Pennsylvania Items | Collecting Vintage Saegertown and Meadville

Click on any of the pictures for a larger version. (There are now more than 2,100 images on this website.) Looking for something specific? Use our search engine, located on the right side of the header on every page.

Here is an 1893 souvenir badge from the Pennsylvania Exhibit at the Columbian Worlds Exposition (1893 Chicago World’s Fair).

Front of an 1895 Pennsylvania National Guard marksman badge/medal. The back can be seen on our Badges, Tags, etc. Page.

Here is a 1918 Pennsylvania Licensed Driver badge, from the early days of driving in Pennsylvania. Many more badges can be seen on our Badges, Tags, etc. Page.

1943 Pa. car license tag. In 1943, the state issued a tag instead of a whole license plate, to save metal for the war effort. It was placed in the corner, over the 1942 plate.

Here are two license plates in the older, shorter style, before they stopped using the outline of the state of Pennsylvania. This was before they started using stickers, and they sent you a new plate when the old one expired. The next image has the larger plates, in the size still in use.

On top is a Venango, Pa. plate topper. The next plate still has the state outline. It was used through the 1960s. The plate beside it, with the Liberty Bell, celebrated the 1976 Bicentennial. The next two plates (truck and car) were in use until the current day plate, on the bottom.

This is a claim form from Perley’s National Claim Agency, Erie, Pa. for Civil War veterans. Filled out and witnessed, this could be submitted for a pension or bounty.

After the Civil War, the U.S. Sanitary Commission Army and Navy, Claim Agency, set up agents around the country, where veterans could apply for pensions or bounties. A surviving broadside from that era gives the details. It says: ENTITLED TO PENSIONS. Invalid Soldiers and Seamen, Widows, Minor Children, Dependent Mothers, and Orphan Sisters, under sixteen years of age, of Soldiers and Seamen, in the order they are named. ENTITLED TO BOUNTY. Soldiers and Seamen discharged on account of wounds received; those who have served two years or more; Widows of Soldiers and Seamen, and their children; Fathers, Mothers, Brothers, and Sisters in the order named, if residents of the United States. See our Banknotes, Checks, Scrip, and more Page for other similar items.

Image P1 has three items from the Thompson Distilling Co. and two from Cambridge Springs, Pa. The case says “ESTABLISHED 1844 – 1 DOZ. QUARTS – SAM. THOMPSON DOUBLE COPPER DISTILLED PURE RYE WHISKEY – MADE BY Thompson Distilling Co. West Brownsville, Pa. U.S.A. – BONDED SPRING OF 1913 – BOTTLED SPRING OF 1917 – 23d DIST. PENNA. – PROOF 100”. The brown bottle on the left side of this picture is a Sam Thompson Straight Rye Whiskey bottle, bottled by The Sam Thompson Pure Rye Distilling Co., Aladdin, Pa. It has a Pa. Revenue decal on the front. The back label says “Straight Rye Whiskey – 86 Proof – This whiskey is 4 years old – Distilled in Pennsylvania”. The next bottle, is a clear pint Sam Thompson Old Monongahela Pure Rye Whiskey bottle, distilled by Thompson Distilling Co., West Brownsville, Pa., U.S.A. The cup is a vintage Walker China cup. It says “Riverside – The Inn at Cambridge Springs, Pa.” The large, clear bottle on the right is embossed “BARTLETT MINERAL WATER CAMBRIDGE SPRINGS, PA.”

Here’s a better look at the Thompson Distillery Case shown in image P1.

Here’s the front side, of the Thompson Distillery case shown in image P1.

Here’s the back side, of the Thompson Distillery case shown in image P1.

Here’s the end, of the Thompson Distillery case shown in image P1.

See text below for a description of image P2a:

MVC-016S — See text below for a description of image P2b:

Here is the manufacturer’s mark found inside the case shown in images P2a and P2b.

Images P2a and P2b show a vintage wooden case that has both the Koehler’s Beer and Old Dobbin Ale graphics. One side of the case has “EST. 1847 (KOEHLER’S TRADEMARK) KOEHLER’S LAGER BEER – THE ERIE BREWING CO. ERIE, PA. THERE IS NO BETTER BEER”. The opposite side of the case says “(KOEHLER’S TRADEMARK) (BLACK HORSEHEAD TRADEMARK) OLD DOBBIN ALE – THE ERIE BREWING CO. ERIE, PA. THERE IS NO BETTER ALE”. One end has “(KOEHLER’S TRADEMARK) KOEHLER’S LAGER BEER – There is no better BEER Telephone 22-236”. The opposite end of the case says “OLD DOBBIN ALE – There is no better ALE Telephone 22-236”. Inside the crate it is marked “(TRADEMARK) CONTAINERS – MANUFACTURED BY OWENSILLINOIS GLASS COMPANY FAIRMONT, W. VA. 5 42”.

