J. T. DUPUY & COMPANY OF GRAHAM, VA

Quite possibly the oldest bottling company from Graham, VA is J. T. Dupuy & Co. which was located on the corner of Spring and Spruce Street in Graham, VA by 1893, maybe even earlier as evidenced by the receipt published in Phillip Townsend's book.(1) I first noticed this building on the Sanborn maps from October 1893, which actually noted the building as Dupui Mineral Bottling Works. Not knowing anything else about the company I waited until now to create a site for it. J. T. Dupuy & Co. priced a five ton ice plant in the latter part of 1894 (2), they must have found what they wanted because they are advertising the ice in April 1896.(3) The odd thing is that another print ad from June 2, 1896 claims that Dupuy, no initials mentioned, is an agent for Mitchell Ice Co. (3), which also shows up on the 1893 sanborn map. Mitchell Ice Company of course will later be the home of the Crystal Bottling Company. So has Dupuy gone out of business or is this a different Dupuy? I think it is a different Dupuy, because a June 05, 1905 local news snippet claims that F. E. Dupuy, representing the Crystal Bottling Works of Graham is in Bluefield, WV on business.(3)

There is also the J. T. Dupuy, Jr. & Company bottle from Clifton Forge, VA to also consider. In Elizabeth Hicks Corron's "Clifton Forge, VA Scenic, Busy, Friendly" book, she mentions that A. C. Ford took in J. T. Dupuy, who was Ford's brother in law, as a partner in his bottling business in 1897, which would later be incorporated in 1902 as the Clifton Forge Bottling Works.(4) So is this the same person or this J. T. Dupuy's son?






That’s right where that Chevy HHR is parked was a bottler in 1893.




From the collection of Phillip A. Townsend, photo by owner
Hutchinson bottle from J. T. Dupuy & Co. of Graham, VA




An ad from the J. T. Dupuy & Company Ice works from April 8, 1896




From the collection of Dave Tyree, photo by Phillip A. Townsend
Hutchinson bottle from J. T. Dupuy Jr. & Co. of Clifton Forge, VA



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Biblography:

(1) "Early Embossed Virginia Soda Bottles 1880-1914" by Phillip A. & Anthony N. Townsend 2007

(2) "Ice and Refrigeration magizine" by Southern Ice Exchange July-December 1894

(3) The New Daily Telegraph and Bluefield Daily Telegraph

(4) "Clifton Forge, VA: Scenic, Busy, Friendly" by Elizabeth Hicks Corron 1971