Snake Oil On the River

History of the Comstock Patent Medicine Business and Dr. Morse's Indian Root Pills

Trade card for Morse’s Indian Root Pills & Comstock’s Dead Shot Worm Pellets, Morristown, St. Lawrence County, NY.  I'm not sure if the lady is holding a monocular or a binocular.  In any event, it's a pretty unusual eyepiece.

For a fascinating history of the Comstock Companies, see Robert B. Shaw, History of the Comstock Patent Medicine Business and Dr. Morse’s Indian Root Pills. http://www.healthynew.com/PatentMedicines/index.html

Warner's Island, St. Lawrence River

This is the front page of a folio sized advertisement for Warner's Safe Remedies, patent medicines. Folded in half, and then again, it made a sheet a little bit larger than your standard 8 1/2" x 11" stationery.  Inside were words and music for "On Thousand Island River", advt's for various Warner patent medicines and the obligatory testimonials. For a lot more info on Warner, his life and medicines, see the link: http://warnerssafeblog.wordpress.com/category/warner-mansion/

Ruth E. Perrin, Postmaster of Potsdam, 1934-1949

Ruth E. Penny, daughter of Captain Alanson C. Penny of the US Life Saving Station No. 72 at Shinnecock, Long Island, graduated from the Scientific Course at The Normal in June, 1897. After a year of teaching in Atlantic Highlands, NJ, she married Thomas Howe Perrin of Potsdam, son of Philander W. Perrin, a prosperous blacksmith who made his home at 74 Elm Street.  Thomas H. Perrin, along with John L. Brown, purchased the drug store business of Dr. H.D. Thatcher, apparently on very favorable terms.  The drug store at 19 Market St. sold everything from varnish to ice cream.  T.H. died in 1921 of diabetes complications.  Ruth continued the drug store with her son Walter Gilbert Perrin, but soon became involved in real estate on her own account, and became heavily invested in local and state politics.  She was friends first with Al Smith, becoming an alternate delegate at the 1928 National Democratic Convention in Houston.  It was probably in Houston that she met Eleanor Roosevelt, and subsequently became a close friend of both Eleanor and Franklin D. Roosevelt.  After Roosevelt became governor of New York, Ruth was a frequent visitor at the Executive Mansion, along with her teen age daughters Ruth Louise and Mary Elizabeth Perrin. Upon FDR's election to the presidency, Ruth became Postmaster at Potsdam, holding the position until shortly before her death in 1949.  Existing correspondence at the Roosevelt Archives at Hyde Park indicate that Ruth acted as a direct link to the White House on federal matters concerning Potsdam's citizens and businesses.  This previously unpublished photograph is one of her wedding pictures, taken in Good Ground (now Hampton Bays) on Long Island, in 1898.  Photo copyright 2010 by Tom Perrin.  For a pending biography of Ruth, we would love to hear of anyone who has any memories, documents or photographs pertaining to her.  The T.H. Perrin & Co. drug store was later sold to B.O. Kinney.  A photo of the storefront is published in The Potsdam Public Museum's book on Potsdam published by Arcadia.

Sylvia Johnson, The Belle of the Raquette, 1872

This is Sylvia Johnson, whose mother Lucy was better known as "Mother Johnson", and famous for her pancakes cooked for fisherman and loggers. Mother Johnson died in 1875, a few years after this portrait of her daughter was drawn.  Mother Johnson ran a hostelry at Raquette Falls from about 1860 with her husband Philander Johnson. Mother Johnson was immoralized by Adirondack Murray in his earliest books on the Adirondacks. Sylvia married Clark Farmer and her daughter was Jennie Morehouse of Indian Lake.

Purely Commercial In Nature

The Gibson Brothers, raised in Ellenburgh Depot, over there in Clinton County, NY. IMHO, the Gibsons are the very best of local boys done good, and it's not just because they are distant cousins of my beloved spouse.  I own all their CD's and look forward to the next.

Potsdam: St. Lawrence Academy, North and South Buildings, surrounding the Presbyterian Church, about 1858.  The Presbyterian Church was persuaded to move across the street to the corner of Elm Street & Lawrence Avenue. The three buildings were then reconfigured to form  the new, in 1867, State Normal & Training School.  The old church became the new auditorium/chapel.  Potsdam's elementary school and high school were also housed in these buildings, until the new practice school, later the Congdon Campus School, was dedicated in 1931.

In the Beginning.......

was a collection of books, photographs and memorabilia of the North Country, wholly unorganized, dimly remembered, yet precious, at least to me. Many are worthy of sharing.  So here they are, a little bit at a time, presented as I dig through the boxes.  All, unless otherwise noted, are in the public domain.  I've made the images low resolution for easy viewing on the web.  One of these days I'll  make higher resolution reproductions available to those that would like a souvenir at modest cost. If you see something you would like, write me at tomperrin240@gmail.com and I'll get back to you rather rapidly (unless I'm on vacation, etc, etc.).