locations in the outsiders by s.e. hinton
East side
Dally was waiting for Johnny and me under the street light at the corner of Pickett and Sutton, and since we got there early, we had time to go over the drugstore in the shopping center and goof around (19).
We crossed Sutton and cut around behind Spencer's Special, the discount house, and chased two junior-high kids across a field for a few minutes (20).
The greasers go to The Dingo and to Jay's (19).
"That's the greaser that jockeys for the Slash J sometimes" (21).
"We still hang out around rodeos a lot. I've seen you two barrel race. You're good" (23).
Soda had this buckskin horse, only it wasn't his. It belongs to a guy who kept it at the stables where Soda used to work (39).
Buck raised a few quarter horses, and made most of his money on fixed races and a little bootlegging. I was under strict orders from both Darry and Soda not to get caught within ten miles of his place (58).
When we had finished, I pulled on Dally's brown jacket -- the back was burned black -- and we started for Tenth Street (114).
Dally had Buck Merril's T-Bird parked in front of our house, and we hopped into it. I sat tight as Dally roared the car down the street. We were on Tenth when a siren came on behind us and I saw the reflection of the red light flashing in the windshield (146).
We stopped at the Tasty Freeze to buy Cokes and rest up, and the blue Mustang that had been trailing us for eight blocks pulled in (114).
We could all do acrobatics because Darry had taken a course at the Y and then spent a whole summer teaching us everything he'd learned on the grounds that it might come in handy in a fight. It did, but it also got Two-Bit and Soda jailed once. They were doing mid-air flips down a downtown sidewalk, walking on their hands and otherwise disturbing the public and the police (136).
The Vacant Lot
At the corner of our block there's a wide, open field where we play football and hang out, and it's often a site for rumbles and fist fights (31).
Cherry Valance was sitting in her Corvette by the vacant lot when we came by (127).
We reached the vacant lot just as Dally came in, running as hard as he could, from the opposite direction. The wail of a siren grew louder and then a police car pulled up across the street from the lot. Doors slammed as policemen leaped out. Dally had reached the circle of light under the street lamp, and skidding to a halt, he turned and jerked a black object from his waistband (153).
The Dingo
Then we went across the street and down Sutton a little way to The Dingo (19).
The Dingo is a pretty rough hangout; there's always a fight going on there and once a girl got shot (19).
We walked around talking to all the greasers and hoods we knew, leaning in car windows or hopping into the back seats, and getting in on who was running away, and who was in jail, and who was going with who, and who could whip who, and who stole what and when and why. We knew everybody there (20).
The Nightly Double
It was the biggest in town, and showed two movies two movies every night, and on weekends four -- you could say you were going to the Nightly Double and have time to go all over town (20).
We all had the money to get in -- it only costs a quarter if you're not in a car (20).
We went to the concession stand and, as usual, there was a line a mile long, so we had to wait (30).
DX
He and Soda worked at the same gas station -- Steve part time and Soda full time -- and their station got more customers than any other in town (9).
"Your brother Sodapop, does he work at the gasoline station? A DX, I think?" (23).
I had walked down to the DX station to get a bottle of pop and to see Steve and Soda, because they'll always buy me a couple of bottles and let me help work on the cars" (31).
The Park
The park was about two blocks square, with a fountain in the middle and a small swimming pool for the little kids. The pool was empty now in the fall, but the fountain was going merrily. Tall elm trees made the park shadowy and dark, and it would have been a good hangout, but we preferred our vacant lot, and the Shepard outfit liked the alleys down by the tracks, so the park was left to lovers and little kids" (53).
Jay Mountain / Windrixville
"Hop the three-fifteen freight to Windrixville," Dally instructed. "There's an old abandoned church on top of Jay Mountain. There's a pump in the back so don't worry about water" (61).
We climbed up the road to the church, although it was a lot farther away than it looked. (...) we climbed in a back window. It was a small church, real old and spooky and spiderwebby. It gave me the creeps (66).
Johnny and I never went to the front of the church. You could see the front from the road, and sometimes farm kids rode their horses by on their way to the store. So we stayed in the back, usually sitting on the steps and looking across the valley. We could see for miles; see the ribbon of highway and the small dots that were houses and cars (76).