Here is the side of a Koehler’s Beer case, Erie, Pa., that holds 24 7 oz. bottles.

Here is the end of a Koehler’s Beer case, Erie, Pa., that holds 24 7 oz. bottles.

Here is the manufacturer’s mark found inside the Koehler’s Beer case, Erie, Pa., that holds 24 7 oz. bottles.

Here is the side view of a Pepsi case, from Erie, Pa.

Here is the end view of a Pepsi case, from Erie, Pa.

Here is the manufacturer’s mark found inside the Pepsi case from Erie, Pa.

See text for a description of image P2c:

In image P2c, the first beer bottle on the left is embossed: C. L. RANDALL WARREN, PA. The second bottle is embossed: THE ERIE BR’G CO. ERIE, PA. The third bottle is embossed: ED. HEUER ERIE, PA. The last bottle, on the right, is embossed: with a row of small dots around the top of the body of the bottle, and near the bottom of the bottle: CONSUMERS BREWING COMPANY ERIE, PA. REGISTERED. The shot glass in the front middle, is etched: GILT EDGE WHISKEY C. KESSLER ERIE, PA.

Image P3 has 5 vintage Pennsylvania bottles with paper labels. The first bottle on the left is an Old Overholt Whiskey half pint from Broadford, PA. The front and back labels are worn and soiled. The revenue stamp says “Bottled 1905 Made Fall 1901”. The second bottle is a 1/10 pint Wilson Blended Whiskey bottle from Bristol, PA. It has a metal screw-on cap. On the back is the PA. Liquor Control Board decal, and a label giving detailed ingredients, and stating that this bottle was distributed by Browne Vintners Co., Inc. 630 Fifth Ave. New York City. The third bottle is a Pulaski Club full quart Golden Ginger Ale bottle from Farrell, PA. The fourth bottle is a 12 ounce Pulaski Beverages bottle from Farrell, PA. (phone 925). Both Pulaski bottles are from Pulaski Bottling Works. The last bottle is a Mount Vernon Whiskey pint bottle. It has part of a prescription attached to the front from (torn/missing?-_ man) & Shenk Drug Store, Mechanicsburg, PA. There’s only a partial date showing, unfortunately, not the year. There is also, a full label on the back and part of the revenue stamp.

Image P4 has a mixture of items from our local area. Four of them are from Cambridge Springs, Pa. The half pint milk bottle at the left side of the image, says (on the front): (emblem) Riverside THE INN AT CAMBRIDGE SPRINGS, PA. – RICH JERSEY MILK FROM OUR OWN REGISTERED HERD. The back says: NATURAL MILK is Natures Most Perfect Food. Next to the milk bottle is a package of items from Spa Health Laboratories, Inc. Cambridge Springs, Pa. copyright 1925. It has 60 SPA-AM-E-NO tablets with the box, insert, sealed bottle, and cork. The box says – A food tonic containing four essential amino acids in correct proportion. The cost was $1.00. In front of these two items is a business card from Hotel Riverside – Wm. Baird Proprietor. It has day rates and other information on the front, and the analysis of GRAY MINERAL WATER at Cambridge Springs, Pa. on the back. The last Cambridge Springs item as a small pharmacy bottle embossed: James Lydell DRUGGIST Cambridge Springs, Pa. The other small pharmacy bottle with the paper label and black cap, contained Spirit of Camphor, from JOLLEY’S PHARMACY EDINBORO, PENN’A. The unused flattened orange box in the back of the image was for GOLDEN-LAX TEA from THOMPSON MEDICAL CO. TITUSVILLE, PA. It cost 25 cents at drug stores and has detailed information on the back. It is billed as a tonic and laxative and is for the Stomach, Liver, Kidneys, Bowels, Blood, Nerves, Constipation, Indigestion, Biliousness, Flatulency (sic), and Sick Headache. The last two bottles at the right side of the image, are interesting in that they contain whale oil and the petroleum oil that eventually replaced whale oil. The corked bottle on the left is Wm. F. NYES FINEST SPERM SEWING MACHINE OIL. The picture in the middle of the label shows whalers harpooning a sperm whale. This bottle is from Hill’s Bicycle and Sporting Goods Store, Warren, Pa. The last bottle on the right has oil pumped in 1977, from an 800-foot deep well, that was originally drilled by Sam Crawford near Emlenton, Pa. in 1866. In 1977, it was producing one barrel per week.

