Columbia Bottling Works / Orange Crush
Company Names, addresses, dates1:
  Columbia Bottling Works, 911 2nd street NE (1920-1922)
  Columbia Orange Crush Bottling Co, 911 2nd street NE (1923-1930)
  Columbia Orange Kist Bottling Co, 911 2nd street NE (1932-1940)
Notes:
A Washington Post article from July 2, 1922 says that Stephen D. Lefas had started the
Columbia Bottling Works 6 years ago (1916). It praised him for investing in soft
drinks when at the time (pre-prohibition), soft drinks were not profitable.
Orange Crush was a national brand, so presumably the Columbia Bottling Works was a
local bottler & distributor for that soft drink.
Stephen Lefas later became the owner of the
Mount Vernon Bottling Co until 1949.
Columbia Bottling Co Bottles:
book # 168 8.2" aqua crown top (ABM) embossed: crown: 10 G front: COLUMBIA BOTTLING WKS / (star with CBW inside) back: REGISTERED / WASHINGTON DC / CONTENTS 7 FLUID OZS |
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book # 168 This is an 8.2" aqua ABM crown top similar to above, except it has stars on the shoulders. It is embossed: around the shoulder: (4 stars) front: COLUMBIA BOTTLING WKS / (star with CBW inside) back: REGISTERED / WASHINGTON DC / CONTENTS 7 FLUID OZS |
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book # 170 10.9" aqua crown top (ABM) embossed: front: REGISTERED / COLUMBIA / BOTTLING WORKS / WASHINGTON D.C. / 1 PINT AND 8 FLUID OUNCES |
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book # 171 11.5" aqua crown top (ABM) embossed: front: COLUMBIA ORANGE CRUSH BOTTLING CO / (large C with O C B Co inside) / 911 2nd ST NE / WASHINGTON / D.C. back: (star with C inside) / THIS / BOTTLE IS NEVER / SOLD AND MUST / BE RETURNED / REGISTERED / CONTENTS 24 FLU OZS |
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book # 466-alt This is a clear, 7.6" tall ornate machine-made bottle. It's embossed: front & rear diamond: PAT'D / JULY 20 1920 / ORANGE / CRUSH CO / BOTTLE base: COL. O.C.B.W / 1927 / WASH D.C. |
book # 365 This is a 7.6" tall clear ABM crown-top with a circle-in-square texture. It is embossed: heel: PATENT PENDING MIN CONTENTS 6 FL. OZ. base: WASHINGTON D.C. / S. LEFAS / 3 |
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book # 451 This is an aqua 7.6" ABM crown-top with a circle-in-square texture, just like the bottle above. This one is embossed: heel: PATENT JULY 15 1924 MIN CONTENTS 6 FL. OZ. base: O.C.B. CO. / WASHINGTON D.C. / 26 Presumably "O.C.B. CO" stands for "Orange Crush Bottling Company" |
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book # 451-alt This is an aqua 7.6" ABM crown-top with a circle-in-square texture, just like the bottle above, except this one does not say "O.C.B.". This one is embossed: heel: PATENT JULY 15 1924 MIN CONTENTS 6 FL. OZ. base: WASHINGTON D.C. / 26 |
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book # 466 These are clear, 7.6" tall ornate machine-made bottles. The left one is embossed: front & rear diamond: PAT'D / JULY 20 1920 / ORANGE / CRUSH CO / BOTTLE / 6 FL OZ heel: 1960 E base: O.C.B. CO. / WASHINGTON D.C. / 26 The right one is embossed: front & rear diamond: PAT'D / JULY 20 1920 / ORANGE / CRUSH / BOTTLE / 6 FL OZ base: WASHINGTON D.C. / 26 |