Logan

Logan County

Bennett & Campbell

1905—1906

Bennett & Campbell was a grist mill company in 1905 and 1906 (Mercantile Agency, Sep. 1905, Jan. 1906), never listed as a bottler, though the two would go on to be incorporators of the Logan Laundry & Bottling Compnay.

Bennett & Campbell, Logan hutchinson-style soda bottle.

Guyan Valley Bottling Works

1920—1925

The earliest record of Guyan Valley Bottling Works is a factory inspection from 1920 (Montgomery, 1920). The same report notes John Metree as the proprietor. By 1925 the stakeholders had taken out ads in papers to sell the bottling plant (Guyan Valley Bottling Works, 1925). They were listed in the 1923 and 1925 Beverage Blue Book (H.S. Rich & Co., 1923, 1925), but likely closed the year of that advertisement.

Guyan Valley Bottling Works, Logan soda bottle. ABM crown top, aqua green.

Guyan Valley Bottling Works, Logan soda bottle. ABM crown top, colorless.

Logan Baking & Bottling Co.

1915-1918

According to Dun & Bradstreet books, this company existed from 1915 to 1918. I cannot find additional information on this company.

Logan Baking & Bottling Co., Logan soda bottle. ABM crown top, amber glass.

Logan Baking & Bottling Co. soda bottle. ABM, aqua green glass.

Logan Beverage Co.

1939—1960

According to the West Virginia Secretary of State records, Logan Beverage Company existed between 1939 and 1960, owned by Nick Savas and George C. Vance.

Logan Beverage Co., Logan soda bottle. ABM crown top, "art deco" style. Front.

Red Rock Cola, Logan Beverage Co. of Logan soda bottle. ABM crown top, red and white ACL painted label. Front.

A large, 16-ounce Vance's bottle from Logan Beverage Co. Same design on both sides.

Logan Bottling Works

1905—1906

This company existed from 1905 to 1906 according to Dun & Bradstreet, though these ranges may be larger in reality.

Logan Bottling Works

1914—19??

Though its bottles bear “Logan Bottling Works” rather than “Co.,” this is the Logan Coca-Cola Bottling Works that our beloved straight sided Coca-Colas come from. As is known throughout the collecting community, Coca-Cola stopped bottling their beverages in straight-sided bottles very soon after this company began, switching to their patented hobbleskirt design 1-2 years after Logan Bottling Works came back into existence. Hence, the rarity of most of these bottles. It first appears in a 1914 Dun & Bradstreet issue (Mercantile Agency, 1914).

In 1922, the owner of the company was Frank S. Martin (“Three Hundred,” 1922), who also served as the President of the Chamber of Commerce in Logan. In at least 1930, the company was located at 435 Stratton Avenue (H.S. Rich & Co., 1930).

Despite the rarity of the straight sided bottles—and how short of a time span in which they were used—there are an immense number of variants. Five variants of the straight sided bottles are missing below.

Logan Bottling Works straight sided Coca-Cola soda bottle. ABM crown top, almost teal color.

Logan Bottling Works straight sided Coca-Cola soda bottle. ABM crown top, very dark amber.

Logan Bottling Works CC Soda style Coca-Cola bottle. Would have held unflavored soda water. ABM crown top, aqua green.

Another Logan Bottling Works CC soda style Coca-Cola bottle, different shoulder embossing. Town and company name is only on the base.

Logan Dr. Pepper Bottling Co.

1938—1953

The Dr. Pepper Bottling Company of Logan chartered in 1938 with incorporators R.B. Broadwater, A.J. Higgins, and T.H. Morris (“Logan Bottling,” 1938). This iteration of the company lasted a year, then dissolved and reincorporated in 1939 with new owners B.C. Minter and J.H. Jarrett (WV Sec. State, n.d.). This second company ended in 1953.

Below is the “Princess” ACL soda bottle from this company. It is likely the most coveted ACL soda bottle in the state, if not one of the most desired in the country.

Princess Beverages, Dr. Pepper Bottling Co., Logan ACL soda bottle. Red and white painted label. Perhaps the most coveted West Virginia ACL soda bottle. Front.

Dr. Pepper Bottling Co., Logan soda bottle. Debossed lettering, ABM crown top w/ colorless glass.

Dr. Pepper Bottling Co., Zimba Cola, Logan. ABM crown top, blue and white ACL painted label. Front.

Logan Laundry & Bottling Co.

