Most people enjoy an iced cup of soda as a treat with dinner, but one carbonated beverage tends to split the vote more than others. That soda is the famously multi-flavored Dr. Pepper.
The jury is still undecided about whether Dr. Pepper is the best or worst sweet, sparkling drink. Still, there is no denying that this flavorful soda has a fascinating origin story.
That story was one Paul Harvey, a long-time journalist and radio personality, decided to cover in his series The Rest of the Story. This series was one where he reviewed how some of the most well-known industries came to be.
The story of this divisive soft drink began in the early 1880s with a man named Wade Morrison. This young man was working as a pharmacist in rural Retreat, Virginia.
While there, he fell in love with his employer's daughter. Morrison decided to capture her attention by designing a soda for her. Unfortunately, this romance was short-lived. Three weeks into their courtship, his employer informed Morrison that he did not want Morrison to see his daughter anymore.
Heartbroken and discouraged, Morrison left the small town and moved westward. But we know now that this was not the end of his story. With time, his heart mended, and he established his own drugstore in Texas.
It was here Morrison decided to continue selling his homemade soda. As we know now, he found immense success in his new life. In the end, Morrison named his soft drink after the man responsible for the life he found in the west: his previous employer, Dr. Pepper.
