BRISTOL / TWIN CITY CHERO-COLA BOTTLING COMPANY

Bristol Chero-Cola Company, Inc. was first incorporated on May 18, 1916 with John N. Gunnels as President & Treasurer, W. H. Treadwell as Vice-President & Manager, and Zach Nabers as Secretary, all of these gentlemen being from Birmingham, Alabama. W. H. Treadwell would also start the East Tennessee Chero-Cola Bottling Company in Johnson City, Tenn. Between 1919 and 1921. The company would later change their name to the Bristol Chero-Cola Bottling Co. on September 12, 1916.(2) They were first located on the corner of State & Scranton (now Commonwealth Avenue) Streets. Their charter was dissolved by the State Corporation Commission on January 9, 1920. The odd thing is that the company is still advertising during 1921.

Apparently the company was sold to T. L. Keith, who also owned the Kingsport Bottling Company of Kingsport, Tenn., the new corporation would be called the Twin-City Chero-Cola Bottling Company located at 517 Sycamore Street, with T. L. Keith as President, W. S. Pierce as Vice President, both of Kingsport, Tenn., and Thomas J. May, of Bristol, VA, as Secretary Treasurer(1). An odd connection is the inclusion of two particular listed directors of the company by the names of Henry T. Obenshain and Thomas R. Bandy as they would be president and vice president of the Kingsport Chero-Cola Bottling Company by 1926. In the 1923-24 city directory they are located at "Washington Corner Goodson" which is odd as Washington never crosses Goodson so there couldn't be a corner.(1) There is no mention of the company by 1927; however, a Nehi bottling company appears around 1929. There may be a possibility that they continued on as the Nehi Company, since the main Chero-cola company changed its name to the Nehi Company after their new drink.

This was the location of Twin City Chero-Cola Bottling Company in 1917 as shown by the advertisement below, according to Charlie Barnette, Commonwealth Avenue was originally called Scranton street.

This is my best estimation of the location of 517 Sycamore Street as it appears today. This was the location of Twin City Chero-Cola Bottling Company in 1922.

An advertisement for National Chero-Cola Day from 1917

6 1/2oz Chero-cola bottle with Bristol, Tenn. instead of Bristol Tenn.-VA.

An advertisement for Chero-Cola from 1919

6 1/2oz Chero-cola bottle (flint glass)

A larger advertisement for Orange Crush being bottled by the Chero-Cola Bottling Company from May 18, 1919

6 1/2oz Chero-cola bottle (amethyst glass)

An advertisement for Orange Crush being bottled by the Chero-Cola Bottling Company from May 25, 1919

6 1/2oz Chero-cola bottle (aqua glass) dated 1920

Advertising from 1921 for the Chero-Cola Bottling Company meantioning a new phone number, it this an indicator that they have moved recently?

6oz Chero-Cola Soda Water bottle

An advertisement for The Chero-Cola "Twist" style bottle, which was introduced in the early 1920's, from June 15, 1924. The question is does a "twist" style Chero-Cola with Bristol, VA embossed on it exist?

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