Cap’n Jacks’ Star Anchor Bitters
W. L. B. Jack – Portsmouth, Ohio
05 December 2015 (R•120915)
I received an email asking about the value and rarity of an amber Star Anchor Bitters that was found in an estate collection. It reminded me of my yellow amber example which is pictured in this post.
Star Anchor Bitters – Meyer Collection
Star Anchor Bitters – Gary Egorov
Star Anchor Bitters – Gary Egorov
The Carlyn Ring and W.C. Ham listing in Bitters Bottles is as follows:
S 176 STAR ANCHOR BITTERS
STAR.ANCHOR BITTERS // PORTSMOUTH OHIO // f // W. L. B. JACK. //
8 7/8 x 2 5/8 (6 3/4) 5/16
Square, Amber, LTC, 3 sp, Extremely rare
Portsmouth City Directory. 1872 Star Anchor Bitters and W. L. B. Jack
Gallia & Chillicothe Sts., Portsmouth, Ohio
Advertisement: Star Anchor Bitters – Portsmouth Daily Times, February 24, 1872
W. L. B. Jack – Portsmouth, Ohio
“Mr. Jack, the gentleman who has enough initials to be in danger of being mistaken for an English Lord”
Many of the bitters proprietors and other businessmen in the 1800 and early 1900s used their first initials in documents, advertising and directory listings. W. L. B. Jack took it to a new level. One newspaper article actually said, “Mr. Jack, the gentleman who has enough initials to be in danger of being mistaken for an English Lord”.
Anyway, Willy (as a child), William if he wanted to be formal, or W. L. B. Jack seemed to be a Jack of all trades throughout his long life. He was born in Ohio in 1848 and mainly operated out of Portsmouth, Ohio until he died in 1925. Portsmouth is a city in and the county seat of Scioto County, Ohio. It lies in far southern Ohio, across the Ohio River from Kentucky, just east of the mouth of the Scioto River.
W. L. B. came up with his Star Anchor Bitters bitters in late 1870 and advertised heavily in local Portsmouth newspapers in 1871 and 1872. He said he was a pharmacist which is a title he probably bestowed upon himself. He seemed to run into financial trouble in mid to late 1872 as there was a Sheriff’s Sale that included bottles of his bitters. He also put his farm on the market. In 1873, he seemed to regain his footing and started making his bitters again. This was an extremely local operations for a short time which supports why this is an extremely rare bitters bottle.
W. L. B. would move on and was listed throughout the years as a grocer, a land agent, railroad advertiser, shipping agent, accountant, notary public, City Auditor, and eventually be called a Captain. I can’t figure this one out unless he got tired of people screwing up his initials and settle on Captain Jack.
Read: Anchors away and all over on the Dr. Dunlap’s Anchor Bitters
Select Listings
1848: Birth of W. L. B. Jack, Parents: James P. Jack (1816 – 1900), Margaret J. Stattenfield (1821 – 1901), Siblings: W L B Jack (1848 – 1925), Charles L Jack (1850 – 1926)*, Elizabeth S Jack (1851 – 1941)*, James P Jack (1853 – 1938) *Calculated relationship
1860: Willy L. B. Jack, Age 11, Birth Year: abt 1849, Birth Place: Ohio, Home in 1860: Portsmouth, Scioto, Ohio, Household Members: J P Jack 35, Margaret Jack 35, Lizzy S Jack 13, Willy L Jack 11, Charley L Jack 9, James P Jack 6 – United States Federal Census
1871: Advertisement: Star Anchor Bitters – Portsmouth Daily Times, April 29, 1871 (see below)
Advertisement: Star Anchor Bitters – Portsmouth Daily Times, April 29, 1871
1871: Advertisement: Star Anchor Bitters is the great remedy – Portsmouth Daily Times, November 11, 1871 (see below)
