Congratulations
are in order for David Grayson and LP Graphics for receiving
a “Tender Loving Care” Award from the Genesee County Landmark
Society for preserving the 130 year-old Shiloh building on Church
Street. Most of us call it the Pennysaver building, but it was built
in 1877 as a factory for Schuyler C. Wells’ patent medicine
business.
In
1866, Wells bought the huge building on Main Street, called Medical
Hall and went into business with his brother-in-law, Dr. L.S.
Hooker. This partnership lasted a short time and Wells sold
his interest in the drug store and partnered with James Kneeland,
under the name of Wells and Kneeland. They built a factory
equipped with steam power and stamping presses. Wells sold two-thirds
interest in this business for a sizeable price and shortly after,
in 1870, Wells bought the formula to Dr. Brutus Shiloh's Consumption
Cure. (Consumption was another term for tuberculosis and it appears
that the active ingredient in Shiloh's Consumption Cure was an opiate
- enough to calm any cough!)
In 1877, Wells built the four-story brick building on Church Street.
The first configuration of the building did not include the tower
on the corner. Actually the entrance was on the corner. In 1882,
Wells sold one third interest in the business to his brother George
Wells and the company became S.C. Wells & Company.
The same year he added an addition toward the creek and built the
tower on the corner which enclosed the sizable walk-in safe on the
first floor. The entrance (which is the present entrance) was moved
north along the Church Street side of the building. Advertising
calendars at this time included an illustration of the Oatka "River"
with Schuyler Wells' steam boat docked below his factory.
(This was taking full advantage of artist's license. The steamship
could never have sailed up the Oatka and was in fact moored on Silver
Lake. The ship, named "Shiloh" burned to the water level
on August 13th, 1884 and Wells had it rebuilt. The second Shiloh
was launched July 18th, 1885. It was condemned in 1897 and run aground
near Buffalo Point where it burned on July 29th, 1900.)
Wells' financial success enabled him to build a mansion and farm,
he called Dreamland on 200 acres of land on the East side of town.
Wells built the most complete and one of the largest stock barns
in the state with room for 125 trotting horses. His two stallions,
St. Gothard and Dictatum were famous track horses. Schuyler Wells
died in 1897 and his son, who was always called "Carl"
Wells took over the company and immediately began expanding
the business. He purchased a number of other patent medicines: Hammond's
King of Cures; Celery King Tea; Dr. Carter's K & B Tea and Dr.
Fenner's Golden Relief and Dr. Fenner's Family Ointment.
In 1919, fire broke out on the lower floor of the Shiloh Building
and quickly swept to the street floor causing major damage. Two
weeks later, the Gothic "Dreamland" was totally destroyed.
Wells built a new home on East Main Street and repaired the building
on Church Street and added a large four-story addition on the north
side of the factory. In 1924, wells purchased the rights to all
of the Ramon's medicines and the "Little Doctor" became
a part of the advertising. This purchase also included the rights
to the Brownie Calendar - (which is still printed at the Pennysaver
- the only remnant of the old Wells Company.) The last product purchased
by Carl Wells was the Rough on Rats product, which was owned
by E.S. Wells of Jersey City, New Jersey. After nearly 60
years as President of S.C. Wells & Company, Carl Wells
retired on January 1st, 1963 and all the trademarks and recipes
were purchased by James Marshall Hadley, who maintained the
company until its sale to the Graysons.
In 1990, Lynne Saulsbury wrote a detailed reminiscence of
the employees and where they worked. "Mr. Bannister
packed the orders in cardboard cartons, sealed them and pasted on
address labels... First underground floor was also supervised by
Hank Scott. He had 12 to 15 women who filled, labeled and
packed bottles and cartons with medicine. They also packed the pills
in their little tin cans... Somewhere I got the impression that
Hammond Liniment was mainly kerosene. It was packaged in a bottle
of around 4 oz. size and sold for around $.75.The basement floor
was supervised by my boss Ed Luttrell. All the printing of
advertising, song books, bottle cartons was done here. The song
book pressed used 36" x 48" sheets. I only saw it used
once. Ed got so mad while setting it up that he threw a ball peen
hammer into it while it was running - - it was shut down for a week!"
The songbooks were printed in huge numbers and we have a variety
in the collection. It was amusing to read a note in one song book
that gave a "formula for telling a girl's age:" First
have her write down the number of the month she was born, then multiply
it by 2 and add 5 and then multiply by 50 and then to add her age.
Then subtract 365 and then add 115 and then tell the girl to say
the amount left. The two figures to the right will tell you her
age and the remainder the month of her birth. For example, the amount
is 822 which means she is 22 years old and was born in August. (Try
it - it really works!)
by Lynne Belluscio
