They originally called it a "Waco" after the name of their town, but pharmacy owner Wade Morrison sensed they were onto something and wanted to give it a better name. Wade Morrison is credited with naming the drink "Dr Pepper" after a friend of his, Dr. Charles Pepper. Later in the 1950s the period was removed from the "Dr Pepper" name.
When they originally marketed Dr. Pepper, it was almost marketed for medical use with the claim that it could aid digestion and restore vigor and vitality for the user.
Other soda fountain workers in Waco began purchasing the popular syrup from Morrison and Alderton. As the soft drink's popularity grew, Alderton and Morrison had trouble manufacturing enough Dr Pepper to keep up with the demand for the product.
In 1891, Morrison and Lazenby formed the Artesian Manufacturing & Bottling Company, which later became the Dr Pepper Company. Under the direction of Mr. Lazenby Dr Pepper enjoyed steady growth in sales and began to spread in popularity across the country. Later Lazenby and his son in law, J.B O’Hara moved the company from Waco to Dallas in 1923.
Dr Pepper was introduced to United States at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition as a new cola. In that year, the company introduced Dr Pepper to 20 million people attending the World's Fair Exposition in St. Louis.
The Dr Pepper Company was incorporated in 1923 in Dallas. In 1969, Dr. Pepper made an agreement with Coca-Cola to have them start distributing Dr. Pepper as well as to bottle it. The agreement was specific to the New York metro area at the time.
In the 1980's they merged with Seven Up, Inc. Corporate headquarters for Dr Pepper/Seven Up Inc. remains in Plano, north of Dallas. The Dr Pepper Company is the oldest major manufacturer of soft drink concentrates and syrups in the United States.
History of Dr Pepper
