On January 3, 1929, The Marion Orange Crush Bottling Company, Inc. was incorporated with Jason R. Shanklin as President, N. E. Robinson as Vice President, and Wythe M. Hull, Jr as Secretary, Treasurer, and General Manager. Things were going to be tough for the fledgling company that was trying to take hold in a country that was on the verge of a depression. The new company continued to bottle Orange Crush, Lemon Crush, Grape Crush, Coca-Crush, Good Grape, along with an unknown Cherry and strawberry drink.(2) They also continued to bottle Blue Ridge Ginger Ale, which was a trade-mark registered by Sprinkle and Robinson. Blue Ridge Ginger Ale would evolve into Blue Ridge Beverages, and would be discontinued in the "early 1970's due to the Difficulty of obtaining private bottles in small quantities."(1)

In April 1931 They opened their new location on North Main Street, where they would remain until 1968. Due to slowing sales and prohibition Marion Bottling Company secured the franchise to distribute non-alcoholic Budweiser and Bevo.(1) When prohibition was repealed in 1933, they tried to acquire the franchise for alcoholic Budweiser; however, couldn't afford to unload the boxcar of beer that arrived.(1) They also sold coal from 1930 to 1934. They picked up Pepsi-Cola on February 14th, 1929, and of course the National Pepsi-Cola Corporation went bankrupt on June 8th, 1931.(1) They would pick up the franchise again in late 1935, and the rest is history.(1) On September 30, 1968 they would move to their last location on Washington Ave.

They would also buy out their nearest competitor, Dr. Pepper Bottling Company of Marion, in 1971.(1) R. K. O. Bottlers bought out the company in 1983, this is where Wythe Hull's book ends.(1) I know that the Pepsi bottling plant continued to operate until around 2004, when Pepsi opened their new modern bottling plant in Wytheville, VA and shut down the Marion and Princeton plants. This is a sad end to a long and colorful history of bottling in Marion, VA. If you are interested in a more in-depth history of the Marion Bottling Company than I have paraphrased here, I suggest picking up Wythe Hull's book if you can find it, its out of print. This book might prove a bit boring to most as it tends to dwell on the business aspect quite a bit; however, to someone interested in what made the company a success then this is a must read.

Bottling Company location from 1929 till 1931

Bottling Company location on North Main from 1931 till 1968

Bottling Company location from 1968 till 2004

7oz Clear Orange Crush "O-C Beverages" bottle dated 1934, the back has the same embossing as most Orance Crush bottles from the period.

The bottom of the bottle

Blue Ridge Ginger Ale green depression glass tumbler

7oz Clear Orange Crush bottle with Crushy facing left

7oz Clear Orange Crush bottle dated 1935

The bottom of the bottle

The ad introducing Old Colony Beverages to the Smyth County area March 16, 1939.

7oz Sunny Isles bottle dated 1940

An ad from June 23, 1936 which shows the earlier paper labels which would have been used on the bottles pictured below.

12oz OCBCo Pepsi-Cola bottle these were used in the late 1930's and early 1940's and would have had a paper label.

12oz OCBCo bottle in a wide band around the neck. These were used in the late 1930's and early 1940's and would have had a paper label.

12oz OCBCo bottle in a narrow band around the neck dated 1942.

7oz green OCBCo bottle with a Blue Ridge Ginger Ale paper label dated 1942, you can barely see the embossing on the left side.

6oz tall Amber Orange Crush bottle dated 1942

The ad introducing the amber Orange Crush bottles from March 21, 1939.

7oz Clear Orange Crush bottle dated 1945

The bottom of the bottle

12oz paper label Pepsi=Cola bottle from Marion, VA dated 1946. Just click on the picture to enlarge.

Letterhead from 1946

8oz Old Colony Beverages bottle dated 1946

7oz green bottle from the Orange Crush Bottling Company (OCBCo) of Marion dated 1947.

7oz Amber Orange Crush bottle dated 1947. This must have been the transition year for the bottle design as the acl changes on the bottle below also dated 1947.

7oz Amber Orange Crush bottle dated 1947. See above.

An ad from January 19, 1947 introducing the new acl bottle

12oz Pepsi Cola bottle dated 1947

12oz Pepsi Cola bottle dated 1948

10oz Mil-Kay bottle dated 1949

12oz "Red, White & Blue" Pepsi Cola "2 full glasses" bottle dated 1950

12oz "Red & White" Pepsi Cola "2 full glasses" bottle dated 1950

10oz Mil-Kay bottle dated 1952

7oz Orange Crush bottle dated 1953

7oz Blue Ridge Ginger Ale bottle dated 1955

10oz Pepsi Cola bottle dated 1956

10oz Mil-Kay bottle dated 1957

10oz Clear Blue Ridge Beverages bottle dated 1957, note the sholder is higher up on the neck and the acl is quite a bit larger than the later versions.

10oz Pal beverage bottle dated 1958

7 3/4oz Pal Ade bottle dated 1958. You will notice that this one doesn’t have Marion, Va on the back like the above bottle. That is because this is one of those bottles that we can’t prove conclusively was bottled by the company; however, the sheer amount of them in the area, my finding this one in the bottles of a dealer who has consistently brought in Marion bottles, and the date itself makes me think that there is a possibility that Marion Bottling Company bottled these as well as the 10oz green bottle above. Still looking for that proof that they bottled these.

10oz Pepsi Cola bottle dated 1958

10oz Green Blue Ridge Beverages bottle dated 1959, of course this is the year they changed the 1957 design so that the shoulder deco is lower on the bottle, and made the acl smaller.

Pepsi-Cola crate dated 1960

10oz Clear Blue Ridge Beverages bottle dated 1967

Pepsi-Cola Fountain Syrup “Prepared by Marion Bottling Company Inc.” dated 1967

10oz Green Blue Ridge Beverages bottle dated 1971, note that the ounces are on the front acl now and the Marion, VA zip code has been added to the back.

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