KINGSPORT BOTTLING & CANDY CO.
KINGSPORT PEPSI-COLA BOTTLING CO.
KINGSPORT CHERO-COLA BOTTLING CO.
ROYAL CROWN BOTTLING COMPANY

On August 19, 1919 the Kingsport Times News reports that T. (Tate) L. Keith announced on the previous day that he was opening the Kingsport Bottling & Candy Company which would be located in the building that once housed the Keith Bakery at 611 Boone Street.(2) They incorporated as the Kingsport Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company on November 20, 1919,(3) with T. L. Keith, W. S. Pierce, R. W. Howard, T. R. Bandy, and H. T. Obenshain.(6) The company is listed as both the Kingsport Bottling & Candy Company and the Kingsport Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company in the 1923 Beverage Blue Book(4); however, Kingsport Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company doesn't appear to be listed in the 1925 addition.(5) Things have changed which occurred when the company amended it's charter on July 21, 1924 to change it's name to the Kingsport Chero-Cola Bottling Company, signed by H. T. Obenshain, T. J. May, Tate L. Keith, W. A. Pyle, and T. R. Band signing,(6) which is listed in the 1925 edition of the Beverage Blue Book.(5) It appears that they were possibly the victim of the 1923 Pepsi-Cola bankruptcy, and had to jump ship for a competitor. In 1926 Henry T. Obenshain is listed as general manager, Obenshain is also president of Kingsport Grocery Company.(1)

The Kingsport Times News on March 30, 1930 ran a huge ad and full article reporting that the Nehi Bottling Works is now located in the Reynolds building at 459 East Main Street.(2) In 1941 Henry Obenshain is listed as President, Thomas R. Bandy is Vice President, and Henry's wife Octavia is Secretary Treasurer. In the late 1940's the address has changed to 693 East Main Street, but the Sanborn maps place the building at the same location, the directory notes that the company is distributing Pabst Blue Ribbon beer. Henry takes a back seat in 1943, Thomas Bandy is now President with Octavia as Vice President, and Henry as Secretary Treasurer. These are the offices each would hold until the last mention of the then named Royal Crown Bottling Company around 1951.(1) It appears that the name change has occurred as early as 1949; however, Kingsport Chero-Cola is still listed as distributing beer.(1) They are both not mentioned in the 1953 City Directory, leaving me to theorize that they are both gone by this point.(1) There is a curious item that I found in the charter books that puzzles me, and that is a surrender of charter certificate registered on July 30, 1968.(6) The charter in question is for the Kingsport Chero-Cola Company Inc. (note the lack of bottling in the name) and the signers are H. T. Obenshain, listed as President, and Grace B. Obenshain, listed as Secretary.(6) Why did a company that dropped off the bottling map in the early 1950's end up finally giving up their charter in 1968? Were they distributing?

One of the toughest things to keep straight when doing research of this type is trying to find the location of a building using the street number when there seems to be much shifting of street numbers or mistakes in the information you are using for research. The Sanborn maps help; however, you get conundrums like I am about to tell you about. Kingsport Chero-Cola is located (according to the City Directory) at 459 East Main Street until 1949 when the listing places it at 693 East Main Street. Now here's the odd bit, the Sanborn maps put this building at 693 East Main as early as 1930 which would have been around the time it moved there from Boone street. The funny thing is that the numbers seem to jump from 453 East Main to 693 East Main over one small lot of land, so is this is a good case where the Sanborn maps save the day by showing the physical location of a business instead of just the street number which seem to be iffy at best when researching.

This is the location of the Kingsport Chero-Cola Bottling Company when it first arrived in Kingsport. As you can see the building still stands and is now part of a trucking company. As you will note the street numbers have changed since they were listed at this location; however, the Sanborn Maps back up this location.

This is the location of the Kingsport Chero-Cola Bottling Company after it's relocation to Main street in March 1930. They would remain at this location until they ceased operations.

The second location as it appears today.

Kingsport Pepsi-Cola bottle dated 1921.

9oz Nehi bottle from Kingsport, Tenn.

12oz Royal Crown Cola dated 1937. This bottle was found with a stash of other Kingsport, Tennessee Royal Crown Cola, Nehi, and Par-T-Pak bottles from the late 1930's and early 1940's, which is why I post it here even without a town name, because chances are good that it was bottled there.

12oz Par-T-Pak bottle dated 1939

12oz Royal Crown Cola bottle dated 1939

12oz Royal Crown Cola bottle dated 1940

12oz Nehi bottle dated 1940

12oz Royal Crown Cola bottle dated 1946

6oz Chero bottle dated 1947

12oz Nehi bottle dated 1948

Chero-Cola ad from 1925 and a Nehi ad from 1928

1928 bottler receipt from the Kingsport Chero-Cola Bottling Company

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