The company was started in 1892 by Arden Sherwood (left) and was originally was named Island Park Bottling. He was later joined in business by his son Claude (right) and This early photograph shows the interior of the company.
Credits: Kevin McNulty and Kathy Sherwood Sievers
The Sherwoods renamed the company Momence Bottling Company.
“Before it was Kist bottling company, it was Momence bottling company. An old label on a cigar box from my Great Grandfathers desk.” Kathy Sherwood Sievers
Photo courtesy of Kathy Sherwood Sievers.
In the late 1920's, the company became known by it's final name, the Momence Orange Kist Bottling Company, Inc.. The above photo shows a share certificate held by Claude Sherwood.
Photo courtesy of Kathy Sherwood Sievers.
Kist sodas were made by Citrus Products Co. in Chicago, IL which was in business from 1919 to 1965. Citrus Products concocted the fruit flavorings for a vast network of independent distributors like the Sherwoods who would then mix, bottle up, and ship out the drinks.
Citrus Products Co was known to basically copy everything the more famous Orange Crush did - they even stole away their head of advertising in 1922 as the Prohibition cola wars heated up.
Source: Made in Chicago Museum
The company that made Kist sodas gained notoriety in 1933 when the vice president of Citrus Products fired a gun at his own wife (and missed) after he saw her kissing the president of the company at a party.
Source: Made in Chicago Museum
Kist ad from the cover of the 1934 centennial celebration program. The full program can be found at https://archive.org/details/1934momenceilllinois
Momence History Museum
PO Box 221, Momence, Illinois 60954, United States
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