Heritage Association of Brown County

David Cole Collection
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David Cole of Bangs, Texas, is a collector of vintage bottles, other artifacts, and also ceramic lamps that were manufactured by Texans, Inc. in Bangs.  Cole grew up with many of the plants officers and workers at Texans, Inc.,, once loaded sacks of clay into the plant from the adjacent railway and even witnessed the lightning strike that destroyed the building in 19'71. He is the premier authority on Texans, Inc., and his collection of their products is undoubtedly the most comprehensive in existence. 

His collection, which not only includes vintage bottles of all kinds, ceramic lamps from Texans Inc. but also other unique items from time past.  Below you will find a snapshot of some of his historical collection of times past. 

At some point in time this collection will be available to the general public but for now it is housed on the second floor of their home.  Cole enjoys giving a tour of his collection for those that are truly interested in the past.  To see his collection you will need to contact him and make an appointment.  Space is limited, so only a small group would be able to see this collection at a time.

You can call David Cole at: (325) 752-6926

For more information and photos on his Texans, Inc. lamp collection you can view it by going to the website maintained by Mark Stevens, a collector of lamps himself: 

http://www.tvlamps.net/cole-collection.html
 

 
 
 
 

Background by crown-top soda water bottles is (foreground) horn-speaker for the Atwater Kent Breadboard 1921 radio, the first commercially available radio.  Until 1921 all radios were sold as kits.  To the right is a hot water dispenser for a drug store counter during the very early 1900's.





Above are five syrup dispensers used in early an 1900 drug store.  The middle three dispensers are sitting on top of a Freshman Masterpiece radio made by Thomas Edison Corporation  with a horn speaker on either side. 

Note the dispenser in the photo here on the right that is sitting on the counter.  This is how they were  use to dispense syrup.

 
 
 
 

American Bosch Magneto Corp. radio with speaker, and a Muscadine Punch dispenser sitting to the left.

 
 
 
 
 

Milk bottles from Brownwood, Texas, dairies.

 
 

The background is Brownwood milk bottles with a 1940s firetruck in foreground.  The firetruck is metal and has never been used.  It was purchased in the original box in the early 1970s.  The firetruck sits on an antique radio, an Algonquin Model R.F.5

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Two painted label crown top soda bottles bottled by the Lockwood family of Brownwood.
Third and second bottles from right are Brownwood whiskey bottles...the third from right is from the Tennessee Whiskey House, Charles Low, Brownwood, Texas.  The second from right is J.J. Martin, Red Light Saloon, Brownwood, Texas.

Bottles used for Mineral Water from Mineral Wells, Texas
Starting with bottle 4 from the left the next nine bottles are Brownwood BIMAL (Blown In Mold Applied Lip) - made 1890 through 1910.

 
 

Blob Tops, the earliest soda bottles - 1850 thru 1880's.

 
 

This wall display case is filled with Hutchinson sodas displayed in alphabetical order by town name, A through C.

 
 

The Hutchinson Stopper was invented in Chicago, Illinois, on April 8, 1879, by Charles Hutchinson.  This internal stopper led to one of the most unique bottles in the history of bottling, the Hutchinson Stopper Bottle.

 
 
 

Hutchinson soda bottles patented in 1879 and outlawed by the Food & Drug Adm. in 1906.

 
 

Three Brownwood Hutchinson soda bottles used before 1900.  Note:  Alamo Bottling became Coca-Cola bottling company in Brownwood in 1903.
Go To Second Page of Cole's Collection
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