The dawn was coming then. All the lower valley was covered with mist, and sometimes little pieces of it broke off and floated away in small clouds. The sky was lighter in the east, and the horizon was a thin golden line. The clouds changed from gray to pink, and the mist was touched with gold. There was a silent moment when everything held its breath, and then the sun rose. It was beautiful (77).
Dally always did like to drive fast, as if he didn't care whether he got where he was going or not, and we came down the red dirt road off Jay Mountain doing eighty-five ( 83).
West side
There are lots of drive-ins in town -- the Socs go to The Way Out and to Rusty's (19).
Two-Bit gallantly offered to walk them home -- the west side of town was only about twenty miles away (37).
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You Go To My Head (Yandere!Austin!Elvis x Reader)
Summary: You and Elvis have been friends since the summer his family moved to Memphis; you’ve gone through everything together. You and Elvis stay close while living your own, wildly different lives, but Elvis realizes his feelings haven’t been platonic for a long time when he invites you to a recording of the Comeback Special, and you bring your new boyfriend along.
Note: This is based on an anonymous request. I took some liberties with the request and also in regards to timeline stuff with this fic for plot purposes. Reader can be read as gender neutral. Please read the warnings. DNI if you’re a minor or post thinspo/ED content. Requests are open🔮
Word count: 3.6k
Warnings: This is a yandere fic, so expect dark themes such as emotional blackmail and obsessive and manipulative behavior, which some people may find disturbing or triggering. Do not interact if you are under 18.
Summer was sweltering in Memphis, and on one of the many days you spent with your best friend, you took refuge in a drug store with a soda fountain, squeezing through the other people who had a similar idea to the empty counter seats. You and Elvis ordered your usuals, spinning around while waiting for the cashier to give you your drinks.
Elvis had just recorded some songs with the Sun Records label, and they were slowly getting airtime around Memphis. It was exciting to hear his voice on the radio, especially after years of telling him that he should get into music professionally. In fact, the drug store was playing ‘That’s All Right’ on its jukebox, which you could tell made Elvis a little embarrassed.
You perked up in your seat. "Oh! Did I tell you I have a date this weekend?"
He raised a skeptical eyebrow. "With who?"
"Jack Taylor," you answered proudly.
"Jack? He’s no good," Elvis said as the two of you were handed your sodas.
"Elvis, he got into Harvard," you argued.
"Exactly, how many miles away is that? You’ll never see him. Train to Boston’s what, four days?"
You sighed. He had a point, he always did when it came to the guys you were interested in. You sipped your soda as you stared out the window.
"C’mon, I didn’t mean to make ya upset. I’m just trying to look out for you."
"I’m not upset," you said.
You and Elvis lived in the same building, two doors down the hall from each other, and quickly became friends when his family moved in right before high school. You were jealous he was an only child, when you were stuck in a two-bedroom apartment with your parents and three younger siblings. Your parents had to turn the living room into a makeshift bedroom so you and your siblings would have enough space. As a result, you became a fixture at the Presley residence. Elvis was without a doubt your best friend, so you trusted that he wanted to look out for you.
"Why are you in such a rush to get a boyfriend? Then you won’t have as much time to spend with me," he said, only half-joking.
You stuck your tongue out at him. "Because smarty, it’s weird third-wheeling you and Dixie all the time."
"You’re not a third wheel, Y/N."
"Tell that to me when we went to the state fair and I had to sit next to some smelly old man on the Tilt-a-Whirl."
Elvis’ expression shifted. "He didn’t do nothin’ to ya, did he?"
"Lord, no. It was just—I felt outta place," you said, before perking up a bit. "Hey, why don’t you set me up with one of your friends?"
"No way, those guys aren’t good enough for you."
"Elvis, as far as you’re concerned, there ain’t a man in Memphis good enough for me. So I might as well run off to a convent and take my vows."
"As if they’d let a hellion like you join," he joked.
You laughed, throwing a straw at him. "Jerk!"
You knew he was right about Jack. It wouldn’t be more than a summer fling, and you were hoping for something long term like Elvis and Dixie had. You hadn’t expected your summer to be turned on its head with Elvis’ career suddenly skyrocketing after his performance at the Louisiana Hayride. You tagged along with his parents and Dixie to support him and his band in their biggest performance yet.
