Vintage Gay-Ola Ad Kids T-Shirt

Gay-Ola (originally Gleeola) was a bottled soft drink manufactured and sold by J. C. Wells' Gleeola Company, founded in August 1910 at 106-108 18th Street South. The firm was incorporated with $100,000 capital and equipment capable of producing 4,000 gallons of syrup per day. Separate bottling companies were established in Montgomery, Alabama and Memphis, Tennessee. The firm traded on the notion that Wells had been able to reproduce the secret formula for the popular Coca-Cola beverage. The company distinguished itself, at a time when many soft drink products were being investigated for impurities or false advertising claims, with its commitment to the requirements of the Pure Food Act.