GRAHAM / BLUEFIELD VA BOTTLING COMPANIES
Bluefield, VA was once known as Graham, VA until the prosperity of their neighboring city of Bluefield, WV led the town to change their name in 1924, in order to capitalize on the larger city's success due to the Pocahontas Coal Boom. Unlike their larger namesake, Graham, VA/Bluefield, VA would actually have a many more bottling companies than Bluefield, WV. This history of bottling would start with J. T. Dupuy’s bottling company in the late 1800’s, followed closely by the Crystal Bottling & Cider Company, which would evolve into the Graham Bottling Company and is reputed to be the first bottler in the area to introduce Coca-Cola, Then there is the Cane Cola Bottling Company, the 3-C Nectar Bottling Company, a branch plant of the Epping Bottling Company of Louisville, KY, the Nehi Bottling Company which was the longest lived of all of them, and the Dr. Pepper Bottling Company which was the next longest.
J. T. Dupuy Bottling Company of Graham, VA 1893-1896
Crystal Bottling & Cider Company / Graham Bottling Company of Graham, VA 1903-1911
Cane Cola Bottling Company of Graham, VA 1916
Clinch Valley Fruit Products & Manufacturing Company of Graham, VA 1919-1920
3-C Nectar of Graham, VA 1921-1923
Epping Bottling Company of Graham, VA 1926
The Nehi Bottling Company 1930-1985
Dr. Pepper Bottling Company 1937-1968
Bluefield Beverage Company 1983-2012
The July 11, 1924 ad from The Clinch Valley News announcing the wedding between Bluefield, WV and the about to be renamed Graham, VA.
An aero view of Bluefield, VA in 1939, the numbers correspond with the locations of some of the bottling companies listed above. #1 is the first location of Dr. Pepper. #2 is the first location of the Nehi Bottling Company. #3 was the location of The 3-C Nectar Bottling Company. #4 is beside the building that housed the second location of the Dr. Pepper Bottling Company. #5 is beside the second and final location of the Nehi Bottling Company. #6 was the location of the J. T. Dupuy & Company bottling plant. The other locations are not shown in this picture.
The Craft Memorial Library and the Eastern Regional Coal Archives for the use of their resources in my research.