In Collinsville, IL, the world’s largest ketchup bottle sits above the now shuttered Brooks Catsup bottling company. Originally it was designed as a water tower for the facility, but when operations were closed down in 1993, the Catsup bottle began to deteriorate.
At that time, two Route 66 advocates met and aside from saving the catsup bottle, they eventually became husband and wife. Judy DeMoisey (Catsup Bottle Lady) has a background in architectural preservation and began a campaign to raise over $100,000 by selling t-shirts at the catsup bottle. Mike Gassman, (President, CEO, and Big Tomato of the worlds largest catsup bottle fan club, Inc.) handles the publicity and promotion of the catsup bottle, including popular annual events.
Join Route 66 Podcast host Anthony Arno as he talks with both Mike and Judy about their efforts to save and restore the Brooks Catsup Bottle. Highlights from the show include:
- Earliest memories of Route 66
- How both Mike and Judy met
- “Ketchup” or “Catsup”
- Triumph Catsup and Pickle Company (1907)
- Brooks Catsup Bottling Plant (1933)
- Need for a water tower to satisfy water usage at factory
- Operations shift to Indiana (1960)
- Massive Catsup Bottle dimensions
- Catsup Bottle preservation movement (1993)
- Mike and Judy first met at Catsup Bottle event
- Mike’s role – Catsup Bottle promotions, marketing, festivals
- The Eiffel Tower of Collinsville, IL
- Engineering challenges in restoring a 70′ tall catsup bottle
- National Register of Historic Places designation
- Current use of Brooks Catsup warehouse
- Collection of artifacts for future catsup museum
- Oscar Meyer Weiner Mobile, Idaho Potato Mobile, and other novelty visits
- Cameo appearances of Catsup Bottle and other pop culture references
- Catsup Bottle Website
- Preserving the Catsup Bottle for the next generation
- Annual Catsup Bottle Festival
- Unusual visitors at World’s Largest Catsup Bottle
- The Great Catsup Test with Mike and Judy
Official Website: The World’s Largest Catsup Bottle