Todd in Ashe County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
R. T. Greer & Company Root and Herb Warehouse
circa 1918
— Todd Historic District —
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 24, 2023
1. R. T. Greer & Company Root and Herb Warehouse Marker
National Register of Historic Places
Erected 2004 by Ashe County Historical Society • Todd Community Preservation Organization.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Architecture. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1918.
Location. 36° 16.613′ N, 81° 33.239′ W. Marker is in Todd, North Carolina, in Ashe County. Marker is at the intersection of Railroad Grade Road and Cranberry Springs Road (State Road 1100) on Railroad Grade Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 7181 Railroad Grade Rd, Todd NC 28684, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Todd Historic District (approx. 3.2 miles away); Todd Mercantile Building (approx. 3.2 miles away); Bank of Todd (approx. 3.2 miles away); Post Office (Former) (approx. 3.2 miles away); Ford Garage (approx. 3.2 miles away); Blackburns' Chapel/Todd United Methodist Church (approx. 3.3 miles away); Elkland Depot (approx. 3.3 miles away); Stoneman's Raid (approx. 4.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Todd.
Regarding R. T. Greer & Company Root and Herb Warehouse.
this page online
The root and herb warehouse in Brownwood [now Todd] was built about 1918 for Riley T. (R.T.) Greer of Marion, Virginia. Greer had purchased the lots the building occupied (lots 9-14 of Block B) from J.S. Brown on October 25, 1918. …
Greer's company thrived, selling crude botanicals to "top-name" pharmaceutical companies such as Eli Lilly, Parke-Davis, Wilcox, McKesson, Robbins, and Rexall. Sassafras was sold to the manufacturer of other products such as Hires root beer. Ginseng was shipped to China by the firm and other herbs were marketed to Germany.
… The herb industry had increased steadily through the Depression, but declined significantly after 1945. The introduction of penicillin and synthetic drugs during World War II prompted the decline of the herb market and likely precipitated the closure of the Ashe County branch warehouse.…
In 1945, the Brownwood warehouse closed and was sold for five hundred dollars …
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker.
Also see . . .
1. R. T. Greer and Company Root and Herb Warehouse (PDF). National Register nomination for the building, which was listed in 2003. (National Archives) (Submitted on July 20, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 24, 2023
2. R. T. Greer & Company Root and Herb Warehouse Marker
2. For Allergy Sufferers, Relief Begins at N.C. Firm. Greer Laboratories, founded in 1906 by Elizabeth White’s grandfather, R. T. Greer, started by selling roots and herbs to pharmaceutical manufacturers. After World War II, it began making extracts. (Associated Press via Los Angeles Times, posted March 3, 1985) (Submitted on July 20, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
3. About Us | History. Timeline of Greer Laboratories (successor to R.T. Greer and Company) and Stallergenes, a French vaccine manufacturer, which merged to form Stallergenes Greer in 2015. (Stallergenes Greer) (Submitted on July 20, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Credits. This page was last revised on July 28, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 20, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 113 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 20, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
