Merchants DistilleryThe main distillery complex was located at 1535 So. 1st Street, on the west side of the street . The bonded warehouses were west of the present day Highway 63 (Prairieton Rd.) and south of the main distillery. At the present time, a few parts of the old brick warehouses still exist. Merchant Distillery was a contract bottler. They bottled all types of distilled beverages under literally thousands of brand names. A liquor store, bar, other distilleries, anyone with the money needed could have their name or brand put on a label of whiskey, gin, etc. The labels were not all marked with Merchants Distilleries name until the 1940's when the goverment forced them to put their name on all labels, ie. Distilled & Bottled by Merchants Distillery - Terre Haute, Ind. They also bottled under different business names, such as Oak Springs Distilling Co. | |||||||
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Text to Bottle Opener: Merchants "The Sprit to Serve" Bottled in Bond - 100 Proof Straight Bourbon Whiskey Merchants Distilling Company Terre Haute Indiana This is the first time I have seen the catch phrase "The Sprit to Serve." I am not sure whether this was a play on words during the time of the second world war or if this predated it. Either way, it is a quite catchy phrase. This bottle opener, keychain was given to Terre Haute Memories by Vic Fox. He stated that this bottle opener belonged to Howard Reeves, and that Reeves had worked at Merchants Distillery and later on at Terre Haute Brewing Company. |
Certificate of Label Approval by The Internal Revenue Service Under the Federal Alcohol Administration Act | |||||
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Hulman and BeggsLiquor Dealers | |||||||
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Envelope and Letter with Letterhead | |||||||
 Letter is dated Nov. 7, 1897. Envelope is postmarked the same date. |