Many a lubricated patron of the taverns and restaurants that make up the Soulard neighborhood has at one time or another pondered this large and friendly sign, one of the best remaining examples in St. Louis. Dr. Hoffman’s Red Drops rests on the north face of a building on Ninth Street at Allen. There are four distinct lines of copy, the first two boldly speling out the brand name of this patent medicine. The third line is mostly readable, and the fourth line less so. It is the third line that intrigues, for Dr. Hoffman’s claims to cure or relieve “Colic, Cramps and Cholera Morbus.” Cholera? There hasn’t been a serious outbreak of cholera in St. Louis since 1866. The fourth and last line reads “World’s Greatest Diarrhea Cure.” Wow, this must have been some really good stuff!
It is quite possible this sign has lasted more than 120 years. The Lemp Avenue Archaeological Sites, on their website, shows a Dr. Hoffman’s Red Drops medicine bottle, excavated from a privy not far from this building. The raised letters on the bottle, dating to the 1880s, say it was used for relieving menstrual cramps. Additional evidence comes from the owner of the building adjacent to the old sign. Oreon Sandler stated that his building dates to 1879, and since the architecture of the Dr. Hoffman’s building is similar, we may surmise the wall as well as the sign painted on it is of like vintage.
Walter Sheppe of Akron, Ohio submitted this photo, exposed in 1990, saying it is his favorite wall sign of all that he has seen. It is an ad for the Euclid Ave. Carriage Company, said to date from 1895. The picture in detail shows a folk-art rendition of a Victorian-era couple in their new carriage. The carriage ad was painted over an older ad for milk. Walter Sheppe said that the sign was preserved by an adjacent building that had recently been demolished.
Orange Smile Syrup Company opened at 2001 S. 9th Street in the Soulard neighborhood in the late 192os. The Company produced Buster Cola, Cheer Up Soda, and Smile Orange Drink. The company survived for nearly 35 years as a soda manufacturer and also bottled those same drinks in this very building. Shortly after opening, William F. Cox added color tile advertisements of “Drink Cheer Up, Made Good for You” and “Drink Smile, Refresh with a Smile” on two sides of the building. The old soda factory closed around 1963, the building is now a condominium, but the memory of Smile and Cheer Up are still with us.
A recently discovered gem in remarkably good condition, Rising Sun was exposed by demolition of an adjacent building as late as 2009. Amazingly, some of the original color is still apparent, as seen in the rosy hues of the letters in “Rising.” The building is in North St. Louis, on N. Broadway at E. Prairie, alongside of Interstate 70. Although the wooden fence obscures the bottom half of the sign, the slogan reads “The Best Polish In The World.” Additional text near the bottom indicates the product is available through the Samuel Cupples Wooden Ware Company; a 19th Century St. Louis Merchant of note, Cupples had several enterprises, Wooden Ware being one of them. A plethora of Rising Sun Stove Polish artifacts and memorabilia — Victorian trading cards, posters, brass engravings — are available for purchase on the Internet.
At the far south end of St. Charles’ historic main street, within a stones throw of the Missouri River sits a grand old building. The Western House was built prior to 1821 as a hostelry and inn. Many pioneers in covered wagons left from this point following Boone’s Lick Trail out of which grew The Santa Fe Trail, The Salt Lake Trail and The Great Oregon Trail. In 2011, the building is home to The Conservatory, a venue for wedding receptions.
