Skip to Content
HomeAbout this siteHelpSearch this site The Library of Congress
America's Story from America's LibraryMeet Amazing AmericansJump Back in TimeExplore the StatesJoin America at PlaySee, Hear and Sing
Jump Back in Time Gilded Age (1878-1889)
 
Natchez, Miss. Store or cafe with soft drink signs.
A Coca-Cola sign hangs over a shop in Natchez, Mississippi

Enlarge this image
The First Coca-Cola Served
May 8, 1886

By the late 1890s, Coca-Cola was one of America's most popular fountain drinks. Sales increased by 4000% between 1890 and 1900. The company began to sell syrup to individual bottling companies licensed to sell the drink. These companies added carbonated water to the syrup and bottled it. The U.S. soft drink industry still works this way today.
Back page 2 of 3 Next



Library Of Congress | Legal Notices | Privacy | Site Map | Contact Us