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On May 8, 1886, Atlanta druggist Dr. John Pemberton (former Confederate officer) invented "Coca-Cola" syrup. Dr. Pemberton, like so many other others of the day, called himself "Doctor" but no evidence of a formal medical degree has ever been found. After the war, Dr. Pemberton worked hard to rebuild his life. He stayed in his hometown of Columbus Georgia for 4 years, but by 1869 he decided to move to Atlanta. It was at this time when he set up business as a Druggist and Pharmaceutical chemist. By 1870, he joined with other businessmen to form Pemberton, Wilson, Taylor and Company. Pemberton was a wizard at creating medicine, but not quite as good at creating a profit, as many times others reaped the rewards of his creations. During the next 15 years he had made a name for himself with some of the medicines that he had invented; including Gingerine, Globe of Flower Cough Syrup, Indian Queen Hair Dye, and Triplex Liver Pills. Somewhere between the Liver Pills and Hair Dye he came up with the idea for a new tonic. "Coca-Cola" syrup. It was based on "Pemberton's French Wine Coca" which was patented in 1886 and sold as "an ideal nerve and tonic stimulant." He simply took out the wine and added caffeine, extract of cola and other oils. It is believed that he was trying to make a cure for headaches. It was mixed in a 30-gallon brass kettle hung over a backyard fire. After he made a jug of the syrup he took it down to "Jacobs Pharmacy" and talked Willis E. Venabele into mixing it with water and selling it for 5cents a glass. It was marketed as a "brain and nerve tonic" in drugstores. Sales averaged nine drinks per day. Frank M. Robinson, Pemberton's bookkeeper, was the person who suggested the name "Coca- Cola", which was chosen because both words actually named two ingredients found in the syrup. He also suggested that the name be written in the Spencerian script, a popular penmanship of that time. It was from his pen that the "Coca-Cola" signature originated. Pemberton liked the easy to remember name, so History was born. The first year's gross sales were $50 and advertising costs were $73.96. By the next year, 1887, It went from 25 gallons of syrup to more than 1000 gallons of syrup. The original formula included extracts of the African kola nut and coca leaves, both strong stimulants. "Coca-Cola" was one of thousands of exotic patent medicines sold in the 1800s that actually contained traces of cocaine. On November 15th, 1886, John G. Wilkes(Who was drunk) walked into a drugstore complaining of a headache and requested a bottle of "Coca-Cola" syrup. To get instant relief, he asked the "soda jerk" to mix up a glass on the spot. Rather than walk to the other end of the counter in order to mix it with cold tap water, the clerk suggested using soda water. The man remarked it really tasted great, and soon after "Coca-Cola" was in fizzy, carbonated form. In 1888, Asa Griggs Candler bought the company from Dr. Pemberton. Later that same year, Dr. Pemberton died. By 1914, Candler had acquired a fortune of some $50 million. Baseball hall of famer Ty Cobb, a Georgia native, was another early investor in the company. In 1894, Joseph A. Biedenharn, owner of the Biedenharn Candy Company in Vicksburg, Mississippi, first bottled "Coca-Cola." By 1903, the use of cocaine was controversial and "Coca-Cola" decided to use only "spent coca leaves." It also stopped advertising "Coca-Cola" as a cure for headaches and other ills. In 1929, after his death, Griggs Candler's family sold the interest in "Coca-Cola" to a group of businessmen led by Ernest Woodruff for $25 million. Woodruff was appointed president of "Coca-Cola" on April 28, 1923 and stayed on the job until 1955.
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