Ghost Sign: Fletcher’s Castoria – Hancock, NY

This Fletcher’s Castoria ghost ad can be seen on Wheeler Street in Hancock, NY.

fletcher's cstoria ghost sign - hancock new york

Another ride, another roadside thing, another rabbit hole to fall down and research. Other than being able to confidently make out “Fletcher’s” I wasn’t quite sure what the ad was for. When an ad isn’t for something i’ve seen previously, often I have to go home and darken up a photo to look for clues. For example, the ad for Greenback Tobacco from Lincoln, Illinois was unreadable to me without altering the picture.

After some tweaking, I realized this ad says:

Children Cry for Cha. H. Fletcher’s Castoria

Apparently Fletcher’s Castoria was a well-advertised children’s laxative at the turn of the 20th century.

Bathroom Reading on Fletcher’s Castoria:

Fuzzygalore

Rachael is the whimsical writer behind the 20+ year old Girlie Motorcycle Blog. As a freelance blogger, she is on a mission to inspire laughter, self-examination, curiosity, and human connection. Girlie Motorcycle Blog can be found on several Best Motorcycle Blog lists.

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4 Responses

  1. Shybiker says:

    I love looking into the past… and abandoned ads are a great window. Their fading patina is catnip to me.

  2. MarthaC says:

    On the label of the bottle, it said “Children love the taste.” As a child of the 60’s (that would be 1960’s) I can attest that it was still around. Mama kept a bottle real high up out of reach and I can honestly say … I loved the taste!

    What a great find! I just love the little gems you always seem to run across.

  3. Curvyroads says:

    I love the ghost ads too, but children’s laxative?? I didn’t even know that was a thing. Hehe, I guess we ate enough fiber as kids.

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