Small and interesting—this six inches tall, light blue-green tinted, rectangular glass bottle was a recent gift to the Meekins Library from a long-time patron who wanted it to have a good home. But they didn’t know anything about it—except that N. B SORNBORGER, HAYDENVILLE, MASS. appears in raised letters on the glass. So, what is the story of the bottle?
Thanks to Williamsburg Town Historian, Eric Weber and former Haydenville resident Alicia DeNood, we know that Dr. Niles Butler Sornborger was a physician, who was born in Missisquoi, Quebec, Canada, just over the Vermont border, on February 9, 1813. He married Elmina Corey (1814-1900) also from the same town in Quebec, on February 18, 1836, in Vermont. Together they had at least 3 sons and 2 daughters. Dr. Sornborger died in Williamsburg on April 16, 1893, at the age of 80. He had been a resident of Northampton with Elmina, and of Gill, Massachusetts, where, by 1870 he was living with a new young wife, Emma Buck Sornborger, while Elmina was “single” and still in Northampton working as a private nurse.
Niles and Elmina’s oldest son Martin Luther Sornborger (1843-1934), a baggage master and engineer, lived and farmed with his wife Isabelle Lucina Tyler (1853-1945) in the Williamsburg and Skinnerville area for 65 years—a long connection to the town. Interestingly, Niles and his first wife Elmina are both buried in Lakeview Cemetery, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where Elmina was living with her oldest daughter Laura, when she died in 1900. Dr. Sornborger was survived by Emma.
How did this bottle survive? What is its story? Meekins would welcome anything bits and pieces of information you know. Please share in the comments or be in touch with Daria D’Arienzo, Meekins Archivist, at meekinsreference@cwmars.org. #throwbackthursday ; #tbt.
Posted to Facebook 3/19/2026
