Earl Sloan
Encyclopedia
Doctor Earl Sawyer Sloan (born September 8, 1848, Zanesfield
, Ohio
, died September 13, 1923, Boston
, Massachusetts
) was an American
entrepreneur
and philanthropist
. His parents were Andrew Sloan and Susan Bass Clark Sloan.
from Ireland
in the early nineteenth century following the American Revolution
; Earl's father settled in Venango County, Pennsylvania
.
The family home was a small log house on Sandusky Street in Zanesfield. Earl's father was a horse harness
maker, who served as a pioneer veterinary surgeon
for central Ohio
, and he bought and sold horses for the army during the Civil War. He had a certain ability with horses and spent as much time caring for animals as he did in mending saddles. From a formula reportedly given to him by the Indians (though this is uncertain), Andrew made a strong-smelling brown concoction that was applied to horses' shoulders when they stiffened from the spring ploughing. The formula grew to be in great demand in the area.
Andrew Sloan pursued his skill with healing animals until he was a self-taught veterinarian, becoming known as the "Village Vet" and "Doc Sloan." A notice that appeared in the Logan County Gazette on September 6, 1856 advertised:
Earl attended school in Zanesfield's old school building, directly across the street from his home. He did not attend more than the elementary grades
, but did learn to read and developed a great appreciation for books.
Townspeople recalled that Earl was mischievous as a youth and objected to the nickname "Spider" that was attached to him for reasons unknown.
Under the tutelage of Frank Pope, Earl also became a harness-maker, beginning his apprenticeship
at the age of fifteen.
, joined with his brother Foreman in St. Louis
, Missouri
, where Foreman was engaged in the buying and shipping of horses. This time period immediately following the Civil War marked the heyday of the horse in American life. Consequently, the Sloan liniment formula was in great demand. For about twenty-five years, Earl and his brother peddled their remedy from farm to farm, and also worked the horse fairs and carnivals.
At some point in the brothers' venture, someone applied the liniment to his back, discovering that it relieved his own discomfort, as well. Thereafter, the Sloan brothers began selling even more of the liniment advertising it as "good for man and beast".
Earl risked the money necessary for advertisements in Chicago's streetcars, and in time, the orders for the liniment multiplied.
In 1900, Foreman Sloan left the business, but Earl continued, adopting his father's title "Doctor" and organizing a company to manufacture the liniment. The company offices were moved to Boston
in 1904 when Dr. Sloan purchased a large factory building, formerly owned by Green's Nervura Medicine Company. On October 26 of that same year, the business was incorporated as "Dr. Earl S. Sloan, Incorporated." Records in the office of the Secretary of State for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts disclose that the authorized capital for the new corporation consists of $50,000, $10 per parcel. The principal
s of the new corporation were Dr. Sloan, Archie MacKeigan, and Andrew Sloan, who served as the Treasurer. A business report of the time indicated that "the concern is recorded as one of the largest of its kind and goods are sold extensively throughout the country."
Dr. Sloan's business grew rapidly due to his advertising efforts. He was particularly fond of newspaper advertising. Dr. Sloan's promotional efforts included frequent travel. A newspaper article from 1907 announced that he had completed arrangements for an extended trip through Great Britain
and Europe
during the summer months of that year.
Dr. and Mrs. Sloan made their home at Pine Lodge in Roxbury
, Massachusetts
. It was purchased in 1909 and included 9 acres (36,421.7 m²), located on the east side of Cottage Avenue. In all, the house included twelve rooms, three baths, and nine fireplaces, and was luxuriantly furnished.
, England
, Australia
, and Amsterdam
. Notes also exist on the sales of the liniment in Holland and South America
.
The big seller that year was the 25-cent
-size bottle of liniment; other sizes were retailed at fifty cents and one dollar.
Zanesfield, Ohio
Zanesfield is a village in Logan County, Ohio, United States of America. The population was 220 at the 2000 census. It is the smallest incorporated village in Logan County.-History:...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, died September 13, 1923, Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
) was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
and philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
. His parents were Andrew Sloan and Susan Bass Clark Sloan.
Early life and family
The Sloan family emigratedEmigration
Emigration is the act of leaving one's country or region to settle in another. It is the same as immigration but from the perspective of the country of origin. Human movement before the establishment of political boundaries or within one state is termed migration. There are many reasons why people...
from Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
in the early nineteenth century following the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
; Earl's father settled in Venango County, Pennsylvania
Venango County, Pennsylvania
Venango County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 54,984. Its county seat is Franklin.-History:Venango County was created on March 12, 1800 from parts of Allegheny and Lycoming Counties...
.
The family home was a small log house on Sandusky Street in Zanesfield. Earl's father was a horse harness
Horse harness
A horse harness is a type of horse tack that allows a horse or other equine to pull various horse-drawn vehicles such as a carriage, wagon or sleigh. Harnesses may also be used to hitch animals to other loads such as a plow or canal boat....
maker, who served as a pioneer veterinary surgeon
Veterinary surgeon
Veterinary surgeon is a term used to describe:*The full title of a vet, who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals, in the United Kingdom and several Commonwealth countries**See also Veterinary medicine in the United Kingdom...
for central Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, and he bought and sold horses for the army during the Civil War. He had a certain ability with horses and spent as much time caring for animals as he did in mending saddles. From a formula reportedly given to him by the Indians (though this is uncertain), Andrew made a strong-smelling brown concoction that was applied to horses' shoulders when they stiffened from the spring ploughing. The formula grew to be in great demand in the area.
