North Dakota spirits company pays for wine from Hammondsport New York.
August 4, 1883. A letter and money draft from Armstrong, Bushee & Co. - wholesaler for whiskey, wine, beer, cigars based in Grand Forks, North Dakota - on letterhead paying for wine from the New Urbana Wine Co. of Hammondsport, New York [Finger Lakes]. These were sent six years before Statehood and 13 years after the founding of Grand Forks.
The Urbana Wine Company was established in 1865, and known as the Urbana Wine Company until 1881 when it was reorganized under the name of "New Urbana Wine Company". Renamed "Urbana Wine Company" in 1896, and reorganized during Prohibition and named Gold Seal Products Company until the repeal of Prohibition, when the company changed its name back to "Urbana Wine Company, Inc."
During Prohibition the company produced sacramental wine. The company applied for the Gold Seal trademark in 1887. After Prohibition, Edwin Stewart Underhill, Jr., President of the company went to Rheims, France and brought Charles Fournier, from Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, where he served as Production Manager. He became the winemaker and production manager of Urbana Wine Company, and although intending to stay just a few years, remained employed there the rest of his life. He introduced several important French-American Hybrid grape varieties into the production of wine. He was made president of the company in 1951. The company was known for introducing the European Vitis vinifera grape to the United States and for its production of Finger Lakes champagne. (Wikipedia).
5 1/2 x 8 1/2", cream lined paper, original folds. Very good condition. Item #25487
Price: $150.00