Steve had a small trench to dig in our backyard. What surprise finds he discovered.
There were several remnants of old cans.This sole from a pair of leather shoes was interesting.The most fun find was the almost perfectly intact green bottle.Fitch's Quinoil is a vintage hair treatment oil produced by the F.W. Fitch Company and popular from the 1930s through the 1940s and 1950s. It was commonly sold in distinctive green glass bottles as a non-sticky tonic meant to groom, condition, and treat the hair.Frederick Walter Fitch's story is a long, interesting one. Born in Iowa in 1870, abandoned by his physician father, farmed out by his destitute mom at age 8, and basically an indentured servant to a farmer for thirteen years, he found his way to working for a barber and it was a perfect fit.
Fitch had a scalp disease and a real feel for the barbering business. After three months he bought the shop, selling it for a profit six months later. He continued working as a successful barber for the next eight years, but his invention of a dandruff remover made him famous. It would be a flagship product of his company for the next fifty years. His trademark was a facsimile of his signature: ‘F.W. Fitch’ and appeared on all his products.
By 1914, the business’ annual sales were over a quarter million dollars and was promoted as both a chemist business and a perfumer. So successful was Fitch that he moved his business to Des Moines creating the this district, F. W. Fitch Company Historic District, which is now on the National Register of Historic Places.
The company did well throughout the early 20th century and during World War II but saw a decline in sales after the war due to the loss of military contracts.
My parents are from Des Moines, Iowa, so this buried treasure was extra special for me. As Captain Jack Sparrow so aptly said, "Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate."
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