Midtown, Kingston, Ulster County

Located on the side of popular former delicatessen, this fading ghost sign for “Drink Coca-Cola” offers a testament to the businesses of yesteryear. Going back as far as 1925 local delis have operated here, beginning with Louis Gunzelmann in 1925, and followed by Asaph Wagner in 1931, the Wagner & Besemer Deli in 1934 and Wagner’s Deli in 1958. By 1974 the building was vacant but was then occupied in 1977 with the Roberts Dance Studio and since 1985 with the J&B Dance Center.

The Coca Cola beverage was invented in 1886 by John Pemberton, a Georgia pharmacist and former Confederate soldier. Soon after the company’s 1886 founding, “Drink Coca-Cola” became the first official slogan for the popular soft drink. The slogan lasted for 18 years, being replaced in 1904 by “Delicious and Refreshing.”