The Lake Minnetonka Sirens beckon

The sirens beckons in a Dr.Pepper sign from the 1890s. Dr. Pepper, like many early soda pops were marketed partly as health drinks.
In Coca Cola's early days leaves of the coca plant had very miniscule amounts of cocaine remaining on the plant and it was left in the drink. In the 1890s many doctors prescribed cocaine for medical reasons. So the although the amount was miniscule, it had some sales appeal. But in 1905 druggist and owner of Coca-Cola, Asa Chandler ordered all traces counts removed from the drink.
Strangely enough according to Coca Cola history, the greater problem they had were with complaints about the amount of caffeine in the drink. By 1920 there was a steady stream of criticism of Coca cola for the caffeine content.