# Pepsi Cola - 3 Rivers Glass, Tupelo MISS



## jblaylock (Jun 8, 2016)

Hey guys and gals,  I wanted to post a few photos of my newest bottle and see if anyone has any info.

It's a clear glass that likely had a paper label on it.  This means, it's likely from the 30s.  It has a frosted neck with a modified Double Dot Pepsi logo on it. There is a small '4' near the base.  The bottom has Tupelo MISS 12 FL OZ, and 3 R *  7 on it.

I bought this on eBay, and mainly wanted it because I thought the embossed Pepsi logo was a Single Dot logo. It appeared that way in the photos.  However, after receiving it, I realized it's the Double-Dot logo, but modified. The script is a little different and there are no dots in the logo.  I'm curious about the bottle and the rarity of it.  I'm also curious about the 3 River Glass.  Has anyone ever seen one of these before or have any information about it.


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## iggyworf (Jun 8, 2016)

Josh, nothing in the Ayers guides? I know you have them. I have them also but skimmed thru and couldn't find that one. Very cool. I have never seen that one before. Good score.


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## CreekWalker (Jun 8, 2016)

I'll check a Mississippi embossed soda guide tomorrow . I've seen a lot of Tupelo soda bottles , but not that one. Good score!


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## jblaylock (Jun 9, 2016)

CreekWalker said:


> I'll check a Mississippi embossed soda guide tomorrow . I've seen a lot of Tupelo soda bottles , but not that one. Good score!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Awesome, that would be helpful, thanks

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## jblaylock (Jun 9, 2016)

iggyworf said:


> Josh, nothing in the Ayers guides? I know you have them. I have them also but skimmed thru and couldn't find that one. Very cool. I have never seen that one before. Good score.


Didn't see any bottles from Tupelo.

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## CreekWalker (Jun 9, 2016)

I have the old printed guide from the gono website, which was the Museum of Beverage Containers in Nashville Tn. Very good reference , but it does not show a Pepsi bottle from Tupelo  until the ACL era. I have one more resource to check, if I can find it.  That may well, be the rarest embossed Pepsi in the southeast!


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## Bass Assassin (Jun 9, 2016)

That's a nice bottle irregardless of what we find out about it. Thanks for posting it


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## CreekWalker (Jun 9, 2016)

No it wasn't listed in an old SE soda bottle guide. Most small town Pepsi's in the south was from a centralized distributor , in a large city, unlike Coca-Cola, who marked every bottle with a small town. All the Pepsi bottles found from the 1930's and back in my area , are from Memphis and perhaps Nashville. If I had one marked with any small town around Memphis, it would the find of a lifetime! 


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## Dr Pepper bottle man (Jun 11, 2016)

The 3R* or Three Rivers* indicate it is from The Three Rivers Glass Co. in Three Rivers, Texas from 1922 to 1937, when it was bought out by Ball. There are some bottles that have Ball* and that indicates they were made in Three Rivers in either in 1938 or 1939 when they shut down the co. Your bottle is probably the last of the Three Rivers Glass Co  in 1937.
This is a good way of dating some bottles also.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Jun 12, 2016)

Josh

Have you seen the accounts that say Elvis Presley worked at the Tupelo Pepsi Cola plant when he was a teenager? Some of the same accounts say that Elvis' farther, Vernon, worked there before Elvis did. I'm not sure of the dates other than Elvis was born in 1935 and would have been a teenager between 1948 and 1954. Like I said, I'm not sure when his father started working there other than it was apparently before Elvis started.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Jun 12, 2016)

Elvis Presley as a teenager - Exact date unknown but described as being taken in Tupelo, Mississippi ...




Currently on eBay - Copy of original photo - Elvis holding Pepsi bottle with father, Vernon, seated at table - 1950s

http://www.ebay.com/itm/252408046741?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&fromMakeTrack=true


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## SODAPOPBOB (Jun 12, 2016)

Josh

As it turns out, not only did Elvis work for Pepsi Cola, but so did his father, Vernon, as well as his grandfather, Jesse. Please let me know if you'd like to know more about this. If not, I will leave it alone. 

