Better beverages embossed bottle weldon bottling co.

[Karikeller11]

Bob I would be happy to ship the bottle to you if you think it would help our research?

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Kari:

Thank you for the information regarding the embossing. Unfortunately it doesn't give us much to work with as to who made the bottle and when, but it is what it is and I'm sure that tougher mysteries have been solved with even less information. I appreciate the offer to examine the bottle first-hand but doubt it would tell me anything more than we already know. It's the brand name and bottler that are the most significant clues anyway and if/when any specifics can be unearthed regarding them I'm sure that some dates will be a part of those details. However, if it were possible for you to provide us with a few more pictures I'm sure it would benefit all of us. The particular pictures I have in mind are ...

1. Full image of the bottle including the lip/top.
2. Picture of the heel/outer base.
3. Picture of the base.

~ * ~

As to why it doesn't look like a circa 1940 bottle to me ...

1. General appearance.
2 Brand name script.
3. No makers mark / date code / etc.
4. Non ACL
5. No reference to either brand or bottler.

~ * ~

As to what era the bottle does look like ...

1. 1910s through 1920s

~ * ~

Regarding the J. L. Jones book ...

Of the over 2,000 varieties of bottles listed in the book, many of them are listed as "About." Abt. 1920 - Abt. 1930 - Abt. 1940 - Abt. 1950. Which leads me to believe the bottles listed as such probably did not have makers marks and/or date codes and the author and his cohorts were just guesstimating about the dates. So at this point I would not put too much stock in the 1940 date until something more specific develops to substantiate it.

Thanks again

Bob

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

I realize this might seem like groping for straws, but at least it's 'something' [&:] This is from 1920 and says ... ",three soft-drink bottling works, " [ Located in Weldon, North Carolina in 1920 ] 1. Coca Cola Bottling2. Pepsi Cola Bottling3. Weldon Bottling Company ??? http://books.google.com/books?id=E6pIAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA22&dq=weldon+bottling+works&hl=en&sa=X&ei=dPcoU4WiLuS2yAGGxoHgDA&ved=0CEkQ6AEwBDge#v=onepage&q=weldon%20bottling%20works&f=false

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Another iddy-biddy attachment ... From the 1920 link I just posted

 

[Karikeller11]

Bob I think you have uncovered something. I am traveling with work and will be back tomorrow. I will take the pictures and post when I get home.

 

[Karikeller11]

I think you are correct on the dates since I found a 1910 script pepsi bottle and many others from the 1910-1920 era.

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Kari: Thanks. We will look forward to the pictures. In the meantime I am trying to find a full-image picture of an early Weldon, N.C. Pepsi Cola bottle. So far the only two pictures I have been able to find are the ones shown here. Specifically what I am trying to determine is if the Pepsi bottle has stars on the shoulder? In the one picture it sure looks like there is something embossed on the shoulder, but then again, maybe I am just seeing things. If anyone has this bottle or a better picture of one, please share it with us.

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

I discovered a couple of things this morning ... 1. The Weldon Pepsi Cola bottle does not have stars embossed on the shoulder - it's the contents - but I'm not sure how many ounces - 9 1/2 OZ. ??? 2. According to this 1916 newspaper article ... "Pepsi Cola Bottling Works, of Weldon N.C., to do a general manufacturing and bottling business of all kinds of soft drinks." (Because I do not have a current subscription to the newspaper site, I had to use two separate snippets. In order to see the rest of the article the fee is $50.00 for a one month subscription). It would be interesting to know if the bottle pictured here is in fact marked with 9 1/2 ounces, which is the same contents amount for the Better Beverages bottle. When Kari post a full image of the Better Beverages bottle we will be able to compare it to the Pepsi Cola bottle and see if they are similar. I do not know what's embossed on the heel of the Pepsi bottle.

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

P.S. The primary reason I am doing this focus on Pepsi Cola of Weldon, North Carolina is because of the use of the words Bottling Company. Some sources I've seen use "Works" but just as many use "Company" I'm thinking because there are no readily available references for the Weldon Bottling Company that "Better Beverages" might have been a flavor line of the Pepsi Cola Company. ??? This snippet is from a 1915 issue of "The American Bottler" and uses the term Company. Plus it mentions an individual by the name of H.A. Hardiness. It also mentions "Incorporated" which is what is embossed on the Pepsi Cola bottle itself.

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

And here's the link to the 1915 issue of The American Bottler for those who might like to scroll through it ... http://books.google.com/books?id=c69RAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA57&dq=pepsi+cola+bottling+weldon+north+carolina&hl=en&sa=X&ei=1xUrU5LNCYXWrQHzlIH4BA&ved=0CE8Q6AEwAzgK#v=onepage&q=pepsi%20cola%20bottling%20weldon%20north%20carolina&f=false