Raleigh [Coca-Cola] Bottling Works

1906—1920; 1920—1972

It appears that Raleigh Bottling Works—at least the Beckley plant—was incorporated in 1906 with a capital of $10,000, or roughly $320,000 after adjusting for inflation, with the incorporators from Beckley including S.T. Ford, J.E. Garrett, W.E. Strand, M.E. Garrett, and L.S. Tully (“W.Va. Men,” 1906).

A little over six months later, it is reported that W.E. Strand and J.E. Garrett sold their stake in the company to an individual named Ashton File. The article speculated that File and the remaining owner, S.T. Ford, would organize a new company rather than continue their bottling works (“Will Change Hands,” 1906). This obviously did not occur.

As of September 1906, the president of the company was T.H. Wickham, vice president J.J. Duffy, secretary-treasurer S.T. Ford, and Ashton File and L.S. Tully being officers of the board of directors. At this point they raised their capital from its initial $10,000 to $25,000 to build an ice plant (“Increased Stock,” 1906).

I believe that the Raleigh Bottling Works hutch—given it has the same officers on the bottle—is indeed from this Beckley plant. At the time, it may have been more appropriate to list Raleigh as the location. But as Beckley grew, it became more apt to emboss “Beckley” on the bottle. The purpose of all embossing was not only to advertise, but to remind consumers to return their bottles to the plant. So, at one point Raleigh was an easier waypoint than Beckley. I say this because Raleigh Bottling Works never appears to be in Raleigh in any Dun & Bradstreet year.

In 1920, the company changed its name to the Raleigh Coca-Cola Bottling Works (WV Sec. State, 2025). Raleigh Bottling Works continued as a Coca-Cola bottler in Beckley until 1972, when it was purchased by Wometco Enterprises, Inc. of Miami, Florida (“Miami Firm,” 1972).