Thanks

Bob


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## jblaylock (Jun 12, 2016)

That's awesome. I was just curious about the bottle, never would have thought the Presley family would have worked there. 

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## SODAPOPBOB (Jun 12, 2016)

Josh

Thanks!

I'll share some more info later because I'm still trying to figure out some dates and locations, but based on what I've seen so far ...

1. Vernon Presley (Elvis's father) only worked for Pepsi Cola for about three months between February of 1943 and April of 1943. However, I'm not sure yet if he worked at the Tupelo, Mississippi plant or the Louisville, Kentucky plant, nor what his duties were. 

2. Elvis worked at the Tupelo, Mississippi Pepsi Cola plant as a teenager. However, I'm not sure exactly when he worked there or for how long. Not do I know yet if his job was in any way connected with his father's employment. I say this because I'm not sure yet if Vernon worked in Mississippi or in Kentucky. But according to every reference I've seen, Elvis definitely worked at the Tupelo, Mississippi plant and not at the Louisville, Kentucky plant. 

3. Jesse Presley (Elvis' grandfather) retired from the Pepsi Cola bottling plant in Louisville, Kentucky in 1964. He was a night watchmen and was 68 years old when he retired. I don't know exactly when he started working there, but I do know that he moved from Tupelo, Mississippi to Louisville, Kentucky in 1943. 

(More later after I figure some things out)


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## SODAPOPBOB (Jun 12, 2016)

P.S. 

When Elvis' father, Vernon, worked for Pepsi Cola in 1943, Elvis was only 8 years old and not what I consider a "teenager." If the "teenager" references are correct, then Elvis was an official teenager between 1948 (13 years old) and 1954 (19 years old)


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## SODAPOPBOB (Jun 12, 2016)

Notice in this 1997 article about Jesse Presley's house in Louisville, Kentucky where it says he used to work for the *Columbia Mantel Company*. I checked as many Louisville, Kentucky directories as I could find and discovered that Jesse Presley worked for the Columbia Mantel Company until at least 1958. Even though there are missing directories, the earliest start date that Jesse Presley could have worked for Pepsi Cola as a night watchman would have been in 1959 when he was 63 years old. Which means the longest he could have worked for Pepsi Cola was about 5 years.  







(I'm still searching for various Tupelo, Mississippi dates and info, but if you're wondering why Elvis' grandfather was working at all when you take into account that Elvis was probably a millionaire by 1964 when his grandfather retired, I'm wondering the same thing but haven't found the answer yet)


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## jblaylock (Jun 12, 2016)

Read a source that said he was a night watchman at Pepsi.

Edit: http://www.elvisinfonet.com/spotlight_JesseDPresley.html

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## SODAPOPBOB (Jun 12, 2016)

jblaylock said:


> Read a source that said he was a night watchman at Pepsi.
> 
> Edit: http://www.elvisinfonet.com/spotlight_JesseDPresley.html
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk



Josh:

Thanks for the link - its one of several I have been looking at. I'll have a few more for you later on ...


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## SODAPOPBOB (Jun 12, 2016)

This is from the link that Josh posted and explains (in part) about Jesse Presley continuing to work even after Elvis hit the big-time ...

"*From what I have been able to determine thus far, Jesse never asked Elvis or the family for anything after leaving and he spent the rest of his life making his own way in the world with Vera and for that at least his deserves some respect. *"

Also notice where it says ...

"*Jesse made his way to Louisville Kentucky and although a carpenter by trade he was a night watchman at the local Pepsi-Cola plant. *"


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## SODAPOPBOB (Jun 12, 2016)

I'm also exploring the information on this link where we find comments such as ...

[Jesse] Presley was a retired employee of the Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co.

[Jesse] Presley had been a wooden-mantel assembler for Columbia Manufacturing Co. here [Louisville] and also had been a cabinet maker. He moved here [Louisville] from Tupelo, Miss., in 1943.