Full bottle of Wm. F. Nye’s Sewing Machine (sperm whale) Oil, Warren, Pa. Gilt Edge Whiskey shot glass from C. Kessler, Erie, Pa., and DWIN Ink Remover from Baldwin Labs, Saegertown, Pa.

Image P6 has a mixed group of items. See the text for descriptions.

The bottle on the left side, is embossed “OIL CITY WINE & LIQUOR Co. – BOTTLERS of BEER – OIL CITY PA.” The back is embossed “THIS BOTTLE NOT TO BE SOLD.” The second, large bottle, with its stopper, is embossed on the front “Mehler’s QUALITY BEVERAGES SINCE 1883 ERIE, PA.” I can’t read all of the round paper label on the back, but what I can read says “For (?)armistry and Storage Batteries. The venue or medium of delicate reparations. Mehler’s since 1883 Pure Distilled Water. Makers of Erie’s Favorite GINGER ALE ERIE, PA.” Both the quart and half pint milk bottles, are from LAKEVIEW DAIRY M.F. SWAVEY CONNEAUT LAKE, PA. The box on the left side, has a corked and never-been-opened bottle of OsV solution of VANADIUM from the Ogden Vanadium Co., Pittsburgh, Pa. The metal container with paper covering on the right, is WIDCO brand ,Fuller’s Earth, from Widmann Drug Co. Johnstown, Pa.

Banking envelope from NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA BANK & TRUST CO. Meadville Office, Meadville, Pa.

1938 promotional ink blotter from Titusville Trust Company, Titusville, Pa.

Promotional bank and money bag, from: Crawford County Trust Co. Meadville, Pa.

Here is a large, cast aluminum promotional Santa Clause bank from: FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF MEADVILLE. MEADVILLE – FRANKLIN, PA. It has a lot of character.

Two more promotional banks from the First National Bank of Meadville, Meadville, Pennsylvania. (A plastic Hopalong Cassidy and a cast metal “FEED THE KITTY” bank.

Here are five promotional items from the Merchants Bank. (See text for description.)

Here are four promotional items from three local banks. (See text for description.)

Here are five promotional items from The Pennsylvania Bank & Trust Company. (See text for description.)

Here are four promotional items from National City Bank. (See text for description.)

The last five images have promotional items from local banks. These banks had offices in Meadville and surrounding towns, such as Saegertown, Linesville, Conneaut Lake, etc. The top image on the left, has promotional items from the Merchants Bank and Trust Company. There are two banks that separate the types of coins, one car bank, one dime bank, and a money bag with great graphics. The top right image has two draw string bags from The Merchants Bank and Trust Company. The left one is from Meadville, Pa. and the right one is from Meadville and Saegertown, Pa. Sitting on the left bag, is a house-shaped promotional bank (also Merchant’s National Bank, Meadville). Sitting on the right bag, is a coin holder and a promotional sewing kit, also from the Merchants Bank. The left middle image has promotional items from three different local banks. The promotional bank on the left, is from The First National Bank of Meadville (Meadville and Franklin). The other two promotional banks, are from the Crawford County Trust Company, Meadville, Pa. The money bag at the bottom, is from Pennbank. The image on the middle right, has a barrel bank with a combination lock on the bottom, a car bank, two money bags, and a cloth coin bag (used to transfer coins between offices), all from The Pennsylvania Bank and Trust Company. The final image on the bottom, has three promotional banks and a money bag from National City Bank. In less than fifty years, The Merchants Bank (established in 1865), became part of The Pennsylvania Bank and Trust Company, which became Pennbank, which became Integra Bank, which became part of National City Bank, part of which became PNC Bank, which still survives today.

Latest addition to bank collection. See text below.

The last image has a promotional lantern bank. It says: MERCHANTS NATIONAL BANK AND TRUST COMPANY MEADVILLE, PA. SAEGERTOWN, PA.

