19th century glass bottle found in Albany

by: Cassie Hudson

Posted: Mar 8, 2023 / 07:19 AM EST

Updated: Mar 10, 2023 / 09:59 AM EST

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – A relic from the past was discovered in Lincoln Park last week while excavating the Beaver Creek Clean River project. A blue glass ginger ale bottle from the 19th century was found fully intact, leading to questions about its origins.

While excavating the Beaver Creek Clean River project, the Albany Water Department and WM J Keller & Sons discovered a Cuddy and Mullen ginger ale blue glass bottle marked Albany, New York. It was uncovered when they first unearthed the existing Beaver Creek pipe built in the 1870's.

"We actually haven't seen it since then, so to dig it up and to see it for the first time in that many years is interesting to us. The bottle was sort of an extra find that was exciting as well," said Rebecca Caldon, an engineer for the Albany Water Department.

"A lot of archeological digs have to do with garbage, people throw things in the privy or things in the backyard and then that sheds light on how they lived," says Albany City Historian Tony Opalka.

One of Opalka's directories confirms Cuddy and Mullen was one of the many companies that existed in the city of Albany in the late 19th century. By the early 1900s, the two were no longer in partnership. Cuddy continued to be a bottler post-partnership but independent of Mullen, according to Opalka's records.

Given the location of the discovery, Opalka's atlas shows there was no production in the area because of the Beaver Creek. He believes the bottle was tossed out by its drinker and then hidden away until now.