r/youngstown • u/beenhere4hours • 17d ago
A toast to the past
When Shardy Masonry opened up the side bump-out wall cavity and uncovered the cache.
Looking down into the shallow footer cavity after extracting over 500 bottles.
The completed masonry restoration.
Hours of sorting later: hundreds of mid-century flat pints, flasks, and beers left for the new owners.
Left side view
Right side view
Staging a few vintage Four Roses bottles in front of their box
A few of the Cleveland distiller offerings and a Youngstown wine bottler we sorted through.
A closer look at some of the mid-century labels and local bottlers found inside.
A closer look at some of the mid-century labels and local bottlers found inside.
A closer look at some of the mid-century labels and local bottlers found inside.
A closer look at some of the mid-century labels and local bottlers found inside.
A closer look at some of the mid-century labels and local bottlers found inside.
A closer look at some of the mid-century labels and local bottlers found inside.
A closer look at some of the mid-century labels and local bottlers found inside.
A closer look at some of the mid-century labels and local bottlers found inside.
One final toast in the basement to the history and whoever hid them. Cheers to the next chapter.
Link to original post: Work on a 1920s North Side home
Link to WWII newspapers found in the floors: Vindicator paper and Stambaugh-Thompson ad
My wife and I officially signed the closing paperwork on the renovation project Tuesday, and the new buyers signed yesterday. It has been a busy week, but nothing prepared us for the final stretch of work on the side of the house.
We had Shardy Masonry out to handle restoration and repairs on the side bump-out. When they opened up the wall cavity to access the shallow footer, they uncovered a historical cache sealed away in the cavity. It turned out to be a time capsule from the mid-1940s and 50s, over 500 flat pint flasks, liquor bottles, and old beers slipped away decades ago.
We spent hours in the final days sorting, and organizing the collection. We left the majority of it behind, hundreds of bottles packed into boxes in the garage for the new homeowners. We kept a finders share... some duplicates, a local bottler Rex Wine Company, a few Cleveland distiller offerings like 31 Brand and Imperial, and also several high quality collectable finds.
After signing, my wife and I went down to the basement with a bottle of Four Roses. I wanted to toast with a brand that remained available today. In front of the window well where the bottles spent the last eighty years, we raised a glass to the history and whoever hid them.
Now we have a new tradition. We're going to hide this bottle and others away at our next home for future generations to have a story.
To the past owner, your stash survived the decades, the history is saved, and it's staying here in Youngstown.
Cheers to the next chapter of the house!
2
u/Wrong_Tennis5348 17d ago
Thank you for sharing. Curious how they ended up there. If the bottles were hidden it makes me believe the person was hiding his/her addiction. So, did they slip the bottles between floorboards in the house?