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Joseph Biedenharn
was born on December 13, 1866, in Vicksburg, the eldest of eight
sons and four daughters. His father, Herman, and Uncle Henry,
founded a retail confectionary business known as Biedenharn and
Brother. Joe
eventually took over the operation of the candy business and it
became the Biedenharn Candy Company.
Joe Biedenharn
In
1890, Joe and his father Herman built a two-story brick building at
1107 Washington Street which served as Joe's wholesale candy company
on one side and his father's shoe store on the other.
Herman Biedenharn
The
Biedenharns bottled Coca-Cola here and in other locations in
downtown Vicksburg until 1938 when the new Coca-Cola plant was
constructed at 2133 Washington Street.
The
building was sold out of the family and used for a variety of
commercial purposes. In 1979, the family repurchased the building
and began a rehabilitation using historic photographs to restore the
building’s major spaces and to install exhibits interpreting the
Biedenharn’s Coca-Cola heritage. The family then donated the
building to the Vicksburg foundation for Historic Preservation.
The
Biedenharn Coca-Cola Museum is owned and operated by the VFHP and is
one of the Foundation's key success stories in preserving Vicksburg
and American history.
Coca-Cola and Coke are registered trademarks
of The Coca-Cola Company
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