Advertisement: Star Anchor Bitters – Portsmouth Daily Times, November 11, 1871
1871: W. L. B. Jack moves is business for Star Anchor Bitters – Portsmouth Daily Times, December 30, 1871 (see below)
W. L. B. Jack moves is business for Star Anchor Bitters – Portsmouth Daily Times, December 30, 1871
1872: Advertisement: Star Anchor Bitters – Portsmouth Daily Times, February 24, 1872 (see further above)
1872: Visiting the laboratory of W. L. B. Jack manufacturing Star Anchor Bitters – Portsmouth Daily Times, April 13, 1872 (see below)
Visiting the laboratory of W. L. B. Jack manufacturing Star Anchor Bitters – Portsmouth Daily Times, April 13, 1872
1872: Notice: W. L. B. Jack shipped 70 boxes of Star Anchor Bitters – Portsmouth Daily Times, July 6, 1872 (see below)
1872: Sheriff’s Sale: 2 Dozen Star Anchor Bitters – Portsmouth Daily Times, July 20, 1872
Sheriff’s Sale: 2 Dozen Star Anchor Bitters – Portsmouth Daily Times, July 20, 1872
1873: Farm for Sale – W. L. B. Jack, Portsmouth, Ohio – Portsmouth Daily Times, January 20, 1873 (see below)
Farm for Sale – W. L. B. Jack, Portsmouth, Ohio – Portsmouth Daily Times, January 20, 1873
1873: W. L. B. Jack making Star Anchor Bitters again – Portsmouth Daily Times, April 26, 1873 (see below)
W. L. B. Jack making Star Anchor Bitters again – Portsmouth Daily Times, April 26, 1873
1875: W. L. B. Jack using The Fashion to ship between Portsmouth and Huntington – Portsmouth Daily Times, July 12, 1873 (see below)
W. L. B. Jack using The Fashion to ship between Portsmouth and Huntington – Portsmouth Daily Times, July 12, 1873
1875: W. L. Jack, Grocer, 75 Painty – Williams’ Ohio State Directory
1881: W. L. B. Jack, land agent, Burlington & Missouri River R.R. n.w.c. 4th and Vine – Cincinnati, Ohio City Directory
1885: W L B Jack, Dennison Hotel, Cincinnati, Ohio, Railroad Advertiser – Cincinnati, Ohio, City Directory
1895: Health Board: W. L. B Jack Lets His Light Shine and Does Some Roasting – Portsmouth Daily Times, September 3, 1895 (see below)
Health Board: W. L. B Jack Lets His Light Shine and Does Some Roasting – Portsmouth Daily Times, September 3, 1895
1900: William L. B. Jack, Accountant, Age: 52, Birth Date: Jan 1848, Birthplace: Ohio, Home in 1900: Portsmouth Ward 2, Scioto, Ohio, Father’s Birthplace: Pennsylvania, Mother’s name: Margaret Jack, Mother’s Birthplace: Pennsylvania, Household Members: Margaret Jack, 78, William L B Jack, 52, Elizabeth L Jack 40 – United States Federal Census
1908: W. L. B. Jack, Notaries Public, 91 W. 7th. – Portsmouth, Ohio City Directory
1910: William L. B. Jack, Accountant, Age in 1910: 62, Birth Year: abt 1848, Birthplace: Ohio, Home in 1910: Portsmouth Ward 1, Scioto, Ohio, Street: 91 West 7th Street, Father’s Birthplace: Pennsylvania, Mother’s Birthplace: Pennsylvania, Household Members: William L B Jack, 62, Elizabeth S. Jack 60 – United States Federal Census
1910: Notice: Captain Jack Notary Public – Portsmouth Daily Times, Wednesday, November 23, 1910 (see below)
Notice: Captain Jack Notary Public – Portsmouth Daily Times, Wednesday, November 23, 1910
1912: Listing: Jack’s Indian Tonic, W. L. B. Jack, Portsmouth, Ohio – Meyer Brothers Druggist, Volume 33, 1912
1919: W. L. B. Jack – Republican Candidate for City Auditor – Portsmouth Daily Times, August 9, 1919 (see below)
W. L. B. Jack – Republican Candidate for City Auditor – Portsmouth Daily Times, August 9, 1919
