Jono Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 Dave...you have a poet in you: "But no one was there but the birds in the air and the breeze from the river and the noise of creeking doors in the old abandon warehouses. And plant Maintaince empty and no trucks or old cars anywhere"I hope you can get a Kinsey History published....maybe start a chapter outline....beginnings....early years....plant info...product info...personal stories details etc.http://poetrypoem.com/cgi-bin/index.pl?poemnumber=508173&sitename=sanctus&poemoffset=0&displaypoem=t&item=poetryhttp://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/5923Hey Dave, how about building a model of the plant? There is a retirement hobby!http://www.freewebs.com/photographsblqualls/buildings.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave ziegler Posted November 24, 2008 Author Share Posted November 24, 2008 These pictures are of O Building the Government offices & Locker room, a 2 shots from the top of the stairs down at the office. Singer Bottling Machines and 2 Fork lifts that sit in Building L across from where the Bottles of Whiskey burnt up. Also two nice shots of The Warehouses, showing the How you would get out of the fire escape. To get out you had to go through a door in the wall onto one of the little Balcanies and in a door in it as there were no doors in the walls to it the little porch was designed so as to prevent you getting fire following you. You would close the door and go down the sealed Stair case to escape! I will be posting my last pictures in a bit on the Memories thread including the Neat old Sign I found! Dave Z __________________________________________ It Seems All The Nicest people Drink Old Hickory America's Most Magnificent Bourbon __________________________________________ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave ziegler Posted November 26, 2008 Author Share Posted November 26, 2008 When I take a trip inside the 1966 Bottling House I always make sure to have my Emergency Cell phone and two Flashlights with new batteries! Knowing how long it is two football fields and how very little Light filters in as no windows it is something I do with caution. It never fails I find new shots or better shots in there in it is such a very big building as you could see by the shot I took of its side the side is bigger then the warehouses.Starting at the far end where the Big Black incoming tanks outside are is where the Whiskey bottling started, with many tanks and filters and all the incoming lines. Next at the dividing wall where I took pictures where it stated Line A-1 and so on is where cases started their way to the bottling machines, then in the giant middle section there was and I am going to get a picture of it next time a area where the Girls would pack the filled bottles into the cases and then they would travel through another wall at the still area side of the building where there was a giant area to warehouse the filled bottles and to ship them out the front of the building. At the end men would put the cases on pallets and fork trucks like the orange one in my pictures would take them to the warehouse area.Also Remembering there were 11 lines A-1 through K-11 running this way to the end each one with differant products Blended's Straight's, Scotch's Gin's Vodka's and all going down through the last wall to the Fork truck area from the beginning area to end area where many Fork trucks took them to their respective storeage area. That is How Big the Building was!Everytime I go in I am amazed at its size everything done in one continueous one floor Building. I would never go in with out at least 2 flashlights and my Phone as in the dark if you did not know your way you could get lost.When the 1966 Bottling house opened many People other companies came to look at it and many of those companies used us to bottle there Products with our Whiskeys and using are bottle house when they could not keep up with their orders it was a thing of great pride to know that Companies even used our Whiskeys for their products because they knew the Quality of our aging Whiskeys!Jacquins Of Philadelphia many times called on us to bottle some of their Liquors during the Holiday season in the Old Kinsey Bottle house because they could not meet production. I remember well talking to a guy who said to me I would never drink your Liquors I only drink Jacquins and then he said what the brand and type of Liquor was and I said everytime you drink some you are drinking our Whiskeys and our ingrediants and that lot was bottled right here at the old Kinsey Bottle House!When you think about how many people worked a shift in the building you relize its size an average of 230 to 250 people on each of two shifts that was big back then!I will always be proud to have worked for Publicker Industires / Continental Distilling Division at Kinsey and many times wish I could go back to the Future there just one time. It was my All time