The bottle pictured above is roughly one-ounce in size with the name “Whitehurst” embossed vertically down the face of the bottle. It exactly matches this labeled “Whitehurst” bottle found on the website of the Smithsonian’s “National Museum of American History.”
http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/nmah_715776
This all but confirms that the bottle originally contained Forrest’s Juniper Tar Compound, manufactured by the J. Harrison Whitehurst Company of Baltimore Maryland. The compound, on the market from the 1860’s up through the early 1960’s, was originally advertised as a cure-all for lung and throat related diseases and later as “providing quick relief for coughs, colds and sore throat.”
It’s story begins with Jesse Harrison Whitehurst who, according to a story in the January 30, 1924 edition of Baltimore’s “Evening Sun,”
was a photographer who had studios in Baltimore and in a number of other cities. Later he entered the business of selling proprietary medicines…
The summary of an 1870 court case, involving Whitehurst, published in the May 21, 1870 edition of the “Baltimore Sun,” suggested that he entered the proprietary medicine business sometime in 1860.
The facts as shown by the testimony were that sometime in 1860 John M. Forrest, of Norfolk, Virginia, entered into a contract with Mr. Whitehurst to advertise, manufacture and sell a valuable preparation of tar, the profits to be divided between them. This contract was afterwards modified, and Forrest at the beginning of the war went South, and did not again see Whitehurst until 1868.
During Forrest’s absence advertisements for Juniper Tar began appearing in the “Baltimore Sun.” The first, appearing in their January 3, 1863 edition, provided this detail on its many purported benefits.
CURE YOUR COUGH – No Cure, No Pay – DR. FORREST’S MEDICATED JUNIPER TAR, a certain, reliable and speedy cure for Coughs, Colds, and all kinds of Throat and Lung Diseases. This much esteemed and extraordinary medicine will not fail to effectually cure, with absolute certainty, every species of Lung and Throat Disease arising from colds, it matters not how long standing, (provided the patient is not hopelessly bedridden) as well as every form of inflammation.
This is the great secret of its virtues – the removing of inflammation. Hence its claim to unparalleled medical power in healing all inflammatory complaints, such as Coughs Colds, Hoarseness, Bronchitis, Sore Throat and Bleeding at the Lungs, Asthmatic Affections, Diphtheria or Ulcerated Throat, Hooping Cough and Croup, Hard Breathing, and all kinds of Scrofulous Affections, Ulcers or Old Sores of every kind, Rheumatism, Neuralgia, Erysipelas, Soreness in Chest, Back or Limbs, Gout and all stages of Swelling, Palsy and Nervous Debility, Burns and Fresh Wounds, Piles of every description, and Sore Feet and Joints, Scald Head, Ringworm, Chilblain, and Frostbite.
It affords instantaneous relief in sudden cases of Cough or Croup, the latter a disease so terrible among children.
One Bottle will cure a fresh case of Cough, and from three to six bottles will cure the most inveterate Cough, and a few doses will cure any case of Croup. Try it, and if a cure is not effected, the price will be refunded. This is the true test, and is with more than a million of published certificates. See full directions with statements of extraordinary cures made in Baltimore, accompanying each bottle.
The advertisement concluded by announcing:
Prepared by John M. Forrest & Co., Wholesale Depot, 123 Baltimore Street, third floor. Sold Retail by COLEMAN & ROGERS, Baltimore St. and Druggists generally.
That year Whitehurst’s photography gallery was also listed at 123 Baltimore Street, so it’s almost certain he was involved with its manufacture, while Coleman & Rogers was his retail outlet. This changed on August 20, 1868 when Forrest returned and mutually agreed with Whitehurst to dissolve their partnership.
The partnership almost certainly ended on bad terms because within several months both were advertising their own version of “Forrest’s Juniper Tar.”
In a notice published in several November, 1868 editions of the “Baltimore Sun” Forrest announced that he had made an arrangement with Coleman & Rogers to manufacture and sell Forrest’s Original Unadulterated Juniper Tar…
..and by March of the following year he was advertising it under the name J. M. Forrest.
