Author Archives: tom

About tom

The New "History of Lemon Blennd" website is hosted by some of the ancestors of Edwin and Margaret Keagy. Our Great Grandfather was a prominent Pharmacist whose unique beverage caught the imagination of generations of Pittsburghers, But his role has remained sidelined behind the names of Reymers and Heinz. Our goal is to tell the story through his eyes from its creation in 1914 until his death in 1961

LEMON BLENND PRODUCTION HALTED !!

Categories: Your Memories of Blennd
 
 

The History of Lemon Blennd

Welcome to the new History of Lemon Blennd site.  Lemon Blennd is the iconic concentrated drink once produced by the Reymers Candy Company of Pittsburgh Pa.  Later produced by HJ Heinz, and still available from Bymes & Kiefer of Pittsburgh.  But few people know where Blennd orginated,  At Keagy’s Pharmacy at 2823 Perrysville Avenue on […]

Categories: Your Memories of Blennd

Lemon Blennd Goes Prime Time –Enter Heinz–Exit Reymer 1961

In 1960 and 1961, the H.J. Heinz Company acquired the assets of Reymer & Bros., Inc. and Hachmeister, Inc. StarKist Foods was acquired in 1963 and Ore-Ida Foods, Inc. in 1965. Around this time and during the 25 years that H.J. Heinz II was chief executive, the food industry changed greatly. The era was marked […]

Categories: Your Memories of Blennd

Blennd Goes West–Fullerton California 1948

The Fullerton Calironia airport gained world-wide attention in 1949 when two flight instructors – Dick Riedel and Bill Barris – flew the “Sunkist Lady” to a world endurance flight record of 42 days. Also in 1948 and 1949 Reymers Blennd was moving west. Edwin Keagy, now in his 80’s wanted to take Blennd West and […]

Categories: Your Memories of Blennd

The Hartman, Keagy and Young Agreements

There was an ongoing relationship between Thomas L Hartman, EJW Keagy and HM Young dating back to at least 1931 prior to the Reymers agreement with EJW Keagy of 1932, Hartmand plan to apply for a patent on said device For financial assistance Hartman grants one third interest to Keagy and one third interest to […]

Categories: Your Memories of Blennd

Reymer Brothers Candy—Financial Trouble 1932

By 1932, the once powerful Reymer Brothers Candy Company found itself struggling amid the Great Depression. In fact some reports indicate the longtime confectioner was losing as much as $200,000. dollars a year. A hefty sum in the 1930’s. The Company Headquarters at 1425 Forbes Avenue was a giant facility on the Pittsburgh Bluff that […]

Categories: Your Memories of Blennd

Trouble Filling the Kentucky Orders—Michigan Calls 1942

FROID Laboratories of Grand Rapids Michigan writes October 30, 1942 trying to get Blennd put in its Crystal-Icer Despenser The customer— White Tavern Shops, Lexington, Kentucky. ECW Geistart of Froid writes Keagy “ordered 3 cases from Reymers on September 16 with their check of $19.40…the check has been deposited…the White Tavern Shops have not recieved […]

Categories: Buy and Sell Blennd Artifacts !, Pictures From Back in the Day !, Where to buy Lemon Blennd Today !, Your Memories of Blennd

Home Sized Bottles 1941

In July 1941, Reymers WCH writes EJW Keagy about his excitment over a “Home Sized Bottle” He describes it “like the tail of the dog that wagged the dog, instead of the dog wagging the tail” “We havent scratched the surface.” He tells Keagy “We can more than double the business by the first week […]

Categories: Your Memories of Blennd

Florida Expansion Effort 1932

In October 1932 just weeks after the production and distribution agreement was signed between EW Keagy and Reymer Brothers< H.M. Young wrote Keagy about expansion and disribution efforts in the State of Florida. Young expresses an uunwillingness by dealers in the Jacksonville area to take on the product because it was too late in the […]

Categories: Your Memories of Blennd

FDA Challenges “Lem-N-Blennd” 1937

On August 31, 1937 a hearing was held between Reymer Brothers and the Chief of the of the Buffalo Station of the Food and Drug Administration of the United States regarding the interstate sale of “Lem-N-Blennd” During an informal hearing T.F Pappe had on his desk a number of other product purporting to be fruit […]

Categories: Your Memories of Blennd

The 1928 Lem-n-Blennd Company–Sells Stock to raise capital

Between 1928 and 1932 Edwin Keagy aquire a small group of investors in order to raise capital to expand the reach of Lem-n-Blennd.  While the original patent was aquired in 1914, by 1928 Keagy knew he had a drink that people wanted.  He sold shares in his Lem-n-Blennd Company at 10-dollars a share with a […]

Categories: Your Memories of Blennd

Perfecting the 500 Gallon Per Day Frost Machine

Prior to Edwin Keagy’s decision to enter into a production and distribution agreement with Reymers & Brothers Candy of Pittsburgh, it was unclear whether it could even be done.  Mass Production of Lem-n-Blennd would require new factory floor equipment.  Keagy’s unwillingness to give up the entire Lem-n-Blennd formula only complicated this undertaking.  indicated by the first  drawing […]

Categories: Your Memories of Blennd

Edwin and Margaret Keagy

Edwin JW Keagy Born (2-3-1871) in Woodbury Pa. Married (9-16-1897) to Margaret M Kasberger of Pittsburgh. (Died 1961 in Pittsburgh) Edwin studied Pharmacy at Philadelphia Pa with Harry O Keagy. Established Keagy’s Lemon Blennd which was sold in several states between 1914 and 1932 before he reached a distibution and production agreement with the Reymers […]

Categories: Your Memories of Blennd

Keagy’s Pharmacy Perrysville Ave Pittsburgh Pa

Now home to “A Child Shall Lead” Daycare. Once the home of Keagy’s Pharmacy and the birthplace of Pittsburgh’s Iconic Lem-N-Blennd

Categories: Your Memories of Blennd