favorite Place to work and I take great pride in writting about it and Publicker and the wonderful Way Mr Si Neuman ran the place and How much He loved this Distillery on the River in Linfield pa.I Will Always Love My Memories Of Kinsey DistillingDave Z_______________________________________________It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old HickoryAmerica's Most Magnificent Bourbon============================================Kinsey The Unhurried WhiskeyPhiladelphia Blended Whiskey The Heritage WhiskeyInver House Soft As A KissInver's in London, New York Everywhere============================================________________________________________________ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave ziegler Posted December 3, 2008 Author Share Posted December 3, 2008 The other night when I spoke to the person that was a very important person in the running of all of Publicker Ind He told me that the 1966 Linfield Bottling House had so much capacity that we could do all our Products and at the same time do all the bottling that Seagrams needed. That is how well it was set up and how big it was back then. As Time goes by I want to learn all I can from Him and pass it on. With all the information He has the whole story of Continental Distilling & Mr Neuman can be known and if I can help and do a book with him it will be a dream come true for me as I want the world to know what a great Company Publicker was and all its History and what an Amazing Person Mr Neuman was. And The Wonderful Whiskeys we Made and of Course My Favorite Old Hickory.Dave Z------------------------------------------------It Seemss All The Nicest People Drink Old HickoryAmerica's Most magnificent Bourbon------------------------------------------------- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave ziegler Posted December 15, 2008 Author Share Posted December 15, 2008 I was asked by Jeff, Why I had called the 1966 Bottling house Building U on my memories thread. The Reason is when it was built after talking to many People and first off on my old Blue prints it was called Building U just as The Government Building was building O the Alpabet which is what they did with every warehouse but the very last one back which was Building #38 and Ludy right now does not remember the special reason I will keep trying to find out.Any way back before 1965 it was listed on the Blue print as a General Purpose Explosion Proof Building U and I have found out never had any racks so I have been told. Barrels in there were stacked it had the large docks then for filled barrels to come in by box car and truck and be moved from there to the other warehouse buildings for aging. Also it would serve as a place to ship out Barrels of Whiskey to go to Phila to be dumped and bottled at Biggler Street bottle house then. also tankers could have been filled out of Warehouse U and shipped to Phila to unload and bottle.They decided that they did not want to mess around upgrading Biggler as alot less room down there and since 99% of the Barreled Aging Whiskey that they owned were in warehouses in Linfield that dumping them there and Bottling them there made more sense. This way they would only have to ship up Whiskey to age and when they did could haul finished stuff for over seas down there on the return Trip. So What originally was Warehouse U became the Worlds largest one floor Bottling house with 11 Lines and warehouse storeage of full cases and shipping in just one Building!And it was so big that even the Clock could stay there covered the whole time the Bottling house did whiskey! It is Two Foot Ball fields Long!I would not be surprised if this was the Idea even back in the 1940's when they built them but just took a bit to do it with the War and all! Both of the Two Blue prints I have of the Plant which were made before 1965 one being dated 1961 call it Building U all purpose Explosion proof. And this is the only Building this big that was built there I would think with that to happen some day in the Future in Mr Neumans Mind which did happen in 1965/66. Biggler was a very Old Bottling House with nothing near the capacity of Linfield.Also I meant to speak about the Singer Bottle Machines from what I was told by my Friend who was very high in the Company Mr Neuman bought them all used in perfect condition rather then spend lots of extra money and since he had people Like Ludy who could littery make them Sing! He said Last night that they were very Dependable Machines and being out of the Industry now He does not know for sure but thinks they still use machines like that. When the Place closed most were auctioned off but some the ones I took pictures of never got bought!So That is the Story of Building U The All purpose Explosion Proof Warehouse and what it became the worlds Largest One floor Bottling house at that time and a Power House for Bottling Whiskey!Dave Z-----------------------------------------------It Seems All the Nicest People Drink