June 16th
ON THIS DAY in North Carolina history...
1903:
In Duplin County, North Carolina, Caleb Bradham is born three years after the War of Northern Aggression at an unincorporated wide spot in the road called Chinquapin. After graduating from the University of North Carolina, he works as a pharmacy apprentice while attending the University of Maryland Medical School. However, he's unable to finish med school because of a family crisis.
He moves back to North Carolina, to New Bern, and after a few years teaching, he opens a drug store on the corner of Middle and Pollock Streets in downtown New Bern. He is concerned about the narcotics in the other favorite soft drinks of the day. (There is an excellent reason 'Coke' has that name.) The druggist experiments with various combinations of syrups, juices, and spices, looking for the combination his customers liked best. The winner: a mixture of vanilla, kola nut extract, and rare oils. It is an instant hit with his consumers, who called it "Brad's Drink."
Bradham realizes he's onto something, and so turns more and more of his attention to "Brad's Drink." He incorporates his company, and ON THIS DAY in 1903, is granted one of the earliest patents of a trademark by the United States Patent Office. But the most significant change is in the name of his concoction. Because Brad's Drink is said to help with indigestion, much like pepsin enzyme, Bradham changes the name of his drink to Pepsi-Cola.
Bradham's and Pepsi-Cola's fortunes continue to rise. By 1911, they have increased to some 300 bottlers in 24 states.
But World War I brings disaster. Fluctuations in the sugar market produce shortages of that crucial ingredient. Bradford tries various substitutes using molasses, but the taste is inferior. Finally, in 1922, Bradham is forced into bankruptcy. The Pepsi formula and trademark survive, but Bradham receives no benefit. He returns to his drugstore and will continue to fill prescriptions until his death at age 67 in 1934.
Meanwhile, Pepsi eventually winds up in the hands of candy manufacturer Charles Guth, who also owns a chain of stores to sell his candy. Inside Guth's candy stores are soda fountains. After a disagreement with Coke over syrup prices, Guth replaces Coke with Pepsi in his stores...and the rest is history. Incidentally, Coca-Cola had three separate chances to buy Pepsi between 1922 and 1933. Coke declined each time.
~Kevin Spencer, Author, North Carolina Expatriates
Pictured:
-Caleb Bradham
-Pepsi Logo
-New Bern billboard celebrating the creation of "Pepsi" and "Brad's Drink." While the formula that is Pepsi is born in 1898, the name won't arrive for another five years, when the US Patent Office patents the name and trademark.