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One of my most vivid memories of growing up on the west side of Houston was the
smell of coffee beans roasting. The Maryland Club plant was miles away, but on
a breezy day with the wind blowing southwest it would be the aroma I would wake
up to.
Coffee was big business in Houston back in the 1920s and 1930s, and it still is
today. There were several companies profiting from the importing and exporting
of coffee, but the largest was the Cheek Neal Coffee Company. Their
“Good to the Last Drop” Maxwell House was the largest single brand of coffee produced in the world, and
it was manufactured here in Houston. The
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company was sold to the giant General Foods Corporation and in 1931 introduced
the
“Vita Fresh” vacuum packed containers. Despite the harsh economic times caused by the
depression in the rest of the country, more than 17 million tons of coffee were
imported to Houston in 1932.
Another popular brand of coffee was produced by H.M. Duncan, the nephew of J. W.
Neal. In 1918, the Duncan Coffee Company was opened featuring
“Bright and Early” and “Admiration” coffee blends, but their Maryland Club brand would turn out to be their best.
The Coca Cola Company would end up purchasing the Maryland Club label, making
it one of America
’s favorite coffees.
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