Costa Beverage Sign, location unknown
Here is another story in our series on rivers inspired by the radio program Back Story out of the University of Virginia. Back Story produced a fascinating episode on the Mississippi River which. It resonated with me because I grew up in Croton-on-the Hudson on the banks of the Hudson River, in New York. Along the Hudson corner stores had Costa Cola refrigerators stocked with ice cold Costa soft drinks. After a little league baseball game or practice practice I'd spend a quarter on an ice cold cream soda or root beer. I've learned that my Costa Cola memory had been regional. The company had its headquarters in Newburgh, New York on the banks of the Hudson River and it distributed locally in contrast to national companies like Co-cola and Pepsi. Costa remained in operation along the Hudson River from the 1950s to 1988.