Old HickoryAmerica's most Magnificent Bourbon------------------------------------------------ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave ziegler Posted December 21, 2008 Author Share Posted December 21, 2008 It seems no matter how cold or lousy the Weather I try to get to Kinsey every week. I think because I know that one of these days it will all be gone and so I try to see and save and take pictures as much as I can. Saturday with my orange on for hunting season I went in again and mainly got some pictures again outside and in the 1966 Bottling House which was called All Purpose warehouse U in its early days before becoming the world largest bottling house in 1965 /1966. The tour starts with a Shot I got from a different Angle on the Hill on the Back side of Building O I was able to get all 2 footbal fields worth of the 1966 Bottling House. Looking at the Black Tanks down to the Water tower that is the whole length of the Bottle house it took me till now to get a shot of the whole thing one because weeds have died for the Winter and two finding a angle that you could do it with out cutting some of it out. Shot 2. I go into the enclosure of the black tanks for incoming Whiskey! Pic 3. through 11. inside the Tankage area including pictures of Signs on tanks, Meters, stuff on the roof Chillers I think, The far front big white tank hidden by trees, Stairs to the top of the tanks and a Picture inside one of the tanks! Next Are shots of The Quality Office biins that say Not stamped, outgoing, Greenwich which Meant Greenwich CT company Headquarters and Bigler for the Bigler street Plant. Next a shot of a soda machine full of Cups never to be used again then Pictures of Tankage inside, A machine that said Whiskey Chiller on its side but I some how in the dark did not get the right part where it was written and the last shot Looking toward the first Bulkhead wall where the Bottle Lines started their journey two football fields to the end where bottles were cased and skided and warehoused! I hope these Picture are ok as my Lens on my camera was steaming up in the cold damp air in there had to get out quick as not so good for my Asthma in there. Dave Z ---------------------------------------------------- It Seems All The nicest People Drink Old Hickory America's Most magnificent bourbon ----------------------------------------------------- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave ziegler Posted January 19, 2009 Author Share Posted January 19, 2009 In its time the 1966 Continental Distilling Bottling House at Kinsey was the worlds Biggest, I am wondering now having never been in any Bottling houses except it are they bigger today? Do they have more then 11 Lines going all the Time? And could they as we could do our whole Product Line for that day and someone elses as the My Friend who was a top EX with Publicker told me we could?I know as a fact Ours was the Biggest then but that was a long time ago and I would love to know what amount of Lines does the Biggest one have now and How many People does it take in the biggest one to run it today? We had between 450 to 500 people running ours on two shifts do companys run two shifts of Bottling today?I am thinking that they are smaller and leaner if for no other reason then less Bourbon and spirits selling compared to the Old Days but not having been to any Distillery other then Our Plant I honestly do not Know.We did Gin, Vodka,Rum Blended Whiskey and Bourbon all at the same time, and Our Liqours were being made in the Old Kinsey Bottle House at the same time. Dave Z----------------------------------------------It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old HickoryAmerica's Most Magnificent Bourbon==================================== Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mozilla Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 I have seen a few bottling lines...some real small and one real big. BT, KBD, Four Roses and HH all have small hand run lines for some of their products. While HH and BT have larger lines for the mass produced products. I have only seen HH's big operation, though. HH has both older and newer lines. Their old lines I would guess are somewhat similar to some of the 1966 BH. While, their new lines are super fast and don't require the hands on maintanence that the older ones do. They also have two huge pallet jacks that are fully automated. The way HH runs their lines and bottling could set the standard for any bottle house in the world. They really know the meaning of teamwork. And Yes, they work double shifts at HH.Barton does have a decent line in Bardstown. Not huge but looks to be able to get the job done. They were cranking out lot's of product when I was there last. Also, Sam Cecils son works on the Barton line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave ziegler Posted January 20, 2009 Author Share Posted January 20, 2009 Jeff How big is the building it is in? I doubt anyone has a