DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say, right here on this spot in Harris County. Now settle in, because this one starts small — real small — and ends up something remarkable. We're talkin' about one brick building, one mule, and three hundred and eighty-seven gallons of syrup that launched one of Houston's great business stories.
The year was 1902. Right here, on this very site, the Houston Coca-Cola Bottling Company opened its doors. And not just any bottling company — one of the first in the entire nation granted franchise rights to put Coca-Cola in bottles.
The primary owner was a man named J.T. Lupton, out of Chattanooga, Tennessee. He was lookin' west, and Houston was the bet he made.
Inside that brick building, they had themselves one hand-operated bottling machine. One. With a capacity of two hundred and fifty cases a day.
And deliveries? Handled by a mule-drawn wagon rollin' through the Houston streets. Now, that first purchase of syrup from the Coca-Cola Company came to three hundred and eighty-seven gallons.
That's it. That's what you start a legend with, apparently. But Houston was growin', and so was its thirst.
By 1908, the company was buying almost three thousand gallons of syrup a year to keep up with demand. That is not a rounding error — that's nearly eight times the original order in just six years. The city wanted its Coca-Cola, and this company was not about to let Houston go dry.
By 1915, the operation had grown so large they had to move to bigger facilities over at 1212 Washington Avenue. Then in 1918, a man named J.E. Evans stepped in as general manager, and under his watch, Houstonians kept right on celebratin' that soft drink sensation.
The company kept growin'. Evans kept steerin'. And the decades kept rollin'.
Now here's where the story takes a turn that even a tall-tale teller couldn't make up. By 1948, C. Lupton Thomas was serving as general manager, and J.E.
Evans — the same J.E. Evans — had risen to president. Together, they drew up plans for something entirely new: a facility at 2800 Bissonnet.
They did not plan something modest. They did not plan something adequate. They planned what would be lauded as the world's most modern Coca-Cola plant.
A million-dollar plant. And in June of 1950, they opened it to the public. Think about that arc for a second.
One mule. One machine. Three hundred and eighty-seven gallons.
To the world's most modern plant. All out of Houston. For more than a century now, the Houston Coca-Cola Bottling Company has provided jobs and refreshment to the city and the surrounding areas, given back through charity work and project funding, and grown into one of the largest operations of its kind in the world.
Started with a mule and a dream. Ended up a giant. That's Houston for you.
What the marker says
Original site of the Houston Coca-Cola Bottling Company The Houston Coca-Cola Bottling Company, one of the first companies in the nation granted franchise rights for the distribution of Coca-Cola in bottles, opened its doors in a brick building on this site in 1902. J.T. Lupton of Chattanooga, Tennessee, was the primary owner. The initial purchase of syrup from the Coca-Cola Company consisted of 387 gallons of syrup, and bottled Coca-Cola was delivered by a mule-drawn wagon. In 1908, the company bought almost 3,000 gallons of syrup to meet the soda demand, which was growing along with Houston's population. In this location, they had one hand-operated bottling machine with a capacity of 250 cases a day. By 1915, sales of Coca-Cola had increased such that the company moved to larger facilities at 1212 Washington Avenue. In 1918, J.E. Evans became the plant's general manager, and during his tenure Houstonians continued to celebrate the soft drink sensation, prompting the company's continued growth. By 1948, C. Lupton Thomas, general manager, and J.E. Evans, president, developed plans for a new facility at 2800 Bissonnet. Lauded as the world's most modern Coca-Cola plant, the new million-dollar plant opened to the public in June 1950. For more than a century, the Houston Coca-Cola Bottling Company has provided jobs, as well as refreshment, to the City of Houston and surrounding areas. The company has consistently given back to the city through charity work and project funding. As one of the largest operations of its kind in the world, it continues its commitment to employees, customers and neighbors. (2003)