Lowell Had Moxie!

Lowell Had Moxie!
Dr. Augustin Thompson
introduced a medicine called Moxie
in 1885. The raised lettering
(embossing) on the early bottles
proclaimed it to be MOXIE / NERVE
FOOD / LOWELL / MASS. /
PATENTED. The company remained
in Lowell until around 1900 and by
that time the embossing no longer
used the word PATENTED. Moxie
did not receive a patent but did
receive trademark protection for the
term Moxie and its accompanying
label. A label from the company’s
time in Lowell claimed: “Moxie . . .
has proved itself to be the only
Lowell Moxie bottle (circa 1886 because of the address of 139
harmless and effective nerve food Market St. on the label) and shipping crate dating from anytime the
known that can recover brain and company was still in Lowell.
nervous exhaustion; loss of manhood;
imbecility and helplessness. It has recovered paralysis, softening of the brain, locomotor ataxia [lack
of voluntary coordination of muscle movements], and insanity when caused by nervous exhaustion.”
Advertising in the June 26, 1886 Weekly Wisconsin
in Milwaukee also claimed that: “It breaks up
intoxication and the liquor thirst at once and makes
the drinkers feel better than stimulants. It has
already stopped half the liquor traffic in Lowell,
and is creating an immense sensation in New
England and the Middle States.” Thompson also
claimed that Moxie provided these marvelous
results via a “secret known only to himself.” The
secret process allowed the food value of Moxie to
easily and rapidly enter the patient’s system since
the ingredients were predigested using Thompson’s
secret manufacturing methods.
The city directory for 1886 lists the Moxie
Company’s location as 137-139 Market. Probably
because of Moxie’s rapid growth, the company was
at 55 Central in 1887, and 21 Branch St by 1888.
Three variations of the embossing from left to right: (1) Moxie managed to stay at this building until the
MOXIE / NERVE FOOD / LOWELL / MASS /
company disappeared from the directory in 1901.
PATENTED; (2) The embossing is the same except
that the word PATENTED was carved out of the mold The 21 Branch St. building had been a skating rink
leaving a elongated bump where the text had been. (3) before Moxie moved into the building. The
A new mold was made leaving the “PATENTED” out. building was large and the rear of the building was
on Middlesex St. By 1890 a company named Standard Bottling Company appeared in the city
directory at 398 Middlesex and noted that the company was located in the basement of a skating rink.
This was the same building as Moxie occupied. The 1891 city directory stated that the Standard
Bottling Company was the “General Agents for Moxie.” The city atlas for 1892 shows the building
to be half of its original size and now only The Standard Bottling Company is listed at the site. The
city directory still lists Moxie in the same building but with the Branch St. address. Two years later,
the 1894 city directory sets things straight by listing both companies at the same location but the
street numbering system had change and both companies were listed at 848 Middlesex but still in
the Skating Rink. This arrangement continued until Moxie disappeared from the directory in 1901.
The Standard Bottling Company soon disappeared as well. It would appear that Standard Bottling
Company existed primarily for bottling Moxie and that the famous Moxie was bottled in the
basement of a former skating rink for almost 10 years.
Moxie appears to have been a lightly carbonated drink from its very beginning. In 1886, Chemist
Francis Wyatt, PhD, performed an analysis of Moxie’s ingredients. This analysis was printed in
many different scientific and medical journals of the time. These different publications did not
always agree on all the fine details but in general indicated that Moxie was infused with carbonic
acid gas (carbonation). A twelve-ounce bottle contained about a teaspoon of alcohol and was
flavored predominantly by sugar and sassafras with a touch of wintergreen and aniseed. Additional
ingredients were used to provide a bitter taste to mimic medicine. Dr. Wyatt concluded his analysis,
in part, with the following statement: “....the sole
property to which this mixture can lay claim is that of a
mild and entirely inoffensive tonic, forming an
agreeable drink for quenching the thirst . . . ”
Dr. Augustin Thompson’s soft drink was also sold
as a popular soda fountain flavor as early as 1886. The Merrimack Valley Antique Bottle
Previously soda fountain drinks had been based on fruit Show on September 29, 2013 from
or other flavors that could be used by every soda water 9AM to 2PM will certainly have
manufacturer. But Thompson (perhaps unknowingly) Moxie bottles from Lowell for sale.
had developed a new concept -- He made a name brand, The bottle show, held at the Lowell
good tasting carbonated drink with a legally proprietary Elk’s Club at 40 Old Ferry Road in
name (remember the trademark) so nobody could sell a Lowell will have around 80 tables of
similar product. But he obviously felt that Moxie could bottles for sale, some of them from
not survive on its own as an “inoffensive tonic, forming Lowell.
an agreeable drink for quenching the thirst.” Dr.
Thompson used “medical miracles” and outrageous advertising to promote his product. Whether it
cured anything or not people liked the flavor and specifically ordered Moxie. A similar product
named Coca Cola invented in May 1886 (a year after the introduction of Moxie) would follow on
Moxie’s path after also initially being advertised as having medical properties. Perhaps New
England’s use of the word “tonic” for soft drinks originated because of the mildly tonic Moxie.
Lowell Bottle Show
“A Show with Moxie”