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Manitou Mineral Water
The above one piece combination corkscrew / bottle cap lifter advertises
“
The
Manitou Mineral Water Co., Manitou, Colo. / Original Manitou.
”
Manitou Springs is a short six mile drive Northwest of Colorado Springs
between the Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak.
“
Manitou
”
is a Native
American word for
“
spirit
”
. The snows of Pikes Peak feed nine mineral springs.
In 1868, Dr. William A. Bell founded the town of Manitou Springs. It quickly
became a popular resort for people desiring a health vacation in the
“
Saratoga of
the West
”
.
In 1890 the Manitou Mineral Water Company was founded by Jerome Wheeler.
In 1901 a
“
Century Chest
”
was placed in Colorado Springs with information
about the area at the time. They stated
“
The Manitou Mineral Water Co. charge
the well spring waters with their own gas storing it by placing a metal bell over
one of the springs & conducting it into a large gas tank. They do a large shipping
business & have been in operation for ten or twelve years
”