Grafton
Taylor County
Crystal Bottling Works
1906—1909; 1912
Crystal Bottling Works was the business of John W. McClung, located in the Old Finnegan Building in Grafton (“Trustees Sale”, 1908). That information is from an announcement of sale for the bottling works. I am presuming that it sold, as a 1909 American Bottler excerpt notes that the business was passed from McClung to Ronald Bevans and C.E. Hostler (“In The South”, 1909). The owners during the latter end of its period of idleness were identified as George M. Whitescarver (who, additionally, has medicine bottles embossed with his name) and Thomas F. Welsh (“West Virginia”, 1912). McClung then resumed, purchasing the company again in 1912 (“Slight Fire”, 1912).
The 1905-1906 West Virginia Gazetteer and Business Directory (R.L. Polk & Co., 1906) lists Crystal Bottling Works, which is not included in early editions, leading me to believe that 1906 is its founding year.
Interestingly, Crystal Bottling Works does not appear in any Dun & Bradstreet issues in and around 1908, nor in or after 1912. It is possible they were listed as “Crystal Ice Co.,” which does appear within that range, though also between 1908 and 1912 when the bottling works was inactive. I am additionally unsure as to when the bottling works began or ceased.
Crystal Bottling Works, Grafton soda bottle. BIMAL crown top, aqua green. Front.
Crystal Bottling Works, Grafton soda bottle. BIMAL crown top, roughly pint-sized.
Grafton Bottling Works
1891—1926(?)
The first mention of a Grafton Bottling Works is in 1891, when the owner of the firm, O.L. Marcum, is briefly noted as having spent the holidays in New York (“Neighborhood”, 1891). A factory inspection report much later states that the firm opened in 1891 (Montgomery, 1920). The owner in that inspection was J.R. Hardie, of Hardie & Warder (below). In 1897, The Clarksburg Telegram mentions that John W. McClung—also discussed above as being owner of the Crystal Bottling Works—had a position in Grafton Bottling Works prior (“Local And Personal”, 1897). Grafton Bottling Works appears as late as 1922, when it is one of the factories inspected by the Bureau of Labor for their biennial report (Montgomery, 1920; Daugherty, 1922). At this time, J.R. Hardie was still the owner, and he reported that the bottling works opened in 1891. The latest publication I can find them listed in is the 1925 Beverage Blue Book (H.S. Rich & Co., 1925).
Grafton Bottling Works hutchinson-style soda bottle. Colorless glass.
Grafton Bottling Works soda bottle. BIMAL crown top, aqua green glass, oval slug plate.
Grafton Bottling Works soda bottle. BIMAL crown top, no slug plate, added capacity on shoulder. Aqua blue glass.
Hardie & Warder
1880s(?)
John R. Hardie is listed as a bottler in Grafton in the 1904-05 Gazetteer (R.L. Polk & Co., 1905), though he is also listed under Grafton Bottling Works in various earlier years as well (R.L. Polk & Co., 1898, 1901). I cannot find anything about the Warder individual in any publications, however. I suspect that this is a bottling operation pre-dating Grafton Bottling Works in name, but cannot find evidence toward that.
Hardie & Warder, Grafton hutchinson-style soda bottle. Aqua blue glass.
Pure Springs Bottling Co.
Information needed.
Pure Springs Bottling Co., Grafton soda bottle. Aqua green, ABM crown top, 8-ounces.
Pure Springs Bottling Co., Grafton soda bottle. Aqua green, ABM crown top, 9-ounces.
The Wonder Drink Co.
1944—1956
According to the West Virginia Secretary of State records, The Wonder Drink Company incorporated in 1944 and dissolved in 1956. It was located at 815 West Main Street with Joseph Lee Evans Jr. and Wilma B. Evans as its incorporators.
The Wonder Drink Co., Grafton soda bottle. Rummy branded, red and white ACL painted label, 16-ounces. Front.
Reverse.
The Wonder Drink Co., Richardson Root Beer, Grafton soda bottle. Textured glass, 10 oz., red and white ACL painted label. Front.
Reverse.
References
Daugherty, G.F. (1922). Sixteenth biennial report of the bureau of labor of West Virginia 1921-1922. Tribune Printing Company.
H.S. Rich & Co. (1925). The beverage blue book, 1925, the standard directory buyers' guide and reference volume for the beverage industry.
In the South. (1909). The American Bottler, 14(4).
Local and personal. (1897, May 21). The Clarksburg Telegram, 7.
Local mention. (1917, July 26). The Grafton Daily Sentinel, 3.
Montgomery, S.B. (1920). Fifteenth biennial report of the bureau of labor of West Virginia. Tribune Printing Company.
Neighborhood. (1891, January 4). Wheeling Sunday Register, 2.
R.L. Polk & Co. (1898). West Virginia state gazetteer and business directory.
R.L. Polk & Co. (1901). West Virginia state gazetteer and business directory, 1901-1902, volume VII.
R.L. Polk & Co. (1905). West Virginia Gazetteer and Business Directory.
Slight fire today. (1912, May 21). The Grafton Daily Sentinel, 1.
Trustees sale. (1908, November 12). Grafton Sentinel, 8.
West Virginia. (1912). The American Bottler, 32(5).
West Virginia Secretary of State. (n.d.). Business entity details: The Wonder Drink Co. https://apps.wv.gov/SOS/BusinessEntitySearch/Details.aspx?Id=KVwgl+euJLKM1HRdGIteMg==&Search=VgL3q013DD5GlE1sZJEokg%3d%3d&Page=0