While looking around the museum for something interesting to write about, I found a couple of things I think you will remember having around when you were growing up or maybe even using.

The first thing I found interesting was something I know that most of you have heard of or have used, and that is Dr. Tichenor antiseptic. This antiseptic was used for everything that you could possibly think of. It was also known to be used by people that drank alcoholic beverages when they couldn’t find any alcohol or anything else to drink.

Dr. Tichenor’s was invented in

1863 by Dr. George H. Tichenor and was to be used as a mouthwash. When I was young, I remember using it for cuts, scratches, mouthwash, sores and many other things. You could say that every home had a bottle of Dr. Tichenor’s antiseptic on hand.

The second thing I came across and thought might create interesting reading was something you probably haven’t thought about in years. Many years ago when you were young and in school, you and I didn’t have ball point

pens to write with. We had a fountain pen. Why would it be called a fountain pen? Because you had to dip the pen in the ink bottle and with a little lever in the side of

the pen, you would suck up the

ink into the pen. Almost all of

the ink bottles then were Carter’s Ink.

Mr. William Carter founded the Carter’s Ink Company in 1858. He did this in order to supplement his paper sales company. In 1860, his brother Edward Carter joined the company, and it was later known as William Carter & Brothers.

After the Civil War, another brother, John H. Carter, joined the company, and the company became known as William Carter & Brothers Co.

In 1865, a cousin by the name of John W. Carter joined the company and the named again changed to Carter Brothers & Co. On Nov. 9, 1872, the great Boston fire destroyed all of the company’s buildings.

So if you have a Carter’s ink bottle in your collection, you can date it by the name of the company on the bottle. It seems that every time a new family member joined the business, they changed the name of the company.

Louisiana Treasures Museum has a large collection of Carter’s Ink and also the Dr. Tichenor’s antiseptic on display. Stop in for a visit and see if you can remember other items on display that you may also have in a collection.

For more information or hours of operation call Wayne Norwood at 225-294-8352. Group tours are available upon request by calling ahead.

Wayne Norwood is a lieutenant with the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Department and owner and operator of the Louisiana Treasures Museum.