1969 Fort Sill 100th Anniversary Decanter-USA

AMAZING FIND!!! THE STORY AND HISTORY BEING SYMBOLIZED IN THIS PIECE IS SLOWLY BEING ERASED FROM OUR MEMORY!!! LETS TALK A WALK!
Made for J.W. Dant Distillery by McCoy Pottery Co. to commemorate 100 Years of Army Base Fort Sill, Oklahoma. The potter designed the bottle in the shape of a military canteen adding hidden symbolism. This symbolized a "nod from Dant" to the military eye of the Vietnam Vets coming home to Oklahoma. The potter's color and paint scheme is a mystery. It could be inspired by anything being a McCoy. I like the idea that the artist made it brown and like the appearance of timber because in 1869 the only full structure when the fort was being constructed that was made of wood and (not stone) was the base Commissary. Military commissaries did not sale spirits in 1969 when this item was bottled in 1969 so soldiers went off base to buy spirits and this bottle's design was a more appealing to the grunts. Or, made brown and like the appearance of timber to revert to the beginning of the J.W Dant Distillery and it's founding father who invented the LOG SILL that was made of timber....you can decide. But what we do know for sure is in 1969 the seller who bought and sold the contents of the bottle was a bar in Oklahoma outside Lawton during in 1970's. MemoryLaneVintiques has tax stamp documentation and MLV purchased from original owner's immediate family.
Fort Sill is a United States Army post north of Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles southwest of Oklahoma City. It covers almost 94,000 acres. The fort was first built during the late 1800's. It is designated as a National Historic Landmark and serves as home of the United States Army Field Artillery School, as well as the Marine Corps site for Field Artillery MOS school, United States Army Air Defense Artillery School, the 31st Air Defense Artillery Brigade, and the 75th Field Artillery Brigade. Fort Sill is also one of the four locations for the Army Basic Combat Training. It has played a significant role in every major American conflict since 1869.
At the time of this bottle's production....Fort Sill was home to the 295th Aviation Company. (Heavy Helicopter) that was established at Fort Sill in the 60's. The unit was assigned ten Skycrane CH-54A helicopters. The unit also had a UH-1H administrative aircraft; later, an OH-58 joined the unit. It was the mother company to the 355th Aviation Company (that deployed to Vietnam in 1968–69) and the 273rd Aviation Company (that deployed to Vietnam 1967–1968.) In Dec. 1969, the unit was deployed to Finthen Army Airfield near Mainz, Germany. Today, the company is designated F Company, 159th Aviation Regiment (Heavy Lift Helicopter Company), and is equipped with CH-47 Chinooks.
Joseph Washington Dant was a Kentucky distiller during the 1830's. He was famous for making whisky using a log still. This was an old time method from when the settlers did not have the money for a copper still. A section of tree trunk would be hollowed out with a copper pipe running through it. The hollowed section would be filled with the fermented mash and steam fed through the pipe to start distillation
JW Gant would go down in American Bourbon History as a Master Distiller!
His products are still made and sold today by Heaven Hill Distillery that was created by Joseph Beam in 1935.
A member of the Kentucky Beam family, Joseph was the original master distiller at Heaven Hill Distillery, the company he founded with Ed Shapira after Prohibition ended. Many of the company's brands are named after notable local distillers, including Evan Williams, Elijah Craig, and of course J.W. Dant.
McCoy Pottery was an American Pottery Maker in Roseville, OH from 1910 to 1991.
MemoryLaneVintiques has been collecting McCoy Pottery since 2007!
Made of Ceramic and Glazed
Weighs: 1 lb 12 oz
7.25" Tall
6" Wide
3" Deep
The Eagle, Banner, Stars, Letters, Numbers and Artillery Cannons are ALL beautifully embossed.
MemoryLaneVintiques sanitizes all glassware and pottery before packing for shipment...100% Guaranteed!

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