Montgomery
Montgomery Carbonating Co.
1905—1909
The only mention of Montgomery Carbonating Co. in newspapers is that, in 1905, a C.F. Jameson—once founder of Ronceverte Bottling Works—purchased Montgomery Carbonating Company (“Montgomery Ice Cream,” 1911). Montgomery Carbonating Company only appears in the September 1905 issue of Dun & Bradstreet, alongside Montgomery Bottling Works. Neither of the two were listed in the September 1904 issue, so I assume both firms opened that year. Montgomery Carbonating Company closed at some point between September 1908 and September 1910, as the last issue it appears in for me is that 1908 issue.
Montgomery Ice Cream & Bottling Works
1910—1913(?)
Montgomery Ice Cream & Bottling Works (shortened to “Montgomery I.C. & B. Works” on bottles) was incorporated in 1910 with a capital of $5,000, or around $150,000 today. The president of the company was the mayor of Montgomery, T.J. Davis (“Hon. T.J. Davis,” 1911). Despite the reporting of Montgomery Ice Cream & Bottling Works as a strong corporation by The Fayette Journal, I am doubtful that the business did well. By January of 1913, it no longer appears in Dun & Bradstreet listings. There is only one known variant of crown top soda known from this company.
Fayette Bottling & Ice Company
1910-1958
So far as I can tell, Fayette Bottling & Ice Co. was incorporated in Montgomery in the April of 1911 with a capital of $5,000, or roughly $150,000 inflation adjusted (“Fayette Bottling,” 1911). This is date is somewhat dubious, as The Raleigh Herald reported that Fayette Bottling & Ice Co. incorporated in 1910, though it had the same beginning capital (“Industrial Items,” 1910). It appears that Fayette Bottling & Ice Company’s final year was 1958, when it was acquired by Greenbrier Dairy Products Co. (“Manufacturing Firm Produces,” 1963).
This company seems to have dabbled in many different soda brands. It began either unbranded (see the cornflour blue bottle), or with their proprietary soda “Fay-Cola.” Fay-Cola soon dropped the “Cola” part of its name, as Coca-Cola began suing companies out of existence. Instead, they created their brand “Fayette’s.” Fayette’s can be seen on all remaining bottles up until the company closed its doors.
Only one known bottle is missing from this gallery. If you have a BIMAL Fay-Cola, with the script in the slug plate, do let me know.
One of their only bottles without branding in a cornflour blue.
A clear, straight-sided Fayette's.
Gay-Ola from this bottler, sans slug plate.
The reverse of the left bottle.
Tealish Fay-Cola. ABM.
An ice blue Fay-Cola bottle. ABM.
An aqua green Fayette's bottle. ABM.
A straight-sided emerald green Fayette's.
Emerald green deco Fayette's.
A clear Fayette's with a deco mold.
Likely the earliest ACL soda from this bottler.
Red and white, deco style Fayette's. Front.
Red and white, deco style Fayette's. Back.
Red and white, deco style green Fayette's. Front.
Red and white, deco style green Fayette's. Reverse.
Red and white, green Fayette's. Front.
Red and white, green Fayette's. Reverse.
Red and white ACL, colorless Fayette's. Front.
Red and white ACL, colorless Fayette's. Reverse.
References
Fayette Bottling & Ice Company. (1911, November 2). The Fayette Journal, 38.
Hon. T.J. Davis, Montgomery’s mayor. (1911, November 2). The Fayette Journal, 35-36.
Industrial items of West Virginia—affairs of other towns—closely clipped and tersely told. (1910, May 5). The Raleigh Herald, 5.
Manufacturing firm produces doors, windows. (1963, August 20). The Raleigh Register, 12.
Montgomery Ice Cream & Bottling Company, Incorporated. West Virginia. (1911, November 2). The Fayette Journal, 35.
New building of the Fayette Bottling and Ice Company. (1911, November 2). The Fayette Journal, 41.
Wolf’s Head Books (1932). Looking downstream west northwest at mile 10.7. Montgomery, West Virginia. [print]. Morgantown, West Virginia. West Virginia History OnView.