MUSCOGEE COUNTY, GA - HISTORY Coca Cola and Dr. John S. Pemberton Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Scalawag1867@aol.com Sandra Waldrop Doolittle Georgia Table of Contents: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm Columbus, was the home of Dr. John S. Pemberton, a pharmacist who concocted the original (and still secret) formula for Coca-Cola syrup. He died in 1888; his grave can be viewed in Linwood Cemetery in one of the older sections of town. Pemberton fought for the Confederacy in the War Between the States along with 200 other cemetery residents — his stone is marked with a Confederate Army/Masons seall rather than the anticipated coke bottle engraving... Also in town, the Pemberton House & Apothecary Shop on 11 7th Street features a recreated pharmacy scene and a Pemberton-like mannequin. He was allegedly a morphine addict. Dr. Pemberton sold his recipe to the Candler Family for $2500.00 (some say $1,750.0. Asa Candler, a pharmacist from Carrollton, purchased the Coca Cola receipe for $2500.00from Dr Pemberton once applied for a job with Dr. John S. Pemberton and he did not hire him. He went to work Jacob Drug Store. Dr. Pemberton originally mixed the Coca Cola syrup as a stomach medicine. It originally had "cocaine" in the recipe. This is where the "Coca" in Coca Cola comes from. The Bookkeeper for Dr. Pemberton penned the Coca Cola symbol as it is today. He had a beautiful hand writing and wrote the signature "logo". The original Coca Cola bottle was long and smooth. When Mr. Woodruff bought the company and turned it over to his son.Mr. Robert Woodruff said he wanted a bottle that even a blind person could hold and know it was a coca cola. Coca Cola was created in Atlanta, GA on Marietta St., at Five Points in Downtown Atlanta. Dr. Candler paid Dr Pemberton $2,500.00 for his receipe and removed the "Cocaine" from the receipe and the rest is history. The Jacob's Drug Store (a competitor) sat on Mariettia St. in Atlanta, GA . It sat on the property that is now the "Wachovia Tower". This in "Five Points" where Marietta,Whitehall and Peachtree intersect along with what use to be Decatur St. All the names have changed so in this area I am not sure anymore. There was an attempt to save the store but it failed. There use to be a covered shopping area called the "Peachtree Arcade" on the property. The Drug Store was on the ground floor of this arcade. Mr. Asa Candler did not like the older Mr. Woodruff and would not sell him the company. Mr. Candler did not consider Mr. Woodruff a honorable man. Mr. Woodruff was so shrewd that he purchased the company thru someone else handling the arrangements. Mr. Candler was not a happy man when he discovered what had been pulled on him. Mr. Woodruff turned the fledgling Coca Cola company over to his son Robert Woodruff.. Robert accepted the company and the challange with one requirement. His father was not to give him any advice or try to run the company. Mr. Robert Woodruff took the company Public Mr. Robert Woodruff died only a few years back at the age of almost 100yrs. He worked everyday almost until his death. The Woodruff family purchased it from the Candler Family. Robert Woodruff made the Coca Cola company into what it is today. He told his father that he would have to be allowed to run the company as he saw fit. The Coca Cola Company remained in private hands until it was carried public on the Stock Exchange. It was not originally sold to a group of Atlanta business men. The Woodruff purchased the company for investment only and never intended even to keep it much less for it to become what it was.