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Hutchinson Collector Profile - Ted Parks

Posted May 1, 2013:

We dug deep into our files for a profile of Ted Parks, a long-time friend who was for many years the premier collector of Washington State Hutchinsons.  Although this interview was conducted almost 30 years ago, Ted's comments provide insight into why so many of us love collecting Hutchinsons.  This interview was included when Collecting Soda Pop Bottles was published in 2006 and is being reprinted here for the benefit of those who may have missed it. 

TED PARKS, WASHINGTON HUTCHINSON HUNTER

HOW AND WHY DID YOU BEGIN COLLECTING BOTTLES?

In 1969 my brother‑in‑law showed me a sun‑colored amethyst pickle bottle he found and that's all it took.  I started collecting bottles because they're a part of history that should be preserved for others and really beautiful to look at.

WHAT TYPE DID YOU FIRST COLLECT?

I first collected any BIMAL bottle I could find, embossed or not.  A few months later I knew I couldn't collect them all, so I went into whiskies, then bitters, and then Hutchinson sodas.  I like Hutchinsons because of their unique shape. 

DO YOU SPECIALIZE IN ANY OTHER CATEGORIES?

I've also collected bitters for several years.  I am so close to completing the Washington Hutchinson collection that I need some other type of bottle to collect because it is so long between sodas this late in the game. 

WHAT’S THE MOST COMMON WASHINGTON STATE HUTCHINSON? 

Probably the SOUTH BEND / SOUTH BEND / WASH. / SODA AND BOTTLING WORKS.  In 1972 a friend suggested I try digging at the old soda works in South Bend.  I asked why he hadn't dug it and he said “I have a half dozen, why do I need more?”  Off my wife and I went to find this un-dug soda works.

The site was a swamp grown up in willows, alders, and other brush, plus the usual inhabitants – frogs and mosquitoes.  We decided to look anyway.  I took my probe and shovel, put on boots, and started into the swamp.  Twenty feet off the road I stuck the probe in the ground and “clink,” glass.  I stuck the shovel in the muck and out rolled a broken, unembossed BIMAL soda.  I probed again; more glass, every place, glass!  We opened up a hole and started digging and bailing.  Sharon came up with the first whole South Bend Hutchinson.  All of a sudden a packet of them showed up.  Many were broken, but 10 or 12 were mint.  Then the bottles ran out.  It was late anyway so we packed up and went home. 

The next day we hit the jackpot.  Fifty feet from our first hole I hit more glass and we began to dig.  Wooden slats started to float up.  I stuck my hand down in the water and mud and could feel Hutchinson tops everywhere, still sitting upright.  The slats that came up were parts of wooden soda crates.  Half the bottles were broken, but by the end of the day we had 150 whole Hutchinsons! 

The soda works went out of business and the bottles were left behind.  Over the years the area around the soda works was filled and houses were built, causing ground water to back up and form a swamp.  The boxes of bottles slowly sunk into the muck, and brush grew over the area.

Left = WA0086, Right = WA0087

Over the next few months I took other people there to dig.  I don't know the number of sodas that came out – I would be afraid to guess.  People found Hutchinsons from Washington, Oregon, California, and even Mexico, plus crown tops from Western Washington. 

WHAT'S THE BEST HUTCHINSON YOU'VE DUG? 

ANTON SCHWAB / ROSLYN, / WASH. (WA0048)  I accidentally probed it while searching for an outhouse behind a hotel.  It was six inches under the surface.  The outer was 20 feet away and loaded, but there weren't any sodas.

HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN “HUTCHINSONS” WHEN TRAVELING?

I always have a Hutchinson in an old sock in the console of my car.  It's easier to show a Hutchinson to somebody than explain one.  I also have the collection individually photographed in an album I carry with me. 

POST SCRIPT

Following this interview, Ted grew impatient with the snail-like pace of acquiring additional bottles and sold off his Washington Hutchinson collection.  He subsequently specialized in blob top sodas, bitters, inks, and whiskies, and for several years now he has been actively chasing minerals and gemstones, and an occasional bottle.  When the phone rang a couple of weeks ago and caller ID indicated the call originated from the Parks residence, I answered expecting to talk to Ted.  Wrong!  Instead it was Ted's son, Chuck, also a long-time rock hound and bottle digger.  Chuck was calling for information about acquiring copies of my Oregon and Washington soft drink histories.  It seems he has decided to specialize in collecting Pacific Northwest sodas.  Ah, like father, like son...