According to the Jan. 9, 1973 Stanly News & Press, the truck in today’s picture was purchased circa 1912 at the Parker & Harris Motor Company in Albemarle.

The truck served as the first Coca-Cola delivery truck in Stanly County. (Prior to this time, deliveries were made by wagons pulled by teams of mules.)

The truck was used by Stanly Bottling Works, Stanly County’s first Coca-Cola bottling company. It was designed to carry 120 cases of soft drinks.

Deliveries were made throughout an area that covered Wadesboro to the south, Gold Hill to the north and all throughout Stanly County. The truck was considered very reliable, except when fully loaded it would occasionally break down as it made its way across bridges.

When making deliveries, the driver would frequently head out in the mornings fully loaded but would have to return to Albemarle for a second load to complete the deliveries.

Two of the largest clients were Rocky River Springs near Aquadale and Misenheimer Springs, west of Richfield.

This delivery truck was used until the mid-1920s when it was replaced by a newer model.

{Lewis Bramlett – Stanly County Historical Society}