Joseph Biedenharn, born in 1866, was the eldest of eight sons and four daughters. His father, Herman, and Uncle Henry, owned a small retail confectionary business together which they called Biedenharn and Brother. Joe ultimately took over the business in 1890 and expanded the candy shop, becoming The Biedenharn Candy Company, while his father and uncle ran a shoe business on the other side of the building.
The Beginning of Bottled Coca-Cola
A pharmacist from Atlanta, Georgia by the name of Dr. John S. Pemberton created the soft drink Coca-Cola in 1866. Dr. Pemberton began distribution of the syrup across the south not knowing it would soon become the most popular drink on earth with the help of Joseph Biedenharn. Mr. Biedenharn came up with the idea to bottle this beverage and ship to the consumers making it far more accessible. At first, the drinks had to be bottled individually by hand and the bottlers had to wear heavy safety gear due to exploding glass bottles!
The Coca-Cola Bottle
As Mr. Biedenharn finally began bottling Coca-Cola he used leftover bottles that he had lying around from bottling soda water. The bottle was tall and clear and known as a Hutchinson bottle. Mr. Biedenharn had these Hutchinson bottles embossed with the words “Biedenharn Candy Company, Vicksburg, Miss.” The bottles were sealed with a rubber cork that was pressed down the top and shut with a wire. However, the rubber cork would change the flavor of the drink after about a week. A new bottle was introduced in the early 1900’s known as the Amber Straight Side bottle. This bottle kept the true taste of the soft drink but it did not hold any integrity to the packaging of the product. The bottle might have been brown or aqua or even clear. After 1910, the bottles were all made by machines in order to achieve a consistent image and experience while drinking Coca-Cola.
The Vicksburg Foundation for Historic Preservation is a not for profit organization dedicated to the identifying, preserving, protecting, and interpreting the historically built environments of Vicksburg and Warren counties in Mississippi. All of the 15 VFHP board members all volunteers who seek to achieve its mission through advocacy of community planning and educational programs.
Travel Tips
Be sure to bring your camera as there are hundreds of unique and very rare Coca-Cola memorabilia and don’t forget to visit the gift shop before you leave. Wheelchair accessibility is available.