Columbus Refrescos de Fuente

Columbus, Georgia, holds a surprisingly massive—and dramatic—place in the history of American fountain sodas. In fact, you could argue that without Columbus, the global soft drink landscape would look completely different today.

The city is deeply connected to not just one, but two major soda empires: Coca-Cola and Royal Crown (RC) Cola.

Here is the fascinating history connecting this Georgia city to your favorite fountain drinks:

1. The Genesis of Coca-Cola (Dr. John S. Pemberton)

While Coca-Cola was officially formulated and sold in Atlanta, its origins are firmly rooted in Columbus.

• The Battle and the Injury: Dr. John Stith Pemberton was a respected chemist and pharmacist who lived in Columbus. In April 1865, during the Battle of Columbus (widely considered one of the last battles of the Civil War), Pemberton sustained a severe saber wound to his chest.
• The Search for a Cure: Like many wounded veterans of the era, Pemberton became addicted to the morphine used to treat his pain. Desperate to find a cure for his addiction, he began experimenting with painkillers in his Columbus pharmacy.
• The Precursor to Coke: His experiments led to a drink called Pemberton's French Wine Coca, a mix of coca leaf extract, kola nut, and wine. When local prohibition laws hit Atlanta (where he had later moved), he was forced to remove the alcohol from his formula. He replaced the wine with sugar syrup, mixed it with carbonated water at a local pharmacy fountain, and Coca-Cola was born in 1886.

2. The Birth of RC Cola (Claud A. Hatcher)

While Coca-Cola's roots trace back to Columbus, its eventual bitter rival—Royal Crown Cola—was born, bred, and bottled right in the heart of the city.

• A Grocer's Rebellion: In the early 1900s, a young Columbus pharmacist named Claud A. Hatcher was running his family's grocery store, the Cole-Hatcher-Hampton Grocery Company. The store sold a lot of fountain drinks, particularly Coca-Cola. Hatcher asked the local Coca-Cola representative for a discount on syrup because they bought in such high volume. The rep flatly refused.
• Fine, I'll Do It Myself: Frustrated by Coca-Cola's refusal, Hatcher decided he would simply invent his own drinks. In 1905, in the basement of his Columbus grocery store, he developed his first beverage: Royal Crown Ginger Ale.
• The Soda Empire Expands: Hatcher's creations were a massive hit. He soon developed "Chero-Cola" (a direct competitor to Coke), which eventually evolved into the Nehi Corporation (famous for its fruit-flavored sodas), and finally, in 1934, the reformulated Royal Crown (RC) Cola. For decades, Columbus served as the headquarters for the RC Cola empire, making it a major hub of American soda innovation.

The Legacy

Columbus was essentially a perfect storm for soda creation: it had a high concentration of skilled pharmacists, a booming local economy for grocery and fountain sales, and a sweltering Southern climate that made ice-cold, carbonated beverages incredibly popular.

Today, Columbus embraces this unique heritage. You can even visit the Pemberton House (John Pemberton's former home) in Columbus to see where the earliest sparks of the Coca-Cola recipe began.