Their set became pandemonium when Elvis started dancing, and you and Dixie had shared an exasperated look at how chaotic the girls in the audience were going over him. Maybe you were just used to it, hanging out in Beale Street clubs with Elvis and watching the performers there, but you found it almost comical how those girls seemed to be losing their minds. His mama, however, didn’t find it comical at all.
After that night, everything changed. Elvis had quit his job to tour with Hank Snow’s outfit, moving his way up the marquee with every town they stopped in. You were able to go out and see him more than Dixie was, so you’d bring whatever notes or gifts she had given you to pass along to him. You could tell the Colonel, who was apparently in charge of the whole show, didn’t exactly like you hanging around Elvis so much, especially when the two of you would be practically glued to each other after Elvis got off stage. You thought it was weird how people assumed Elvis and you were together, and you always had to be the one to correct them.
You supposed it worked out, though, because Elvis told you that the Colonel was making him breakup with Dixie as part of some convoluted scheme to increase Elvis’ appeal to his mostly women audience. You didn’t see much of Dixie after that, but you felt like you were seeing Elvis as often as ever, even with his packed tour schedule and increasingly controversial TV appearances. When he bought Graceland, it seemed like everything the two of you had talked about in your wildest dreams in high school was coming true.
Even when he wasn’t at Graceland, you were there. You’d missed the Presleys being your neighbors, and his parents were so used to you being over all the time that they didn’t blink when you’d drop by. Most of the time, his mama was already expecting you to stay for dinner.
You lived in a small apartment in Memphis, even though Elvis had offered you a space in Graceland. As much as you appreciated it, you didn’t want to seem like you were taking advantage of his generosity. Plus, it made your dating life easier to have your own place, since you knew Gladys told Elvis about every boyfriend you mentioned to her, and he’d call you within a day or so to talk you out of dating whoever it happened to be.
You met Joe while you were out drinking with friends, one of the rare nights you weren’t at Graceland. He was handsome, rugged, with dark hair, deep brown eyes and calloused hands from working in construction. He had the faintest scar above his left eye, which he informed you was a result of his days as an amateur boxer in years past. A salt-of-the-earth type of man with an incredible sense of humor, you gladly agreed to see him again, writing your phone number on a napkin.
Elvis, of course, immediately found fault with Joe when you’d brought him up the next time you visited him at Graceland, insisting you needed a guy with a steady job who could provide for you. He dropped the news that he had been drafted to you during his rant, and you almost thought he did it just to make you feel bad. His eyes watered as he showed you the notice, though, and you wrapped your arms around him.
“Two years is nothing,” you whispered. “You’ll be back here before you know it.”
“I don’t wanna leave,” he confessed. “The Colonel says it’ll help my image, but I don’t wanna leave you or Mama or Graceland.”
“I’m sorry. If there were something I could do, I would in a heartbeat.”
“I know. I love you, Y/N.”
“Don’t say it like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like you think you’re never gonna see me again,” you said, stroking his hair. “I love you too, though.”
The two of you fell asleep on the couch in the living room, awoken the next morning by his mama, who looked worse for wear. She obviously knew Elvis got drafted and had taken to drinking more to cope. The day Elvis left for basic training, you’d promised him that you’d look after Graceland and his parents, and that you’d be in the same spot waiting for him when he got back. You just didn’t expect that day to come so soon.
You had hoped Gladys would snap out of her depressed stupor in a few weeks, but she only kept drinking, and you and Vernon were at a loss as to what to do. You’d tried to reason with her, but she was so incoherent at times it was no use. When you got the call from Vernon that Gladys had a heart attack, you felt a pit in your stomach. She had been like a mother to you for almost a decade, and now she was gone.
By the time you made your way to Graceland that day, Vernon had told you that Elvis was already on his way to Memphis, as the Army gave him permission to leave for Gladys’ funeral. It was late at night when he arrived, barely holding it together until he saw you and his dad, and he broke down in your arms until he made his way upstairs early in the morning.
