Tuesday, September 15, 2026

Question: A feud between two water bottling companies over what Colorado town name reached the U.S. Supreme Court?

Answer: Manitou Springs. The Manitou Mineral Water Company downtown and the Ute Chief Bottling Company on the west end of town both wanted exclusive rights to “Manitou,” and the court held that no one could own a place name. The springs had made the town rich: at its peak, Manitou Springs shipped millions of bottles to dining tables in New York, Philadelphia, and Paris. Commercial bottling finally ended in 2012, but 12 public fountains still run free.