Vernors Ginger Ale 150th B-Day

[hemihampton]

Here's a link. LEON.

http://www.wxyz.com/news/vernors-ce...rsary-detroit-historical-museum-to-host-party

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Iggy / Rich

Nice collection of Vernor's bottles - Thanks for sharing

Here's a recent link about the anniversary - where I found this picture of the Vernor's drug store on 235 Woodward Ave, Detroit, Michigan. It also has a lot of other pictures as well as a Vernor's timeline ...

http://www.hourdetroit.com/Hour-Detroit/June-2016/A-Ginger-Tale/

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

View attachment 172549View attachment 172550I like the Canadian versions & like that extract bottle, Been trying to find a Vernor's Med or Pharmacy bottle from late 1800's but no luck digging one & when they rarely pop up in ebay they always get over $100.00 LEON.

Leon

This bottle appears to be the same as the one you posted except it has an original paper label ...

 

[iggyworf]

Thanx Bob! I haven't seen that link before, Thanx.

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

iggy

I don't intend to rewrite the Vernor's history, but I do want to say there is quite a bit of confusion as to when Vernor's Ginger Ale was first produced. For example; the newspaper archives I'm subscribed to includes Detroit newspapers that go back as far as 1837, which is six years before James Vernor was born in 1843. And yet the earliest mention of Vernor's Ginger Ale I can find is 1885. I'm not sure when Vernor's Ginger Ale was first produced, but based on what I'm seeing the 1866 date is possibly when James Vernor established his pharmacy but not when he actually started producing and selling ginger ale.

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

P.S.

Go back to the link I posted and in the Vernor's timeline you will see where it says ...

1866 Vernor opens Vernor’s Pharmacy at 235 Woodward Ave., where he starts selling his ginger ale.

Note: I question the part where it says he started selling his ginger ale in 1866!

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

On second thought, maybe I will try and rewrite some of the Vernor's history. The reason I say this is because there also seems to be some confusion as to when James Vernon started his pharmacy at 235 Woodward Ave.

Notice in this article where it mentions ...

"the drug store of Messrs. Vernor & L'Hommedieu, 219 Woodward Ave"

From ...

The Detroit Free Press ~ August 3, 1867



Now notice in this next article where it indicates the company was "dissolved" and James Vernor bought out his partner Charles L'Hommedieu, and that the drug store was located at 219 Woodward Ave.

From ...

The Detroit Free Press ~ December 11, 1868




Question:

If James Vernor was located at 219 Woodward Ave. in 1867 and 1868, then how could he have started a drug store at 235 Woodward Ave. in 1866?

Note: There are zero newspaper articles about James Vernor having a drug store at 235 Woodward Ave. in 1866. The 1867 and 1868 articles above are the earliest mention I can find of him having any connection with any drug store in Detroit at that time.

 

[hemihampton]

Maybe they meant it was the place he started selling his Vernors, at that same store he started in 1866 (or 67 or 68) but did not sell it at that same time but at that same store at later date? LEON.

 

[iggyworf]

It is possible that way back then, newspapers were not accurate. Some accounts say that Vernors was not sold first in 1866 but 1880.

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

I hear what you guys are saying, but I'm still confused why 99 out of 100 accounts say Vernor's Ginger Ale was first produced and sold in Detroit in 1866? If the 1866 date is merely referring to when James Vernor established his drug store, then why don't they say as much?

All I know at the moment is that this newspaper snippet is the earliest published account for Vernors Ginger Ale I have been able to find so for ...

From ...

The Detroit Free Press ~ June 28, 1884