A Bit of History

Rhinebeck Village has long been an established commercial and population center. Residents living here in the 18th and early 19th centuries may have been all too familiar with the sight of a team of horses pulling along a wagon advertising strange new forms of medicine. These traveling merchants, also known as “quacks,” moved from place to place selling miraculous, “cure-all” pharmaceuticals, often labeled “patent medicines,” or herbal remedies. Treatments took various forms like ointments, tonics, pills, and salves, and sellers pointed to the medicines’ shocking ingredients or unique method of creation to prove its effectiveness.

Although common across the country, our spiritual visitor reminds us of this practice locally. The unknown driver calls out for “Dr. Pierce’s Favorite Prescription” as three spectral pages float around him. Originally from Buffalo, NY, the medicines presence in the town speaks to Rhinebeck’s place within a statewide commercial network. The three newspaper advertisements brought to us by our spirit further emphasize how prevalent this type of medicine was in local media during that time. 

Alternative medical cures and movements were common throughout the North East, and the Hudson Valley certainly had its fairshare. For further reading on one local health movement see a recent DCHS article on the Poughkeepsie Thompsonians. 

More modern movements like the Modern Children’s Health Crusade also played an important role in local history, bringing national attention to our county.

Image Sources: RHS; AI anumation of medicine wagon.