building the size Continentals was two foot ball fields long but there was allot more Bourbon and Whiskey in General being made and sold those days so I would doubt anyone would ever build a Bottle House like the Kinsey 1966 one ever again!I am sure there are some better systems but I would be willing to bet there are still some of the Old Bottle Machines out there cranking out Whiskey. It is a real shame that such a modern Bottling House as that was only ran for 13 yrs for Whiskey and then 7 yrs Industrial and was torn apart and left to ruin.What was great about Building U the Bottle House was it did everything it was shipping, 11 lines of Bottling, warehousing of Full cases and Tankage all in One giant Building, it was truley one of a Kind.Dave Z====================================It Seems All The Nicest people Drink Old HickoryAmerica's Most magnificent Bourbon==================================== Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mozilla Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Heaven Hill has a huge warehouse and bottling house. I had purchased a new camera for my first distillery trip. The camera could not even get a good picture in the case storage part of the warehouse because it was soooo big. Here is a link to the satillite picture of Bardstown. If you look to where Gilkey Run and HWY 49 cross...on the south east corner of town. You will notice that where the "My Ky Home" golf course ends...is the HH Bottle House. Tanks can be seen directly behind the original BH. While the large silver toped area has to be the case goods warehouse. http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?city=Bardstown&state=ky#a/maps/l:::Bardstown:KY::US:37.8092:-85.466904:city:Nelson+County:1/m:hyb:7:37.8092:-85.466904:0:::::/io:0:::::f:EN:M:/e Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mozilla Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 I was in complete amazement when Bettye Jo showed me how much invintory the facility would hold. Also, that everything in there had already been sold...and they were in the process of moving it all out and filling it up with fresh supplies. It was really hard to believe that what is so impressive to me was just another day of work for the crew in the BH. If BJ sees any of this...she can fill in some of the blanks with actual numbers, which is even more impressive. They really kick some ass at HH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave ziegler Posted February 2, 2009 Author Share Posted February 2, 2009 Sunday Afternooon I took an icy walk through Kinsey and I got some new Pictures of the 1966 Bottling house outside in the very front side and around that way I have never taken and here they are 1. walking at the front from the still area here is part of the Dock of Building U the 1966 Bottling house. Skids piled high wait for shipment which will never happen. 2. Farther along I was amazed to see more Abandon Singer style Bottling Machines this one looks to be in nice shape for years of sitting outside. 3.The Next 4 Bottling Machines are covered with thorn growth in this picture. 4. Closeup of Weed covered Machines. 5.Going to the Far end from the front to the Big Black tanks Hundreds of Skids wait for use that will never come! 6. I finally walked to the Big white tank tower and the nexts shots will be of it including this one. 7,The last shot of the front door dock 1 at far end of docks 8. The white tank 9. Inside white tank It has a door and I opened it to find it is a vat of some sort I have no clue if anyone does please share could have been for the Anitfreeze operation 10. Here is another strange set up a continuous line that has side guides and drive belt and brought something outside and then back in. 11.Trees growing everywhere at the docks and all over 12. There is another tank of some sort here in the fenced in area 13. Trees taking over the Rails that took Box cars and Tankers to the back part of the Plant from the front of the Bottling House the ones going back came this route and the ones to the far side front warehouses came around the other way 14. The Back tanks from the front side incoming Spirits 15. Another shot of the Black tanks 17. A shot of the inside black tank area from a different Angle 18. This is the best shot I have gotten yet of the Whole Bottling House which starts at the Black tanks and runs down to the water tower 2 football fields long! Not to bad a job for an Old Guy with Asthma I refuse to not take chances and even went into the old Buildings again as the Old Kinsey Liqour Bottling house is in its last days so I took a picture in it also which will be on the other thread with plant pictures I will also be posting some plant pictures on the Memories thread today. Dave Z ---------------------------------------------------- Kinsey The Unhurried Whiskey For Unhurried Moments ----------------------------------------------------- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave ziegler