Rail City Relics

01/27/2026

06/28/2025

Billings Mandrake Bitters, originally produced in 1887 by the Fredrick Dutcher Drug Co. here in Saint Albans, Vermont. Granted i dont know where the billings recipe came from, I do know the Dutcher Drug Co. Would makes deals to sell other Druggiest products in there stores amoug there own products. I have seen a Billings Mandrakes bitter outta NY too. This bottle is a machine made example from around the turn off the century. Bitters speaking broadly back then was a cure all of a multiple stomach ailments. Helping ease the pain from rot gut from overindulging, in spirits to helping with stomach pain from rancid meat, to constipation amoug others these were, all very real and prevalent, back then. With no standardization in alcohol products or refrigeration to keep meat from spoiling.

-RCR

09/04/2024

Mostly Vermont bottles besides a few Massachusetts, a Rhode Island, and one Maine. Along with two filler type bottles with no markings.

09/04/2024

Check out RailCityRelics802’s post.

07/08/2024

Smith's Green Mountain renovator was once an East Georgia, Vt product but these bottles are from the Saint Albans, Vt era. The Green Mountain Renovator was very popular cure/ fix all type products. I only find newspaper advertisements from 1876 to about 1903 even tho I know this product is older then that.

07/05/2024

Daniel Dutcher part of the well established Dutcher Dynasty. He operated the "City Drug Store" here in Saint Albans, VT at 9 lake street just under the American house witch is the building on the northern side on lake and main. I've found advertisements from the 1870s to the early 1900s.

05/31/2024

I thoroughly enjoy these old timey real photo postcards. It's just such a real moment captured that you can almost feel.