NEHI / ROYAL CROWN BOTTLING COMPANY

The Nehi bottling company of Bristol lasted from around 1929 until around 1951. During this twenty odd year period they would exist in four separate locations. I am not sure if this bottling company actually has any connection to Twin City Chero-Cola as the last mention of that bottling company is 1924, and the first mention of Nehi is 1929, leaving 1927 where neither is mentioned. The first mention of Nehi in Bristol is in 1929 at 106 State Street which is on the Tennessee side of the street with Clarence H. "Fox" Drinkard as Branch Manager.(1) This location is actually listed as a warehouse, most likely for Johnson City's Nehi Bottling Company, so I doubt that they actually bottled at this time. The address changes from 106 State Street to 104 ½ State Street by 1930-31, with Samuel W. Williams as Manager.(1) Samuel W. Williams will figure prominently in the Bristol and Kingsport Seven-Up story. This address change is most likely just a shifting of the street numbers as I doubt that they would move one building over.

On May 12, 1931 an ad is placed in the Bristol Herald Courier with the head line "Nehi now manufactured in Bristol!" It goes on to read that they have moved to 27 Moore Street in the building formerly occupied by the Bristol Seed and Grain Company. They were incorporated on May 10, 1931, M. D. Kelly is listed as President with H. C. Kelly as Vice President, both from Pennington Gap, VA, R. L. Neale as Secretary & Treasurer, S. E. Neale as Assistant Secretary & Treasurer, both from Bristol, VA, and Rhoda L. Neale as Manager. They remain at this address until at least 1934, when Harry T. Berger has taken over as Manager.(1) Harry T. Berger is also Vice President of the Nehi Bottling Company of Johnson City, TN, thus there is a connection between these two companies. In 1936 we find that they have once again relocated to 509 Sycamore which is a building neighboring Dixie Bottling Works' location on Sycamore.(1) Of course just as in Dixie's case the place where they stood is now a park. According to the incorporation records the corporation's charter was revoked on July 21, 1939, no reason is given; however, it can only be assumed that this is due to the common practice of revoking a charter if the company doesn't pay their fees for two years running. Apparently they sold the company and between 1942 and 1944 Nehi moves to its fourth location at 72 Commonwealth Avenue which is now part of the Strongwell property.(1) It appears that the building may still exist; however, it has been modified for Strongwell's use.

Lee D. Brown has become manager of the company by 1944 (1), he is also listed as Manager of the Nehi Bottling Company of Johnson City, TN. Bass K. Gilley is Manager of the Bristol company by 1946, and is listed as Superintendent of the company by 1948.(1) While at this location the Nehi Bottling Company would change its name to the Royal Crown Bottling Company by 1948. The last Manager listed for the company is Coy T. Holmes who is listed in 1951; however, the company is no longer listed in the city directory by 1953.(1) The odd thing is that they don't appear to be gone, I own a receipt from 1956 from the Royal Crown Bottling Company listing both the Johnson City, Tenn. location along with a location at 4653 Lee Highway Bristol, VA, so apparently they had moved near where Marion Bottling Works, which is now just the Pepsi-Cola warehouse, have their warehouse at what would become exit 7. Unfortunately the sanborn maps don't cover this area and this makes locating this particular warehouse impossible. It is apparent that Bristol's history with the Nehi Bottling Company is very much connected with the Nehi Bottling Company of Johnson City, Tenn. even to the point of bottling and or distributing their product throughout the years. This may explain the lack of very many different Bristol, VA Nehi product bottles.

By my best estimation the gray car is sitting on the former spot where the first Nehi bottling company location once stood.

The ad announcing the start of Nehi Bottling in Bristol.

Unfortunately the location on Moore Street no longer stands; however, you can see the floor supports for the building on the side of the building on the left, which are ghostly reminders that a building once stood there.

This portion of Sycamore that once housed Twin City Chero-Cola bottling company, Dixie bottling works, and Nehi, has been turned into a park. This picture has been taken from what would have been the middle of Sycamore street. The area in the photograph would have been the estimated spot where the building would have stood.

The most likely final location of the Nehi / Royal Crown Bottling Company of Bristol.

A 1920's and 1930's era Nehi 9oz deco bottle from Bristol, VA which would most likely have been bottled at the Moore street or Sycamore street location.

A Royal Crown 12oz from 1942 which is odd as the back claims that it was the porperty of the Royal Crown Bottling Company of Bristol, VA. According to the city directory they didn't change their name till 1948. That's when this type of research starts getting tricky.

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