Posted February 3, 2009 Author Share Posted February 3, 2009 I am thinking about our most famous Bourbon this morning and My personal all time favorite Old Hickory Straight Bourbon!If I would have thought the day would come that it was not made anymore I would have stocked up by the case many cases! I have never found any Bourbon made today that tastes like Old Hickory especialy our 86 Proof 10 year Old. It is a very Flavorful and Mellow pour and so many Bottles flowed out of the Linfield Bottle House we had it running almost every day during holiday times and out In Lemont IL and many more back in the day at our Bottle House at Bigler Street in Phila. It was Our Biggest seller and known workld wide.I used to think when I worked there how cool it was that someone in the UK would be having Old Hickory in the evening while it was day time here and we were bottling it.It is hard for me to believe I have such a hard time finding any when I get low but it is a fact I guess it was so dam good that people drank it all up for the most part. Anyone who has had it will agree it was a very special Bourbon!Dave Z=========================================It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old HickoryAmerica's Most magnificent Bourbon========================================== Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave ziegler Posted February 23, 2009 Author Share Posted February 23, 2009 After posting the picture of my Libery Bell Whiskey Decanter I thought about all the trouble the company Had with them. They were the worst bottle we ever did. There would be continualy ones when sealed that leaked. They made these from 1976/ through 1977.There was a giant batch of them that had a hair crack in the bell where the fake liberty bell crack was and Continental had to sue the maker as they refused to replace them. They were not our normal bottle maker as the company would always use Diamond Glass bottles but they did not do decanters. Diamond Glass was in Royersford and Continental aways used local venders whenever possible.The one I have had the cork broken off as all of them did and I replaced it and filtered out the cork through a brown coffee Filter. and reatached the seal.The only other decanter they ever made was the Andrew Jackson Old Hickory one and it had a regular stopper and worked out they made them in 1955 /56. I have 4 of them all empty.And they made their Famous Coffee Corafe which came in sets of 2-- 100 proof BIB or 86 proof. They came with an owners manual and could have coffee or water warmed in them on a burner wire to add whiskey to make a hot Toody! I have a set with the box of the 100 proof BIB and three of the other type one was my Dads and the other given to me by someone when I worked there both empty and one that was given me by the Son of my Friend Smitty the Government Man at Kinsey one year just before the Linfield reunuion, which is for people who lived in Linfield where the Company was located.Dave Z-----------------------------------------------------Kinsey The Unhurried Whiskey For Unhurried MomentsKinsey The Richest Whiskey Of AllJoin The Swing To KinseyKinsey The Genial Gin---------------------------------------------------------- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave ziegler Posted March 18, 2009 Author Share Posted March 18, 2009 Here are some pictures of some original Promotion Pictures for Products I have from the plant. They were laying trashed in the Old Government Building and I saved them and brought them home for History. Products are Inver House Scotch, Mac Arthurs Scotch, Old Hickory, and Pinwinnie Scotch! And Finnaly the first one is Caffe Lolita. Dave Z ----------------------------------------------- Inver House Scotch Soft As A Kiss ----------------------------------------------- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave ziegler Posted March 22, 2009 Author Share Posted March 22, 2009 This morning before I go take a walk at Kinsey I have scaned some of my Many pieces of Company paper work, and I will post on all 3 threads the things that go with that thread! Here are some papers from the Bottling house Files 1. Original Office copy of letter asking permission to make the Philadelphia Blended Whiskey Bicentenial Libery Bell Decanter and 2. The office copy of the return Letter giving permission to do it 3. The office original copy of a letter to Barton Distillers with a list on the back of Stainless tanks the company has for sale, the list was to big to fit here. 4. Inver House Napkins 5. Inver House Napkins front & Back I am ever so thankful that I was able to save these things from the Kids or the dump for History. I will now post some stuff on the fire Tower thread and the Memories thread. Dave Z --------------------------------------------------------------------- Philadelphia The heritage Whiskey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave ziegler Posted April 5, 2009 Author Share Posted April 5, 2009 Well I