Collecting US Territorial Dose Glasses / Medicine Measures

U.S. Territorial Dose Glasses...

Dose glass, pharmacy shot glass, medicine measure from Keefer, The Druggist, Phoenix, A.T. (Arizona Territory)

Dose glass, pharmacy shot glass, medicine measure from Brisley Drug Co., Leading Druggists, Prescott, A.T. (Arizona Territory)

Another challenge arises from the fact that when these glasses were a popular means of advertising, some of our 50 states were still quite young. In fact, a few had not yet been granted statehood -- they only existed as territories. Consider that embossed dose glasses were popular from the late 1880s to 1920. North Dakota and South Dakota (both part of Dakota Territory or just plain Dakota before statehood) became separate states in 1889. In that same year came Montana and Washington. Idaho and Wyoming became states in 1890 and Utah in 1896. The state of Oklahoma was formed from Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory in 1907 and New Mexico and Arizona (the region was sometimes called Arizona or Arizona Territory before 1863, although it was still in the Territory of New Mexico) in 1912. Alaska (a district from 1867, until it became an organized territory in 1912) and Hawaii (the territorial date Aug. 12, 1898 is that of the formal transfer to the United States) didn't officially become states until 1959. These historical dates show that at the time when embossed dose glasses were being produced (especially in the earlier years), some states had not officially become states. A handful of states gained statehood during the heyday of these little advertising gems. This point brings up an interesting possibility. One may be able to collect a dose glass from a territory of the U.S. that had not yet become a state. In the 1880s, U.S. territories included Alaska, Arizona, Dakota, Hawaii, Idaho, Indian Territory, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. One known dose glass example from Indian Territory is embossed BOLLINGS PHARMACY / CLAREMORE, I.T. and another from Washington Territory is embossed COMPLIMENTS / OF / STEWART'S / PHARMACY / TACOMA, W. T. More known examples of U.S. territorial dose glasses will follow, plus some maps of the U.S. showing territorial growth and dates of statehood:

ALASKA TERRITORY ~ (1912-1959)

CITY DRUG STORE / Z.J. LOUSSAC, PROP / IDITAROD, ALASKA (small)
J.W. DORAN / JUNEAU, ALASKA (conical)

ARIZONA TERRITORY ~ (1863-1912)

KEEFER / THE DRUGGIST / PHOENIX A.T.
BRISLEY DRUG CO. / LEADING / DRUGGISTS / PRESCOTT A.T.
FLEISHMAN & CO. / DRUGGISTS / TUSCON, A.T.

DAKOTA TERRITORY ~ (1861-1889)

OTTO.O. KROGSTAD / ELEPHANT / DRUG STORE / GRAFTON, DAKOTA (small)
HAUSSAMEN & HAMILTON / DRUGGISTS / GRAFTON & PARK RIVER / D.T. (large)
G.W. BODLE / DRUGGIST / CASSELTON, DAK. (small)
VON NIEDA & CO. / WHOLESALE / DRUGGISTS / FARGO, DAK.
ALFRED HELGESON / (AH monogram) / VERMILLION DAK. (small)

HAWAII TERRITORY ~ (1898-1959)

HOBRON DRUG CO. / HONOLULU, H.I. (small)
HOLLISTER DRUG CO. LTD. / DRUGGISTS / HONOLULU (large)
HOLLISTER DRUG CO. LTD. / DRUGGISTS / HONOLULU (small)
BENSON, SMITH & CO. / HONOLULU (small)

IDAHO TERRITORY ~ (1863-1890)

(Need listings here)

INDIAN TERRITORY ~ (1834-1907)

BOLING'S PHARMACY / DRUGGIST / CLAREMORE, I.T.
MORHART‘S DRUG STORE / EUFALA, IND. TER. (conical)
CUMBERLEDGE & ENGLISH / DRUGGISTS / MUSCOGEE, I.T.
J.O. COBB / DRUGGIST / MUSKOGEE, I.T.
COOK’S PHARMACY / OKMULGEE, I.T. (conical)
NOBLE & BIRD / DRUGGISTS / POTEAU, I.T. (conical)
FRISCO DRUG CO. / SAPULPA, I.T. (Conical)
E.L. MARTINIS / DRUGGIST / TULSA, IND. TER. (small)
J.R. DUTTON / DRUGGIST / WETUMKA, I.T.

MONTANA TERRITORY ~ (1864-1889)

(Need listings here)

NEW MEXICO TERRITORY ~ (1850-1912)

(Need listings here)

OKLAHOMA TERRITORY ~ (1890-1907)

E.S. DONNELLY / (mortar and pestle) / GUTHRIE, O.T. (small)

UTAH TERRITORY ~ (1850-1896)

(Need listings here)

WASHINGTON TERRITORY ~ (1853-1889)

DRS. DARRIN / PORTLAND, OR. / AND / SEATTLE, W.T.
A.B. STEWART / (ABS monogram) / DRUGGIST / SEATTLE, W.T. (small)
A.B. STEWART & BRO. / DRUGGISTS / TACOMA WASH. T. (small)
COMPLIMENTS / OF / STEWART'S / PHARMACY / TACOMA, W.T.
BONNEY & KAHLER / DRUGGISTS / TACOMA, W.T.

WYOMING TERRITORY ~ (1868-1890)

(Need listings here)

Known Territorial Dose Glasses...

HI Dose Glass Pics

Pearls regarding U.S. territorial glasses...

A glass does not have to be embossed I.T, D.T, M.T. etc. to be a territorial dose glass. It is actually a matter of dating the glass in order to determine if it is a territorial example. Such glasses may only have the city name embossed.

A glass embossed OK. or Okla. AND embossed W.T.& CO. on the bottom is a pre-1901 glass, and therefore a territorial example. This also applies to AZ and NM dose glasses.

Any Alaska or Hawaii embossed dose glass is a territorial glass, because AK and HI were U.S. territories until 1959.

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A Hawaii territorial dose glass may be embossed T.H. for Territory of Hawaii. Most Hawaii territorial bottles are embossed T.H. instead of H.T.

A Dakota Territory glass is most likely to be embossed "Dakota" or "Dak." (without North or South designation), but may have D.T. after the city name.

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A glass embossed with MT. is from the state of Montana. A glass embossed M.T. is likely a Montana Territory glass.

An Indian Territory glass may be embossed I.T. or Ind. Ter.