Abstract:
This document details the history of the Nashville Bottling Works in Berrien County, Georgia, tracing its origins from a modest operation in Sparks in February 1905 by Homer J. Hall and Jackson Whitehurst. Initially serving Nashville from Sparks, the bottling works relocated to Nashville in August 1906 under Joel I. Norwood, producing popular drinks like High Life Ginger Ale. The business saw several ownership changes before Benjamin A. Deal, Jr. acquired it in 1912, significantly expanding its reach and constructing a new building. By 1917, the Nashville operation became known as the Lime Cola Bottling Company, featuring "Dope" and "Upper-Ten Ginger Ale" among its offerings. A devastating fire in July 1920 destroyed the plant, leading to J.R. "Dick" Bennett taking over and, by 1923, transforming it into a Coca-Cola bottling plant. However, the Great Depression led to its downsizing in 1933 to solely a distribution facility, and by November 1941, the site was converted into a market, marking the end of local bottling operations that had quenched the thirst of Berrienites for nearly two decades.