Rochester in Oakland County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
1907-1917
Photographed by Joel Seewald, October 22, 2022
1. 1907-1917 Marker
1907 The Detroit pharmaceutical firm of Parke, Davis & Co. purchased property east of Rochester for its farms, where antitoxins, antiserums and vaccines were produced. The farms used many animals in the production of its antiserums, including horses, cattle and sheep.
During World War I, vital antitoxins for gangrene were produced, and Parke-Davis' main pharmaceutical products were vaccines for diphtheria, scarlet fever, tetanus, anthrax and smallpox. Beginning in 1953, Parke-Davis produced the Salk polio vaccine.
Parke-Davis was acquired by Warner-Lambert in 1970, which in turn was bought by Pfizer in 2000. In 2014, Par Sterile Products moved into the site after a series of pharmaceutical corporate acquisitions. The company currently employs 430 people and is the fifth largest generic pharmaceutical company in the country.
Parke-Davis was once the world's largest pharmaceutical company, and is credited with building the first modern pharmaceutical laboratory and developing the first systematic methods of performing clinical trials of new medications.
Dedicated by:
Jeffrey, Karen,
this page online
August 2017
"Nec minus fortiter"
Erected 2017.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1907.
Location. 42° 41.029′ N, 83° 8.21′ W. Marker is in Rochester, Michigan, in Oakland County. It can be reached from Sixth Street. Marker is in Rochester Municipal Park at the southeast end near Pine Street between the parking lot and the pond. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 400 Sixth Street, Rochester MI 48307, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Michigan and in Greater Detroit. It is also in the American Midwest and on the Great Lakes. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: 1897-1907 (here, next to this marker); 1917-1927 (here, next to this marker); 1887-1897 (here, next to this marker); 1927-1937 (here, next to this marker);
Photographed by Joel Seewald, October 22, 2022
2. 1907-1917 Marker
Photographed by Joel Seewald, October 22, 2022
3. Rochester Golden Bicentennial Monument plaque
Marker is part of the Rochester Golden Bicentennial Monument.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 6, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 5, 2023, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. This page has been viewed 273 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 5, 2023, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.