did what I love to do today I took a walk around Kinsey! And the first pictures are in the incoming Black tanks for the 1966 bottleling House then some of the Old Phillip Singer Bottling machines sitting with weeds growing on them on the front dock and finally a picture of lenth of the front dock wanted to get some more pictures before the weeds take over for the summer. There are 9 of the big black incoming whiskey tanks and a big round silver one and then the tall white one which is a Vat for something I have a shot of it and of inside it. And then a shot of the whole front Dock sideways. Pictures are as follows 1. Sign on one of the big black tanks 2.Incoming whiskey lines from tanks 3. Looking down through the tanks 4. Catwalk to Silver tank with Lights to light the area up 5. Big black Tanks looking up to upper level cat walk 5. Big Silver Tank 7. Big White tank that is a Vat 8. Inside the Door on the White tank 9. Looking down the front dock from far end 10. 3 Phillip Singer Bottling Machines with weeds covering them 11. Another Singer that looks ok and has not been taken over by weeds yet. 12. Looking from the other end down the from dock of the 2 foot Ball fields long Continental Distilling 1966 Bottling House. Everytime I walk here I just can not believe that it has fallen into such ruin and I have great anger that the Man that ownes it now and left it to rot. I just do not understand why he just walked away from it shutting everything down and leaving it to fall into ruin. Dave Z ----------------------------------------------------------------------- It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory America's Most Magnificent Bourbon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave ziegler Posted April 7, 2009 Author Share Posted April 7, 2009 This past Sunday I took a hand held Pipe cutter with me to the Plant and went back in the Old Kinsey Post prohibition Bottling house about 1933/34 and got the double Explosion proof switch housing off the wall I then mounted a pilot Light from the stair well of Warehouse P and one of the original Switches that was on it including the old time bobon type brass flip switch from the late 1930's/40's. I could not get the piece of Conduit off as I have to small a Pipe wrench so took it to work and asked the Company Electric Dept Boss and Electrian Paul if he could get The piece off for me.Well he said not only will I get it off I will wire it this morning for you, well not only did he wire it but he wired it with a heavy 3 prong cord so it would be up to standard so I could use it in my Office so now not only do I have all types of them at home wired for my two Hole outlets but I have this one to enjoy on my Desk. He thought it was very Cool too!When I go to the Plant I turn out the office lights and when I come back it reminds me of walking into the old warehouses where some of these glowed all the time you when you threw switches others came on.It brings back the old days as soon as I see it lit in the dark!People have already come down to check it out and they all like it! it is my way of Keeping our Little Kinsey Bottling house still in my mind it takes me to the day a 19 yr old walked in there to clean and was in awe of the Old Phillip Singer Bottling Machines running tasty Liquors.It was a very special little Bottling House and every drop of Caffe,Amareta and Peanut Lolita Liquor were bottled there and as I said it ran from the Day Mr kinsey built it till the last day Continental Distilling owned it and bottled spirits. And mr Kinsey Bottled His Rye and other things there in it the few years before He lost the place and it was sold by a silent Auction.Dave Z------------------------------------------------------------It Seems All The Nicest people Drink Old HickoryAmerica's most magnificent Bourbon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave ziegler Posted April 22, 2009 Author Share Posted April 22, 2009 Working For Continenmtal Distilling back in the 1960's I always felt that we were almost always the leader in Ideas. In late 1963/early1964 when Publicker made the Desision to make the all Purpose Explosion Proof single floor warehouse U into a modern state of the Art Bottling House, two Foot ball fields long. I am of the Opinon that it lead to the many Modern Bottling Houses operating Now such as the Big One at HH which I think opened just after we built and Opened ours in Late 1965/early 1966. Also we had a good working relationship with HH back then and MR Charles Medley and many Ky and other Distillers. And thiose who bought and bottled themselves. And I am sure there would have been people coming to tour Our Bottling house from many Distillerys as It seemed there were always groups coming to look the place over and see how it worked. When It opened in early Spring 1966 fully it had 11 continous Bottling Lines, separate lines & Tanks incoming for every type of Spirits we made and a full warehousing area for all the finished Products. We