July 2026 Update Updates to the Indiana Bottle Collectors website will be temporarily paused during the month of July 2026 as we work behind the scenes on a major reorganization of the site. Over the past several months, it has become clear that maintaining a comprehensive reference covering the entire state of Indiana requires more time than can realistically be dedicated to the project. To allow for more frequent updates and a higher-quality resource, the website will soon shift its primary focus to Northwest Indiana, with special emphasis on Lake, Porter, and LaPorte Counties. The Indiana Hutchinson Bottle and Indiana Embossed Dairy Bottle reference sections will continue to cover the entire state and will remain active and updated for the whole state. However, most other sections outside Northwest Indiana will no longer receive regular updates. Additional information about these changes, including the reasons behind them and what visitors can expect moving forward, will be announced soon. Thank you to everyone who has supported the project by sharing photographs, historical information, and bottle discoveries. Your contributions have helped make this website possible, and we appreciate your continued support as we begin this new chapter.

Charles L. Smith

  • County: La Porte County
  • Location: La Porte
  • Years Active in the Business: c. 1904 - 1910

Charles L. Smith was born in Richmond, Indiana, on July 20, 1862.

He married Augusta Henriette Gast on December 26, 1882, in Berrien, Michigan. She died on February 16, 1910.

Around 1904, he took over William Weiler’s saloon at 412 Adams Street, known as the Lake Erie Saloon. The 1913 directory shows that the business had been taken over by Robert Garwood. Charles had left La Porte by at least 1918, as records show he remarried that year in Manistee, Michigan, and he appears in the 1920 U.S. Census living in Manistee.

He died at the age of 75 on March 27, 1938, in Manistee, Michigan, and is buried in Patton Cemetery in La Porte, Indiana.

1904 & 1907 – Smith, Chas. (married to Augusta), sample room at 412 Adams Street and house the same.
1910– Smith Chas, saloon, 412 Adams, phone 341.
1913 – Not listed in the 1913. R. H. Garwood is listed at 412 Adams under saloons.

Bottle Photos

#1

Bottle Type: Pint, hand-tooled blob top. 
Embossing: CHAS. SMITH / LA PORTE, IND. 
Glass Maker: ROOT (embossed on back heel), Root Glass Company, Terre Haute, IN.
Other Marks: THIS BOTTLE NOT TO BE SOLD (embossed on back)
Notes: Has a bail-wire lightning stopper. There is a quart of this bottle. Please submit a photo if you have one. 
Photo Credit: Indiana Bottle Collectors

View Full-Size Image
#2

Bottle Type: Quart, tooled blob top. 
Embossing: CHA’S. SMITH / LAPORTE, IND. 
Glass Maker: M.B.& G. Co. (embossed on base in an arch), Massillon Bottle & Glass Co., Massillon, Ohio (1900–1904).
Other Marks: 
Notes: Has a bail-wire lightning stopper.
Photo Credit: Indiana Bottle Collectors

View Full-Size Image
#3

Bottle Type: Pint, tooled blob top. 
Embossing: CHA’S. SMITH / LAPORTE, IND. 
Glass Maker: M.B.& G. Co. (embossed on base in an arch), Massillon Bottle & Glass Co., Massillon, Ohio (1900–1904).
Other Marks: “5” (on base).
Notes: Matches the quart. 
Photo Credit: Indiana Bottle Collectors

View Full-Size Image
#4

Bottle Type: Pint, tooled blob top. 
Embossing: CHAS. SMITH / LA PORTE, IND. 
Glass Maker: ROOT (on base), Root Glass Co., Terre Haute, IN. 
Other Marks: THIS BOTTLE IS NEVER SOLD (on back).
Notes: 
Photo Credit: Indiana Bottle Collectors

View Full-Size Image

Buildings • Business • People Photos

#1

The Lake Erie Saloon was located at 412 Adams Street and operated by Charles Smith after he took it over from William Weiler. The building is now Shooters Bar & Grill as of 2025. The people in this undated photo are unidentified, but they are most likely Charles Smith and his wife.

View Full-Size Image

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *