We are about to take a virtual tour of the world's oldest Dr Pepper bottling plant. As we go through the tour, highlighted words indicate the presence of pictures which show the various areas of discussion. Just select on the ones you would like to see. Most of the photos are less than 50K in size. When you have viewed the large photo, please use the "BACK" button on your browser to return to this page.
The plant that we are visiting is located deep in the heart of Texas, at a small town called Dublin. But before we start on this tour, a little history is in order.
Somewhere in Virginia toward the end of the 19th century, a doctor named Pepper owned a drugstore, had a beautiful daughter, and employed an industrious young man given to experimentation.
When love blossomed over the soda fountain, however, the good doctor fired his ardent and creative employee, who went off to Waco, Texas, and took up residence at the soda fountain of the Old Corner Drug Store. One day, while pining for his lost love, and whipping up various soft-drink flavors, he hit upon a combination of ingredients that seemed to please his customers. In tribute to the girl he had been forced to leave behind, his customers dubbed the drink "Dr. Pepper." Eventually the young inventor returned to Virginia to win the heart and hand of his sweetheart.
Meanwhile, back in Waco, R.S. Lazenby, a beverage chemist and patron of the Old Corner Drug Store, experimented with the new drink and, in 1885, put Dr. Pepper on sale at a number of local soda fountains. Neither he, nor the drink creator, of course, could have guessed that one day Americans would be consuming over a billion bottles and cans of Dr. Pepper annually.
- - STORIES BEHIND EVERYDAY THINGS. The Reader's Digest Association, Inc. Pleasant, New York/Montreal. 1980. (Page 59).
SECTION ONE - - THE DUBLIN PLANT.
The bottling plant at Dublin, which was already in operation, started bottling Dr Pepper in 1891, just shortly after Dr Pepper was put on the market in 1885. Mr. Prim, the owner, after visiting the Waco facilities, sought and obtained rights to distribute Dr Pepper in a 50 mile radius of Dublin. The operation has been in Dublin since then, growing with the area. On the outskirts of town, the presence of the plant is announced by a highway billboard which proudly proclaims that it is the oldest Dr Pepper bottling plant in the world, and that it still uses real sugar in its product. The sign also points out that there is a museum, gift shop, and Old Doc's Soda Shop on the premises.
As you approach the center of town where the plant is located, another sign may be seen painted on a nearby building. It contains several Dr Pepper slogans such as "Drink a Bite to Eat at 10-2-4 O'clock" and "Good For Life". It also depicts some trademarks such as the Dr Pepper Good for Life logo and the 10-2-4 clock with Old Doc on the face. This sign is painted directly on the stone walls.
Next in sight is the plant building, which is located on Patrick Street in the middle of town. The part of the building shown here houses the bottling operation.
Those visitors who are collectors can start the visit by stopping off at a sidewalk display and buy a Dr Pepper crate for their collection. Several types are usually on display.
Sometimes, parked outside the plant near the entrance to Old Doc's Soda Shop which can be seen in the background, a green car with a Dr Pepper logo catches the eye. The restored 1950's automobile belongs to a plant employee who is an avid devotee of Dr Pepper collectibles.
Approaching the entrance to the new Old Doc's Soda Shop, where tour tickets may be purchased, one cannot help but notice the simple yet elegant doorways and the canopy with the 10-2-4 clock logo. This is a new addition to the plant, opening its doors just about a year ago. Inside these doors, there is an old soda fountain that is in actual operation where you can purchase goodies to go with that free Dr Pepper that you may get during the tour!
As we enter the Soda Shop, the first thing we notice is the bright interior filled with many Dr Pepper items. There are original items mixed with reproductions in a colorful display covering much of the walls. In the middle of the room are tables and chairs such as might have been found in a soda fountain of earlier days. In the background, on the platform above part of the room, some of the the old machinery can be seen that was used for bottling in the early years.
A beautifully restored soda fountain has been installed along one wall of the room. This soda fountain is fully operational. It is doing just what it used to do so many years ago - dispensing Dr Pepper and other goodies to eager customers. A large mirror behind the work area runs the full length of the soda fountain. The original mirror, showing the wear and tear of years of service, has been retired and safely stored away and has been replaced in the original oak frame by a modern counterpart. The original Dr Pepper sign is still attached to the front of the counter.
The work area behind the fountain, as well as the area above the mirror, contains numerous Dr Pepper memorabilia. The work surfaces of the counters are white marble.
Visitors can order a treat from this fully operating old soda fountain while waiting for the tour to begin, or just relaxing after the tour, or just browsing through the numerous reproductions and advertising items that are offered in the gift shop. The young ones are very interested in what takes place behind the counter and want to see the fountain work.
The people that you meet on this tour are friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable personnel, whether they are conducting tours or slicing lemons for a hot Dr Pepper, as this lovely young lady is doing here.
It is not often that one gets the opportunity to see an original soda fountain in operation dispensing soda just as it did many years ago. This view of the rear of the counter area shows the gleaming dispensers with the covered cans of toppings nearby.
SECTION TWO - - THE BOTTLING OPERATION.
Our tour now leaves the Soda Shop, and begins the observation of the actual operation of a bottling plant where the bottles are cleaned, filled with soda, capped, mixed, and inspected before shipping. The first operation is the cleaning of bottles by machinery. The machine is a large one with one end opening into one room and the other end opening into another room. In the first room, bottles are taken from wooden crates and placed onto a moving conveyor belt which moves the bottles into the bottle washing machine. The operator places the bottles on the moving belt with care to prevent any bottles from falling over and creating a jam. A mechanical device is used to facilitate the grasping of several bottles at one time for speed in moving the bottles from crate to the belt.
The tour guides explain each step of the operation, pausing at times to let the visitor observe the machinery and ask questions. The large size of the bottle washing machine is evident when standing alongside it, particularly when compared to the relative small size of the bottle that it washes.
The clean, sparkling bottles come out of the bottle washer in a neat orderly pattern, lined up like soldiers on parade. Each bottle is clean and ready to be transported to the filling operation.
Each bottle is now inspected to make sure that it is clean and free of nicks, chips, or cracks.
The cleaned and inspected bottles move along in single file on another conveyor belt to the filling operation where Dr Pepper is put into the bottles and the bottles are capped.
This filling and capping operation is the most complex operation in the whole production line. First a measured quantity of Dr Pepper syrup is added to each bottle. Then the carbonated water that gives the soda its fizz is added to the bottle. When the bottle is filled to the proper level, it moves to the next part of the machine where the bottle cap is put on.
In this view, the machine on the left is filling the bottles. The machine on the right is putting the bottlecaps on and clamping them in place. The bottles now contain two layers of liquid. The bottom layer is the darker Dr Pepper syrup and the upper layer is clear carbonated water. When the bottles leave this machine they are still in the the unmixed state.
The next stop for the bottle is the mixing machine. Here the bottle is inverted several times. This operation mixes the two layers of liquids into one uniform mixture. Once mixed, the liquids never again separate, even after sitting for years.
The tour guide demonstrates this mixing action by inverting the bottle several times by hand.
At the end of the conveyor that takes the bottles away from the mixing machine, lies the final inspection area.
At this point, the bottles are taken from the conveyor and placed in some inspection racks. These racks are equipped with a strong backlight which allows the inspector to see the contents of the bottle.
This close-up view shows the positioning of the bottles in the inspection rack. It also shows, on the right of the rack, a Dr Pepper bottle cap remover in case the inspector gets thirsty!
The completed and inspected bottles are now placed in crates for delivery to waiting customers.
SECTION THREE - - THE MUSEUM.
As we start our tour of the Dr Pepper museum, it is well that we note that the items that you see here are a part of the extensive collection belonging to Bill Kloster, owner of the Dublin Dr Pepper bottling plant.
We are deeply obligated to Mr. Kloster for his allowing us access to his collection to photograph and bring to you the many wonderful Dr Pepper collectibles. Many of the items that you will see in these tour photos are better viewed in the individual photographs in the Dr Pepper Collectibles section of this publication, since most of the items contained in this publication are from his collection.
One notable item in the museum entrance is the life-sized poster of the Patriotic Girl, or as I remember her, the Victory Girl of World War II, early 1940's. This is the only known copy in existence today.
Numerous themometers line the walls in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, most of them in metal, but others made of plastic and wood. The thermometer is a good advertising medium since it ties in the characteristic that Dr Pepper has a monopoly on. It is the only leading soft drink that claims to taste good either cold or hot. And certainly, a thermometer illustrates that.
No collection of Dr Pepper memorabilia would be complete without some bottles, and this collection is certainly no exception. Here a tour guide is showing a visitor an old 1800's bottle and explaining how the fizz is used to hold a stopper in place inside the bottle until it is "popped" open by forcing the stopper inside the bottle.
In contrast to the old bottles, a 100 year anniversary bottle stands on the shelf next to all the other years' models. This was a special edition limited to only 50 bottles to commemorate the 100th year of the Dublin Dr Pepper Bottling Plant.
The museum is crowded with Dr Pepper memorabilia from the floor to the 18 foot high ceiling. In many places, items are crowded together in overlapping displays. There are bottles, signs, clocks, radios, and the like on wall shelves filled to overflowing.
Bottles and signs are dominant, but posters, cans, cups, and glasses can also be found on the various shelves
This view is another in which shelves of bottles predominate.
Another section of the shelves contains carriers for soda cans and bottles, in addition to the usual cans, signs, and bottles
In another corner of the room, clocks are the prominent feature. Nearby is a display case filled with various bottles of all ages.
A display case in the foreground contains many varieties of commemorative cans that have been issued by the Dublin Plant. Most of the ones on display have been designed and implemented by Mr. Kloster.
A lovely visitor from Italy spends several moments viewing the many items in the Museum.
In another corner , there are more clocks and bottles.
After spending much time browsing through the museum, we return now to Old Doc's Soda Shop where we began the tour. In one corner of the Soda Shop, there is a souvenir shop where various souvenirs and memorabilia can be purchased.
After the tour, the souvenir shop and the soda shop are good places to relax and review the tour, ask questions, drink a Dr Pepper, and plan what to do next.
Thank you for taking our on-line tour. We hope it has been enjoyable. Although a virtual tour has its ease of accessibility, drop by for the real thing when you are in Texas. Then you can also stop by nearby Glen Rose, Texas, and say "Hello" to my friend "Rex" there, and while you are here, you can also visit the Just For Dolls doll factory that is less than a block from the Dr Pepper plant here in Dublin. They're the ones that make the Pretty Peggy Pepper dolls, and many others.
