LEMON KOLA BOTTLING WORKS
BLUEFIELD CANDY COMPANY

The Lemon Kola Bottling works started operations on August 3, 1912 (2) at 203 Bluefield Avenue with John G. Barrow as manager and Robert T. Peters as assistant manager.(1) The Bluefield Daily Telegraph article from August 4, 1912 states that the company bottled Lemon-Kola, ginger ale, and a flavor line.(2) The article also includes the information that while John G. Barrow would manage the plant operations, Robert T. Peters would handle outside sales.(2) Lemon Kola was one of the Coca Cola imitators what cropped up after Coca Cola became popular around the turn of the century, there are two bottlers of the drink in the area this site covers and that other one was in Marion, VA.

An October 5, 1913 Bluefield Daily Telegraph article reports a change in the leadership structure of the company listing Thomas L. Felts, who is a partner in the famous / infamous Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency, as President, Robert T. Peters as Vice President, and John G. Barrow as Secretary-treasurer.(2) A notice of Dissolution was published in the Bluefield Daily Telegraph on April 20, 1915 for the Lemon-Kola Bottling Works which of course announced that the corporation was to dissolve as of April 26th, 1915.(2) The interesting thing is that this isn't the end of the company. At the same location in 1919 is the Bluefield Candy Company with the same officers and still bottling Lemon-Kola.

By 1923 they have moved to 142 Bluefield Avenue with Thomas L. Felts as president, Robert T. Peters as vice president, John G. Barrow as Secretary, and James G. Stone as Treasurer.(1) They would continue to operate at the same location and the same officers until the company filed for bankruptcy on March 23, 1925.(2) On April 5, 1925 an announcement was published in the Bluefield Daily Telegraph that there was to be a public auction of the tangible assets and lease of the Bluefield-Crystal Candy Company of Bluefield, WVA.(2)

Running along side of the sidewalk here was the Lemon Kola Bottling Company back during the nineteen teens. Actually the sign would be inside of the original building.

Like most of the older bottling companies the Bluefield Candy Company building no longer stands having been replaced by what obviously was once a gas station.

June 13, 1916 Orange Whistle ad from the Bluefield Candy Company.

6 1/2oz Lemon-Kola bottle from the Bluefield Candy Company dated 1923

This page is only part of a much larger site. To see the rest then just click TAZEWELL-ORANGE.COM