Orange Crush

Here we have Awol Felt the Blacksmith sitting in front of a country store on a bench. Above the window there is an Orange Crush sign.

On the back of the photograph, it is written: “1939, The country store the folks [Ferdinand Welke and Mary Dargatz] bought about 10 miles from Millet, Alberta, Canada. Awol Felt, the Blacksmith.

What I find interesting about this picture is the Orange Crush sign. I often drank the beverage as a child. I had no idea that Orange Crush dated before the 1940’s. After a little research come to find out the first Orange soda was created in 1906. However, the zesty orange drink did not hit the market until 1911. A Californian chemist Neil C. Ward came up with a winning formula. He then partnered with Clayton J. Howel. Together they formed the Orange Crush Company in 1916. Why “Crush” as part of the name? Crush refers to the process of extracting oils from orange skins to achieve the drink’s signature flavor.

If you would like to read more about the history of Orange Crush, check out this article by J. J. Sedelmaier.

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Sources: Drink Origins: Orange Soda | The Beverage Experts at Flavorman

Thank you for reading.

Jenny R. Findsen

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