Joseph A. Biedenharn

Joseph Augustus Biedenharn
Born	Template:Birth date Vicksburg, Mississippi, U.S.
Died	October 9, 1952(1952-10-09) (aged 85)
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, candy maker
Known for	First to bottle Coca-Cola; founder of Coca-Cola bottling franchise system; co-founder of Delta Air Lines

Joseph Augustus Biedenharn (December 13, 1866 – October 9, 1952) was an American entrepreneur and candy maker recognized for being the first to bottle the soda fountain beverage, Coca-Cola, in 1894 at his wholesale confectionery business located in Vicksburg, Mississippi. He developed this venture by establishing a franchise system for bottling and distribution throughout Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas.

In 1913, Biedenharn transferred his production and bottling facilities to Monroe, Louisiana, which contributed to further expansion of his operations. In 1925, together with his son Malcolm and business associates, he acquired a crop-dusting company, growing its fleet to eighteen aircraft and transforming it into Delta Air Lines, later moving its headquarters to Atlanta, Georgia. The Biedenharn family has consistently supported philanthropic initiatives in Vicksburg and Monroe, focusing on historic preservation, education, recreation, and charitable activities.

Vicksburg years

Of German heritage, Biedenharn was the oldest among twelve siblings born to Herman Henry Biedenharn and Louisa Wilhemine Lundberg, both immigrants arriving after the 1848 Revolutions. His father owned a building in downtown Vicksburg that housed Herman’s shoe store alongside Joseph’s candy business.

Married in 1889 to Annie (1870–1936), the couple had four children: Emma Louise (Emy-Lou), Malcolm S., Henry A. Sr., and Bernard W. Malcolm collaborated extensively with Joseph in expanding their family enterprise.

Although Coca-Cola was originally created in 1886 by pharmacist John S. Pemberton in Atlanta, it was Biedenharn who pioneered bottling the beverage first, distributing it to rural customers around Vicksburg. He initiated the independent franchise bottler system that later expanded worldwide. Following his father’s advice to "enter the nickel business," he capitalized on selling soft drinks at five cents apiece.

Joseph and his brothers secured Coca-Cola bottling franchises throughout Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. The initial bottling facility at 1107 Washington Street in Vicksburg—constructed in 1890—is now preserved as a museum celebrating Coca-Cola’s legacy. As their operations expanded, several locations operated in Vicksburg until they established a new plant at 2133 Washington Street in 1938. The family sold the original building but reacquired and refurbished it in 1979 to create the museum, which they ultimately donated to the Vicksburg Foundation for Historic Preservation.

Move to Monroe, LA

In 1913, Joseph Biedenharn relocated his household to Monroe in Ouachita Parish, where he purchased a small bottling facility dedicated to producing Coca-Cola.

The Tallulah Coca-Cola Bottling Plant, managed by Joe Biedenharn and built around 1930–1940 in Madison Parish, is recognized on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Biedenharn family residence in Monroe, now known as the Biedenharn Museum and Gardens at 2000 Riverside Drive, draws between 25,000 and 30,000 visitors annually. It is maintained as it was during the lifetime of their daughter Emy-Lou—a contralto opera singer active before World War II—who lived there until her passing in 1984. The museum features exhibits related to soft drinks as well as a Bible Museum showcasing rare volumes alongside rotating displays.

In 1925, Joseph and Malcolm Biedenharn partnered with other businessmen to acquire a crop-dusting company which they expanded into the world’s largest private fleet of eighteen planes. This venture eventually evolved into Delta Air Lines, initially based in Monroe before its relocation to Atlanta. A member of the Biedenharn family served on Delta’s board until the late 1990s.

After Malcolm’s death, Joseph appointed his grandson Henry A. Biedenharn Jr. (1919–2010) as president of the Ouachita Coca-Cola Bottling Company. Joseph passed away in 1952 at age eighty-five and was buried at Monroe’s Riverview Cemetery.

In 1962, Emy-Lou Biedenharn authored a memoir about her father and established the Emy-Lou Biedenharn Foundation in 1971 to support charitable efforts within Monroe.

Henry A. Biedenharn Jr., a native of Monroe and World War II Navy flight instructor, was involved with several enterprises including Biedenharn Realty Company, Harn and Biedco corporations, Ouachita National Bank, Premier Bank, and Bank One. He also contributed actively to the Emy-Lou Biedenharn Foundation. In 1940, he married Dorothy "Doll" Hudson (1921–2017), with whom he had four children.

The philanthropic legacy of the Biedenharns is widely recognized:

“Just look around our community—there's an Emy-Lou Biedenharn Recital Hall at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, several student scholarships at ULM, and ballfields in West Monroe. Individual family members have also been very charitable,” said Ralph Calhoun, executive director of the museum and gardens.

Alana Cooper, executive director of the Monroe-West Monroe Convention and Visitors Bureau, acknowledged the family’s business leadership for stimulating local economic development: “Large companies founded here grew into national enterprises because of their savvy management. These firms created numerous jobs.” Cooper also emphasized Emy-Lou Biedenharn’s cultural impact on the city.