1905—1914

Logan Laundry & Bottling Co. was founded in 1905 according to The Fairmont West Virginian. They began with a capital stock of $10,000, or about $300,000 today. The incorporating officers were W.I. Campbell, Chas. Bennett, F.S. Martin, W.H. Chapman, and A.W. McLean (“Charters Issued,” 1905). If you are familiar with rare West Virginia hutch sodas, an extremely rare Logan features the names Bennett and Campbell. I am nearly certain that these are the same men that went on to found the Logan Laundry and Bottling Company.

Interestingly, the Dun & Bradstreet issue for January of 1906 states that the Logan Laundry and Bottling Company is Logan Bottling Works (Mercantile Agency, Jan. 1906). By the September issue, it no longer directs toward Logan Bottling Works, though the two continue to coexist until Logan Bottling Works goes out of business around 1906 (Mercantile Agency, Sep. 1906). Logan Laundry & Bottling Co. continues to appear until the September 1914 issue of Dun & Bradstreet and disappears by the 1915 issue, implying its final year was 1914.

So far as I know, only two variants of this bottle exist. The one missing from this gallery is an amber Gay-Ola bottle.

Logan Laundry & Bottling Co. (L.L. & B. Co.) soda bottle. BIMAL crown top, aqua green.

An advertisement from Logan Laundry and Bottling Company from 1915 (C&O RR Co., 1915).

Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co.

1942—1986

This company existed from 1942 to 1986, with stakeholders including Merrill R. Atkinson and H.D. Stillman (WV Sec. State, n.d.). According to a newspaper article, Nick Savas served as the President of the firm (“Service Award,” 1967).

A "Chief Logan" branded soda bottle with "NICK SAVAS" on the base, who was the President of the company.

Red Rock Bottling Co.

Information needed.

Royal Crown Bottling Co.

1927—1977

I am unsure as to when the Logan plant of the Royal Crown Cola Bottling Company began, but it was evidently a branch of the Charleston RC Cola Bottling Co. (Royal Crown Bottling Co., 1973), at least later on in its existence. I have used those dates for this company (WV Sec. State, n.d.), though I suspect they may be incorrect.

Royal Crown Bottling Co., Upper-10, Logan soda bottle. Emerald green glass w/ yellow and red ACL painted label. Front.

Whistle Bottling Co.

Information needed.

References

Charters issued. (1905, June 3). The Fairmont West Virginian, 1.

Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad Company (1915). Official industrial guide and shippers’ directory.

Guyan Valley Bottling Works. (1925, March 17). Bottling plant [advertisement]. Beckley Raleigh Register, 4.

H.S. Rich & Co. (1923). The beverage blue book, 1923, the standard directory buyers' guide and reference volume for the beverage industry.

H.S. Rich & Co. (1925). The beverage blue book, 1925, the standard directory buyers' guide and reference volume for the beverage industry.

H.S. Rich & Co. (1930). The beverage blue book, 1930, the standard directory buyers' guide and reference volume for the beverage industry.

Logan bottling company is given state charter. (1938, February 10). Hinton Daily News, 1.

Montgomery, S.B. (1920). Fifteenth biennial report of the bureau of labor of West Virginia. Tribune Printing Company.

Royal Crown Bottling Co. (1973, July 24). RC and Can-Am racing [advertisement]. The Charleston Daily Mail, 4.

Service award given by Jaycees in Logan. (1967, January 20). Beckley Post-Herald, 7.

Three hundred residents of Logan in the city Saturday. (1922, November 26). The Charleston Daily Mail, 13.

West Virginia Secretary of State. (n.d.). Business entity details: Dr. Pepper Bottling Company of Logan. https://apps.wv.gov/SOS/BusinessEntitySearch/Details.aspx?Id=dXGvaE4hzrhkc6aCjhJeWQ==&Search=ctxax%2f12bmmfp9TIdRlMcQ%3d%3d&Page=0

West Virginia Secretary of State. (n.d.). Business entity details: Logan Beverage Company. https://apps.wv.gov/SOS/BusinessEntitySearch/Details.aspx?Id=5HeGJ6FzpZbzf4QabByeIg==&Search=n+%2fouAyD8GLGIsB5IYl4iw%3d%3d&Page=0

West Virginia Secretary of State. (n.d.). Business entity details: Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of Logan, Incorporated. https://apps.wv.gov/SOS/BusinessEntitySearch/Details.aspx?Id=h96kfl+JUxVH0cHiaeFn9Q==&Search=rvBhJkQkUKnHGrJBC0jyqg%3d%3d&Page=0

West Virginia Secretary of State. (n.d.). Business entity details: Royal Crown Bottling Company of Charleston, Incorporated. https://apps.wv.gov/SOS/BusinessEntitySearch/Details.aspx?Id=QTxcAAG6w9vZxXorbUWa/w==&Search=nVXCLyqpey7M14m6+kJUqQ%3d%3d&Page=0