John Turner Wait was a chemist, druggist, stationer and a manufacturer of 19th century remedies. Letterhead indicates that his business was established in 1858 in Westboro. Land records indicate that he and his brother-in-law Sherwood W. Ward purchased the East half of Lot 16, Concession 10 of McNab Township in 1860. He published his own Canadian Farmer's Almanacs in which he advertised his hair restoratives and other products. By 1888 he had a successful business in the Pheonix block on the east side of John Street in Arnprior. He was an importer of wholesale drugs and medicines and a manufacturer of homeopathic extracts, perfumes, hair oils, chewing gum, patent medicines etc.
Acquisition Source
Donated by Andriend Schlievert in 2012. Items obtained at an auction sale.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of a large book believed to have been the property of John T. Wait. Handbook of Meteria Medica and Homeopathic Therapeutics: by Timothy Field Allen published by F. E. Boericke of Philadelphia in 1889. Miscellaneous papers found inside the book include correspondence to Wait from customers with various complaints.
Fonds also contains a certificate to Wait's Remedies Limited for Proprietary or Patent Medicine dated April 17 1919 and accompanying correspondence.
Copy of page 14 Arnprior Chronicle July 8th 1962 (Centennial edition) featuring excerpts from Saturday Globe newspaper of October 1 1892 profile of John T. Wait in the Phoenix Block on John Street Arnprior.
Related Material
See Wait's Farmer's Almanacs in William A. Armitage fonds 2002-0150
See Toronto Globe Newspaper Oct 1 1892