The Mc CULLOUGH DRUG COMPANY : DROMGOOLES BITTERS Lawrenceburg, Indiana NEW UPDATE

Above is a photo of John C. McCullough and his son John Jr. in their drug store. "The McCullough Drug Company" in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. John C. McCullough was born in Washington County, Penn. in 1850. Around the age of 5 years old his family would move to Belmont and Morrow Counties in Ohio. John would attend the Central College in Iberia, Ohio. In 1867 he would relocate to Osgood and Ridley county in Indiana to engage in the drug wholesale business. John would marry Lousia Koon in 1872 and they would have three children. Edwin, John and William. In 1874 he move to Lawrenceburg and established a store there. He ran the store until 1888. He would be appointed internal Revenue Collector under the Administration of President Cleveland. He would hold this position for three years till he would resign do to his health. He went back into the drug business but now located in Warsaw Indiana. He stayed in Warsaw for one year until going back to Lawrenceburg were he went back into the drug wholesale business. He would sell that business once again and go into the drug manufacturing business in the 1890s.

The McCullough Drug Company was located at High St. in Lawrenceburg. John and his son John Jr. would incorporate the business in 1901. The McCullough men were Pharmacists and were granted patents and trademarks for many of their products that they produced. John senior would die in Sept. 1906. The Company was phased out in 1937 when it took heavy losses in the big flood of 1937. The McCullough Drug Company produced the Labeled Bitters. Dromgooles Bitters (Uterine Tonic Sedative and Antispasmudic).

Below is a photo of a label.

Below is a dose glass.

New Update.

I received an email from the great grandson of John C. McCullough.

I came across your website and wanted to let you know that I am the great-grandson of John C. McCullough and the grandson of John McCullough his son who took over the McCullough Drug Company business of Lawrenceburg, Indiana in 1906 after his father passed away. My grandfather, John McCullough acquired many other companies during his leadership of the company, companies acquired include Dr. Shoops, Goochs, Dr. Wrights, Vernal Remedy Co., Dr. Carlstedt, Dromgooles , Hurtos , Bryocin, and many others, once purchased by John McCullough those products were labeled with the Lawrenceburg, Ind. mark while maintaining the original brand name.

Some brands produced and labeled Lawrenceburg, Ind. included Paragon, Palmo, Lax-Ets, Sex-ine, Sellers, many Dr. Shoops products, many Goochs products including Mexican pills, syrup and Sarsaparilla, Dromgooles Bitters, Wrights Rheumatic Emulsion, Hurtos Snake Oil, Sellers Torpid Liver Pills, McCullough proprietary brands include McCulloughs Cough Syrup Magnetic, McCulloughs Pain Relief Magnetic, Victorian Quadruple Extracts and Mazo Salve to name a few.

John McCullough passed away in 1927 and my Grandmother Celestine Kepper McCullough continued to operate the business until her death in 1942 while taking care of her Mother in law, raising her daughter, my Mother and building a new house, quite a feat for a woman in those times. The 1937 flood took a heavy toll upon the business but it did continue on operated by family members until the mid 1940s.

I have many bottles, packages and artifacts from the McCullough Drug Co. and I am always looking for more, should you come across any to sell. If any product has the Lawrenceburg, Ind. marking, more than likely it came from the McCullough Drug Company. Again, I am interested in purchasing any McCullough items you should have for sale. I have enclosed some pictures for you.

Thank you.

Regards, Bob Britton Lawrenceburg, Indiana

References:

Dearborn County, Apictorial History. History of Dearborn County in 1915, Shaw Aichibald.

History of Dearborn and Ohio Counties in 1885.

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