Beury
Fayette Liquor Co.
1904—1913
Fayette Liquor Co. began in 1904 as a branch of W.E. Degans & Co. of Red Star (Mercantile Agency, Sep. 1904). It closed with the start of prohibition in West Virginia.
Fayette Liquor Co., Beury mini whiskey jug. Would have held a sample of their whiskey.
Fayette Liquor Co., Beury beer bottle. BIMAL crown top, export-style neck, pint-sized.
Simms & McNabb
19??—19??
MacDonald
Alex McNabb
1907—1913
Alex McNabb is listed as a wholesale beer bottler and saloon in MacDonald from 1907 to 1913, when prohibition began (Mercantile Agency, Sep. 1907; Jan. 1913).
Alex McNabb, MacDonald beer bottle. BIMAL crown top, export-style neck, pint-sized.
Montgomery/Coal Valley
Montgomery was known as Coal Valley from 1879 to 1891.
Montgomery & Ansted
1890
T.L. Montgomery and A.G. Ansted separately ran saloons and wholesale liquor establishments throughout the early 1880s in Coal Valley (now, Montgomery). It was not until 1890 that the two formed a company together under the name Montgomery & Ansted, listed as wholesale beer bottlers (Mercantile Agency, July 1890). This is the only year the two are listed together from the sources I have available.
Montgomery & Ansted, Coal Valley beer bottle. Amber glass, pint-sized, champagne-style neck, baltimore-loop seal.
Montgomery & Ansted, Coal Valley beer bottle. Citron yellow glass, pint-sized, champagne-style neck, baltimore-loop seal.
Simms & Walker
ca. 1899
Simms & Walker consisted of Meredith J. Simms and Samuel G. Walker (R.L. Polk & Co., 1901). The two operated as a saloon and ice manufacturer. The earliest information available from the duo is that they received a trademark for their whiskey in 1899 (“Here And,” 1899). Not much is known about Samuel Walker.
Simms was a heavy player in Fayette County politics, being a merchant, banker, judge, and politician at various points (American Historical Society Inc., 1923). One of thirteen children, Simms was born on his family’s farm in Nicholas County in 1862, then moving to Fayette County with his family in 1873 and finishing his education there. He began his career as a bookkeeper for the Straugham Coal Company in Montgomery, then became postmaster in 1889 after being appointed to the position by President Benjamin Harrison. According to the cited biography, Simms began bottling in 1893.
After his bottling span, he became president of the Montgomery & Cannelton Bridge Company and president of the Montgomery National Bank. Most of his public prominence came from his time as a judge. He was a Republican delegate in 1896 for the election of William McKinley and again in 1912 for William Howard Taft. For 24 years, Simms was a judge for the Fayette County court and served 20 of those years at the head of the court.
In 1920, Simms permanently relocated himself and his family to Charleston to retire. At the time, his house was on the intersection of Vine Street and Columbia Boulevard—the latter is now named Simms Street.
Simms & Walker, Montgomery beer bottle. Pint-sized, colorless glass, export-style neck, and baltimore-loop seal.
"S and W" stands for "Simms & Walker." Montgomery and Thurmond beer bottle. Amber, Baltimore-loop seal. Export neck. Pint.
McNabb & Co.
1895—1899
McNabb & Co. was founded around 1895 (R.L. Polk & Co., 1896). By 1899, the company disappears from any publications. Not much information is available regarding McNabb & Co., though we know it is a business of Alex McNabb from the above MacDonald bottle.
McNabb & Co., Montgomery beer bottle. Aqua blue glass, export-style neck, and baltimore-loop seal. Pint.
Simms & Hannan
1901—1905
Simms & Hannan consisted of Meredith J. Simms and Joseph R. Hannan, working as ice manufacturers and a saloon (R.L. Polk & Co., 1905). This company bottled in Montgomery and Beury. See the Simms & Walker article for details on M.J. Simms.
Simms & Hannan seems to be a later business by Simms, first appearing in 1905 directories (R.L. Polk & Co., 1905), though they first appear in 1901 Dun & Bradstreet issues (Mercantile Agency, Sep. 1901). After Simms & Hannan came Simms & McNabb.
Simms & Hannan, Montgomery beer bottle. Pint-sized, amber, export-style neck, and baltimore-loop seal.
Thurmond
Simms & Walker
ca. 1899
See the main Simms & Walker article above, under “Montgomery.”
"S and W" stands for "Simms & Walker." Montgomery and Thurmond beer bottle. Amber, Baltimore-loop seal. Export neck. Pint.
References
American Historical Society Inc. (1923). The history of West Virginia, old and new.
Here and there. (1899, December 2). The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer, 2.
Mercantile Agency, R.G. Dun & Company & Dun And Bradstreet. (1890) Dun and Bradstreet Reference Book: July, ; Vol. 89. New York, -July. [Periodical] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/stbdandb.00078734103/.
R.L. Polk & Co. (1896). West Virginia state gazetteer and business directory, volume V, 1895-1896.
R.L. Polk & Co. (1901). West Virginia state gazetteer and business directory, 1901-1902, volume VII.
R.L. Polk & Co. (1905). West Virginia Gazetteer and Business Directory.