Who Remembers…Manhattan Superior Beverages & Whistle Bottling Company?

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Whistle Bottle Company, 1923 in Washington, D.C. Photo by Shorpy.

One of the more popular “Who Remembers…?” articles we share is the one on Virginia Dare. I think that one of the reasons people are so fond of it is that for many it’s something within their or our memory. Something we’ve had personal experience with, since it wasn’t that long ago that the soda was around.

While researching that article I came across quite the number of beer and soda companies and bottling companies, that had a presence at one time or another in the city’s history. In addition, many people shared anecdotes and made comments about some of these other companies. Many of these I had never heard about.

So, dive into research again I did in an attempt to uncover what I could. While I don’t personally have experience with some of these, I figured there would be many who did and could share even more anecdotes and/or fill in the holes. That alone would make it worth researching and writing up.

One that was mentioned quite a bit, was Manhattan Soda or Manhattan Superior Beverages. I really struggled to find much of anything. There was either very little mention or the search results turned up too many unrelated hits. Once I learned that the soda was bottled by two New Bedford Companies, the Whistle Bottle Company and the Manhattan Bottling Company, I found much more substantial information.

The unfortunate part is that there was a lot of information on a Whistle Bottle Company, but it was hard to tell if it was the Whistle Bottle Company involved with New Bedford. There were Whistle Bottle Companies in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Seattle, and New York. There was even a Whistle Bottle Company of Massachusetts, and a Whistle Bottle Company of Worcester, MA. I’ve included some vintage images of these companies in the photo album below.

Were these all affiliated with one another? Were they separate and just coincidentally named? Were they separate business entities but all owned different family members? It was simply hard to pinpoint anything concrete in terms of whether these were all related or not. There was however, some information on the specific companies in New Bedford.

The Whistle Bottle Company was located at 252-262 Coggeshall Street where Honey Dew and Papa John’s are today. The company opened its doors in the late 1930s, circa 1937-1938 and one of its lines was Manhattan Superior Beverages, initially carbonated water, but eventually fruit flavors. This was one of six bottling companies in New Bedford in the late 1930s and record books declare a Jose Mendes as the owner, manager and resident. He started a family-owned company called Jose Mendes & Bros. The family owned and operated the company through the 40s and 50s. In 1960, they sold the entire company and facilities to Manhattan Bottling Company.

It is unclear how long Manhattan Bottling Company ran the show, but it seems it didn’t take long for them to sell it to Atlas Electric Motors, Inc. perhaps within the year. There doesn’t seem to be a connection to any of the other companies that sprouted up in other states. Since they were contemporaneous, it may be the case that they were all related, but there is just not enough information available.

Of course, in the spirit of these articles, this is where you come in. Do you or someone you know, have anything to share on Whistle or Manhattan Bottling Companies? Manhattan Superior Beverages? Jose Mendes & Bros.? The Mendes family? Please comment and let us know.

About Joe Silvia

When Joe isn't writing, he's coaching people to punch each other in the face. He enjoys ancient cultures, dead and living languages, cooking, benching 999#s, and saving the elderly, babies and puppies from burning buildings. While he enjoys long walks on the beach, he will not be your alarm clock, because he's no ding-a-ling.

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11 comments

  1. I have an embossed clear 5 1/2 oz soda bottle from the Whistle Bottling Co. It has Rodman Club stamped on the bottom. I also have a clear 8 oz bottle form the New Bedford Bottling Co. with an eagle trademark

  2. The original whistle co was owned by the Mendes and the Fernandez with an s not a z(auto correct won’t let me spell it correctly). My grandfather, Antonio Fernandez, (s)….was a silent partner of sorts..back in those days they trusted each other..so it’s not a surprise my grandfathers name was not on record. Mr Mendes, as I’ve been told, stole the company out from under him leaving my grandfather penniless with many mouths to feed. It was the feud of a lifetime., like the Hatfields and Mcoys. My grandfather rallied and opened up Rodman Bottling company on Nash rd in new Bedford. And so it goes..they are long gone..only 1 uncle left in his 80’s…but heard this story for years..ask any descendant.
    ..

  3. There were 3 Mendes brothers who had Manhattan Soda in the 60’s until it closed…..Didn’t know about a silent partner…..They were my late husband’s cousins I think they had a confict between themselves, one left and the other 2 carried on. Eventually they sold out. Their kids were not interested and they were getting older. They would be in their 90’s if they were alive today.

  4. I actually worked at Manhattan bottling on potter street in the late 80’s. I was there when they closed. Till this day it was my favorite job.

  5. I also worked there on Potter St for quite sometime in the late 60’s. They did make Sarsaparilla. That job was tough. I worked up stairs where the conveyor brought the soda up. I’d take the cases off the conveyer belt, stack them onto pallets. I’d then get the pallet jack (no power jacks) and tow them to their proper area over a old wooden floor. At that time they still had some wooden cases, but mostly cardboard at the time. I had stamp all the cases with which flavor it was before putting it on the pallet. Sometimes it was like Lucille Ball working in the Chocolate factory. It got crazy especially around the Holidays. Lots of Ginger Ale made that time of year.

  6. Thanks for all of the great information. I have an old waxed cardboard case with 8 bottles of Manhattan soda (still full and never opened). I bought the case in about 1995 at an antique shop in Fort Anne, NY. I’ve had it since then but am going to try to sell it on Facebook Marketplace soon.

  7. I recently found a bottle in the marshes off West Island. It’s a clear hearty straight side, 7 oz marked “Mendes & Sons” . I can see where there once was a painted or etched label that was faded that reveals a family crest. With the words “trademark Registered” the bottle bottom has 06858 duraglass 1, with either 87 or 47.

  8. My father told us that his father was deivery truck driver for Whistle Soda. He would drive thru Little Italy and the tenement renets would whistle from whatever floor they were on. Thirsty- Just Whistle! My father and his siblings who rode on the truck would deliver ice and Whistle soda.

  9. My Mother-in law who just passed this September, this was her Grandmother’s family company until it was sold off & sold again to who is now Canadian Dry. She use to tell all the stories of her as a girl being with her Grandmother in the factory. I do know several of her Aunts & Uncles were also in related business – however most of them have passed away now & the children were not interested in running the company. I guess if you grow up working at something, you need change… sad it could not have stayed in the family. My Mother-in law was an amazing woman & every time I drink a soda I will think of her & smile!

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