had one thing that I do not know if anyone Distilling Has today and that was that we could Load 3 Rail Box Cars and do many trucks also from the Docks of the bottle House. When I started there in fall 1966 I was in awe of the bottle House. it was so dam Big and around 230 to 250 people worked there in two shifts and we could do our days worth of Bottling and someone Like Seagrams also at the same time.It was a powerhouse of a bottling Works and each area was separated by Bulkhead walls except the area at the far incoming end where the lines and tanks were the Lines started there at a bulkhead wall and traveled on through two more bulkhead safety walls and came out through the last one near the front Kinsey Buildings which was warehousing and Shipping.All Boxes Labels and supplies were stored in the Bottle house it was a total self operating Unit and all Bottling operations except Liquor were done there cased there and shipped from there.When It opened it was said to be The Most Modern Bottling House In The World. We had our own on site Modern lab, Quality control, Nurse and Medical Dispensery in the Bottling. Power House large maintaince Room and Large Lunch room in there!Also the Telephones at the tank area were explosion proof we had Battery Power emergency lights high up on walls to light areas in an emergency and every safety setup known of in those days and tons of sprinkling and fire fighting Power on site.About 500 People worked in there on the two shifts and were paid well and for the most part had good lives due to working for Publicker.And in those days our Products were considered some of the very Best.This Bottle House made the Phila Bigler Street one look like a toy!So Many Times I wish could Go back to the Future there just for one day to look at and watch everything in there and talk to the great people who worked there back then, to me writting about Kinsey and Publicker is a work of Love!Dave Z==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=It seems All the Nicest people Drink Old hickory America's Most magnificent Bourbon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave ziegler Posted May 12, 2009 Author Share Posted May 12, 2009 walking around Kinsey on Sunday Morning I was thinking alot about the Big 1966 Bottling House and I really think it was the proto type for todays large selfcontained Bottling houses of one floor long and having everything from Shipping to warehousing of finished product all in one building. Being able to ship from rail and truck and with every then thought of Safety Feature right down to low power emergensey escape lighting!Also having extra capacity for jobs bottling to be done for other Companies and being made Explosion proof also. When built from what I was told by Ludy had a large part of the building with metal racks like the other Warehouses with Barreled aging Whiskey and also some general storing there and shipping. Then around 1964 they started the process of removing the racks and making this 2 football field long building into the Largest Bottling house in the world back then. I just talked to Ludy and He told Me that it opened in around Mid 1965 and was going full tilt by 1966 the year it officialy opened and I started working there. He left the warehouse Dept and went there in 1965 to be a maintaince Man and helped set up the Singer and other Bottling machines so that by 1966 everything would be totally done.The Bottling House had its own boss's and Nurse and dispensary seperate from the Plant itself. And its own Lunch room and Locker room. Everything needed there was in the building new cases of Bottles filled Bottles and total shipping dept and warehousing.It was a thing Of beauty to see operating and all 11 lines filling bottles tanks everywhere and tons of Out put. Before becoming the Bottling house it on my blue print in 1961 of the Plant was called all purpose Warehouse U.Dave Z----------------------------------------------------It Seems All The Nicest people Drink old HickoryAmerica's Most Magnificent Bourbon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave ziegler Posted June 3, 2009 Author Share Posted June 3, 2009 Everytime I go to Kinsey it seems so impossible to see the 2 foot ball field long 1966 Bottling house just sitting there with trees and weeds taking it over. What a shame that once Continental was gone that this man who lets it rot did not sell it to someone who could have walked in and made something of all of it.Everything was still in working order and the Boiler rooms were still working and covered by the granfather act so The Bottling house could have been used for almost any kind of Bottling and at One time Oscar Mayer had talked to Continental about leasing a couple of the Explosion proof warehouses and making them into large Food freezers due to their heavy build and natural coolness but something went wrong as I read were they broke the contract they had to do this on some old Letter Head I found at