Bluefield Bottling Co.
1893—1977
Bluefield Bottling Works would later become the Bluefield Coca-Cola Bottling Company.
Bluefield Candy Co.
1915—1925
Bluefield Candy Company first appears in the 1915 Dun & Bradstreet listings as confectioners and bottlers (Mercantile Agency, 1915). Per Joseph T. Lee of Tazewell-Orange, this company is a continuation of Lemon-Kola Bottling Works, having the same officers and being located at the same site (Lee, n.d.). It last appears in the 1922 Dun & Bradstreet. However, the company placed an ad in 1925 selling its assets due to bankruptcy, so I am presuming this marked the official end of the company (Bluefield Crystal-Candy Co., 1925).
Lemon-Kola Bottling Co.
1912—1915
According to the Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Lemon-Kola Bottling Works began in Bluefield in 1912 (“Leaders in Action”, 1934) and was succeeded by the Bluefield Candy Company. The company then dissolved in 1915 (“Notice of Dissolution”, 1915). Just for kicks, pictured are both of the bottles known to exist so far. The left has been through four owners, the right through two.
A circle slug, amethyst/colorless Lemon-Kola. BIMAL.
Gin-Gera Bottling Co. Inc.
1914—1916
Isaac Greenspon Manufacturing Co.
1912—1923
Isaac Greenspon was the proprietor of Bluefield Manufacturing Company in the 1912 Dun & Bradstreet, but also appears in the September edition under his own name as a manufacturer of soft drinks and candy. A 1916 article in the Bluefield Daily Telegraph incorrectly states that the company only existed since 1914 (“Isaac Greenspon”, 1916), though it provides other critical details, such as the location of the plant being 374 Bluefield Avenue and the fact that he bottled primarily ciders and fruit-flavored soft drinks.
Isaac Greenspon appears as a bottler in the 1923 Beverage Blue Book, though he does not appear in the 1925 edition, meaning his business ended in 1923 or 1924.
References
The beverage blue book for 1923, the standard directory buyers’ guide and reference volume for the beverage industry. (1923). Chicago, IL. H.S. Rich & Co.
Bluefield Crystal-Candy Company. (1925, March 24). Notice of sale at public auction [advertisement]. Bluefield Daily Telegraph, 9.
Isaac Greenspon Mfg. Co. (1913, October 5). Bluefield Daily Telegraph, 21.
Leaders in action. (1934, April 11). Bluefield Daily Telegraph, 6.
Lee, J.T. III (n.d.). Lemon Kola Bottling Works/Bluefield Candy Company. Tazewell-Orange. http://www.tazewell-orange.com/lemoncola.html
Notice of dissolution. (1915, April 13). Bluefield Daily Telegraph, 2.