Who was Dr. Pepper named after?
Thank you for your inquiry! There are several stories surrounding the naming of Dr Pepper. The most popular is that Wade Morrison worked for a man name Dr. Charles Pepper in Rural Retreat, VA before he moved to Waco and became the owner of The Old Corner Drug store where Dr Pepper was invented. The story is that Morrison fell in love with Dr. Pepper’s daughter, but Dr. Pepper would not let them get married. To make his fortune he moved west to Waco and named the new exciting drink after Dr. Pepper to win the hand of his daughter. We do have census records that indicate that this legend is probably not true. Dr. Pepper in Rural Retreat, Virginia had a daughter who was eleven at the time of Wade Morrison’s employment. Mr. Morrison is not the person who invented Dr Pepper but Dr. Charles Alderton, a pharmacist who worked for Mr. Morrison at his Old Corner Drug Store. This is also documented and in our archives. I hope this clarifies any confusion. Thanks again for your interest in Dr Pepp