You couldn’t believe it when the next day the Colonel was trying to get Elvis and Vernon outside for an impromptu press conference. Elvis had hardly moved from his spot on the floor of his mama’s closet since he got home. Somehow the Colonel managed to convince him to come downstairs, but you still objected.
"It ain’t right," you said. "None of them people out there knew her, not like we did. They’re not entitled to our grief like a spectacle. Especially not his."
Elvis sniffled. "It’s okay, Y/N. I’ll go do it. Five minutes, but that’s all."
“I’ll drag you back in here if it takes a second longer,” you said.
He gave you the faintest smile, the first one you’d seen from him. You decided in that moment you hated the Colonel with everything you had in you. You knew Gladys didn’t like him, but you figured he knew what he was doing when it came to Elvis’ career. Now, you felt nothing but disgust for the man who decided to exploit your best friend’s loss. There wasn’t even time for you to express your concerns to Elvis, because before you knew it, he was shipped off to Germany for the next year and a half.
You kept in touch, writing each other incessantly. He even flew you out to meet him in Paris when he had a short leave. It was a better reunion than the previous one, but soured a bit when he informed you of his new girlfriend. From everything he told you, she seemed nice, but way too young for him. You couldn’t lie and say you thought it was exactly appropriate for Elvis to be with Priscilla, so you just said that you were glad he found someone. Not a lie, as much as you wanted to chew him out.
Elvis returned to the States with Priscilla, who ended up endearing herself to you. Even though she technically lived in a separate house on Graceland’s property, she was still in the main house pretty often. Somehow, even with a full-time job and a new steady boyfriend, who Elvis didn’t hesitate to tell you every problem he had with, you were at Graceland a lot too. It wasn’t even at Elvis’ invitation all the time. Priscilla, young and lonely with Elvis spending more time in Hollywood, carving out his film career, would ask you to come over and hang out or go shopping with her.
Elvis sent letters and postcards from Hollywood to you and Priscilla, but you found it odd when she’d complain about not getting calls from Elvis for weeks at a time, when he called you almost every day. You felt sorry for the poor girl when she came to you in tears over the stories about Elvis and Ann-Margaret’s supposed romance on the set of ‘Viva Las Vegas’.
"Do you think it’s true?" she asked, eyes filled with tears. "Please, Y/N, you know him better than anyone."
"I know he loves you a lot," you answered, "and I know Hollywood tabloids can get ahead of themselves and make a story out of nothing."
You also knew Elvis had cheated on Dixie when they were still together and he was touring, but you couldn’t bring yourself to tell Priscilla that. You’d come to view her as a younger sister of sorts, and the last thing you wanted to do was make her even more upset than she was. After a while, the rumors died down as Elvis returned to Graceland after shooting the movie. There were other rumors, of course, after he returned to Hollywood, but Priscilla never brought any of them up to you after that. You weren’t sure if she simply didn’t believe them or had come to terms with the fact that the distance from Elvis made it almost inevitable.
Eventually, Priscilla went to Hollywood to live with Elvis there, and you saw less of them. You didn’t mind, it made sense considering where you all were in life. If you were being honest with yourself, it was a relief to not have to be the mediator in their relationship or go to Graceland in your limited free time. Things with yet another one of your boyfriends had fizzled out on mostly good terms, but you could tell your obligation to Elvis had put a strain on the relationship after a while.
Elvis would fly you out to Los Angeles every so often, even though you basically lived at Graceland whenever he was home. You had begun to notice Priscilla wasn’t around as often, until Elvis had called you one evening while your latest boyfriend was over. You whispered an apology to Eric as you went to answer the phone, knowing Elvis would keep calling until you picked up.
“Y/N, I–uh–I gotta tell ya somethin’,” Elvis said.
“What’s going on?”
“I’m not with ‘Cilla anymore. Things weren’t workin’ out.”
“Oh my god,” you gasped. “I thought y’all were starting to plan the wedding.”
“We were. I don’t know, I just couldn’t do it.”
“Well, if it don’t feel right, it probably ain’t. Your mama always said to trust your gut,” you told him. “How did Priscilla take it?”
“Not great,” he answered, huffing out a laugh. “Can’t say I didn’t expect it. She’s back with her folks now.”
