Vernors Ginger Ale 150th B-Day

[hemihampton]

Bob, Here's some Pics of that Sign being Installed but I don't see a bottle or handle in pics unfortunately. LEON.

 

[hemihampton]

Vernor's in Color. LEON.

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

All Things Considered ...

We may never know why James Vernor waited until 1911 to file for a trademark that bore his name in connection with his ginger ale. But we do know that James was born in 1843 and was 68 years old in 1911. His son, James Jr., was born in 1877 and was 34 years old in 1911. Which tells us that both of them were mature adults in 1911 who no doubt had full control of their mental facilities at the time. So with this said, I have to believe when James filed for his ginger ale trademark in 1911 that he was well aware of what he was doing and to some extant knew what was required to file for a trademark, which included filling in the part where he wrote ...

The trademark has been used in my business since "about January 1st 1880"

The point I'm trying to make is, he could just as easily have written, since "about January 1st 1867" - but he didn't! And I believe the reason he didn't write 1866 or 1867 is because he was being honest and wrote in the correct year for when he actually started his ginger ale operation. If it had been in 1866 or 1867, then why didn't he say as much when he had the opportunity? After all, that was in 1911, so why would James Vernor be thinking about history books when the full extent of his fame hadn't even been realized yet? In my opinion, which is based entirely on the documented trademark itself, is that James Vernor filed for his trademark 'by-the-book' and wanted it to be totally legal without any false statements that might haunt him later. In other words, he wrote "about January 1st 1880" because that was the 'truth' and was the actual date when he began his ginger ale operation.

[ Attachments ]

Original Trademark Application ~ 1911




I cropped-out this portion that includes the part about 1880 and then 'pasted' James Veror's signature on it for comparison. I'm no handwriting expert, but it appears to me that the 'J' in 'January' and the 'J' in James were written by the same hand. In other words, it appears to me that James Vernor himself wrote "about January 1st 1880" and that he was well aware of what he was writing. Which is why I am of the opinion that "Vernor's Ginger Ale" was born in 1880 and not in 1866!



This last attachment is of the trademark itself which was published after the application had been filed, processed, and officially registered. It has the same exact wording about the 1880 date as the application does!

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

In other words ...


Vernor's Ginger Ale

.....Since 1880.....

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

We may never know exactly who or exactly when they stared saying "Since 1866" but the information on this link is the earliest I have been able to find that even comes close ...

"American Druggist"

1922

https://books.google.com/books?id=p...Ac#v=onepage&q=vernor ginger ale 1866&f=false

 

[hemihampton]

Sounds like they are saying 1866 in that link? LEON.

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

As for the numerous accounts I've read about James Vernor Jr. supposedly saying in the 1930s that he did not support his father's claims about the 1866 origin date, I believe that's a lot of bunk, too! The reason I say this is because ...

This newspaper article is a full page advertisement about Vernor's Ginger Ale's 70th Anniversary, which was in 1936. James Vernor died in 1927, which was nine years before this ad was even published. Which means James Vernor Sr. had nothing to do with it - but James Vernor Jr. surely did. Full page ads like this weren't cheap and I have no doubt that James Vernor Jr. was involved with it and/or was at least aware of it and its contents. Its even possible that James Vernor Jr. wrote the original draft. Which compels me to ask, if James Vernor Jr. did not support his father's 1866 origin date, then why would he have allowed such an advertisement to be published in ...

The Detroit Free Press ~ July 29, 1936

Notice how conveniently the exact date of the paper and the date when they say the first glass of Vernor's Ginger Ale was served are exactly the same to the very day!

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Sounds like they are saying 1866 in that link? LEON.

Yes, that's the point I'm trying to make. They're saying 1866 when they should have said 1880. The reason I posted it is because articles of that nature are possibly where the 1866 myth originated, which just expounded over the years to the point where it was too late to change it.

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Anyhoo ...

That's my educated opinion and it will take some unquestionable, valid, bona fide documentation to convince me that Vernor's Ginger Ale was born, created, and/or first served in 1866. I consider myself one of the most open minded people in the world and open to all possibilities and will gladly stand corrected if/when the appropriate documentation is presented, but until that occurs I am of the opinion that Vernor's Ginger Ale was born, created, and/or first served in 1880 and not in 1866! As I said earlier, I base my opinion entirely on the 1911 trademark documents where James Vernor said in his own words ...


"Since about January 1st 1880"



(That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!) :flag:

 

[hemihampton]

I think maybe he played around with it, experimented with it for years, before he thought he perfected it. Then one day after years of experimenting & perfecting it decided to get serious about it. And that might of been 1880. He couldn't of just made it in 1880 & then decide to get serious & trade mark then in 1880. LEON.