A Fourth of July Uncola Adventure at Watoga State Park -

A West Virginia 7 Up cA West Virginia 7 Up can released in advance of the Fourth of July, 1976. Photo courtesy of ebay.comPhoto courtesy of ebay's Image Majick. The name West Virginia is comprised of a square pattern that contains white circular dots blanded over a solid red border. United We Stand is highlighted at the bottom of the square (in white letters) over a red color. The colors are the standard red, white and blue overlaying 7 Up's standard green color. — A West Virginia 7 Up can released in advance of the Fourth of July, 1976. Photo courtesy of ebay.com.

A Fourth of July Uncola Pyramid?

With the Fourth of July just a few days away, I was thinking about our country’s 200th birthday in 1976. What was I doing as a teenager growing up at Watoga State Park? Sure, there were picnics, hot dogs, baseball, firecrackers, and the swimming pool. But just why was a pyramid being built at the pool?

Obviously, we were not building a pyramid like the one the Egyptians constructed. Our mission and adventure during that bicentennial celebration was to find and then stack 7 Up (also known as the Uncola) cans into a triangular shape. End result? Read on.

United We Stand

Just what was it about those cans? Well, 7 Up’s clever advertising team designed them to have a wide appeal across the U.S. For that matter, the strategy also worked at the state’s largest park.

Known as the “United We Stand” collection, 7 Up debuted its 50-can set in 1976. As shown in the photo above, West Virginia’s can revealed more specific details (for example, 1863 as the year admitted to the Union; 35th state; capital of Charleston; and nickname of The Mountain State). The other 49 states followed the same pattern.

In anticipation of the Fourth of July for America's BicentenniaThese 50 7 Up cans featured state-specific information. Photo courtesy of ebay.com. Photo courtesy of ebay's Image Majick. Each state name is comprised of a square pattern that contains specific state information like year admitted, its capital and state motto. White circular dots blanded over a solid red border. United We Stand is highlighted at the bottom of the square (in white letters) over a red color. The predominant color on the cans is the standard red, white and blue overlaying 7 Up's standard green color. — These 50 7 Up cans featured state-specific information. Photo courtesy of ebay.com.

So how did these cans go together? Each was numbered 1-50. On the back of Can No. 1 were instructions how to build the display. Can No. 50 had the words “United We Stand.” Once completed, the other side portrayed an image of Uncle Sam (remember those iconic Uncle Sam “I Want You” recruitment posters?)

Obsessed with the Uncola

Before, during and after the Fourth of July, finding 7 Up cans became a months-long adventure and obsession.

While catchy tunes like Boston’s “More Than a Feeling” often blared on an 8-track tape player at swimming pool, we sometimes found a missing can park guests had left behind. Our stack of red, white, blue, and 7 Up’s signature green cans began forming something unique.

After all, myself, my sister, Vicki and our cousins, Deb and Kim, and even the lifeguards were on a mission find those cans — at the pool, at the grocery store in Marlinton or at empty campsites at the Beaver Creek Campground. And when we found a can, we learned interesting details about that specific state.

Did We Succeed on that Fourth of July?

In 1976, my family’s Fourth of July celebration at Watoga featured the standard picnic food, but also some of that lemon-lime-flavored refreshment. Rest assured that no cans were harmed or dented during consumption. In case you were wondering about our success or failure: Yes, by summer’s end, we had found all 50 cans.

Known as 7 Up's "United We Stand" collectKnown as 7 Up's "United We Stand" collection, the 50 state cans (photo courtesy of ebay.com), reveals a depiction of the iconic Uncle Sam's "I Want You" recruitment poster.Shades of red, white and blue reveal the image of Uncle Sam's face pointing as if to say "I Want You." — Known as 7 Up’s “United We Stand” collection, the 50 state cans (photo courtesy of ebay.com), reveal a depiction of the iconic Uncle Sam’s “I Want You” recruitment poster.

Feel free to share your Fourth of July memories at Watoga by e-mailing me at " target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">.

About the Author

John C. Dean lived at Watoga for 16 years from 1960-1976, until his dad, Vernon C., retired after 43 years of service with the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources.