Kent in Jefferson County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Harvey Washington Wiley, M.D.

1844-1930

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 24, 2022

1. Harvey Washington Wiley, M.D. Marker

Inscription.
Born near Kent, Jefferson County, Dr. Wiley graduated from Hanover College (1867), received his medical degree from Indiana Medical College (1871), and taught at Butler and Purdue universities. As Chief Chemist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture he led the nationwide movement which culminated in the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 and the establishment of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Erected 1981 by Administration of Food and Drug Safety. (Marker Number 39.1981.1.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Industry & Commerce • Science & Medicine. A significant historical year for this entry is 1844.

Location. 38° 44.25′ N, 85° 32.64′ W. Marker is in Kent, Indiana, in Jefferson County. It is at the intersection of West Main Street (State Road 256) and South Rogers Road, on the right when traveling east on West Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 8523 IN-256, Madison IN 47250, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Southern Indiana.

It is also in the American Midwest,

in the Ohio River

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Valley,

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Patriot Burials (approx. 3.2 miles away); Josephine Ogle (approx. 4.6 miles away); Luther D. Wishard (approx. 4.7 miles away); Katharine McAfee Parker (approx. 4.7 miles away); Henry C. Long (approx. 4.8 miles away); Percy E. Goodrich (approx. 4.9 miles away); Thomas A. Hendricks (approx. 5 miles away); Albert G. Parker, Jr. (approx. 5 miles away).

Also see . . .
1. Dr. Harvey “Old Borax” Wiley and His Poison Squad. Wiley's turn-of-the-century experiments, in which volunteers were given diets laced with borax, formaldehyde, salicylic acid, saccharin, sodium benzoate and copper salts, led to the press calling him “Old Borax”. (Lindsey Beckley, Indiana History Blog, Indiana Historical Bureau, posted June 13, 2016) (Submitted on September 28, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

2. Harvey Washington Wiley, M.D.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 24, 2022

2. Harvey Washington Wiley, M.D. Marker

Wiley's crusade for national food and drug regulation earned him the title of "Father of the Pure Food and Drugs Act" when it became law in 1906. (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) (Submitted on September 28, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

3. Food Testing in 1902 Featured a Bow Tie-Clad ‘Poison Squad’ Eating Plates of Acid. Every time we peek at the mile-long list of ingredients in a packaged muffin, and note that chalk is not one of them, we owe our thanks to the young men who bravely swallowed poisonous additives on behalf of American consumers. (Natalie Zarrelli, Gastro Obscura, posted Aug. 30, 2016) (Submitted on September 28, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Harvey Washington Wiley, M.D. image. Click for full size.

Unknown via U.S. Food and Drug Administration (Public Domain)

3. Harvey Washington Wiley, M.D.

Credits. This page was last revised on August 24, 2024. It was originally submitted on September 28, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 413 times since then and 25 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 28, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.