According to U.S. census records and death certificate information, Henry C. Kunkel was born on November 19, 1865, in Illinois. He married Louise Kadow (1865–1937), the daughter of William Kadow, and they had one child, Louis Edward Kunkel (1885–1950).
After his father-in-law, William Kadow, died in 1895, Kunkel became the proprietor of the bottling works located at 140 State Road (now East 8th Street).
He was an agent for the Pabst Brewing Co., but with the onset of Indiana’s dry laws in 1918, followed soon after by national Prohibition in 1920, the business could no longer produce alcoholic beverages. He shifted entirely to soft-drink manufacturing and eventually retired from the bottling works sometime after 1921, according to the available city directory listings. See the Directory tab for more details.
Henry Kunkel died from a stroke on November 5, 1930, at the age of 64 and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Michigan City.
1) H. C. KUNKEL DIES IN MICHIGAN CITY — MICHIGAN CITY, IND., NOV 7.
Funeral services for Henry C. Kunkel, age 64, who died Wednesday afternoon following a paralytic stroke, will be held Saturday afternoon. Mr. Kunkel was the father of Louis Kunkel, former prosecuting attorney of LaPorte County. The South Bend Tribune, Friday, November 7, 1930.
1884-85 — Kunkel Henry, laborer, residence on the west side of Franklin St., south of Warren St.
1890 — Kunkel Henry, mineral water dealer, boards on the north side of State Road (now 8th St.)
1893-94 — Kunkel Henry, driver, home at 130 State Road (now 8th St.)
1896 — Kunkel H C, manufacturer of pop and mineral water and agent for Pabst’s Milwaukee Beer, 140 State Road, house is the same.
1897-98 — Kunkel Henry C (Louise), agent Pabst Brewing co and manufacturer Kadow’s Celebrated Pop, 140 State road, house is the same.
1902 — Kunkel, Henry C. (Louise) agt. Pabst Brewing Co., also manufacturer of celebrated pop, 140 State Road, h same.
1905 — Kunkel Henry C (Louise), agent Pabst Brewing Co, also manufacturer of pop and soft drinks, 140 state road or E Eighth, home is the same.
1907 — Kunkel, Henry C. (Louise), bottling works., home at 140 State Road.
1909-10 – Kunkel Bottling Works, H. C. Kunkel proprietor, office and works east Eighth near Michigan, phone 70.
— Michigan City Bottling Works, H. C. Kunkel, proprietor, e Eighth, phone 70.
1913 — Kunkel Henry C, Mnfr of High Grade Ginger Ale, all kinds of Soft Drinks and Agent Pabst Draught and Blue Ribbon Beers, 1040 E 8th residence same (Louise).
1916-18 — Kunkel Henry C. (Louise), soft drink mnfr and agt Pabst Brewing Co., 1040 E 8th. Phone 70.
1919-21 — Kunkel Henry C , soft drink mnfr, 1040 E 8th, phone 70.
1923-25 — Kunkel Henry C (Louise) residence 730 E 8th. (no longer listed as a soft drink manufacturer or bottler).
1925-30 — Kunkel Henry C (Louise) janitor Superior Court bldg r 730 E 8th. (same listing from 1925-30)
Bottle Type: Quart, tooled blob top.
Embossing: H.C. KUNKEL / MICHIGAN CITY / IND.
Glass Maker: SB&G Co. (embossed on base), Streator Bottle & Glass Company, Streator, Illinois.
Other Marks: “7” (embossed on base below SB&G Co.).
Notes: Has a bail-wire stopper known as the Thatcher 1901 closure, as noted by SodasandBeers.com. This stopper was an improvement on the Lightning closure and used a wire bail with an eccentric mechanism. The key difference is that it had two loops on the sides of the stopper that held the eccentric in place.
Photo Credit: Indiana Bottle Collectors
Bottle Type: Quart, tooled blob top.
Embossing: H.C. KUNKEL / MICHIGAN CITY / IND.
Glass Maker: SB&G Co. (embossed on base), Streator Bottle & Glass Company, Streator, Illinois.
Other Marks: “7” (embossed on base below SB&G Co.).
Notes: Has a bail-wire stopper known as the Thatcher 1901 closure, as noted by SodasandBeers.com. This stopper was an improvement on the Lightning closure and used a wire bail with an eccentric mechanism. The key difference is that it had two loops on the sides of the stopper that held the eccentric in place.
Photo Credit: Indiana Bottle Collectors
Bottle Type: Quart, tooled blob top.
Embossing: H.C. KUNKEL / BOTTLING WORKS / MICHIGAN CITY, IND.
Glass Maker: C. & Co. 140 1/2 (embossed on heel), Cunningham & Co.
Other Marks: THIS BOTTLE IS NEVER SOLD (embossed on back).
Notes: Has a bail-wire lightning stopper.
Photo Credit: Indiana Bottle Collectors
Bottle Type: Pint, tooled crown top.
Embossing: H.C. KUNKEL / BOTTLING WORKS / MICHIGAN CITY, IND.
Glass Maker: N. B. B. G. CO. (embossed on heel), North Baltimore Bottle Glass Co.
Other Marks: THIS BOTTLE IS NEVER SOLD (embossed on back), REGISTERED (embossed on front heel), large “K” (embossed on base).
Notes:
Photo Credit: Indiana Bottle Collectors