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=pete_witze&id=I19575

Note: I added the [ --- ] for clarity


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## SODAPOPBOB (Jun 12, 2016)

According to the information on this link, Elvis' first job was with the "Precision Tool Company" in 1951. Elvis was about 16 years old in 1951. If he worked for Peps Cola as so many accounts claim, then I suspect it was before 1951. He worked for the "Crown Electric Company" in 1954 when his singing and recording career began ... 

http://www.elvispresleynews.com/elvisfirstjob/


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## SODAPOPBOB (Jun 12, 2016)

Its possible a more detailed explanation about Elvis working for Pepsi Cola will be found somewhere in the pages of this book, which I'm still reading and where I found the attached snippets ...

https://books.google.com/books?id=d...lvis presley worked for pepsi cola in&f=false

Father, Vernon - Page 96




Grandfather, Jesse - Page 106


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## SODAPOPBOB (Jun 12, 2016)

"All Shook Up"

Fact or Fiction?

https://books.google.com/books?id=M...q=elvis presley worked for pepsi cola&f=false


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## SODAPOPBOB (Jun 12, 2016)

Hey, Josh

I'm starting to think the accounts that claim Elvis worked for the Tupelo Pepsi Cola Bottling Company as a teenager might be incorrect. Its possible those accounts originated by someone who confused Elvis' father and grandfather with Elvis. There seems to be no question about Vernon Presley and Jesse Presley working for Pepsi, but I can't find any concrete evidence, other than some confusing accounts, to confirm that Elvis ever worked there. I'll keep searching and see what I can find, but I might be chasing a Red Herring! ???


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## SODAPOPBOB (Jun 12, 2016)

Here's one of the accounts I question - See 9.

http://www.sirpepsi.com/trivia.htm


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## SODAPOPBOB (Jun 12, 2016)

And there's this about Elvis' early work history. It seems pretty well researched, but no mention of Pepsi Cola ...

http://movies.elvispresley.com.au/elvis_employment_history.shtml


Be sure and check out the links in the panel where it says "All About Elvis"


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## SODAPOPBOB (Jun 12, 2016)

Here's another Pepsi Cola bottle that's described as being from Tupelo. Mississippi 1930s. I'm not sure if its an acl or embossed, but its definitely different than Josh's bottle and different than most I've seen. I wonder what the story is about it?

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/440508407278836043/


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## iggyworf (Jun 13, 2016)

It seems that style of bottle is more common than Josh's bottle. I do believe it might have had a paper label, but not ACL.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Jun 13, 2016)

The following highlighted transcript and the attached snippet it came from is the earliest published account I have found that discusses Jesse Presley's employment with Pepsi Cola. I have looked for an original copy of the magazine but I'm not sure which month volume 52 was in. Nor have I been able to determine if the word 'volume' means the week of the year or just what. But because it mentions Elvis as a private in the army, it has to be after March of 1958 because that's when Elvis entered the service.

Notice it refers to Jesse as a "crate repairman." Other references say he was a night watchman, which leads me to believe he started out as a repairman and became a night watchman sometime before he retired in 1964 at the age of 68. When this article was published in 1958, Jesse was about 62 years old. Which indicates he worked for Pepsi for at least six years. I do not know what year he started working for Pepsi Cola in Louisville, Kentucky. 

The main reason I'm focusing on this is because of the references that claim Elvis Presley worked for the Tupelo, Mississippi Pepsi Cola Company when he was a teenager. As it stands now, I cannot find a single shred of credible evidence to confirm that Elvis worked for Pepsi as a teenager or any other time in his life. As I said earlier, I believe its possible that someone confused Jesse's employment, or possibly his father's employment, with Pepsi that somehow turned into Elvis having worked there. I will stand corrected if something eventually presents itself to confirm the Elvis/Pepsi connection, but as it stands now I believe its a total myth! 