the plant and this rotten Person bought it to let it rot after Continental closed. He bought it in 1982 when they had started bottling Antifreeze and they leased the whole front plus a couple of warehouses but he kept trying to up their lease and once they went out just fired everyone working there for him including security shut everything down in 1986 and walked away to let it rot now for 23 yrs. I can't understand buying something to destroy it How someone like this can be well off is weird why let it fall to ruin then want 20 million for it.In my opinion He must Be nuts! But everytime I go there it kills me to see it like it is. I am hoping my Friends will let me go in the Big Bottle house this summer to get some real good pictures of what is left as there are alot of things I did not get pictures of. It is in total ruin in there and when it rains very wet.Dave Z----------------------------------------------------Kinsey The Unhurried Whiskey For Unhurried Moments Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave ziegler Posted July 1, 2009 Author Share Posted July 1, 2009 Here is something I never thought I would see again or ever own a full Bottle of Our Glen Mavis Blended Scotch. I was able to buy this full bottle on Line and it is being shipped to me this week. In all the yrs I have had a computer I have never seen any Glen Mavis Scotch on line. Here are a couple of Pictures 1. Front of Quart Bottle 2. Back Of Bottle 3. the back label which is very different as it Has Glen Mavis Distillers Greenwich CT and all the ones I have empty or have seen always have Glen Mavis Distillers Phila. But the Corporate Offices for Continental Distilling where in Greenwitch CT and that means this is either an early production from Scotland or one of the last ever from Linfield as all were bottled in Linfield that I know of. Once I get it I will look for the yr date on the bottom and that will most likely tell the story. Dave Z ----------------------------------------------- Inver House Scotch Soft As A Kiss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave ziegler Posted July 20, 2009 Author Share Posted July 20, 2009 Today I decided I had to take a walk through Kinsey after 4 weekis I just plain missed going there so I went over and got some pictures here are some for the Old 1966 State of Art Bottle House it is being taken over by weeds! 1. Bottling house water tower 2. Weeds taking over the Bottling house 3. I decided to climb the stair case to the Cat walks around the Incoming Liquor Tanks 4. Tanks going up to cat walks 5. Looking down the Cat walk stairs 6.Looking Up at cat walkes above 7. Looking Across the 1966 Bottling House roof from the Cat Walk stairs 8. Tank Capacity incoming Whiskey Tank 9. Looking down through ground tanks on walk way. 10. Plate with the Name of the Local Company that put the tanks in back in spring 1965 for Continental Distilling 11. Tank level meter 12. Looking inside one of the incoming Tanks 13. Inside the Tank 14. Walking toward the incoming Spirits tanks Weeds and Trees all around them. I really tired myself out today but enjoyed going to Kinsey again for History and once there decided I was going to go up the incoming Tanks stair way to the cat walks as I had not done that yet! Dave Z ------------------------------------------------------------ It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory America's Most Magnificent Bourbon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave ziegler Posted July 22, 2009 Author Share Posted July 22, 2009 A note on Sundays Pictures 3 and 4 the incoming black Bottle house Tanks. They have what looks like a Tar cover on them like a coat made to fit on them. I talked to a projet Engineer Friend of mine as I wondered why the Tar jackets as none of the other Outside storage tanks had that. He said he thought that was to keep the in coming temporatures of the Whiskey and Spirite more stable also insulating from heat and keeping evaporation lower in final operation to be bottled.I always wondered why They were black when I looked Sunday they looked like they were fitted on the Tanks after the tanks were put there I could slip my hand under them and I would think Piesol Pine did all the work as their Plate in on the tanks stating 1965. The Bottle House opened Late 1965 and Bigler Street Bottle House Phila was still running and they started hiring big time in 1966 the year I started there and went full speed then closing Bigler down.This looks like another inovative Idea by Continental Distilling and another reason to be sad such a great and Inovative company is no more.Dave Z=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory America's Most Magnificent Bourbon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fricky Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 I would expect a black coating or covering to absorb heat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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