Joseph Ray Watkins founded Watkins Incorporated in 1868 from the kitchen of his home in Plainview, Minnesota. Watkins was so confident of his home-manufactured product, Dr. Wards Liniment, that he introduced the now famous Watkins "Trial Mark" bottle, along with the first-ever money back guarantee.
By 1885 the production of Liniment had outgrown his home and the town of Plainview, so he moved the company to the booming lumber town of Winona, Minnesota, which boasted five railroads and was already an important port on the Mississippi River. In Winona, Watkins incorporated his company as the J. R. Watkins Medical Company. The company expanded its product line to include products such as Petro-Carbo Salve, Cathartic Pills, Vanilla, Black Pepper, and Cinnamon.
During the 1890’s Watkins opened branches around the country, beginning with San Francisco, California. In 1913 the company opened its first international branch in Winnipeg, Canada, and by the 1940s the company had more than 135 branch offices in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and England. Today, Watkins continues to operate internationally, with products sold in the US, Canada, U.K. and the Philippines.
Since its beginnings, Watkins has been family owned and operated. J. R. Watkins’ descendents—Watkins and Kings—guided the company through its first 110 years. In 1978 Irwin L. Jacobs purchased Watkins, and the Jacobs family continues the Watkins’ tradition of manufacturing the highest quality products and providing outstanding service that exceeds expectations.
To learn more about Watkins products, please visit http://evelynleon.com
There you can order products, request a catalog or learn more about starting your own Watkins business.
