Smith Brothers facts for kids
The Smith Brothers were famous for making the first cough drops sold and advertised in the United States. They became one of the most well-known brands in the country.
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The Story of Smith Brothers Cough Drops
The story of Smith Brothers begins with William Wallace Smith I (born 1830) and Andrew Smith (born 1836). They were the sons of James Smith. Their family moved from Fife, Scotland, to Canada in 1831. Later, James moved from Quebec, Canada, to Poughkeepsie, New York, in 1847.
In Poughkeepsie, James Smith opened an ice cream shop called "James Smith and Son." In 1852, he bought a special recipe for cough drops from a traveling salesman named Sly Hawkins. That year, James made his very first batch of "Smith Brothers Cough Drops."
After their father, James, passed away in 1866, William and Andrew took over the family business.
Becoming Famous: Trade and Mark
At first, the cough drops were sold loosely from glass jars in stores. To stop other stores from selling similar, unbranded cough drops, the company started putting their drops into special boxes with their brand name in 1872.
To make sure people knew their cough drops were the real ones, the brothers created a logo. It showed their own bearded faces and was stamped on every box. When they officially registered their logo as a trademark in 1877, the word "Trade" appeared under William's picture, and "Mark" appeared under Andrew's. Because of this, the brothers became known by the nicknames "Trade" and "Mark," which people still remember today!
William Smith was known as the more serious brother. He was very involved in his community and believed in prohibition, meaning he was against alcohol. Andrew, on the other hand, was known as the friendlier brother and didn't avoid alcohol.
The company worked hard to protect its trademark. This made the Smith Brothers' faces some of the most recognizable in America. They even appeared in newspaper articles, comics, and other parts of popular culture.
New Flavors and Changes
Andrew Smith passed away in 1895, and William continued to lead the company until he died in 1913. William's son, Arthur G. Smith, then became president. He helped the company grow by adding new products. Menthol cough drops were introduced in 1922, and cough syrup came out in 1926. Later, the company also introduced wild cherry drops in 1948.
Arthur G. Smith had two sons, William Wallace Smith II and Robert Lansing Smith, who continued the family legacy.
The Brand's Journey Through Time
In 1963, the Smith family decided to sell the company to a larger business called Warner-Lambert.
Later, in 1972, F & F Foods from Chicago bought the brand. Production of the cough drops moved away from Poughkeepsie. Over time, the famous Smith Brothers logo was used less, and the F&F Foods logo became more prominent. This caused the brothers' name to become less recognized.
Even though the cough drops became harder to find, they still popped up in movies and TV shows. For example:
- In a 1986 episode of The Golden Girls, a character mentions "sucking on a Smith Brothers" cough drop.
- In a 1997 Seinfeld episode, "Smith Brothers cough drops" are mentioned when discussing thick beards.
- In a 2009 Simpsons episode, the phrase "When the Smith Brothers shave..." was used to mean something that would never happen.
- In the 1932 movie Pack Up Your Troubles, the characters Laurel and Hardy go to Poughkeepsie to find out if one of the Smith Brothers is related to a friend.
In 2011, F & F Foods sold the brand to GemCap, an investment company. In 2014, GemCap sold it to another investment company, York Capital Management. They tried to bring the brand back, but in 2016, the Smith Brothers cough drop brand stopped production due to lower sales. However, some cough drops were still available online and in stores from old stock.
A Sweet Comeback
In May 2016, Lanes Brands, a company based in New Hampshire (and part of a larger company in the United Kingdom), bought the Smith Brothers brand.
Lanes Brands announced that Smith Brothers cough drops would return to stores in America and worldwide in 2017. Today, you can find flavors like Honey Lemon, Wild Cherry, and Warm Apple Pie. They are sold in bags with individually wrapped drops.
In July 2021, BT Remedies LLC became the main company to import and sell Smith Brothers Throat Drops in the U.S. The Smith Brothers website currently offers four flavors: Honey Lemon, Wild Cherry, Warm Apple Pie, and Black Licorice. All products are sold in zipper-sealed bags containing 30 wrapped drops.
Timeline of Smith Brothers
- 1830: William Wallace Smith I is born.
- 1831: The Smith family moves from Scotland to Canada.
- 1836: Andrew Smith is born.
- 1847: The family moves from Canada to Poughkeepsie, New York.
- 1852: The first Smith Brothers Cough Drops are made and advertised.
- 1866: James Smith, the father, passes away.
- 1872: Cough drops are first sold in pre-packaged boxes.
- 1877: The famous Smith Brothers trademark is officially registered.
- 1894: Andrew Smith passes away.
- 1913: William Wallace Smith I passes away.
- 1922: Menthol cough drops are introduced.
- 1926: Smith Brothers cough syrup is introduced.
- 1936: Arthur G. Smith passes away.
- 1948: Wild cherry cough drops are introduced.
- 1964: The Smith family sells the brand to Warner-Lambert.
- 1977: Manufacturing moves to Chicago, Illinois.
- 2016: Lanes Brands buys the Smith Brothers brand.
- 2017: Smith Brothers Cough Drops return to stores.
- 2021: BT Remedies LLC becomes the exclusive marketer for Smith Brothers.
