I noticed an ebay listing of a collection of a dozen OGW based embossed bottles for sale. This is certainly a nice grouping of
western glass from a glass works that did not last long. Here is some relevant, information about this company.
On April 18th, 1884 a small article appeared in the S.F. Alta California paper "Patents were issued Wednesday to the following California inventors: Isaac B. Woilard, San Francisco, assigns to the Oakland Glass Works at Oakland, a demijohn or bottle-safe."
On Thursday September 18th, 1884 this article appeared; "Regular work at the Oakland glass works will begin on Monday on glass bottles. The glass pots are now being heated and several successful experiments in glassmaking were made yesterday. W. D. Loos is Superintendent and the works will employ sixty men and boys."
On September 24th, 1884, this article was written; "The Oakland Glass Works began regular work on Monday, and are now turning out demijohns, fruit-jars, claret and other bottles. Previously, no glass house in the United States has succeded in making claret bottles after the French pattern, but by a new process they are made with complete success at the Oakland works. The company is fortunate in the possession of a large tract of pure white sand at Monterey, which Eastern manufacturers admit is the best material for making glass in the United States. At the same time, Eastern experts doubted that white glass could be made here, even after washing the sand, which is always done in the East. Experiments made yesterday, however, show that so clean and pure is this sand that clear white glass can be made without washing the sand, and as a natural consequence, the factory will proceed to manufacture window-glass of the best quality. The demand for claret bottles alone is very large on this coast, exceeding fifty gross a day. The works employ a large number of men and boys. The latter are now employed in weaving the wicker covers for demijohns, and although they only began the work a few days ago, some of them are earning $1 a day, by the piece."
On September 4th, 1885, this article appeared in the S.F. Alta California paper; "Fifteen suits have been begun in the Justice's Court by John L. Howard, assignee, against the stockholders of the Oakland Glass Works, for sums ranging from $20 to 200. The works are at present shut down."
This article appeared in the September 19th, 1887 S. F. Alta California paper. "Oakland Glass Works to F. Dilger, 3.86 acres cor First and Linden sts."
Apparently by this time the property of the glassworks had been sold. Precisely how long its operations lasted I do not know. It appears to have been in operation for at least a year, maybe longer. Was it a casualty of SF & PGW is not certain, although SF & PGW has been credited with either buying or forcing out of business no less than 7 glassworks since their incorporation in 1876.
Hey, we've seen Slick Fifths on the Whiskey Site, How about some Slick Western Bitters Pics (The more the better) Dr.Barnes
Here it is the middle of November and the holiday season is just around the corner. Thought it might be time to update what's going on in the western bottle community;
of months but the bottle that garnered the most bids and interest was the Bach Meese Botanic Stomach Bitters. Final selling price for the Botanic was $305. A bargain in my opinion. Other bottles auctioned on ebay included a Peruvian Bitters for $34, a plain aqua Henley's for $110 and a Star Kidney & Liver Bitters reached $95. I, for one will be looking forward to American Bottle Auctions auction #49 this December, with hopes of adding something to my bitters shelf.
f better things to come.
Dr. Renz's Herb Bitters was first introduced to the California public on August 31st 1867. The very first advertisement shows the bitters to be marketed from 222 J Street in Sacramento California by Dr. C.M. Renz and his son John.
Even though this recent acquisition is not a western bitters, it sure is a beautiful bottle with a wonderful story.
Last week on ebay this Bennet's Celebrated Stomach Bitters sold for $416.77. 
Here is a more comprehensivc advertisement for the Turner Brothers medicinal beverages that were marketed in California during the latter 1850's and early '60's. It's not surprising that diggers/collectors have unearthed at least four different mould variations of the bottle. Those bottles most likely had a myriad of different labels attached to cover their wide array of offerings as seen in the above ad.
in the October 1858 Nevada Journal newspaper that they are manufacturers of Turner’s Ginger Wine, Forest Wine Bitters, syrups, cordials and an unrivalled Vegetable Bitters, all manufactured at their San Francisco depot. Sometime in 1865 the Turner Brothers sellout to the firm of McMillan and Kester and thereafter McMillan & Kester start advertising that they are the proprietors of the Turner brands. I do not have any information on how long McMillan & Kester used the Turner Brothers brand or if they bottled their bitters or cordials in Turner embossed bottles.
found in the west. 
A lot of advanced western bottle collectors admire and talk about the sparkling, beautiful fire aqua coloration of western manufactured glass, but that wasn't always the case. When the two most successful glassworks were starting out in San Francisco, the raw ingredients that were being used came mostly from various parts of California, with some experimenting being done along the way to come up with good working formulas of ingredients that could be had locally without incurring substantial expense of having to import them. Eventually it was found necessary to import some of the ingredients to get the quality of glass desired.