“At least she’s not alone,” you said. Damn, you were looking forward to their wedding. Knowing Elvis, he would’ve pulled out all the stops. Not to mention how excited Priscilla had been when Elvis proposed.
“I’ve just been thinkin’ about a lotta things recently, makin’ some big changes in my life, my career,” he said, pausing a bit before adding. “Got some guys I’m workin’ with to start performin’ live again.”
“Elvis, that sounds incredible!” you exclaimed. “Just like the old days, huh?”
“We’re taping a whole special for my big comeback to music. Goin’ back to my roots and all, I can’t think of anyone else I’d want here for that.”
“I’m there, just let me know when,” you said, hoping he could hear your smile over the phone.
“Well, how soon can you fly out?”
“I mean, I’d have to tell work, but maybe by the weekend.”
“Alright, you call me as soon as you know, okay?”
“You know I will. ‘Night, Elvis,” you said.
“‘Night, Y/N. Love you.”
“Love you too.”
You hung up, giving Eric an apologetic smile as you made your way back over to him on the other side of your living room. “Sorry, a lot happened.”
“Sounds like you’re gonna be taking a trip to LA soon,” he said.
“Wanna come with me? I can see if Elvis would pay for your–”
He shook his head. “I’ll buy my own way. LA does sound nice, though.”
You squealed in excitement, throwing your arms around him. “It’ll be so fun! The beaches there are gorgeous.”
“I bet,” he laughed, keeping an arm around you.
“Just, don’t be surprised if you’re met with some hostility when it comes to Elvis. He’s never liked any of my boyfriends,” you said. “Some overprotective thing he never grew out of.”
“Nothing I can’t handle,” he assured you.
You managed to convince one of your coworkers to cover for you for the following week, and quickly made plans to leave for California to see Elvis Friday night as soon as you and Eric were finished with work. Even though Elvis had paid for you to fly first class, you sat with Eric in economy, feeling bad about sitting apart during the flight. Elvis had let you know he’d meet you at the hotel, and had a car waiting for you outside the airport to bring you there.
When you checked in, the clerk instructed the bellhop to bring yours and Eric’s bags up to the room, and let you know where to find Elvis. You took the elevator up a few floors to a conference room Elvis was apparently waiting in. His face lit up when you opened the door, but quickly fell when he noticed Eric with you.
“Who’s this?” Elvis asked, his tone hostile as he looked at you accusingly.
“My boyfriend Eric, I know I told you about him,” you said.
“Well, I only got clearance for you to come into the studio tomorrow.”
“Hey, no worries, buddy,” Eric said. “I can explore LA myself. You guys have fun catching up.”
Elvis nodded. “Alright. See you tomorrow, Y/N.”
It certainly wasn’t the reunion you were expecting, and you definitely didn’t appreciate how he treated your boyfriend, but you were willing to brush it off as him being tired from working all day. You counted yourself lucky that Eric was so easy-going. He hardly mentioned Elvis’ horrible attitude toward him when you both headed up to the room. It was on one of the top floors, with a fully stocked mini-bar that Eric didn’t hesitate to get into, opening a bottle of wine for you to share while watching TV until you fell asleep.
The two of you ate breakfast together in the hotel, and then parted ways for the rest of the day. You hoped he’d at least have a good time being a tourist in Los Angeles on his own. Around ten in the morning, you were informed a car was waiting outside the hotel to bring you to NBC’s studio. Filming wasn’t for a few more hours, and you figured Elvis just wanted to hang out and catch up beforehand.
The car dropped you off in front of Elvis’ trailer, where he was sitting outside talking to his father. Elvis’ mood had done a complete 180 from the previous night, and he engulfed you in a bear hug.
“I missed you too,” you laughed.
You and Vernon spoke for a bit, before he took his cue to leave and let Elvis and you be alone. You followed Elvis into his trailer, making yourself comfortable on the couch. You knew he spared no expense on it, with TVs and air conditioning to make it as comfortable as possible, but you were partial to Graceland.
“You want anything to drink?” Elvis asked.
“I’m good,” you said. “So, I’m guessing this special has absolutely nothing to do with the Colonel?”
