Thanks to the research of Norman Turner, we have a written historical booklet on the six soft drink bottling companies in Effingham County’s history; four were located in Springfield and two in Guyton. These companies were: The Springfield Bottling Works 1909-1916; The Springfield Chero-Cola Bottling Works 1915-1923; Jeff’s Pure Soda Waters bottled at Springfield, Georgia (this company was actually the Springfield Bottling Works) 1910-1913; The Limerick Beverage Company bottled at Springfield, Georgia 1950-1955; The Atlantic Bottling Works of Guyton, Georgia 1906-closing date unknown; and The Guyton Bottling Works 1927-closing date unknown.
Several of the soft drink bottling companies operated in the early 1900s. May 7, 1909, is the earliest date recorded that the Springfield Bottling Works was in operation, although it could have been in existence before that earliest date found in the Springfield Herald, then a relatively new newspaper.
The bottling companies had ups and downs and finally the Chero-Cola Bottling Works building burned down in 1923. About 27 years later, another company known as The Limerick Beverage Company appeared in Springfield in the 1950s. It, too, had its ups and downs and went out of business. Very little information is available about the Guyton bottling companies.
The companies produced several individual brands of drinks. Chero-Cola was a national brand name in its time. Some other brand names produced in the county were: Kaf-E-Kol by Springfield Bottling Works in 1909, Rye-Ola by the Jeff’s Pure Soda Waters in 1910, Hop-Ale by Springfield Bottling Works in 1913 and Coca-Nip by Springfield Bottling Works in 1915.
The history comes from local newspapers and county records compiled by Norman Turner. In 1909, references note J. S. Varn as proprietor of Springfield Bottling Company operated by him and his son Marvin. The June 11, 1909, Herald remarks, “Their ginger ale is extra fine, and their Kaf-E-Kol, a special substitute for Coca-Cola, which they are now about ready to turnout, is going to surpass anything in the soft drink catalogue. They are shipping to points in South Carolina as well as all nearby Georgia towns, and the fine quality of the goods they make is winning for them an enviable patronage in the soft drink trade.”
The Springfield Bottling Works was auctioned by the sheriff on the first Tuesday of August in 1909 for the purpose of collecting taxes for 1908 and 1909. The sale resulted in purchase by W. J. Wiggins, who the paper stated would resume operation of the plant immediately.
Notices in the Herald from February through March of 1910, offer for sale, “One well equipped, latest model soda water bottling plant. This includes city and shipping crates and bottles. Will be sold at a reasonable price or traded. Apply to W. J. Wiggins at the Brinson Store.”
W. C. Jeffcoat started up the bottling works according to the Herald on April 1, 1910. The accompanying advertisement from June 3, 1910 offers many flavors of various kinds. See accompanying advertisement.
To be continued next week….
This article was written from information in “Effingham County, Georgia’s Soft Drink Bottling Companies” by Norman V. Turner, a local historian. Susan Exley compiled this weekly column for Historic Effingham Society. If you have photos, comments or information to share, contact Susan Exley at (912) 754-6681 or email her at: susanexley@historiceffinghamsociety.org.
