In July, 1901, Hogan Willeford went into partnership with his brother-in-law, Frank S. Morrison, in the bottling business forming the Coal Belt Bottling Company and variously the Marion Bottling Company. Mr. Morrison had been in the same business in Memphis and elsewhere, and Mr. Willeford was an expert druggist, so that the combination was a success from the start.

They engaged in the manufacture of all kinds of soft drinks and mineral waters, but made a specialty of “Iron Brew, the Ideal American Tonic,” a soft drink of exceptional value for its medicinal properties. The first year’s output was one hundred cases daily, and its capacity was three hundred cases. In 1904 they increased the size of the building on the same street, which increased the output.

The factory building at 315 S. Granite St. was erected by Nall and Williams, Carpenters, Contractors and Builders, and the company was incorporated in 1904. It is of brick with dressed stone trimmings, one story, 35×79, with a 16-foot drive-way on one side and 24-foot on the other. It was finished June 1st, and cost $3,500.

In 1906 the bottling company was not only producing soda drinks but also acted as agents for the distribution of beer through the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Assoc., Evansville Brewing Assoc. and the Rudolph Stecher Brewing Company.

In the 1930’s, in addition to their Iron Brew brand and handling beer they also started distributing various soda drinks such as Bubble Up, Whistle, Coca Cola and Vess Beverages. Their Iron Brew brand was now being bottled under the name Marion Bottling Company and was located at 1003 S. Court St. This location would soon become the starting place for the Pepsi Cola Bottling Company.

Coal Belt Bottling continued the distribution of Coca Cola products out of this location until March 1963 when the location and assets were sold to the Herrin Coca Cola Bottling Company. When it was sold the principal shareholder was Henrietta Morrison of Marion. The four remaining employees at Marion were absorbed into the Herrin plants operation. The Marion employees at the time of the sale were Miss Ruby Lipe, office manager; Joe Abba, route salesman; Bert Morris and James Lanningham.

The building was used by Herrin Coca Cola for storage and distribution until 1968 and sat vacant for a few years until 1972 when Marion 100 occupied it until 2003. The building was then used by Marsh Shipping for a few years.  In December 2012 it was rented to Accu-Grow Lawn and Tree Care who still occupy it in 2015. The building is currently owned by Rob Stotar of Stotlar Building Center on W. Main Street.

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(Data extracted from 1905 Souvenir History, WCHS; Marion City Directories; compiled by Sam Lattuca on 02/26/2013, revised 10/21/0215)