James E. Fritz, Lake Wynonah, recalled an afternoon in 1982 when he took a shovel up to a hill in Mechanicsville and found one of his prized possessions.
It was a 7-ounce, light-aqua bottle made in the 1880s. There was raised-lettering on the side: "C. MILLER POTTSVILLE PA."
C. Miller is the name of a 19th century bottler from Pottsville, he said.
"I was digging for four hours and just about to give up when I found it. It was in mint condition. Most likely it would have been a bottle for beer, ale or porter," Fritz said.
Today, it may not be worth much, he said.
"To a collector in Philadelphia, it's worth 10 bucks. But to me, it's worth $30 or $35, because I know bottles with this name on it are difficult to find," Fritz said.
Since the mid-1970s, Fritz, 71, has had a fascination with bottles made in New York and New Jersey between the 1840s and the 1920s which were commissioned by bottling companies in Pottsville.
"Since then, I've amassed a collection of 114, all 'Pottsville' bottles," Fritz said.
He will give a talk about his collection and the history of local beer and soda bottles at the Schuylkill County Historical Society, 305 N. Centre St., Pottsville, at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Society President David Derbes said it's free and open to the public.
In early November, Fritz put 43 bottles from his collection on display at the society. The bottles, ranging in capacity from 7 ounces to 12 ounces, are in a display case in the first floor hallway.
"Bottles weren't made locally. They were made in places like New York or New Jersey or Philadelphia. There weren't any bottle makers in Pottsville as far as I know. But there were numerous bottlers in Pottsville, companies that ordered up bottles and filled them with beverages. Few people know the extent of the number of bottlers that were in business within the Pottsville area over the years," Fritz said.
He had a list of more than 50. They included C. Miller, Driscoll Bottling Works, Mountain City Bottling Co., and D.G. Yuengling & Son Inc., known today as America's Oldest Brewery.
The bottles on display Nov. 22 included a clear bottle for D.G. Yuengling. The name of the brewery, "D.G.Y. and Son Pottsville, Pa." was in script along the side.
"I think that's from around 1880. If you notice, it has a lightning stopper on it, so it could be resealed," Fritz said.
While antique bottles were easier to find years ago, collectors may not have the kind of luck Fritz had back in 1982.
"They're just not there anymore. And the places where we used to go to dig 30 or 40 years ago, now those areas have been turned into housing developments. Times changed," Fritz said.