COLLECTOR INFORMATION
 SODA BOTTLES - A Brief History of the Royal Crown Cola Company

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Royal Crown had its humble beginnings at the turn of the century as a ginger ale. Claude A Hatcher, a young pharmacist and his father owned the Hatcher Grocery Company in Columbus, Georgia. After a falling-out with a local soda bottler, Hatcher began bottling ginger ale which was followed by a line of flavors.

Chero-Cola
In 1905, due to strong sales of their newly created drinks, Hatcher and his father organized their bottling operation into the Union Bottling Works and added Chero-Cola to their line of soft drinks.

Chero-Cola was a sweet caramel colored soft drink developed by a pharmacist named Claude Hatcher in Columbus, Georgia in 1905.  From that time until 1912, an indeterminate number of circle-name, paper label bottles were distributed by the Union Bottling Works of Columbus, GA. 

PRE 1912 Paper Labels on Union B/W Bottles
1912 Embossed Bottle, Arc Script Name (N)
1913-1914 Embossed Bottle, Angled Script Name (N)
1915-1923 Embossed Bottle, Angled Block Name (N)
1923-1934 Embossed Bottle, Twist Design
1934- A few Painted Label Chero-Cola bottles were issued after 1934, with a yellow label in the middle.

 

Chero-Cola bottles seemed to have evolved in two basic designs, the "angled" design, and the "twist" design. Two size variations have been noted, a 6-1/2 oz, and a 7 oz bottle. Three glass colors have been recorded, clear, aqua (light green), and green.

The arc script embossed bottle with the name placed in an arc on the neck and a paper label in the middle was considered the first franchise bottle.   

From 1913 to 1914, the bottles contained an angled script name on the bottle neck.  All bottles through 1914 were "Bimal" (two piece bottles with applied neck) bottles.

Beginning in 1915 all bottles were ABM or single unit construction bottles.  The angled-block letter design bottles, which are the most common of the bottle generations, appeared from 1915 to 1922.  These bottles also contained paper labels in the middle.

From 1923 until 1934 the twist design bottle was issued with the name embossed in the middle.  The twist design eliminated the need for a paper label with all of the needed information actually embossed on the face of the bottle. The earliest date found on this bottle design is 1923.

To follow is a list of cities found on Chero-Cola bottles:

BIRMINGHAM AL DECATUR AL DOTHAN AL FLORENCE AL GADSEN AL
HEADLAND AL MOBILE AL SELMA AL  PINE BLUFF AR  JACKSONVILLE FL
PENSACOLA FL PERRY FL ATHENS GA  ATLANTA GA  AUGUSTA GA 
CANTON GA CARTERSVILLE GA CARROLLTON GA COLUMBUS GA CORDELE GA
COVINGTON GA GRIFFIN GA MACON GA   ROME GA SPARTA GA 
VALDOSTA GA WINDER GA BLOOMINGTON IL FT WAYNE IN  OSGOOD IN
ROCKVILLE IN SEYMOUR IN VINCENNES IN  NEW ORLEANS LA SHREVEPORT LA
BALTIMORE MD BROOKHAVEN MS CLARKSDALE MS CORINTH MS HATTIESBURG MS
JACKSON MS TUPELO MS   VICKSBURG MS WEST POINT MS CHARLOTTE NC 
GRAHAM NC  GREENSBORO NC HICKORY NC  KELFORD NC WINSTON-SALEM NC  
ATLANTIC CITY NJ BARBERTON OH DAVIS OK FRANKLIN PA COLUMBIA SC
GREER SC LAURENT SC MARION SC BRISTOL TN  CHATTANOOGA TN
COLUMBIA TN KNOXVILLE TN MEMPHIS TN PULASKI TN FT WORTH TX
PARIS TX BRISTOL VA NEWPORT NEWS VA KEYSER WV  
Chero-Cola became such a success that in 1912, the company name was changed to the Chero-Cola Company, and Claud Hatcher became its first president. By 1925, the new company had 315 active franchises in fourteen southern states bottling Chero-Cola.

 

The first Royal Crown Cola sold in the nation by R. M. Grubb of Dothan in 1933.  Mr. Grubb bought the Dothan Chero-Cola franchise in 1932 and a year later the firm name was changed to Nehi Company of Columbus, Ga.  The syrup which the Dothan Bottler used in making  Royal Crown Cola is descended from Chero-Cola formula according to W. C. and George Grub, managers of the plant, their father put Royal Crown Cola on the market, despite the Nehi Company's belief that it would not sell. 

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Photo made in front of the First National Bank, Dothan, Al, corner of Main and Foster Streets

Submitted by
F Gaines
Dothan, AL 8'05

 

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 Marianna, Fl about 30 miles south of Dothan.  This photo was made in the early '20's in downtown Marianna.

Submitted by
F Gaines
Dothan, AL 9'05
 
I found bottles from a bottling works that existed many years ago here in my hometown.   The bottles (two varieties) I found are embossed with "Brundidge Bottling Works, Brundidge, Ala."   I subsequently did some research and learned that three Jones brothers, Frank, Walter, and Dean Jones, opened up their soda pop business here in 1910.    Initially, they bottled only flavors......lemon, strawberry, etc.   But the firm acquired a CHERO-COLA franchise in 1912.   This firm remained in business until 1922.    I have several Chero-Cola bottles that have Brundidge, Ala. embossed near the bottom of the bottles.
 
     The Chero-Cola Company started a big, major advertising campaign in 1917 and even established a "National Chero-Cola Day" that year during which time customers were invited to come in and tour the various Chero-Cola plants all over the Southeast.   I imagine this campaign was an attempt to capture more of the soft drink market away from their primary competitor, Coca-Cola.    Our local Chero-Cola firm even promoted a contest here in the early 1920's in which youngsters were asked to compete by writing an essay on "Why I Like Chero-Cola".   The winner of this contest was awarded a $5 gold coin!!!    They also began producing prizes or premiums to encourage customers to buy and drink more Chero-Cola.    I have one of those premiums, which is a leather change purse.   When it is snapped open, there is a paper inside that says "Compliments of Brundidge Bottling Works".    The old person who gave me this little leather purse said that as well as she could remember, she turned in so many bottle caps from Chero-Cola bottles to win the little purse.
 
     I just thought that I would share the foregoing information about Chero-Cola with you.   Our county seat, Troy, Ala., also had a Chero-Cola firm as did Headland, Ala., a small city not too far from here.
 
                                             John Johnston   (age 61)    11'06

Newspaper article submitted by N Slade 04/07
 

 

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