About

According to local historians and newspaper research, Sulphur Springs Bottling Works began at the corner of College and Mitchell Street. After a fire in 1895 that was a "total loss," C.D. Flowers and Williamson sold Mitchell what was left of their soda bottling plant in 1900. 

Sometime in the early 1910s, after Mitchell has spent many years bottling all kinds of soda, Mitchell franchised the right to be the exclusive bottler of Coca-Cola in Hopkins County. He started a mom-and-pop soda bottling shop which eventually became Sulphur Springs Coca-Cola Bottling Company, lasting 100 years and employing 100s of Sulphur Springs residents.

Although Mitchell had other locations, store fronts, and distribution points in town for his soda business, he continued to bottle soda on his property. The house that stands today was built in 1916, a good 16 years after he bought the bottling works and was seeing some real success. However, a smaller building still exists in the back that was likely the birthplace and remained as Mitchell's "soda lab." 

Even without the historical knowledge, the Historic Mitchell House is a highly-recognizable property to locals because College Street is a main road; it's one of the four that make up the downtown square. Second, it's a unique-looking structure. 

Prior to June 2021, the property didn't have a name. We named it in homage of the builder, the turn-of-the-century soda bottler & Civil War veteran Captain Winfield Scott "W.S." Mitchell (1847 - 1937) and his family. With original beautiful hardwood floors, wood doors, a basement, a well, and other features you'll rarely find. 

W.S. built the house and lived in it until his death in 1937. His first wife, Alice Smisson Mitchell lived in the house until her death in 1929. She and W.S. had a daughter named Vollie. Vollie lived in the house with her parents until her untimely passing at the at of 50, in 1925. 

His second wife, Ollie Goodlett Dildy, who was 25 years his junior, lived in it until her death in 1957. All are interned in a family plot at the Sulphur Springs City Cemetery. 

After a quarter of century in business and employing dozens of Sulphur Springs citizens, the soda bottling plant was sold. In 1926, the plant was purchased by the still locally recognized McGrede and Ashcroft families. 

After Sulphur Springs Bottling Works was under new ownership it was then renamed Sulphur Springs Coca-Cola Bottling Company. It was held and managed by the McGrede family into a second generation until 2000 or 2001. Thus, this company that Mitchell started in his backyard lasted 100 years and employed 100s of Sulphur Springs residents at one time. More history to come. 

-Neil Andrew Lemons