Villa Park Historical Society hosts program on 'History of Coca-Cola' Oct. 13

Submitted by Villa Park Historical Society

The Villa Park Historical Society will host a special program, "The History of Coca-Cola," presented by Dick Volker, at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 13, after a brief annual meeting at the museum.

This event is free and open to the public, and Coca-Cola will be served.

Are you thirsty for the history of the world's most famous soft drink - Coca-Cola? Sip this universally enjoyed beverage while learning about the special formula that was originally concocted by a pharmacist for baby colic that became an enormous international corporation.

The Villa Park Historical Museum is on the Prairie Path at 220 S. Villa Ave. Museum hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Call (630) 941-0223 or visit www.vphistoricalsociety.com for more information.

With more than a century of history and a reach that spans the globe, Coca-Cola quenches our thirsts at backyard cookouts, on summer road trips, late nights at the office, and break times in the lunchroom. Coca-Cola displays have greeted us in the supermarket, at the drive-up window, the "filling station" cooler, and the "ice box." It went to war with World War II G.I's connecting the Homefront with Americans stationed far from home, and remains a constant in our everyday lives today.

Volker was in sales management with the Coca-Cola Company for more than 40 years during which an advertising cornucopia passed through his hands, some of which he has collected and maintains in his home in Princeton, Illinois. In addition to his experience with Coca-Cola, Volker has researched the company and is now entertaining audiences with programs on the history of coca cola at public libraries, park districts, chambers of commerce and historical societies.

The Villa Park Historical Museum is located in the 1929 Chicago, Aurora & Elgin electric train line station that originally served the community as the Villa Avenue stop until 1957. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. Since 2009, the Villa Park Historical Museum has served as the Villa Park Visitor Center providing business information, Prairie Path maps, Chamber of Commerce directories, and guides to local restaurants and shopping. For more than 40 years, the museum has been operated by a volunteer board and staff and funded by the generosity of its membership, donors, visitors and fundraising activities.