Lorenzo Dow Son of Thunder and Patent Medicine Maker by Eric Mcguire
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52 March-April 2008 Bottles and Extras Lorenzo Dow Son of Thunder and Patent Medicine Maker By Eric McGuire The full story of the amazing Lorenzo and determination that transcended his own seldom use a church as a venue and while Dow could not be told in a short article such existence. His religious beliefs roughly in England developed the “camp method” as this. He was analogous to today’s followed the Methodist teachings of John of preaching – outdoor encampments that superstars, who are always on tour, but the Wesley, which had recently been introduced may last more than one day. popular draw of his day was religion. The to New England. Lorenzo applied for the Witnessing the success and excitement closest living parallel that could be drawn right to teach Methodism in 1796, but was surrounding the outdoor encampments, but today may be evangelist Billy Graham in declined by the Connecticut Conference. He without the direct involvement of Dow, his prime years of the 1950s and 1960s. was finally accepted in 1798 and began his some English Methodists broke from the But being a “not-for-profit” preacher, circuit riding duties. He once said, “I am a main church, which did not approve of the Lorenzo was obligated to raise money to Methodist chain and a Quaker filling,” gatherings. Thus sprang the Primitive fund his own activities. Not much was when describing his religious philosophies.1 Methodist Church in 1807. needed since he worked alone and Against the church’s directive, in 1799 That Lorenzo Dow was eccentric is personally lived in virtual poverty. Aside Lorenzo sailed for England, where he indisputable. That he was crazy is from subsistence provided from his farm perfected his “fire and brimstone” style of questionable. The line between eccentricity in Connecticut, he chose to sell books to preaching and traveled to Ireland as well and lunacy is often difficult to define; support his travels, and for a short period in a specific attempt to save its Roman however, much of what Lorenzo did was resorted to the sale of patent medicine. Catholics from taking the wrong road. steeped in what is now called marketing. Plagued by health and emotional issues Even in his earliest days, Lorenzo was Eventful controversy was often used to his as a child, it appears that Lorenzo Dow’s considered renegade in style and seemed advantage. He recognized the importance career path was chosen by his own to delight in shocking his audiences with of name recognition and was masterful in wrestling with the devil. Whether by guilt his non-conforming deliveries. He quickly his showmanship as a method to spread his over his own actions or tormenting dreams, earned the name of “Crazy Lorenzo Dow,” word. To be sure, he was an orator, and he turned to the hope of salvation through but called himself “Son of Thunder.” preferred a war of words to almost anything God at a very early age. Born to Humphrey Usually not invited inside, Lorenzo would else. Too unique for the Methodists, that and Tabitha Dow on October 16, 1777, in group disavowed his connection but he held Coventry, Tolland County, Connecticut, at a steady course. As a man without a church, the age of fourteen Lorenzo even considered he was the consummate circuit riding suicide in order to put to rest the demon preacher. It has been stated that during the inside him. No doubt preaching soothed first eight months of his circuit riding his own soul by redirecting his tormented absence from home, before leaving for his thoughts and he did so with the conviction first European trip, he traveled over 4,000 miles, and over 200,000 miles during his career. Of his travels one writer attempted to sum it up in a paragraph: “Scarcely a neighborhood from Canada to Georgia, or from the Atlantic to the Mississippi, that has not some tradition still to relate, or some tale to tell of the visit and the preaching of Lorenzo Dow, and there is scarcely an individual in all New England that has not heard their fathers or mothers, or grandfathers and grandmothers, relate some one or more of the witty sayings, or speak of the humorous doings of this singular man.” 2 It is claimed that he was the first Protestant preacher to enter Alabama and Mississippi. He spread the word in all the then seventeen states. It was common for him to assemble crowds of two to three thousand people, and some have suggested One of the earlier tracts of Lorenzo Dow Dow preaching his fire and brimstone. assemblies as large as 10,000 – and without Bottles and Extras March-April 2008 53 a sound system! profess to do, ought to describe it in use by the time of the fire in 1836. Lorenzo married twice, to who had to perfectly.’ ‘Well, gentlemen,’ said Dow, Medicine men such as Samuel Lee, be exceptional women. The first, Margaret ‘I can describe it, but I must do it briefly Richard Lee, T.W. Dyott and Samuel “Peggy” Holcome, was born on January 5, – Heaven embraces a vast extent of Thompson were commonplace in 1780 in Granville, Massachusetts and territory; the air is clear and wholesome; newspaper advertisements of the day. With married on September 4, 1804. They had the country smooth and level; there isn’t a traveling life, Lorenzo was able to read one daughter, Letitia Johnson Dow, born a Root or Bush in it, and there never newspapers from all over the U.S. and September 16, 1806, in Dublin, Ireland, but will be.” 6 quickly recognized the power this medium who died young in Warrington, Ireland. Lorenzo Dow often harangued against possessed. After his patent was registered, Peggy died on January 6, 1820, in Hebron, lawyers and doctors, for he detested big a few of his newspaper ads followed but Connecticut. Lorenzo married second to business and profit takers. He was not never approached the advertising level of Lucy Dolbeare in Hebron, April 1820.3 above the development of a business the more successful medicine vendors. Lucy was born January 8, 1786, and died venture for the support of his own activities, October 26, 1863, in Montville, however. Since his preaching brought no Connecticut. Upon her death the monetary rewards, he was forced to finance Willimantic Journal published a glowing his own activities. After a few years, obituary for this well respected woman. Lorenzo was able to publish several books, The paper also included this interesting mostly about his philosophies and his note: travels. In fact, it is said that at one time he “Mrs. Dow, widow of the famous had the second best selling book in 7 Newspaper ad from The Newport Lorenzo Dow, whose death we noticed America, directly behind the Bible. In Mercury, Newport, Rhode Island, last week, left a will, giving the whole support of his shrewd understanding of September 1, 1827. of her estate, (some $6,000), to the town business, Lorenzo took note of the success of Montville, for the purpose of of the earliest patent medicine men of the Lorenzo also neglected to understand building four stone arch bridges in period. Soon after he married his second the difficulties encountered as an absentee specified places in the town. The town wife, Lorenzo became the owner of a bona business owner. He apparently mixed in public meeting on Thursday refused fide patent medicine, as he applied for, and batches of his medicines by himself to accept the gift, and the amount goes received a United States patent for it on wherever he may have been touring and to her heirs at law.” 4 November 24, 1820. probably used, or reused, bottles wherever Though not constant traveling The Patent Act of 1790 created a system they could be found. He certainly was companions, each of his wives of protection that was roughly patterned familiar with glass works in his travels and accompanied Lorenzo even on some of his after the English system, thus allowing a it is possible that he may have had small longest tours into and through the wilds of period of 14 years protection against direct runs of bottles made for his special North America. Wild animals and vengeful competition for an individual who medicine, but such a thing cannot yet be Indians were not uncommon. They wrote developed a new and patented invention. documented. Contained within his writings of the perils and difficulties that often The 1793 Patent Act better defined a is his personal observation of the frontier included sleeping under the stars.5 patentable item as: town of Pittsburgh, Ohio: Known for his quick wit and “. any new and useful art, machine, “Pittsburg has become famous in the prophecies, stories of Lorenzo Dow manufacture or composition of matter New World, and by nature combining constantly peppered the printed media of and any new and useful improvement with art promises to be one of the great the day. Even after his death, his stories on any art, machine, manufacture or manufacturing towns in America. lingered in the press. This quote, printed composition of matter.” Seven or eight glass works in the in 1840, is typical of many: Prior to the Patent Act of July 4, 1836, neighborhood, and as many places of “Happening in his travels – for he was patents were issued only by name and date worship.” 8 evermore on the move – to be at Delhi, and did not include a sequential issue Except for periodic newspaper N.Y., he stopped for the night at the number.