The next image has 5 different kinds of bank bags, used for various purposes. They are all from the Merchants National Bank and Trust Company. The dark blue cloth bag is the oldest. It dates from before the bank opened any branches and says Meadville, Pa. It was used by businesses and individuals. The large brown cloth bag was used for transferring banknotes between branches and the Federal Reserve. It says Meadville and Saegertown, Pa. The light-blue, cloth inside/plastic outside bag, was for business or individual use. It says Meadville and Saegertown, Pa. The dark-blue zipper money bag (the tag inside says coin bag), was also for business or individual use. It says Meadville, Linesville, Saegertown and Conneaut Lake, Pa. The last large white cloth bag was used for transferring coins between branches or the Federal Reserve. It says Meadville, Pa. Conneaut Lake, Pa. Saegertown, Pa. Linesville, Pa. This image lets you see how much bigger the inter-office bags were compared to the business/individual bags.

Five different kinds of bank bags from the Merchants Bank and Trust Company. See text above for details.

Here are a couple of ads, that appeared in the Cambridge News newspaper, that was printed in Cambridgeboro, Pa., August 22, 1878.

Here are two vintage photographs of two youngsters by C. P. McDannell, Photographer, over the post office, Cambridgeboro, Pa.

To go with the Riverside Inn items in image P7 below, here is a Caddie badge from the Riverside Golf Club, Cambridge Springs, Pa. For many more local and Pennsylvania badges, see our Badges, Tags, etc. Page.

Here is a Cambridge Springs Mineral Water souvenir mini-jug. It is only about 3 1/4″ tall. You can compare its size with the Baird jug sitting behind it (also shown in the image immediately below).

Image P7 has Riverside Inn and William Baird items from Cambridge Springs, Pa.

In image P7, the mineral water jug on the left, says “WM. BAIRD & SON CO.” The business card says “Hotel Riverside WM. BAIRD, PROPRIETOR”. The cup, and half-pint milk bottle, both say “Riverside THE INN AT CAMBRIDEGE SPRINGS, PA.” The bowl of the sterling silver souvenir spoon, has an engraving if the inn, and says “HOTEL RIVERSIDE CAMBRIDGE SPRINGS PA.” The envelope, from 1900, has the same logo as Mr. Baird’s business card, and says “HOTEL RIVERSIDE CAMBRIDGE SPRINGS, PA. WILLIAM BAIRD, PROP’R”.

Here is a better look at the Riverside Inn souvenir spoon, shown in image P7, plus 4 more sterling silver souvenir spoons (see text).

Under the Riverside Inn spoon, is another Cambridge Springs spoon. It says “Cambridge Springs, Pa.” in the bowl. The third spoon shows an oil derrick scene in the bowl. The front of the handle says (initials) and “1891”. The back of the handle says “Titusville”. The fourth spoon says “Titusville, Pa.” in the bowl. The bottom spoon has a large oil derrick and “Titusville, PA.” in the bowl.

Here is a wonderful picture of a man dressed in his full fraternal uniform. This picture was taken in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Here is the fancy promotional back of the fraternal picture shown in the previous image. Dabbs Studio, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Here is another vintage Pennsylvania fraternal picture. He has PA. 14 on his cap, PA. on his collar, and a keystone badge on his chest.

Image P8 has ten stereoview cards published by George Ketner, Titusville, Pa. They have views that are local to that area.

Captions for the ten stereoview cards in image P8 are:

Wreck On Big Four, Kellettville, Penn’a. (railroad track)
WhigHill Road, Kellettville Penn’a.
Tionesta Creek. Near Kellettville, Penn’a.
Salmon Creek Lumber Mill
A Cloudy Day In Kellettville, Pa. 1905 (creek, bridge and houses)
Log Train, Minister Penn’a
Now For A Drive. (Creek and a road with two women looking at a sign on a pole, that says – TO WHIG HILL TWO MI. / TO EAST HICKORY NINE MI.)
The Falls at Crystal Springs, Titusville, PA. (beside a railroad track with a stone bridge)
Scene Among The Rocks, Titusville, PA.
Woodlawn Cemetery, Titusville, PA.

Here is a stereoview card with the caption: 2784 PHIL SHERIDAN WELL – TARR FARM. Part of it has been hand colored.

This ad appeared in The Crawford Democrat newspaper, printed in Meadville, Pa. February 11, 1862.

See text for the description of the magic lantern slides in image P9.

The top left magic lantern slide in image P9, has a description card titled “SHOOTING AN OIL WELL WITH EIGHTY QUARTS OF NITROGLYCERINE, PENNSYLVANIA.” The top right card has a description card that says “TANDEM AUTOMATIC SLATE PICKER, SCRANTON, PA.” The bottom left slide caption says “Part of the Blast Furnace, Pittsburgh, Pa.” The bottom right slide caption says “Modern Pig Iron Machine at Rest, Pittsburgh, Pa.”

