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PURE GRAIN DISTILLERY CO. / LIBERAL, MO.

ID#: RRP2108
How do I buy this glass?
see details below
Glass Category:Liquor advertising
Glass Type:Thin-walled shot
Label Type:Usual white-etched label
Dimensions:2-1/4 " x 1-15/16 " x 1-3/8"
Edmonson:Not listed
State:MO
City:Liberal
Notes:
The following is taken from "This Strange Town - Liberal, Missouri" by J.P. Moore (1963). "In 1900, B.F. Argo opened a saloon in what is now the east wing of the Edwin Lipscomb building at the northeast corner of Main and Yale streets. Mr. Argo's son Rolla was associated with him in the business. It is the recollection of this writer that Rolla did not like the business. So in 1904, after four years in the saloon, they sold to Powers Richardson, who continued in business until voted out by local option, in about 1907. The elder Argo was operating a whisky distillery, two miles west of town, just across the creek west from the old iron bridge. The distillery was noted for its name brand whisky, "Old Iron Bridge," a popular sour mash product ($4.00 per gallon for the six-year old, $2.50 per gallon for the four-year). Newer whisky sold for less at the distillery. A half pint over the bar at any saloon was twenty-five cents. Mr. Argo sold the distillery to Oxford Brothers in 1910. The Oxfords sold to a Joplin, Mo., firm in 1914. About a year later the distillery was destroyed by fire and was not rebuilt. Rolla Argo now resides at Sunland, California. The old Iron Bridge still was destroyed by fire in about 1915, but for a time a considerable quantity of bonded whisky was kept in a warehouse on the premises. This attracted looters and resulted in a tragic incident there. On the night of February 13, 1920, W.E. (Earl) Gowdy, Liberal city marshal, was killed in helping thwart an attempt by thieves to make a raid on the whisky stock. Gowdy and O.L. Holland, owner of the warehouse property, surprised a gang of three men in the act of breaking in. A gun battle ensued and Gowdy was felled by a shotgun blast. According to newspaper accounts at the time, the three men were Arthur Dean, Bob Slack and August Pancer, all of Mulberry, Kan., or area. All escaped immediately. But they were identified within a few hours through a tip-off by an alert Mulberry man, and were eventually captured and given penal sentences. The last of the three to be caught was Slack, who was purported the killer. Slack had fled to South American where he was picked up about five years later. There were 218 barrels of whisky in the warehouse at the time of the attempted robbery. The gang in making their getaway abandoned a pickup truck and four empty wine kegs they apparently had intended to fill. An additional clue was a fur cap lost by one of the men as he crawled through a barbed wire fence in his flight. The owners soon thereafter removed all the whisky from the warehouse. So all semblance of the old distillery, once a busy place and an oasis for bulk purchasers of the sour mash product is gone forever."

Company name timeline:
Pure Grain Distilling Co.

Address timeline:
PO Box 12

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This glass is shown for informational purposes only and is not for sale.

We MAY be able to find a glass like this for you, however.

Be warned, these glasses are rare antiques, around 100 years old. Prices typically range from $30 or so on the more common glasses (e.g., a Hayner or a Detrick) to $250+ on desirable picture glasses.

Please send a message expressing your interest using the comment box below -- and don't forget to include an e-mail address or we have no way of knowing who to reply to!


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