THROWBACK THURSDAY!!! Did you know that the Town of Vinton used to be home to a well-known in its time ginger ale/soft drink and spring water bottling plant from the early to mid-1900s? Even U.S. President Grover Cleveland was said to have enjoyed spring water from the plant! The below article written by Barbara Dillon, a volunteer at the Vinton History Museum, tells all about Virginia Etna Springs which was located along the north side of Virginia Avenue across from what is now Precision Fabrics. _________________________________________________ Virginia Etna Springs By Barbara Dillon During the hot summer months a special item frequently purchased is a tasty soft drink. Near the beginning of the 20th century, one of the finest soft drinks sold was found in many areas of the East and Midwest and was produced in Vinton. It was known as Virginia Etna Ginger Ale. A healthy mineral water came from the springs known as Virginia Etna Springs, which was located on the north side of Virginia Avenue across from Burlington Mills (now Precision Fabrics). In the early days, the water was sold as it came from the springs. The springs were tapped only nine feet underground. Later the spring water was piped from the springs, carbonated, and used in producing the light caramel color ginger ale made with Jamaica ginger, which gave it a distinctive flavor. They also made carbonated water, including grape, lemon and orange flavors. The water from the springs was also used on the dining cars of the Norfolk and Western Railway. A big bottle of water was placed on each table. President Grover Cleveland once gave testimony to its good flavor! At the height of production, the plant bottled up to 800 bottles a day and employed 10 to 13 workers. The Virginia Etna Springs business was first owned by John A. Peck. In 1917 his son John Jr. assumed management until his death in 1950. His widow and William M. Miles continued to operate the business when traffic became much heavier on Virginia Avenue in the 1950’s. The street had to be widened and the business had to close in 1954. The building was demolished. The owners did not leave the precious ginger ale recipe to anyone, leaving sadness to all who enjoyed the delicious sparkling drink. _________________________________________________ Notes about the Virginia Etna Springs from other publications: From Railway Age Vol. 154: Dining Car Superintendent W. G. Holyfield of N&W Railway advised that N&W served Virginia Etna Spring water (Vinton, VA) on its dining cars. From the 1956 publication, Public and Industrial Ground-Water Supplies of the Roanoke-Salem District, Virginia, by Bruce Latta and prepared in cooperation with the U.S.G.S.: The water from two so-called mineral-water Springs (No. 48) at the Virginia Etna Springs Company in Vinton is bottled straight and in soft drinks. The water is reported to be high in calcium sulfate. The two springs, located adjacent to the bottling works, are about 25 feet apart and issue from limestone in the Rome formation. Their aggregate discharge is about 17,000 gallons per day. Both springs are encased in covered concrete pits and their water flows by gravity the short distance to the bottling works. From a 1932 publication, Geology and Mineral Resources of the Roanoke Area, Virginia, by Herbert P. Woodward/University of Virginia: Virginia Etna Spring-This so-called lithia spring is in Vinton along the Roanoke-Vinton road a few rods east of the bridge over Tinker Creek. The spring is along a small overthrust fault in the Rome (Watauga) shale and it emerges from one of the crushed limestones. The spring is about one-quarter of a mile northwest of the Blue Ridge fault. A bottling plant was located over the spring and the water was exported for its medicinal value. _________________________________________________ Thank you to History Museum of Western Virginia for their permission to use some of the photos (as noted) in this posting, and to the Vinton History Museum, Judy Cunningham, and Debbie Adams for their assistance with and contributions to this Throwback Thursday post!
Posted on: Thu, 31 Jul 2014 14:20:45 +0000
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