History of Jones Bottling Co. and the Weymouth Water Fountain
In 1924, Weymouth Spring Bottling Co. was started by Capt. John Stuart and was set up on the New Road. Captain John Stuart was the son of Captain John Stuat from Church Point who ran Stuart's Motel. Another sea captain, Captain Arthur Moore, from Weymouth North, invested in the pop business. Harry McMann bought Weymouth Springs Bottling Co. from Captain Johm Stuart in 1934; He rented to Sidney Ladd Jones who took over ownership of the business with the help of his father. Kist beverages were bottled at the time. Cereno Goodwin Jones returned hom from Jersey City with his family to operate the Weymouth Spring bottleing until 1941, when circumstances led Cereno and his brother, Harry, to begin Jones Bottling Co.
They operated Jones Bottling Co. in the building that once housed Nicholl's Mill. This mill was on Ruggles Brook and it was a large 3-story building. At one time carriages and coffins were produced on the first and second floor and movies were shown on the third floor. A year or so later, on the same site, Jones Bottling built a new building on a cement block and every five years or so an extension was built, until it was too small to house the new machinery. A decision was made to move the buiness to a piece of land that was purchased from Clare Ruggles.
Malcolm Cosman became plant manager in 1956 and in the early 1960's, he decided to go ahead and build a new plant that Cereno Jones had designed. Unfortunately, Cereno did not live to see the new plant built as he passed away in December 1960.
When drilling the well for the new building they hit water at 32 feet where four feet of sand and gravel held water. Once Johnny Jones saw there was way more water than would ever be needed for the bottling plant, it was decided to put a public fountain on the road side for residents whose well went dry in the summer. It was blessed in 1962 and has been suppling residents who want excellent tasting spring water ever since. The tap has never been shut off.
