.Y. circa 1866-1867.

Support Image: (Front & Reverse) Aqua quart GEYSER SPRING blob top (unique top for a Saratoga Geyser)

Support Image: Extremely rare, GEYSER SPRING Trademark ‘G’ and Spouting Spring, S-30 aqua pint. Second smaller image to show true color. – National Bottle Museum

Support: Reference to Collector’s Guide to the Saratoga Type Mineral Water Bottles, Donald Tucker, 1986

Join: The Saratoga type Bottle Collectors Society. Request information at jullman@nycap.rr.com

Join the FOHBC: The Virtual Museum is a project of the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors (FOHBC). To become a member.