231

Footnote to the Bernardin Story

Here is the full Bernardin copy from Barnhart and Carmony

‟

s 1954 publication

Indiana: From Frontier to Industrial Commonwealth:

“

The Bernardin Bottle Cap Company, Inc., of Evansville, is America

‟

s first

manufacturer of metal closures for glass containers. Alfred Louis Bernardin, II, is

the third generation from the founder to be president of this notable enterprise,

whose story is worthy of preservation in print as the record of an historic

industry and of the men who labored for its success.

Born in Battle Creek, Michigan, September 22, 1910, Alfred Louis Bernardin, III,

is the son of Alfred Louis Bernardin, Jr., and the former Mary McNally. His

father, who died in 1922, was president of the Bernardin Bottle Cap Company,

Inc. After graduation from high school and the LaSalle Military School at

Oakdale, New York, their son completed his education in the Catholic

University, Washington, D.C., and the University of Southern California, Los

Angeles.

The Bernardin Bottle Cap Company was founded in 1881 in Evansville, by Alfred

Louis Bernardin, Sr. This started the first manufacture of metal closures in not

only the United States, but as far as is known, in the world. Since Mr. Bernardin

was in the wine importing business and they experienced trouble with corks

blowing out in ocean shipments, he devised a metal clamp to fit over the cork

and down around the neck of the bottle with a metal strap that tightened the

clamp and prevented the cork from blowing out the in transit. Later, Mr.

Bernardin invented many other types of metal closures for glass containers that

are still popular and in current usage. He invented the beer cap, or crown cap,

currently used on beer and soft drink bottles. He later manufactured metal screw

caps and still later experimented with applying colored lacquers and enamels to

these caps before they were fabricated from sheet form. Others of his inventions

were the first double shell cap, first cap to be used on catsup bottles, and many

types of machines for the manufacturing and applying of these closures.

The plant was located on Northwest Fourth Street in the block immediately

north of the Court House. Mr. Bernardin, Sr., died in 1916, leaving a daughter

Emma, and a son, Alfred Louis, Jr. The latter continued to operate the company

until his death in 1922. During this period an additional product was

manufactured, consisting of metal cans for food products that were used during

World War I. Later on the company added new products, such as the nationally

known line of Bernardin two-piece mason caps for home canning.