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D. T. BOOZER: SMYRNA STOMACH BITTERS: PROLONGS LIFE DAYTON, OHIO.  .
Notice the miss spelling a B instead of a D.D. T. Boozer first operated a saloon in Dayton, Ohio in 1902. According to directory listings he was located at the Cooper Hotel. Boozer had two partners with him in business they were Roscoe Stauter and J.P. Montgomery and were addressed at 506 S. Wayne Avenue in Dayton. Its thought that D. T. Boozer was from Georgia which is probably the origin of the Smyrna Bitters name. Boozer would become a well-known liquor dealer and in 1909 he would start marketing his Smyrna Bitters. He called his bitters a “Life Tonic” and would give open air concerts to attract crowds so he could sell his bitters. In 1911 Roscoe Stauter and J.P. Montgomery ousted Boozer from the saloon business for some shady dealings.  D. T. Boozer had a son named Thomas T. Boozer according to a 1912 directory listing. Thomas helped his father manufacture and sell the bitters. Its also thought that Boozer had agents working for him to sell his Smyrna Bitters. There is a photo that shows a David McCormack from Indianapolis, Indiana with a horse and wagon that says Smyrna Bitters, Rock Honey and Horehound on the photo. The last listing for Smyrna Bitters was around 1916. There are two variants of these bottles. Below are photos of one of them. This light amber almost square bottle with a lady leg neck is embossed Smyrna / Stomach / Bitters // Prolongs Life / Dayton, Ohio.  .   Listings for D. T. & T. T. Boozer 1880: D. T. Boozer (Prosperity) – Charleston, South Carolina City Directory 1881-1886: D.T. Boozer, Brunswick, Georgia, Glynn, Georgia – Georgia Property Tax Digests 1892: D.T. Boozer, bds 45 Wheat – Atlanta, Georgia City Directory 1902: D. T. Boozer, saloon, Hotel Cooper, boards same – Dayton Ohio City Directory 1908: Mrs. D. T. Boozer dies (see above) – The Chronicle Telegram, Friday, April 24, 1908 1909-1910: D. T. Boozer, proprietor, Smyrna Bitters Co., 506, S. Wayne Av – Dayton Ohio City Directory 1910: B.T. Boozer (should be D. T. Boozer) proprietor of the Smyrna Bitters Co. of Dayton, Ohio advertisement (see above) The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, Wednesday, September 14, 1910 1911: The Smyrna Bitters Co., (D. T. Boozer, president, Roscoe Stauter v pres, J P Montgomery secy and treas), 506, S. Wayne Av – Dayton Ohio City Directory 1911-1912: Thomas T. Boozer, son, bitters mfr – Dayton Ohio City Directory 1916: Smyrna Bitters, Smyrna Bitters Co., Dayton, Ohio – National Association of Retail Druggist.  References: A select number of directories and newspapers listed above. www.peachridgeglass.com Frank & Frank Jr. (Wicker) Bottle Collection.  . |
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