He grinned, sitting next to you. “Doesn’t know a thing.”
“I know you feel like he made your career or whatever, but you need someone with fresh ideas around,” you said. “I never forgave him for that stunt he pulled at your mama’s funeral. He should be ashamed of himself.”
“Well, y’know how I mentioned makin’ some big changes in my life,” he said.
You nodded, “Yeah.”
“Some of that applies to you, to us.”
“What about us?”
“I shoulda never been with Priscilla,” he said. “You’re my rock, Y/N. You’ve been with me through everything. I got time to make things right, though.”
You were blind-sided by his confession. “Elvis, we’re practically family. I don’t know–”
He scoffed. “Don’t tell me you’re holdin’ out over that clown you brought with you.”
“I’ve never thought of you like that.”
“Bullshit you never. How come you didn’t ever get married, huh?”
“You hated everyone I’ve ever dated!”
“It matters that much to you, that I like who you’re dating?” he asked.
“‘Course it does, you’re my best friend. Where’s this coming from?”
“It’s coming from me wakin’ up and finally seein’ what I have in front of me.”
You shook your head. “Look, I need to think about this.”
“There’s nothin’ to think about. You walk outta here, and it’ll be the biggest mistake of your life.”
“What do you mean?”
“Y/N, baby,” he took a deep breath, “I wasted almost twenty years of my life not bein’ with you. We coulda had a couple of kids together; they’d probably be in high school or somethin’ by now. I ain’t wastin’ anymore time. Either you’re with me or you’re not.”
You sucked in a breath, feeling your eyes start to burn. You couldn’t do this. He was bluffing, he had to be. He wouldn’t cut you out of his life now, after everything you’d been through. Still, the possibility of losing your best friend terrified you. You’d only ever thought of dating him when the two of you were still in high school, but that was so long ago.
“Shoulda joined that convent after all,” you muttered under your breath. “Why would you do this when you know I’m gonna pick you every time?”
“You’re the only person who does. You know I love you, Y/N. I always have.”
“I love you too.”
“Then what’s the problem?” he asked. “Baby, this just a long time comin’.”
He kissed you, and you tried to enjoy it, to kiss him back, but it felt wrong. You weren’t sure why he suddenly decided your relationship was anything more than platonic after so many years. His talk about kids especially rattled you, if that was what he wanted from you in the future. When he pulled away from the kiss, you looked up at your best friend, and for the first time in your life, you saw a stranger.
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James Vernor was a junior clerk at Higby and Sterns’ Drug Store in Detroit when he enlisted in the 4th Michigan Cavalry and was called to fight in the Civil War. At the time (according to company lore), he was experimenting with a stomach calming tonic of vanilla, spices and ginger, which he left behind in an oak cask. When Vernor returned four years later, he found that his elixir had transformed into a zesty, sweet, gingery drink complimented by the wood’s aging process. Soon after, Vernor opened his own pharmacy 235 Woodward Avenue, and its soda fountain became the first – and only! – place in the world to buy Vernor’s ginger ale in 1866.
Vernor was admired as a pharmacist. He closely scrutinized his prescriptions for quality, accuracy, and possible drug interactions. Vernor was meticulous about his work. Everything he did needed to meet his high standards. He served on the State Board of Pharmacy for eight years and was one of the driving forces to pass the state's first pharmacy law. He held Michigan's pharmacy license #1 all the years he practiced.
Like all good pharmacists, Vernor also had a soda fountain in his drug store.
As demand grew, Vernor began to sell his product to other Detroit soda fountains, but required that vendors purchase special equipment to serve the soda in order to ensure its quality. After gaining enough fame, Vernor was able to sell his soda throughout the Midwest. In 1896, he closed his pharmacy and opened a bottling plant at the foot of Woodward so that Vernors could be mass produced.
James Vernor passed away at the age of 84 in 1927. The Vernor family was once asked when the first Mr. Vernor retired from business. The answer was, "A few hours before he died." He was a hard-working and energetic man. One that made his mark on the city of Detroit with both business and civic contributions.