Andrew Sloan pursued his skill with healing animals until he was a self-taught veterinarian, becoming known as the "Village Vet" and "Doc Sloan." A notice that appeared in the Logan County Gazette on September 6, 1856 advertised:
Dr. Andrew Sloan takes this method of informing his old friends, who have so liberally patronized him for many years, that he is now prepared to practice as a Veterinary Surgeon, and will attend to any call in his profession in Logan and adjoining counties. Dr. S. professes to cure Poll EvilPoll evilPoll evil is a traditional term for a painful condition in a horse or other equid, that starts as an inflamed bursa at the anterior end of the neck between vertebrae and the nuchal ligament, and swells until it presents as an acute swelling at the poll, on the top of the back of the animal's head. ...
, SpavinSpavinSpavin may refer to:In equine veterinary medicine:* Bone spavin, a degenerative joint disease of the distal intertarsal and tarsometatarsal joints of the hock* Bog spavin, a synovial distension of the tarsocrural joint of the hock...
, SplintsSplintsSplints is an ailment of the horse or pony, characterized by a hard, bony swelling, usually on the inside of a front leg, lying between the splint and cannon bone or on the splint bone itself. It may be "hot," meaning that it occurred recently and is still painful; or "cold," meaning that the...
, Curb, Callous, Sweney, Shoulder-jam, or any other disease, external or internal. So bring on your cripples. Residence at Zanesfield.
ANDREW SLOAN.
N.B. Dr Sloan is prepared to furnish stable or pasture for horses from a distance. Medicines of all sorts furnished, and prescriptions given. - Charges reasonable.
Earl attended school in Zanesfield's old school building, directly across the street from his home. He did not attend more than the elementary grades
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
, but did learn to read and developed a great appreciation for books.
Townspeople recalled that Earl was mischievous as a youth and objected to the nickname "Spider" that was attached to him for reasons unknown.
Under the tutelage of Frank Pope, Earl also became a harness-maker, beginning his apprenticeship
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a skill. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships...
at the age of fifteen.
Entrance into the market
In 1871, a 23-year-old Earl, armed with several bottles of his father's horse linimentLiniment
Liniment , from the Latin linere, to anoint, is a medicated topical preparation for application to the skin. Preparations of this type are also called balm...
, joined with his brother Foreman in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, where Foreman was engaged in the buying and shipping of horses. This time period immediately following the Civil War marked the heyday of the horse in American life. Consequently, the Sloan liniment formula was in great demand. For about twenty-five years, Earl and his brother peddled their remedy from farm to farm, and also worked the horse fairs and carnivals.
At some point in the brothers' venture, someone applied the liniment to his back, discovering that it relieved his own discomfort, as well. Thereafter, the Sloan brothers began selling even more of the liniment advertising it as "good for man and beast".
Earl risked the money necessary for advertisements in Chicago's streetcars, and in time, the orders for the liniment multiplied.
Later years
On February 8, 1899, at the age of fifty, Earl Sloan married Bertha Woolaver (occasionally spelled "Wolaver"), a Newport native, who had gone to Boston to pursue a nursing career. Just prior to their engagement, Earl had been having dinner at Bertha's father's house in Nova Scotia, and had asked for an introduction. What followed was a whirlwind courtship, followed soon after by Earl's proposal to her, giving her two weeks to prepare for their wedding and a trip to Europe afterward, which would serve as both a honeymoon and a business trip. The couple never had children.In 1900, Foreman Sloan left the business, but Earl continued, adopting his father's title "Doctor" and organizing a company to manufacture the liniment. The company offices were moved to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
in 1904 when Dr. Sloan purchased a large factory building, formerly owned by Green's Nervura Medicine Company. On October 26 of that same year, the business was incorporated as "Dr. Earl S. Sloan, Incorporated." Records in the office of the Secretary of State for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts disclose that the authorized capital for the new corporation consists of $50,000, $10 per parcel. The principal
Ownership
Ownership is the state or fact of exclusive rights and control over property, which may be an object, land/real estate or intellectual property. Ownership involves multiple rights, collectively referred to as title, which may be separated and held by different parties. The concept of ownership has...
s of the new corporation were Dr. Sloan, Archie MacKeigan, and Andrew Sloan, who served as the Treasurer. A business report of the time indicated that "the concern is recorded as one of the largest of its kind and goods are sold extensively throughout the country."
Dr. Sloan's business grew rapidly due to his advertising efforts. He was particularly fond of newspaper advertising. Dr. Sloan's promotional efforts included frequent travel. A newspaper article from 1907 announced that he had completed arrangements for an extended trip through Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
during the summer months of that year.
Dr. and Mrs. Sloan made their home at Pine Lodge in Roxbury
Roxbury, Massachusetts
Roxbury is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was one of the first towns founded in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630, and became a city in 1846 until annexed to Boston on January 5, 1868...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. It was purchased in 1909 and included 9 acres (36,421.7 m²), located on the east side of Cottage Avenue. In all, the house included twelve rooms, three baths, and nine fireplaces, and was luxuriantly furnished.
End of Sloan's ownership of the business
On May 29, 1913, the principals of William R. Warner & Co. entered into an agreement for the purchase of Dr. Sloan's business. The transaction was completed in July of that year, with Warner & Co. taking over all the assets and property. A letterhead of that time included a notice that Dr. Sloan had offices in OntarioOntario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. Notes also exist on the sales of the liniment in Holland and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
The big seller that year was the 25-cent
Cent (currency)
In many national currencies, the cent is a monetary unit that equals 1⁄100 of the basic monetary unit. Etymologically, the word cent derives from the Latin word "centum" meaning hundred. Cent also refers to a coin which is worth one cent....
-size bottle of liniment; other sizes were retailed at fifty cents and one dollar.