NEHI / ROYAL CROWN BOTTLING COMPANY

The long suspected connection between East Tennessee Chero-Cola Bottling Company and the Nehi Bottling Company has finally became clear with the recent discovery of the 1930-1931 City Directory at Johnson City's Library.(1) As you may or may not know the East Tennessee Chero-Cola Bottling Company had Scott E. Cunningham as President and Leslie R. Driver as Vice President in 1928.(1) It turns out that according to 1930-31 city directory they are President and Vice President of the Nehi Bottling Company which is located in the same building as Chero-Cola was at 226 West Market Street.(1) Actually the date given for the start of the Nehi Bottling Company is 1930, according to the Directory of Tennessee Industry 1952 edition.(2)

According to the 1935 City Directory this has all changed as we find Nehi Bottling Company located at 244 West Market Street with William C. Adams as President, and Scott E. Cunningham is still located at 226 West Main as president of Cunningham Beverages. This is where they would remain until between 1939 and 1941 when they have moved to 305 West Market Street. By 1947-48 they have changed their name to Royal Crown Bottling Company; however, they are still at 305 West Market. It appears that the Royal Crown Bottling Company decided to open a beverage canning / bottling plant West Mountain View Road in the early 1970's which I have decided deserved it’s own page due to the nature of the package that it was created to produce which were cans. If you are interested check out the Johnson City Custom Canners site. They would remain at this location until 1980, when they would relocate to New Jonesboro Highway and finally closing by 1985.

An interesting listing shows up in the 1937 directory with the mention of Harry T. Berger as Vice President of the Nehi Bottling Company. Harry T. Berger is the connection between Nehi Bottling Company in Bristol, VA and Johnson City. The first time that Nehi is mentioned in Bristol is as a warehouse in 1929 and Clarence H. "Fox" Drinkard is listed as "Branch Manager:. Now I can surmise that this bottling company is a branch of the Nehi Bottling Company in Johnson City. If this is true then the name change came about in late 1928 or 1929. Harry T. Berger shows up as manager of the Nehi Bottling Company in Bristol, VA between 1932 and 1934, he is living in Bristol, which is confirmed by the Johnson City directory in 1937.

This is the first location for the Nehi Bottling Company in Johnson City 226 West Market around 1930

The second location for the Nehi Bottling Company was at 244 West Market Street which is now a mattress factory I am pretty sure it is the same building they occupied between 1935 and 1941

The final location for the Nehi Bottling Company was at 305 West Market Street from 1941 till 1985. This picture is taken from Main Street; however, the building has entrances on both Main and Market.

12oz late 1930's Royal Crown Cola acl & embossed bottle

12oz Royal Crown Cola bottle dated 1939

7oz Upper 10 bottle dated 1939

12oz Royal Crown Cola bottle dated 1940

12oz Nehi bottle dated 1940

7oz Nehi bottle dated 1942

12oz Royal Crown Cola bottle dated 1942

6oz Chero bottle from the 1940's

7oz Nehi bottle no date

7oz Upper 10 bottle dated 1953

10oz Upper 10 Bottle dated 1959

10oz Nehi Bottle dated 1960

Two 10oz Nehi Bottles dated 1962

10oz Kick Bottle from the 1960's

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