NCHS Annual Meeting
Doors open at 1:00 PM
Business Meeting starts at 1:30 PM
Program to follow
Sunday, March 26, 2023

Special Guest Speaker
Steve Ketcham

Throughout the Nineteenth Century, the sale of spurious medicines to the American public was a booming business. Snake oil salesmen, quacks, mountebanks – call them what you will – preyed on a gullible public, many of whom were hoping for a miracle cure.    Millions of dollars were made selling products bearing names such as Dr. Kilmer’s Swamp Root, Kidney, Liver, and Bladder Cure; Radam’s Microbe Killer; and Hood’s Sarsaparilla. Minnesota was no exception, and dozens of would-be doctors and druggists pawned off a huge number of questionable medicines until the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 began to slow the flow of injurious and useless medicines. We will explore both the local and the national patent medicine industry during our visit to yesterday’s medicine cabinet. Numerous examples of period bottles and advertising will be shared.

Steve Ketcham is a retired language arts teacher who has spent the last 50-plus years collecting antique bottles, stoneware, and related advertising. He has served numerous terms as president of the North Star Historical Bottle Association. In addition, he has served as president and board member of the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors, a national bottle-collecting organization.  

The meeting is open to the public. There is no cost to attend. Light refreshments will be provided.

Please note: The 2022 Annual Report will be available in digital format on our website. Physical copies will be printed by request. Please call 507-934-2160 to request a physical copy of the report by March 31, 2023.

Download the meeting packet.