13
Dec
2019
Early Unlisted Lacrosse Medicine Bottle Discovered
Uriah Parry Jr. Family Medicine Co.
An early medicine bottle was found in Lacrosse in 2017 that is embossed “PARRY’S FAMILY MEDICINES” amongst some turn of the century medicine bottles – a late throwaway. It has a keyed mold mark and dates from the early 1860s. Although it is missing its neck and top, no other examples or even shards of a bottle from the Parry business have been discovered by collectors. It seems likely that Uriah ordered these bottles soon after he took full ownership in 1859/60. After 1860 most bottle makers adopted the snap case tool instead of a pontil rod. This bottle just missed having a pontil mark.
Uriah Perry and his son Uriah Jr. came to Lacrosse from New York by the late 1850’s. Either Uriah Parry Sr. or his son or both went into the wholesale druggist in the late 1850s replacing Bayme of Bayme & Wells wholesale druggists located on North Front Street between State and Main Streets. By 1859 or 1860 Wells left the firm and the name was changed from Wells & Parry to Uriah Parry Jr. wholesale druggists. They sold only wholesale to druggists located alone the railway networks of the Southern Minnesota Railroad, the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad and the Clinton, Dubuque & Minnesota Railroad and their branches. He operated the business until 1864 when McCulloch, McCord & Co. took ownership. In 1860 Uriah Jr. was 20 years old.
In June of 1864 the large brick building used by Uriah Parry Jr.’s business was nearly destroyed by fire. It was saved by hard work. In 1864 Uriah sold the business to McCulloch, McCord & Co.