Not to be outdone, as early as December, 1868 Whitehurst was also advertising Forrest’s Juniper Tar in the “Baltimore Sun,” not under the name J. M. Forrest but James Mason Forrest, whose initials also happened to be “J. M.”
Whitehurst’s explanation for this appeared in a notice he published in the December 11, 1869 edition of the “Baltimore Sun.”
We will simply say that we have had dealings and some contracts with Mr. (John) Forrest, but we never had any contract or transaction, directly or indirectly, with him in which “Juniper Tar” is named or referred to.
About seven years since (1862) we entered into a partnership agreement…with Dr. James Mason Forrest, of New York, to manufacture a medicine which he had discovered and called “Forrest’s Juniper Tar.” Under that authority we have been manufacturing, advertising and selling for over six years.
J. M. WHITEHURST, Proprietor by Purchase.
The entire situation resulted in the 1870 court case, “Jesse H. Whitehurst vs. James C. Rogers, trading as Coleman & Rogers,” where Whitehurst challenged Coleman & Rogers’ right to manufacture and sell “Forrest’s Juniper Tar” under that name.
According to the May 21, 1870 trial summary published in the “Baltimore Sun,” during the trial the attorney for Coleman & Rogers charged that James Mason Forrest never existed, that the alleged contract was a fabrication and that the existence of James Mason Forrest and the alleged contract with him were pure inventions. The jury agreed and returned a verdict for Coleman & Rogers. The verdict was later reaffirmed in a second trial in 1873 all of which resulted in both entities continuing to manufacture and sell Forrest’s Juniper Tar; Whitehurst under the name “Dr. James Mason Forrest” and Coleman and Rogers under the name John M. Forrest.
In fact, in several instances their advertisements actually appeared side by side as evidenced by this pair of ads that appeared in the February 28, 1874 edition of the “Baltimore Sun.”
A year later, in 1875 Whitehurst dropped the James Mason Forrest name and began referring to himself as the successor to Dr. James Mason Forrest in his advertisements; this one appearing in several January editions of the “Baltimore Sun.”
That same year the Baltimore directories began naming J. Harrison’s wife, Anna L. Whitehurst, as the manufacturer of Juniper Tar and another patent medicine called “Cedar Balsam.” (She’s listed as a widow in 1880 census records so it’s likely J. Harrison Whitehurst passed away sometime in 1875.) Originally listed with an address of 682 Lexington (1877 – 1878) she later moved to 714 Lexington where she was listed individually up through 1885. Then, in 1886 the J. Harrison Whitehurst Co. was listed in the directories for the first time at 714 Lexington with A. L. Whitehurst named as the sole principal of the firm.
Throughout this time period the competition with Coleman & Rogers continued with both entities advertising their Juniper Tar. This began to change in 1887 when Coleman & Rogers was put up for sale. The sale announcement appeared in the June 27, 1887 edition of the “Baltimore Sun.”
The notice went on to list the specifics of the sale which included:
…the valuable formulae of the late Dr. James C. Rogers, among others the exclusive right to manufacture and sell Coleman & Rogers’s Tonic and Vegetable Tonic, Dr. Forrest’s Juniper Tar….
A week later, the July 2, 1887 edition of the “Baltimore County Union” published the sale results.
Mr. John M. Gallagher, trustee, sold on Monday last, the old drug house of Coleman & Rogers, on Baltimore Street. This was one of the most extensively known business houses in Baltimore, having been established fifty-five years ago by Robert H. Coleman, Seth Rogers afterwards purchasing an interest in the business. The good-will of the firm, which means the right to the old firm name was bought by Dr. (Erasmus) West, an old employee of the house, for $8.
Advertisements for Juniper Tar referencing the “late firm of Coleman & Rogers,” likely run by Erasmus West, appeared sporadically in the “Baltimore Sun” for the next two years, after which they disappear. The last one I can find appeared in their February 25, 1889 edition.