The caption for this Keystone stereoview says: Filling Shell With Nitro-Glycerine, Preparatory to Shooting the Well – Oil Field in Penn’a, U.S.A.

Image P10 has a 1916 invoice for the oil industry. See text for description.

The A. Cupler, Jr. & Co. invoice to Hague & Co. (10 qt. shot – well no. 38), shown in image P10, has some very interesting features. Dated Nov. 1916 at Titusville, Pa., it says “TORPEDOES, NITRO-GLYCERINE, DYNAMITE, CAPS AND FUSE. ALL WORK DONE AT WELL OWNER’S RISK.” It also says “TELEPHONE COMMUNICATION WITH ALL POINTS IN CRAWFORD, WARREN, FOREST AND VENANGO COUNTIES.” Their Petroleum telephone number was 98-G and their Bell telephone number was 198.

This document grants a pension to a survivor of the War of 1812. He was a Private in the Pennsylvania Militia.

Image H6 has a warrant issued by the Pennsylvania Surveyor General’s Office in 1864 concerning a property in French Creek Township, Venango County, Pa.

The warrant shown in image H6 has the embossed seal of the Surveyor General’s Office of Pennsylvania and is signed by the Surveyor General, James Barr, October 12, 1864. David Vincent applied to have 166 acres, situated in French Creek Township, Venango County, Pa. surveyed. It states that he has already paid the fees to the State Treasurer, at the rate of twenty dollars per hundred acres. This document is the warrant issued to William Hilunds Esq., Surveyor, to execute the survey.

This is a map produced by the Flood Commission Pittsburgh, Penn’a. for the proposed CUSSEWAGO CREEK RESERVOIR Project No. 15 Crawford County, Penn’a. – surveyed May 1910. They didn’t do it, but they probably should have. (Near Littles Corners.)

Here are the fronts of three promotional fans (from left to right): Calvin Kleckner General Merchandise, Mosiertown, Pa., Gelvin, Jackson & Starr Insurance Co., Meadville, Pa., and Klinger’s 5 Cent to 5 Dollar Store, Conneaut Lake, Pa.

Here are the backs of three promotional fans (from left to right): Calvin Kleckner General Merchandise, Mosiertown, Pa., Gelvin, Jackson & Starr Insurance Co., Meadville, Pa., and Klinger’s 5 Cent to 5 Dollar Store, Conneaut Lake, Pa.

Here are two promotional calendars from Kaster & Brooks, Dealers in General Merchandise, Geneva, Pa., for the years 1907 and 1909.

Here is an ad for The Great Star Clothing House, that appeared in the Cambridge News newspaper that was printed in Cambridgeboro, Pa., August 22, 1878.

Here is the front of a 1904 Heinz promotional post card.

Here is the back of a 1904 Heinz promotional post card.

Early glass Pymatuning Lake Spillway paperweight souvenir.

Early photograph from photographer W.W. Wilt, Exposition Park and Linesville, Pa.

Here is a vintage 14″ x 20″ Fairyland Forest poster from Conneaut Lake Park.

Conneaut Lake Park ride tickets. See text below.

The Conneaut Lake Park ride tickets above, show promotional tickets from 1950 and later, probably, complimentary tickets. The promotional tickets are for the second annual SANIDA DAY Sunday, July 16, 1950 and include a prize drawing ticket and ride tickets for: (2) MERRY-GO-ROUND; BLUE STREAK; (2) Miniature Railroad; LOOP-0-PLANE; TUMBLE BUG; ROCKET SHIP; WHIP; DODGEM; FERRIS WHEEL; TILT-A-WHIRL; and PRETZEL. The image below shows a booklet of fifteen Conneaut Lake Park CHILD tickets (plus a stub for an 8:30 PM prize drawing) circa. 1950s, when they had Wednesday Bargain Day promotions.

Booklet of 15 Conneaut Lake Park ride tickets. See above text.

In the early days at Conneaut Lake, this small lace-edge plate, was a favorite souvenir of Exposition Park. It came in a wide variety of decorations and in different colors of glass.

There are more Pennsylvania items on other pages of this website. The Home page, the Banknotes, Checks and Scrip page, the Local Books, etc. page, the More Local Post Cards page, the Local Postal Covers page, and the Milk Bottles and Caps page, also have some Pennsylvania items. Click on the page header to go to the Home page and click the links under the page header to go to the other pages on this website. Click on any picture for a larger version.