Welch Grape Juice Co.

Beautifully engraved SPECIMEN certificate from the Welch Grape Juice Co.. This historic document was printed in 1919 and has an ornate border around it with a vignette of grapes and a grape juice bottle. This item is over 84 years old.








Certificate Vignette



1849 In Concord, Mass., Ephraim Wales Bull achieves his goal of developing the "perfect" sweet and palatable grape: the "Concord." His work with seeds and seedlings spanned more than 10 years and was the result of 22,000 crossbreeding experiments on 125 vines.

1869 Dr. Thomas Bramwell Welch, a physician and dentist by profession, successfully pasteurizes Concord grape juice to produce an "unfermented sacramental wine" for fellow parishioners at his church in Vineland, N.J., where he is communion steward. His achievement marks the beginning of the processed fruit juice industry.

1893 Grape juice becomes a national favorite as thousands sample it at the Chicago World's Fair. Dr. Charles E. Welch, son of Welch's founder, discontinues his practice of dentistry to give full attention to the marketing of grape juice. A new label is adopted, omitting the "Dr." before the name Welch's.

1913 Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan startles the world by serving Welch's Grape Juice instead of wine at a full-dress diplomatic function honoring the retiring British ambassador. Newspaper columnists, cartoonists and editors make much of it for months.

1914 Welch's has another publicity windfall when Josephus Daniels, Secretary of the Navy, forbids the use of alcoholic beverages aboard Navy ships and substitutes instead Welch's Grape Juice, giving rise to the term, "Daniels' Grape Juice Navy."

1918 Welch's develops its first jam product called "Grapelade." The initial quantity is purchased in its entirety by the U.S. Army, becoming a product demanded by the doughboys when they return to civilian life.

1923 Welch's introduces its famous Concord Grape Jelly.

1927 The Company's first non-grape product is introduced: Welch's Homogenized Tomato Juice.

1934 Welch's begins its 11-year sponsorship of The Irene Rich Show, one of the most popular shows in the early days of radio.

1945 Magazine advertising explains why there's a shortage of Welch's products in stores during World War II.

1949 Welch's becomes a pioneer in the frozen juice concentrate industry with the introduction of Welch's Frozen Grape Juice Concentrate.

1951 Welch's becomes an early sponsor of the Howdy Doody Show television program. The show soon captures the hearts of children throughout the country.

1952 The National Grape Cooperative Association, Inc. acquires Welch's.

1953 Welch's introduces the first in its long-running series of jelly glasses, featuring Howdy Doody.

1955 Welch's begins sponsorship of Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse Club and establishes a grape juice concession stand at Disneyland.

1962 Welch's begins sponsoring The Flintstones on TV.

1972 Welch's introduces two new grape juice products: Red Grape Juice and White Grape Juice.

1981 Sparkling Grape Juice is added to Welch's national line of products.

1985 Welch's jellies and preserves become available in squeezable containers, a first for the jellies and jams industry.

1994 Welch's begins its advertising-spokeskid campaign, featuring 5-year-old Travis Tedford.

1996 Welch's JuiceMakers, a juice concentrate that requires no freezing, becomes the company's most successful new product launch.

1997 Welch's adopts a new advertising 'spokeskid,' Emily Mae Young.

1998 Welch's introduces the new plastic can for its line of frozen concentrates. This new package is the first innovation to hit the freezer case since the peel strip in 1979.

Welch's also introduces its most successful jelly glass venture ever: Winnie the Pooh.

1999 Welch's successfully launches a new 32 oz. plastic, shatterproof jelly jar.