WYRICK MINERAL SPRING COMPANY

The Wyrick Spring Co. Inc. of Bristol, Va is incorporated on September 23, 1920.(2) The officers of this new company were Charles F. Hagan as President, John S. Dix as First Vice President, D. Reed Porter as Second Vice President/General Manager, and E. T. Williams as Secretary, with all four serving a Directors of the corporation. Charles F. Hagan is from Bristol, Virginia, which the other three are from Crockett, Virginia where the Wyrick Mineral Springs is located.(3) Of course Wyrick Mineral Spring Water was already being distributed in Bristol by 1912 at 630 State Street, during the time that Mr. M. S. Bennett of Abingdon, VA owned the spring, which is most likely how Hagan became associated with the brand.(6)

These mineral waters were being sold as a curative, and Charles F. Hagan was no stranger to the field of Patent Medicines, which were essentially marketed as cure alls. After being a part of the Hagan & Wood Manufacturing Druggists starting in 1888, he went on to create his own company by 1893.(6) The name of that company was the Cin-Co-Lery Company which produced Cin-Col-Lery Compound "A tried and true tonic for the brain, Nerves, Muscles, and Blood."(6) So I’m sure you can see that Hagan when given the opportunity to acquire the Wyrick Springs jumped at the chance.

There was already a hotel on the site of the spring in Crockett; however, the American Bottler of June 1920 states that Charles F. Hagan of Bristol is erecting a bottling plant at Crockett.(8) They did pipe the water from the springs down to a location near the Crockett train depot, so I'm guessing this location was more likely bottling the water in the five gallon carboys, and half gallon jugs for distribution via the railroad. It appears that they were also shipping the water to the J. C. Layman Company in Bristol to be bottled in the form of Wyrick Ginger Ale and carbonated mineral water, in 12oz bottles embossed "A Wyrick Spring Product", along with using the water in the bottling of their leader brand Mint Cola in a 6oz bottle embossed the same. Hagan registered his "Wyrick Water" trademark on July 26, 1922 which can be seen on the labels that were affixed to the bottles.

The corporate offices of the company were located in the Interstate Building at 10 Sixth Street, Bristol, Tennessee.(1) The building is long gone now and replaced by another. There are claims that it was deemed unsafe due to faulty building standards, and was torn down. The distributor of Wyrick Spring Water for the corporation was C. M. McGhee who was located at 332 Seventh Street in Bristol, Tennessee.(4) The Wyrick Mineral Spring Company is listed in the 1923 Beverage Blue Book as being located in Virginia, but not the 1925, so they may have stopped bottling at the J. C. Layman Company by that point.(5) They are listed in the 1929 city directory; however, not in the 1930, but Wyrick Spring Water is still being advertised in the May 11, 1930 edition of the Bristol Herald Courier.(4) On August 20, 1935 the Virginia State Corporation Commission revoked the charter for the Wyrick Spring Company.(3) The property was sold to James N. Denton of Bristol, it was after this that the Wyrick Hotel closed, and was ultimately dismantled in 1957.(7) For more information on the Wyrick Mineral Spring in Crockett, VA then click this link for my Wyrick Spring page.

The Interstate Building at 10 Sixth Street, Bristol, Tennessee

advertising cover from Wyrick Spring Company 1922.

Close up of the Wyrick Ginger Ale sticker on the letter

Wyrick Ginger Ale ad from 1921 Bristol Herald Courier.

12oz Wyrick Spring bottle dated 1923

A 1923 Wyrick Spring Ginger Ale ad

A J. C. Layman Mint Cola bottle with "A Wyrick Spring Product" embossed on the back

A "Wyrick Water" half gallon label

Wyrick Ginger Ale crate

A 1924 Wyrick Water ad

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