With West now apparently out of the picture, J. Harrison Whitehurst & Co. took over the entire market for Forrest’s Juniper Tar. Over the next several years the company, controlled by Anna and her two sons, Charles E. and William H. listed addresses of 1707 W. Lexington (1887 – 1891); 1732 Bolton (1892); 239 Laurens (1893); 124 Richmond (1894 – 1895), 410 W. Saratoga (1896 to 1904) and 415 W. Franklin (1905 – 1914) before settling at 504 Pennsylvania Avenue where it remained until the early 1960’s.
As late as 1908 the company was still using the word “cure” in their Juniper Tar advertising, as evidenced by this ad found in the February 18th edition of Jackson, Mississippi’s “Daily News.” It claimed:
JUNIPER TAR – The Only Positive Cure for Coughs, Colds, Catarrh, Bronchitis.
Don’t allow yourself to be miserable another day. Even if you have tried many other medicines that have failed, Juniper Tar will positively cure you. It soothes the irritated tissues, allays the inflammation, loosens the congested condition of the lungs, goes to the very root of the trouble and removes the cause. It gives instant relief but goes further and effects a permanent cure.
These claims began to change as a result of the scrutiny brought about by the enactment of food and drug acts beginning in 1906. After confiscating interstate shipments of Juniper Tar in December, 1912 and February, 1913 the government offered this opinion on their advertised claims. The opinion was found in the June 17, 1917 edition of the “Journal of the American Medical Association.”
Forrest’s Juniper Tar. – This preparation was made and sold by the J. Harrison Whitehurst Co. which was a trade name under which Anna Lavinia Whitehurst did business in Baltimore. The preparation admittedly contained 22 percent alcohol and the government chemists found over 55 percent of petroleum and oil of tar. The product was declared misbranded because it was claimed to be a safe, reliable and speedy remedy for all kinds of throat and lung diseases, for arresting and curing catarrh, influenza and consumption in its early stages as well as whooping cough, inflammatory rheumatism and piles. It also claimed to be a cure for consumption and obstinate coughs. These claims were characterized by government officials as false and fraudulent and applied knowingly, recklessly and wantonly.
Consequently, by the end of the decade, another Juniper Tar advertisement, this one also found in Jackson, Mississippi’s “Daily News” on January 31, 1919, looked similar to the 1909 version above but the message had certainly softened.
JUNIPER TAR FOR COUGHS, COLDS, SORE THROAT, ETC.
A good old family medicine, it gives satisfaction to thousands. Why don’t you try it?
And by 1930, this January 2nd ad in the “Atlanta Constitution” simply touted:
JUNIPER TAR COMPOUND gives QUICK RELIEF for Colds, Coughs due to Colds, and Common Sore throat.
Baltimore directories continued to associate Whitehurst family members with the business up through 1942 and I suspect that the family remained associated with the business up until 1954. (I don’t have access to directories from 1943 to 1954). Then, on November 21, 1954 a notice published in the “Baltimore Sun” announced that the company was up for sale.
It’s not exactly clear who bought the business but J. Harrison Whitehurst & Co. continued to be listed in the 1956 Baltimore directory with Charles H. Wenger, named as president; Cath Fischer, vice president and Chas. E. Delosier, sec-treas.
The business apparently remained active into the early 1960’s. One of their last newspaper advertisements for Juniper Tar, appeared in the October 30, 1960 edition of the “Baltimore Sun…”
…and for another year or so after that the product was sporadically included in advertised drug store price lists. As late as January 11, 1962 Juniper Tar was still on sale in Lynchburg, Virginia at “Jackson’s Cut-Rate Drugs” (lower left).
The end had certainly arrived by December 2, 1964 when the J. Harrison Whitehurst Company appeared on a list published in Salisbury Maryland’s “Daily Times” under the heading:
The bottle I found is machine made, 3-1/4 inches tall, by 1-5/8 inches wide, by 3/4 inch deep. It can’t contain much more than one ounce. The bottle exhibits the Illinois Glass makers mark of an “I” inside a diamond on its base. According to the following web site, the mark was in use from 1915 to 1929.
http://glassbottlemarks.com/i-inside-diamond-illinois-glass-company/
The bottle was likely packaged and sold in a paper wrapper similar to the one shown in this February 28, 1920 advertisement published in the “Baltimore Sun.”
