I was born and raised in rural Marion County, in South
Pittsburg, Tennessee, a town now famous for its National
Cornbread Festival. Between my childhood and teenage
years I was always collecting something - rocks, coins,
stamps, and Indian relics, just to name a few of my early
hobbies. In the summer of 1975, at age 15, I was "hooked"
by the antique bottle collecting hobby when I was walking
across a pasture and found a cork-stoppered iodine bottle.
The bottle wasn't old, but it fascinated me, so I started to
hunt for more of them. Back then, as now, when my
interests changed I would always delve into the "historical"
side of that particular hobby by reading books on the subject
and seeking insight from others in the community who
collected or dealt in antiques and artifacts. I have always had
a very keen interest in history. My first course of action back
then was to purchase a copy of Cecil Munsey's The Illustrated
Guide to COLLECTING BOTTLES.
My interest in the historical aspects of antique bottle
collecting was further kindled by two high school teachers
who often allowed me to bring antique bottles and Indian
relics to their classrooms for "show and tell" days. The
tolerance and encouragement of Mrs. Frances Merriman, my
biology teacher, and Mrs. Jan Henderson, my world history
and world geography teacher, did wonders for my collecting
interests and ego. I will never forget their kindness and hope
I thanked both of them back then for allowing me to bring
some "hands-on" history to the classroom to share with
fellow classmates.
From my high school years to my early thirties, three people
in the community had a profound and positive influence on
my interest in collecting and preserving the history of antique
bottles and artifacts/antiques. All three have since passed
on, but I'll always remember their kindness and useful advice.
Mr. George Reynolds took me to hundreds of old home sites
to search for antique bottles and walked with me thru many a
plowed field looking for Indian relics in the New Hope,
Tennessee, and Long Island, Alabama communities. George
showed me where to look for treasures from yesteryear and
what signs to watch for that would most likely lead to the
discovery of antique bottles, Indian relics, and Civil War
artifacts.
Ms. Faye Ridley employed me on a part-time basis at her
antiques store in South Pittsburg for nearly 15 years. An
honest and forthright lady, Ms. Ridley was the first person
people in the community called upon when they had antiques
to sell. She taught me that to succeed in business one had to
be honest and trustworthy, your word was your bond, and
you never, ever broke a promise. Under her apprenticeship I
learned about every antique imaginable, from weaving looms
to Roseville pottery, and bottles to Barbie dolls. Ms. Ridley
was happy to share her knowledge of the antiques trade with
me yet she was also quick to set me right when she heard I'd
strayed from the straight and narrow path of life. Needless to
say, I often received a good chewing out when it was needed
and in my youth that was a regular occurrence!
For many years, Mr. Marion Loyd of Bridgeport, Alabama,
owned and operated a hardware store that had been in his
family since the Civil War era. As a sideline he amassed a
huge collection of antiques and memorabilia from Bridgeport,
and often he would buy items from me. Mr. Loyd and I
shared a keen interest in antique bottles, so we spent many
hours discussing their use and places in the community where
he thought I might locate bottles and other artifacts. Mr.
Loyd instilled in me the importance and necessity of collecting
and preserving historical artifacts, documents, relics,
antiques, and old bottles so that the next generation can
learn from them and enjoy them as they study and celebrate
their heritage. He was a wise man and I am a better man
today because I heeded his advice. This web site and my
upcoming book(s) are a direct result of Mr. Loyd's legacy of
preserving the past for future generations to enjoy. The
majority of items now on permanent display at the
Bridgeport, Alabama Railroad Depot Museum were donated
by Mr. Loyd; his efforts to preserve the town's history paid
off handsomely.
In 1982 relatives of mine discovered an old dump site near
the Tennessee River in South Pittsburg while digging worms
for a fishing trip. Knowing I collected antique bottles, they
told me about the dump and the bottles. I dug in the dump
for two weeks and found hundreds of bottles, the majority
of them being sodas. Back then I rarely picked up crown top
sodas as they weren't deemed old enough to be very valuable
or worthy of being added to a collection. Nonetheless I took
17 crown top sodas home with me. The best of the lot was
an amber Koca Nola bottle I kept because it has two towns
embossed on it: New River and South Pittsburg, Tenn. That
the bottle had two embossed town names piqued my interest,
particularly because South Pittsburg was my home town!
