Old bottles tell their stories at Silver Reef Museum
On July 27 at 10 a.m., a discussion of old bottles at Silver Reef Museum in Leeds will include how to tell a bottle from the 1800s from a newer bottle, why some old bottles turn purple and others don’t, what features might make a bottle attractive to a collector, and why one old bottle might be worth $5 while another may be worth hundreds of dollars.
Old bottles can help to tell the story of a community and what the people who lived in that place and time were like. What were those miners drinking? What medicines were parents giving their children and taking themselves? What preserved foods were people in the community eating?
On display will be several old bottles, and attendees are invited to bring any old bottle they may have a question about.
Mike Empey and his wife have collected old bottles and other antiques for 40 years. They have specialized in collecting pre-1906 bottles that claimed to “cure” diseases before there were laws that required proof of the claim. Empey was once featured on Charles Osgood’s CBS radio show discussing “Cure” bottles.
Empey has an interest in the history of the old West and has been active in the Leeds Historical Society and the Washington County Historical Society. He has also participated in historical reenactments including Silver Reef Ghost Night and St. George Live.
Ray Beal and his wife live in Leeds. Beal has lived in the Wells Fargo building and spent his childhood on the grounds of the museum. He and his wife have donated many if not most of the bottle collection on display at the museum. His mother wrote a book of her memories of Silver Reef and a book about Leeds as well.
Mike Walters and his wife live in Silver Reef. Walters is an avid collector of bottles from 1860 to 1900. He has a collection amassed from years of digging and collecting old bottles in Utah, Nevada, and California. He has researched them and learned about what life was like for their original owners.
Reservations are suggested. To make reservations, visit form.jotform.com/83616964482973 or call (435) 879-2254. Museum admission is $4, and exhibits and the tour are included.
Articles related to “Old bottles tell their stories at Silver Reef Museum”
Lyceum Music Festival Orchestra performs at O. C. Tanner Amphitheatre