However, there's a bright side to this! If you ever come across a Pepsi Cola "crate" from the late 1950s that's from Louisville, Kentucky, and it looks like it might have been "repaired," then there is a one-in-a-million chance it was repaired by Elvis Presley's grandfather, Jesse Presley. 
(That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!)   


1958 Newsweek Magazine - Volume 52 - Page 63

*Hound Dog Sr. 

When Pvt. Elvis Presley was about 4 years old his grandfather used to sing cotton-field songs to him that he had learned in his own childhood in Tupelo, Miss. A carpenter and cabinetmaker, Jesse (Dee) Presley also built the Mississippi home in which the rock-"n"-roll idol lived until he was 9 years old. Now 62, and a resident of Louisville, Ky. (where he works as a crate repairman for the local Pepsi Cola bottling company), Jesse last week confirmed the news that he ... *

Note: The two snippets read top to bottom - As near as I can determine it was a single column article in the music section - I have been unable to find the entire article.  







This is an oil and acrylic on a rusted sign by artist Paul Karslake from 2014. He titled it ...

ELVIS PEPSI


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## SODAPOPBOB (Jun 13, 2016)

P.S.

In case you didn't already know, it is well docu-mented that Elvis Presley's favorite soft drink was ... 

PEPSI COLA


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## SODAPOPBOB (Jun 13, 2016)

*Meet ...*

Jesse D. Presley

Birth:  April 9, 1897 - Itawamba, Mississippi  
Marriage: 1913 - Minnie Mae Hoot 
Death:  March 19, 1973 - Louisville, Kentucky
Parents:  Dunnan Presley, Rosella Presley 


1917-1918 WWI




1917-1918 WWI Draft Card



1949 Photo


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## SODAPOPBOB (Jun 13, 2016)

*In Search of ...*

1958 Pepsi Cola crates similar to these but from Louisville, Kentucky 
(Especially if it looks "repaired" )

Note: These particular crates/carriers are not from Louisville but are described as being stamped inside with 58 for 1958


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## jblaylock (Jun 14, 2016)

I have 2 Pepsi Louisville Crates:







Also, a note on the Pepsi Script bottle you posted a photo of.  That is a much more common design.  There are clear and green versions and they were used by many bottlers in the 30s.  The one I have, I've never seen another one like.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Jun 14, 2016)

Josh

Are the Louisville crates date stamped?


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## SODAPOPBOB (Jun 30, 2016)

Josh

I figured out what issue of Newsweek magazine the grandpa Presley article was in and recently purchased a copy ...

Newsweek - July 7, 1958 - Volume LI (51) - No. 27 - Page 63

... which also included a picture of him.


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## 3RIVERS* Bottle Collector (Sep 7, 2017)

If you would like to sell the Tupelo Miss bottle, please let me know. I would be very interested in it. Thank you.


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## jblaylock (Sep 13, 2017)

3RIVERS* Bottle Collector said:


> If you would like to sell the Tupelo Miss bottle, please let me know. I would be very interested in it. Thank you.



I'm not sure I want to sell it right now.


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## 3RIVERS* Bottle Collector (Sep 16, 2017)

If you ever change your mind please think of me! 
Thanks, 
Ryan


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## jblaylock (Sep 16, 2017)

3RIVERS* Bottle Collector said:


> If you ever change your mind please think of me!
> Thanks,
> Ryan


I certainly will. Normally I only collect bottles from Kentucky. However this bottle is very unique, I have not seen another Pepsi bottle like this one. At the point in time when this bottle was made pepsi was using a standardized bottle. It's unusual for a Bottling Company to break apart and use a different bottle.

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## 3RIVERS* Bottle Collector (Sep 19, 2017)

Oddly enough, finding a standardized bottle with a Three Rivers mark is much harder than finding one of these. It's a great bottle still! Three Rivers bottles made for Kentucky are virtually nonexistent, but I recently found a Columbus, Kentucky debossed Good For Life Dr. Pepper with a 3R* on it.


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