In 1999 my good friend Tom Lines of Birmingham, Alabama
sold me an elusive FLORIDA / KOCA NOLA / BOTTLING CO.,
my first Koca Nola Hutchinson bottle. I soon reacquainted
myself with my Keen Bottling Company Koca Nola from New
River and South Pittsburg, and since then have been digging
into the Koca Nola Company's history and collecting Koca
Nola soda bottles and go-with items. Although I collect other
bottles besides Koca Nolas, they are my top priority. My
sincere thanks to Tom for fueling my interest in Koca Nolas!
During the summer of 2000, Robert Hookey, an antique bottle
collecting friend from South Pittsburg, took me to my first
antique bottle show in Knoxville, Tennessee. I was in awe of
all the bottles there! Seeing all of those bottles helped me
realize I needed to downsize my collection even further, so I
began to sell off most of my Tennessee and Alabama
Hutchinson sodas and concentrate on Koca Nolas and all
types of bottles from my area (Marion County, Tennessee,
and Jackson County, Alabama). I scanned eBay almost daily
for new Koca Nolas and was surprised at the number of
bottles that often came up for sale. The prices were so
reasonable that I won most everything I bid on. Noting there
were a wide variety of embossed Koca Nolas from many
states started me thinking the soda wasn't just the regional,
Southern soda I once believed it to be.
Initial research into Koca Nola Company history yielded little
information as there were very few listings in available books
on antique bottle collecting. Since 2000, however, several
fellow collectors have aided my research and while the
information has generally surfaced only in bits and pieces, I
have made tremendous progress. In the fall of 2004, Harry
Evans, a good friend from Jasper, Tennessee, suggested I
write a book on Koca Nola and even came up with a title: A
Heads-Up On Koca Nola. When I received some very positive
feedback from Mr. Bill Baab concerning a Koca Nola article I'd
written for Antique Bottle & Glass Collector magazine, I again
considered Harry's suggestion about a Koca Nola book.
When Bill Baab offered his assistance, that was that; I figured
that if one of the hobby's pioneers had enough confidence in
me that he'd offer to assist with the project, I'd do the book!
During the past two years, Bill and I have more than doubled
the number of confirmed Koca Nola franchises and brought to
light many newly re-discovered soda bottles and go-withs.
Bill's vast experience and recognition inspired others to also
contribute to the project. In all likelihood, there would be no
upcoming Koca Nola book but for Harry and Bill and the many
other contributors. As others view this web site, it is my
hope they will understand the importance of the Koca Nola
Company, its contributions to the soda bottling industry, and
the need to preserve its history, soda bottles, and go-withs
for future generations.
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
I frequently contribute research articles and antique bottle-
related stories to these publications:
The Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors' Bottles & Extras
(www.fohbc.com)
The Soda Fizz (www.thesodafizz.com)
Antique Bottle & Glass Collector (www.glswrk-auction.com)
© 2008, Heads-Up Publications
Pittsburg, Tennessee, a town now famous for its National
Cornbread Festival. Between my childhood and teenage
years I was always collecting something - rocks, coins,
stamps, and Indian relics, just to name a few of my early
hobbies. In the summer of 1975, at age 15, I was "hooked"
by the antique bottle collecting hobby when I was walking
across a pasture and found a cork-stoppered iodine bottle.
The bottle wasn't old, but it fascinated me, so I started to
hunt for more of them. Back then, as now, when my
interests changed I would always delve into the "historical"
side of that particular hobby by reading books on the subject
and seeking insight from others in the community who
collected or dealt in antiques and artifacts. I have always had
a very keen interest in history. My first course of action back
then was to purchase a copy of Cecil Munsey's The Illustrated
Guide to COLLECTING BOTTLES.
My interest in the historical aspects of antique bottle
collecting was further kindled by two high school teachers
who often allowed me to bring antique bottles and Indian
relics to their classrooms for "show and tell" days. The
tolerance and encouragement of Mrs. Frances Merriman, my
biology teacher, and Mrs. Jan Henderson, my world history
and world geography teacher, did wonders for my collecting
interests and ego. I will never forget their kindness and hope
I thanked both of them back then for allowing me to bring
some "hands-on" history to the classroom to share with
fellow classmates.
From my high school years to my early thirties, three people
in the community had a profound and positive influence on
my interest in collecting and preserving the history of antique
bottles and artifacts/antiques. All three have since passed
on, but I'll always remember their kindness and useful advice.
Mr. George Reynolds took me to hundreds of old home sites
to search for antique bottles and walked with me thru many a
plowed field looking for Indian relics in the New Hope,
Tennessee, and Long Island, Alabama communities. George
showed me where to look for treasures from yesteryear and
what signs to watch for that would most likely lead to the
discovery of antique bottles, Indian relics, and Civil War
artifacts.
Ms. Faye Ridley employed me on a part-time basis at her
antiques store in South Pittsburg for nearly 15 years. An
honest and forthright lady, Ms. Ridley was the first person
people in the community called upon when they had antiques
to sell. She taught me that to succeed in business one had to
be honest and trustworthy, your word was your bond, and
you never, ever broke a promise. Under her apprenticeship I
learned about every antique imaginable, from weaving looms
to Roseville pottery, and bottles to Barbie dolls. Ms. Ridley
was happy to share her knowledge of the antiques trade with
me yet she was also quick to set me right when she heard I'd
strayed from the straight and narrow path of life. Needless to
say, I often received a good chewing out when it was needed
and in my youth that was a regular occurrence!
For many years, Mr. Marion Loyd of Bridgeport, Alabama,
owned and operated a hardware store that had been in his
family since the Civil War era. As a sideline he amassed a
huge collection of antiques and memorabilia from Bridgeport,
and often he would buy items from me. Mr. Loyd and I
shared a keen interest in antique bottles, so we spent many
hours discussing their use and places in the community where
he thought I might locate bottles and other artifacts. Mr.
Loyd instilled in me the importance and necessity of collecting
and preserving historical artifacts, documents, relics,
antiques, and old bottles so that the next generation can
learn from them and enjoy them as they study and celebrate
their heritage. He was a wise man and I am a better man
today because I heeded his advice. This web site and my
upcoming book(s) are a direct result of Mr. Loyd's legacy of
preserving the past for future generations to enjoy. The
majority of items now on permanent display at the
Bridgeport, Alabama Railroad Depot Museum were donated
by Mr. Loyd; his efforts to preserve the town's history paid
off handsomely.
In 1982 relatives of mine discovered an old dump site near
the Tennessee River in South Pittsburg while digging worms
for a fishing trip. Knowing I collected antique bottles, they
told me about the dump and the bottles. I dug in the dump
for two weeks and found hundreds of bottles, the majority
of them being sodas. Back then I rarely picked up crown top
sodas as they weren't deemed old enough to be very valuable
or worthy of being added to a collection. Nonetheless I took
17 crown top sodas home with me. The best of the lot was
an amber Koca Nola bottle I kept because it has two towns
embossed on it: New River and South Pittsburg, Tenn. That
the bottle had two embossed town names piqued my interest,
particularly because South Pittsburg was my home town!
In 1999 my good friend Tom Lines of Birmingham, Alabama
sold me an elusive FLORIDA / KOCA NOLA / BOTTLING CO.,
my first Koca Nola Hutchinson bottle. I soon reacquainted
myself with my Keen Bottling Company Koca Nola from New
River and South Pittsburg, and since then have been digging
into the Koca Nola Company's history and collecting Koca
Nola soda bottles and go-with items. Although I collect other
bottles besides Koca Nolas, they are my top priority. My
sincere thanks to Tom for fueling my interest in Koca Nolas!