The second James Vernor came into the business as early as he could, working alongside his father in the old drug store. In the beginning, the father and son team were the only employees. They often worked 16 hour days together washing bottles, making and bottling the ginger ale, delivering it to various sites in the city, and taking care of clerical duties. He was born in Detroit on March 25, 1877. It wasn't until his father died in 1927, though, that he became President of the James Vernor Company. It was in a great way due to the second James Vernor's influence and style that the company grew into an international organization. In 1896, James Vernor II entered the business and his father decided to concentrate full time on ginger ale.
The same standards that had been applied to the consistency of his prescriptions were applied to the consistency of Vernor's Ginger Ale. The water had to be specially purified. The blending needed the finest Jamaican Ginger distilled in the absolute proper proportion with other fruit juices. Even the carbonic gas used was produced by Vernor so it would meet their requirements.
In 1896, James Vernor II entered the business and his father decided to concentrate full time on ginger ale.
The drug store was closed in 1896 and a small plant established at the foot of Woodward Avenue, several blocks from his former drug store's location. The plant was devoted to the blending, aging, and bottling of Vernor's Ginger Ale.
In 1918, Vernor purchased the old Riverside Power Plant. In 1919 a six story main building was erected adjacent to the other two. In 1939, the 10-story Siegel building was purchased and renovated. In 1941, the "most modern bottling facility in the world" was completed at 239 Woodward Avenue.
The plant also had a spectacular soda fountain. Everyone who lived in Detroit in the 1940's and 1950's has a story about going to the Vernor's soda fountain, usually before or after a ride on the Bob-lo Boat. One of the favorite drinks to have was a Boston Cooler. The drink is a milkshake-like mixture of Vernor's and vanilla ice cream. Contrary to many incorrect web sites, the Boston Cooler is not named after Boston Boulevard in Detroit. At that period of time, any soda pop mixed with ice cream was called a Boston Cooler. So, you could have a Hire's Boston Cooler or a Vernor's Boston Cooler. Vernor's copyrighted the name in the late 1960’s.
James Vernor II had a son; another James Vernor. James Vernor III also had a son; James Vernor. Yet, the company did not pass on to either one of them. It is impossible to predict if the company would have remained in the family if either had been president. J. Vernor Davis, the grandson of the founder, took over the presidency of the company.
The James Vernor Company had always been a family owned company. The death of James Vernor II in 1954 forced the company to sell some stock to the public. In 1957, James Vernor III died. His majority ownership of Vernor’s went through a court battle and was ultimately sold to investors. As a result, Vernor’s was no longer in the hands of the founding family. Vernor's became Vernors in 1959. (Note the lack of the apostrophe between the 'r' and the 's'.)
Vernor Davis had been with the firm since 1931. Prior to the death of his uncle, he became president of the company, in 1952. James Vernor III was concurrently named vice president. Under Davis' leadership, company sales grew tremendously. A stockholder's annual report from 1963 indicates sales grew from just over $6,000,000 in 1961 to over $9,000,000 in 1963.
In 1966, the one hundredth birthday of the James Vernor Company, Davis became chairman of the board. That same year, Vernors was sold to another group of investors, members of the New York Stock Exchange. The company would soon go through a number of different owners.
Again in 1971, Vernors was sold to American Consumer Products. By 1979, another company, United Brands, owned Vernors. This ownership would be the one most costly to the City of Detroit. In January of 1985, Cincinnati-based United Brands abruptly ended bottling operations at the plant.
The property was purchased in 1986 by Shula Associates, who had plans to knock it down for a shopping mall. The plant was eventually demolished in 1987. A high-rise apartment building for Wayne State University is now on the Cass Avenue side of the site. On the Woodward frontage, a four story apartment complex with first floor retail space has been built. The property is directly north of the Whitney Restaurant and two properties north of Hop Cat Detroit.
Just two years after abandoning Detroit, United Brands sold Vernors to A & W Brands. All of A & W was subsequently purchased by Dr. Pepper/Cadbury in 1993. In 1996, Dr. Pepper/Cadbury merged with 7UP and moved to Plano. Cadbury continued to own Vernor's until stock holders made the candy company give up the beverage firm. Dr Pepper Snapple was born! The company merged with Keurig and is now Keurig Dr Pepper. The company has been very supportive of the Vernor's brand.
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