Olague Bottling Corp. (1962) and Vess Distributing Company (1962-1974)
     The 1962 telephone directory lists both Olague Bottling Corporation and Vess Distributing Company at the same address, 1608 Thirteenth Ave.  The location was unfortunate because it was immediately adjacent to the Farmers Dairy holding pen for cattle.  The bovine presence was literally within ten feet of the bottler's side door.  As a result, the operation was constantly plagued with flies.  Despite the questionable conditions, the Health Department allowed Vess to remain in business at the same location for five years.  Olague distributed Three V Cola in sixteen-ounce bottles, claiming the soda as the "NEW Choice of Modern America."  Because bottles have been found with manufacturing information that suggests they were made in 1961, both Olague and Vess Distributing may have been in business the year prior to their inclusion into the city directory.  They could have gone into business after data were collected for the 1961 issue or could have failed to inform the directory of their presence.  An alternative possibility is that bottles of that style were blown in 1961, but the ACL label was not applied until just prior to sale the following year (EPTD February 1962; Yowell interview).  The Vess Dry soda that was originally bottled in El Paso by Woodlawn Bottling Company at least as early as 1928 was the precursor of later Vess beverages. 

     Three V Cola was the first cola in El Paso to appear in a sixteen-ounce configuration.  The large size insured an instant success that allowed Three V to dominate the cola market for a time.  Pepsi-Cola was quick to reclaim their share of the cola trade by initiating their own sixteen-ounce bottle, but the conservative Magnolia Coca-Cola Company was slow to react.  It was not until Tom Lucky almost forcibly induced Coca-Cola's plant manager to covertly witness sales at a local convenience store that Magnolia adopted the Coca-Cola sixteen-ounce bottle and regained the lion's share of the market.  Although Three V Cola briefly occupied the dominant position among cola producers in El Paso, it never again achieved prominence after the older, more popular brands introduced their own sixteen-ounce packages (Lucky interview). 

     The two companies merged during 1962 to form Vess & Three V Cola, Inc., with Miguel A. Navar as president, Raul M. Olague as vice president, Mrs. María Luisa Olague (wife of Raul) as secretary, and Salvador "Sal" Herrera as treasurer.  Although the name remained the same in 1963, the corporate structure was revised to eliminate the Olagues.   Miguel Navar remained president of the corporation with Adalberto Navar, Jr., as vice president and Sal Herrera as treasurer.  The company remained at 1608 Thirteenth Ave. until 1967 when it moved to 7239 North Loop Dr.  In 1969, Vess offered 3-V Cola and Vess Flavors in Orange, Grape, Strawberry, and Root Beer.  Vess changed its name to Sky Vess and 3-V Cola Beverage, Inc. in 1972 and renamed itself again in 1973 to Vess Beverage Company before fading into obscurity the following year (EPCD 1962-1965; EPTD, 1962-1974). 
 
 

Figure 12n-1 - El Paso Telephone Directory, 1969-70

     The Navar family had been long-time owners of Farmer's Dairies at Ysleta, about twelve miles southeast of El Paso.  Many of the Navars, including Miguel A., Rafael C., Tomas R., Juan M., José A., John, Domintila, Consuelo, and Adalberto all worked together at the dairy.  Farmer's Dairies had been in business since at least 1933 and possibly earlier.  Adalberto Navar was listed as a dairyman as early as 1918 and began San Antonio Dairy in 1921.  The Olagues were newcomers to El Paso in 1962 and may have come from Ciudad Juárez.  After the restructuring in 1963, Raul opened the Dutch Tavern, selling beer with Salvadore Herrera.  The presence of Herrera in both ventures after 1963 indicates that the parting may have been a peaceful one (EPCD 1918-1921, 1933-1963). 

     The historic community of Ysleta, established in 1680, was annexed into the City of El Paso in 1955 over the protests of Ysleta citizens.  Ysleta was probably included in the city directories in 1948 because the city was already leaning toward the annexation issue.  The very large Navar family is entirely absent in editions of the city directory prior to 1948 but was probably in business long before that time.