|
Wheaton Industries heritage of progress dates back to 1888 when Dr. Theodore Wheaton, a country physician launched his venture in glass making with a handful of men, an arch, one factory, and a passion to manufacture quality hand blown and processed glassware.
During the past century, Wheaton Glass Company experienced spectacular growth with the advent of automation and the installation of automatic production equipment, diverstification of products through worldwide marketing.
In 1967, Wheaton Glass, a division of Wheaton Industries began to produce commemorative decanters, flasks, and bottles. In 1969 the first Presidential bottle was issued with John F. Kennedy on it. JFK was followed by series honoring many of our presidents. Each of the presidential decanters were issued in a limited quantity with accurate images of the presidents. On the reverse side of these canteen shaped bottles was a quotation or slogan in which related to the Chief Executive. Different colors were used on several of the bottles.
The Great American series of 1969 were flask shaped bottles. The Astronaut series followed in the year of 1971. In 1972, the Patriot series were made and in 1974 the American Military Leaders.
Wheaton bottles were sold by Wheaton Franchised Dealers from Grandma Wheaton's Shop in Millville, N.J. Orders were placed through mail order forms by the Collectors Guild and "Bathsheba's Bottle Book".
In 1974, Wheaton Industries turned production over to the Wheaton Historical Association which continued the same design as the initial bottles in the series. The Historical Association bottles were manufactured on a more limited basis. (max of 5,000 each) There were made by a semi-automatic bottle making machine rather than the automated production employed by Wheaton Industries.
Production of the Presidential and Christmas series were continued under the "Wheaton" name by Millville Art Glass Company, starting in 1976.
In 1996 the Wheaton Glass Company was sold and renamed "Lawson - Mardon - Wheaton".
| 
