For much of the first half of the 20th century, one of Maynard’s best-known local businesses was the Maydale Beverage Company, a hometown soda bottler whose products were delivered across central Massachusetts and throughout parts of New England.

The company began in 1899 when local entrepreneur Waino Keto established the Maynard Bottling Works on Euclid Avenue. The business later became known as the Maydale Spring Company and eventually the Maydale Beverage Company. Using local spring water, the company bottled ginger ale, root beer, birch beer, sarsaparilla, orange soda, and other soft drinks that became popular throughout the region.

At its peak, Maydale was producing thousands of cases of soda every week. A bottle of soda sold for only 5 cents, and empty bottles were routinely returned for reuse.

One of the company’s most famous products was Maydale Ginger Ale, known for its crisp flavor and distinctive bird logo. Under owner Paul Hilander, the beverage became well known across the eastern seaboard. The bottling plant on Glendale Street employed a dozen or more local workers, including drivers who delivered cases throughout the area.

Like many regional soda companies, Maydale eventually faced growing competition from national brands such as Coca-Cola and Canada Dry. The company ceased operations in the mid-1960s, and its customer accounts were reportedly sold to Chelmsford Ginger Ale, then affiliated with Canada Dry.

Today, Maydale remains a nostalgic part of Maynard history. Old bottles are still occasionally found in backyards and along the Assabet River, and surviving signs, crates, and bottles have become treasured artifacts in the collections of the Maynard Historical Society. The story of Maydale reflects a time when small-town businesses supplied local communities with products made right around the corner.