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There’s trouble a-Brewin’: The brewing and bottling industries at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia

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Abstract

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a brewery and bottling plant operated in the town of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Archaeological excavations recovered beer and soft drink bottles once used by these industries. Considering that the brewery was operational in Harpers Ferry for over 10 years and bottled soft drinks and beer, it was surprising that relatively few bottles attributable to the brewery were recovered from the excavations. In order to understand this phenomenon, this study examines the historical context of the brewery, its associated bottling plant, and the people who worked in these industries. The Harpers Ferry brewery bottles recovered from the excavations are described and compared with bottles from regional breweries and bottling plants. Various possibilities for the lack of bottles are considered, including financial problems of the brewery, popularity of the product, and temperance.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., USA, 20560

    Deborah A. Hull-Walski

  2. Office of Repatriation, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., USA, 20560

    Frank L. Walski

Authors
  1. Deborah A. Hull-Walski
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  2. Frank L. Walski
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Hull-Walski, D.A., Walski, F.L. There’s trouble a-Brewin’: The brewing and bottling industries at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Hist Arch 28, 106–121 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03374205

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03374205

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