Winter’s Stomach Bitters advertisement – The Argus, September 5, 1907

Ask for Winter’s Stomach Bitters

12 October 2014

I love this advertisement above for Winter’s Stomach Bitters. I suppose if you drink the bitters you get a big stomach! This month, Greg Spurgeon has the very rare, Winter’s Stomach Bitters in his current North American Glass auction. I really have not thought very much about my example in some time so I thought we needed to find out about the brand. Very little is known except what is printed in Ring & Ham. The clue to research is embedded in the listing where Rock Island, Illinois is noted. Otherwise you get a ton of “bitter winter” listings when searching!

The Carlyn Ring and W.C. Ham listing in Bitters Bottles Supplement is as follows:

W 141  WINTER’S STOMACH BITTERS

WINTER’S / STOMACH BITTERS // f // S-13 at bottom of panel // f // // b // A.B.CO
9 1/2 x 3 (7) 3/8
Square, Amber, LTC, Tooled lip, Very Rare
A backbar bottle exists with white enameled lettering B. WINTER / ROCK ISLAND, ILL /
ANGOSTURA BARK. Winter was the manufacturer of the WINTER’S STOMACH BITTERS

Winter’s Stomach Bitters – Ferdinand Meyer V Collection

Winter’s Stomach Bitters – Ferdinand Meyer V Collection

Winter’s Stomach Bitters – North American Glass

Winter’s Stomach Bitters

Winter’s Stomach Bitters is a very rare bottle though late with its tooled top. The brand was sold by Basilius Winter in Rock Island, Illinois. Basilius was born on the river Rhine in Gross Haibach, Bavaria (Germany) on July 28, 1849, and was the son of Joseph and Mary S. (Dauber) Winter, also natives of that country. Winter emigrated to America with his parents in 1853 and located first in Henry County, Illinois. Basilius was educated in both English and German and at the age of 14 years came to Rock Island, and began work for his uncle, Peter Fries in 1867 and later, after a period of farming, partnered with James E. Mott in 1880 where they called their business Mott & Winter. They were listed as rectifiers, wholesale dealers and importers of wines and liquors. In 1885, Henry Lemberg purchased Basilius Winter’s interest and the new business name was Winter & Lemberg. In 1890, Henry Lemberg retired and Basilius Winter ran the business with his sons (Louis Winter, R.V. Winter, Bazil Winter, Arthur Winter and George Winter). The company marketed and sold “Old McBrayer”, “Nelson Bourbon”, Nelson Rye”, “Good Luck”, “Anderson Bourbon”, “Old Taylor”, “Clark’s Rye”, “Tri City” and “Wild West.” It was from 1890 to 1908 that Winter’s Stomach Bitter’s was probably made and sold though it could have been after the turn of the century. The A.B. Co. on the base is probably the mark of a bottling company.

B. Winter

B. Winter, a wholesale liquor dealer engaged in business at 1512 Third avenue, Rock Island, is a self-made man who, without extraordinary family or pecuniary advantages at the commencement of life, has battled earnestly and energetically, and by indomitable courage and integrity has achieved both character and fortune. By sheer force of will and untiring effort he has worked himself upward.

Mr. Winter was born on the river Rhine, in Germany, July 28, 1849, and is a son of Joseph and Mary S. (Dauber) Winter, also natives of that country, who emigrated to America in 1853 and located first in Henry county, Illinois. Later they removed to a farm near Milan in Rock Island county, where the father died in 1893, at the age of seventy-five years. Our subject was only three years old when he crossed the Atlantic, and was a lad of seventeen when he took up his residence in Rock Island county. His early educational privileges being somewhat meagre, he has become a self-educated as well as a self- made man.

On starting out in life for himself, Mr. Winter secured a position in a wholesale liquor house and has since been connected with the liquor business in one capacity or another. In June, 1880, he embarked in business for himself, forming a partnership with James E. Mott, one of the old settlers and highly respected business men of the city, and at the end of five years he purchased his partner’s interest and has since been alone. Although he started out in life for himself empty-handed, he is now at the head of a large and profitable business, the result of his own industry, enterprise and good management.

In Davenport, in December, 1871, Mr. Winter was joined in wedlock to Miss Lizzie Bartermeier, who was born, reared and educated in that city. They became the parents of four children: Agnes, at home; Louis J., who is now acting as his father’s bookkeeper; Robert, who holds a responsible business position in Rock Island; and Mamie, who died at the age of three years. The wife and mother died in 1882, and two years later Mr. Winter married her sister, Miss Johanna Bartermeier, who also spent her early life in Davenport, her native city. The four children born of this union are Cora; Basilius, Jr.; Florence; and George P.

In politics, Mr. Winter has been a lifelong Democrat, but at local elections generally votes independent of party ties. He has ever taken an active and prominent part in political affairs, and is now serving his third term as a member of the city council, being first elected in 1887. He is an influential and popular member of that body and the duties of his office he has most faithfully and capably performed, winning the commendation of all concerned. He and his family are all communicants of the Catholic church.

“The Biographical Record of Rock Island County, Illinois”, by S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1897.

Basilius Winter Obituary – The Rock Island Argus – December 23, 1910

Select References for Basilius Winter:

1849: B. Winter was born on the river Rhine (Gross Haibach, Bavaria), in Germany, July 28, 1849, and is a son of Joseph and Mary S. (Dauber) Winter, also natives of that country. – The Biographical Record of Rock Island County, Illinois

1853: B. Winter emigrated to America in 1853 and located first in Henry county, Illinois. Later they removed to a farm near Milan in Rock Island county – The Biographical Record of Rock Island County, Illinois

1867: Basilius Winter enters into the liquor business with his uncle Peter Fries.

1880-1885: Mott & Winter (James E. Mott; B. Winter), rectifiers, wholesale dealers and importers of wines and liquors, corner Seventeenth and Third avenue, Rock Island, Illinois – Rock Island and Moline, Illinois Directories

1885-1890: Henry Lemberg purchases Basilius Winter’s interest. The new business name is Winter & Lemberg.

1890: Henry Lemberg retires and Basilius Winter runs the business with his sons (Louis Winter, R.V. Winter, Bazil Winter, Arthur Winter and George Winter)

1898: Basilius Winter, in the Third ward, has been a resident of Rock Island for 30 years. Since 1880 he as been engaged in business here. He served a term-and-a-half as alderman from the Third ward in the 80’s, and two years ago defeated Fred Schroeder, the republican candidate. Mr. Winter is one of the city’s leading men, and is a prominent member of the Turner society. He is a native of Germany and was born in 1849. – Rock Island Argus, April 02, 1898

1903: Statement by B. Winter resident of Rock Island, III. 30 years. 5 Mar 1903. – IllinoisAncester.org

1909: Winter’s Stomach Bitters advertisement (see below) – The Argus (Rock Island, Illinois), September 8, 1809

Winter’s Stomach Bitters advertisement – The Argus, September 8, 1909

1910: Basilius Winter death