Northside in Ann Arbor in Washtenaw County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
The Clairvoyant Physician
Dr. Daniel Kellogg's Building, 1874 and 1920s
Photographed by J.T. Lambrou, December 27, 2024
1. The Clairvoyant Physician Marker
In 1865 Lower Town's most unusual citizen, Dr. Daniel B. Kellogg, a "clairvoyant physician," purchased the building to your right which then had four stories. Kellogg was a medium who performed his medical wizardry by "communicating" through the disembodied spirits of two Native American medicine men, Walapaca and Owosso. During trances, Kellogg claimed to see patients' internal organs in glowing electric tints. Letters arrived from all over the country seeking his aid. All that was needed for a mail order diagnosis was the patient's name, age, address and the usual fee. To answer the demand for Daniel's cures, he and his brother Leverett marketed a line of family medicines, which included Kellogg's Liver Invigorator and Kellogg's Magic Red Drops. After Daniel died in 1876, Leverett continued the patent medicine business. Daniel's son Albert served as the new medium.
[Captions:]
Dr. Kellogg purchased and expanded this 1830s house at Moore and Traver, a block to your right. The mineral water from the well in the front yard, high in iron and sulfur, was bottled and sold for its curative properties.
In this letter from 1872, Dr. Kellogg advised his patient: "I find you improved and gradually getting better and I am confident I can cure you and today send you a good compound and one which will help you - still you will need more when this is employed. Let me again hear from you when necessary."
Erected by Hazel
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Science & Medicine. A significant historical year for this entry is 1865.
Location. 42° 17.356′ N, 83° 44.365′ W. Marker is in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in Washtenaw County. It is in Northside. It is at the intersection of Broadway Street and Swift Street, on the left when traveling north on Broadway Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1001 Broadway Street, Ann Arbor MI 48105, 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: The Underground Railroad (a few steps from this marker); The Center of Power And Transportation (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Lower Town's Flour Mills (about 300 feet away); Early Power and Transportation
Photographed by J.T. Lambrou, December 27, 2024
2. The Clairvoyant Physician Marker
This marker is the one on the far right.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 15, 2025. It was originally submitted on May 3, 2025, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. This page has been viewed 199 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 3, 2025, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
