THE KLINE CORPORATION
COCA-COLA BOTTLING COMPANY

The story of the Coca-Cola Bottling Company in Norton, VA actually begins in Bristol, VA. The Dixie Bottling Company is purchased by a Col. (Sewell) Howard of Rockwood, Tenn. September 30th, 1906 the Bristol Herald Courier reported that he was building a new building across the street from the older location and moving the older equipment to Norton, VA(1) to set up as the Norton Coca-Cola Bottling Works Inc. which was incorporated on February 7, 1907.(3) Jack Tarwater, who was married to Sewell Howard's daughter, is listed as president, J. F. Tarwater of Rockwood, TN as Vice President, with Jerry Haggard listed as Secretary Treasurer.(5) They also held these same positions in Dixie Bottling Works of Bristol, VA.(4) The first building was located near the corner of Virginia Avenue and Seventh street, due to popular legend I assumed that this might be the location of T. M. Pepper's Bottling Company; however, after seeing a picture of the original building as compared to the building on eighth street, this is the location of the first Norton Coca-Cola Bottling Works. Amazingly enough this building still stands, has been remodeled/re-skinned and is being used by a business. When the most you see of a bottler's location is a parking lot, it excites you to realize the building still stands.

There is some mystery surrounding when exactly the company passed from Jack Tarwater to Ferdinand Bert Kline who according to a letter in the possession of one of his relatives wrote to Benjamin Franklin Thomas and Joseph Brown Whitehead about taking over the franchise for bottling Coca-Cola, and received permission to do so on December 2, 1910.(2) Yet I find that Jack Tarwater revived his Norton Coca-Cola Bottling Works Incorporation status on May 23rd, 1913, after letting it lapse after a period of two years.(3) It turns our that the corporation hadn't paid the annual registration fees for 1910 and 1911,(5) F. B. Kline being a stock holder in the company was obviously toying with the idea of taking over the franchise, thus the letter to Coca-Cola‘s main office, since it appears that the Tarwaters were letting the corporation lapse. The odd thing is that F. B. Kline along with fellow stock holders, C. A. Broadwater, and L. E. Beisel decided to revive the charter with the same officers as the first one,(5) thus you still have Jack Tarwater attached as president of the company. I would be an idea to note that having sold out his interests in Dixie Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Bristol, VA to Carl Jones by 1910, that Jack Tarwater may very well have moved back to Rockwood, TN.

At some point Ferdinand B. Kline has taken over the company, he incorporated the Kline Corporation on March 20, 1917.(3) By the 1923 Sanborn maps he has built a new brick building that still stands on the corner of Sixth and Seventh streets. He purchased the land the second location sits on August 8, 1913 and may have built the new plant before incorporating in 1917.(5) The building was still in use as of the last Sanborn map in 1948, in fact it still stands in all of its art deco glory to this day. At some point after 1948 the Coca Cola Bottling Company vacated this plant to move into a new plant outside Norton.(2) According to Burke Greear's information, in the mid 1960's Ferdinand B. Kline’s sons William Kline, and W. P. Armistead inherited 60% share of the Norton plant as well as the one in Vansant, VA.(2) W. P. Armistead bought out William Kline's interest in the company after F. B. Kline's death in 1970, only to sell the Lonesome Pine Coca-Cola Bottling Company, to Coca-Cola Consolidated of Charlotte, NC in 1982.(2) Though he signed a "non-compete" agreement with the company, he still continued to bottling the Lonesome Pine Beverages line and distributing them in the Christiansburg, VA area.(2) The final building, while still owned by the family, is no longer operational in any capacity.(2)

The location of the original Coca-Cola Bottler of Norton

The second location for the Coca-Cola Bottling Company.

Lonesome Pine Coca Cola Bottling Company

"straight side" Coca-Cola bottle dated 1912

"straight side" bottle from the "Coca-Cola Bottling Works of Norton, VA" dated 1914. This bottle most likely never held Coca-Cola because the parent company directed that all bottles containing Coca-Cola have the name in script. This was most likely a bottle used for flavored soda waters, or other non-Coca-Cola brands that the company bottled.

6oz "straight side" amber Coca-Cola dated 1916

A "Pat'd November 15, 1915" Coca Cola Bottle

1930 ad for the Kline Corporation which was the actual name of the Coca-Cola Bottling Company

Although it's just a shard it is evidence that at some point Norton would use the six star Coca-Cola Soda Water bottle. This shard is dated 1924, and was found near Bristol, VA.

"Pat. D-105529" Coca Cola Bottles dated 1942 from different glass manufacturers. Note the differences in design and layout.

1942 ad for the Kline Company

7oz Sparkling Life Bottle dated 1946

10oz Coca Cola Bottle 1963

10oz Lonesome Pine Beverages bottle dated 1973

Lonesome Pine Beverages foam label bottles

Lonesome Pine Beverages carrier which would have carried the above bottles

Lonesome Pine Beverages wax sample cup

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