During the summer of 2000, Robert Hookey, an antique bottle
collecting friend from South Pittsburg, took me to my first
antique bottle show in Knoxville, Tennessee. I was in awe of
all the bottles there! Seeing all of those bottles helped me
realize I needed to downsize my collection even further, so I
began to sell off most of my Tennessee and Alabama
Hutchinson sodas and concentrate on Koca Nolas and all
types of bottles from my area (Marion County, Tennessee,
and Jackson County, Alabama). I scanned eBay almost daily
for new Koca Nolas and was surprised at the number of
bottles that often came up for sale. The prices were so
reasonable that I won most everything I bid on. Noting there
were a wide variety of embossed Koca Nolas from many
states started me thinking the soda wasn't just the regional,
Southern soda I once believed it to be.
Initial research into Koca Nola Company history yielded little
information as there were very few listings in available books
on antique bottle collecting. Since 2000, however, several
fellow collectors have aided my research and while the
information has generally surfaced only in bits and pieces, I
have made tremendous progress. In the fall of 2004, Harry
Evans, a good friend from Jasper, Tennessee, suggested I
write a book on Koca Nola and even came up with a title: A
Heads-Up On Koca Nola. When I received some very positive
feedback from Mr. Bill Baab concerning a Koca Nola article I'd
written for Antique Bottle & Glass Collector magazine, I again
considered Harry's suggestion about a Koca Nola book.
When Bill Baab offered his assistance, that was that; I figured
that if one of the hobby's pioneers had enough confidence in
me that he'd offer to assist with the project, I'd do the book!
During the past two years, Bill and I have more than doubled
the number of confirmed Koca Nola franchises and brought to
light many newly re-discovered soda bottles and go-withs.
Bill's vast experience and recognition inspired others to also
contribute to the project. In all likelihood, there would be no
upcoming Koca Nola book but for Harry and Bill and the many
other contributors. As others view this web site, it is my
hope they will understand the importance of the Koca Nola
Company, its contributions to the soda bottling industry, and
the need to preserve its history, soda bottles, and go-withs
for future generations.
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
I frequently contribute research articles and antique bottle-
related stories to these publications:
The Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors' Bottles & Extras
(www.fohbc.com)
- Spring 2005: Koca Nola Heads Up On Charles David Head
- Summer 2005: Here's The Real Dope On Koca Nola
- Fall 2005: Here's The Scoop On New Koca Nolas
- Fall 2005: The Story Of Teena
- Spring 2006: Quintet Of New Koca Nolas Discovered
- March-April 2007: The T. C. I. & B. Co.
- March-April 2007: The Steal
- November-December 2007: Pure Poison!
- January-February 2008: Proud To Be An American
The Soda Fizz (www.thesodafizz.com)
- January-February 2006: The Real Dope On Koca Nola
- March-April & May-June 2007: The South Pittsburg,
Tenn. Coca-Cola Bottling Works
Antique Bottle & Glass Collector (www.glswrk-auction.com)
- June 2004: A History Of The Keen Family Bottling
Companies - October 2004: J. Esposito, The King Of The Koca Nola
Franchise - March 2005: The Montgomery, Alabama Koca Nola
Bottling Works - June 2005: The Pensacola, Florida Koca Nola Franchise
- March 2007: The South Pittsburg, Tenn. Coca-Cola
Bottling Works (Third place winner in AB&GC magazine's
2007 annual writer's contest!) - January 2008: The Legacy Of Koca Nola, Part I
- February 2008: The Legacy Of Koca Nola, Part II
© 2008, Heads-Up Publications
 | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| WHO IS CHARLES DAVID HEAD? |
| My first Koca Nola Hutchinson bottle, a FLORIDA / KOCA NOLA / BOTTLING CO. from Jacksonville. |
| This newspaper clipping is from the South Pittsburg (Tenn.) Hustler, June 3, 1982. Note the amber crown top embossed REGISTERED / KEEN BOTTLING COMPANY / Koca Nola / NEW RIVER AND / SOUTH PITTSBURG / TENN. |
Heads-Up Publications Charles David Head, Prop'r.