George, Rebecca, and Andrew Hartley

George and Rebecca [Richards] Hartley, with their son Andrew.

Taken about the time they immigrated from England to America in 1889.

Doan's Pills

This story is about my great-grandparents George and Rebecca [Richards] Hartley. I found several old newspaper articles that featured my great-grandparents endorsing a medical product called Doan's Pills. The name of the product sounded so familiar to me, but I couldn't place it. What are Doan's Pills? I kept digging. (See the Wikipedia article on Patent medicine.)

I had no idea George and Rebecca were part of the medical industry's marketing. George was a jeweler and watch maker by trade. After I found several of their product endorsements for Doan's Pills in the newspapers, I had to include the story in the family history. I love to use photos to help make the stories come alive, so I went searching on Ebay.com for an old Doan's Pills bottle that I could buy. I was lucky and won the bid for the little bottle.

Ogden Standard Examiner
1906-1908

I can imagine my great-grandparents going into the local drug store and buying their Doan's Pills as part of their weekly trip into town. I knew they grew a garden, so I wonder what else they bought while they were in town. I wonder even more how they got involved in the marketing of Doan's Pills.

A Reputation

How It Was Made and Retained in Ogden

  A good reputation is not easily earned and it was only by hard, consistent work among our citizens that Doan's Kidney Pills won their way to the proud distinction attained in this locality. The public endorsement of scores of Ogden residents has rendered invaluable service to the community. Read what this citizen says:
  George Hartley of 2806 Adams ave., Ogden, Utah, says: "Mrs. Hartley has used Doan's Kidney Pills with great success in the treatment of kidney complaint and backache. Upon the advice of a friend we procured this remedy at W. S. Badcon's drug store and in a short time we found that Doan's Kidney Pills lived up to the representations made for them in every particular. We can recommend them as the best kidney remedy we ever knew of and believe that they will do more for that trouble than anything else procurable."
  For sale by all dealers. Price 50 cents. Foster-Milburn Co., Buffalo, New York, sole agents for the United States.
  Remember the name - Doan's - and take no other. (This advertisement, published in The Ogden Standard Examiner, was repeated throughout the year during 1906, 1907, and 1908. Similar advertisements appeared in The Box Elder News during 1912. See Utah Digital Newspapers online for copies of the newspaper articles.)

Jane Milnes 1885 Funeral Card

Jane Milnes, died 3 Jan 1885, buried 6 Jan 1885 (age 16)

Kirkheaton, West Yorkshire, England. Daughter of George and Sarah Milnes.

Farewell, farewell, my parents dear,

Brother and sister kind,

And my companions whom I loved,

I leave you all behind.

To me you all were kind and true,

While here on earth I dwelt with you,

Then do not mourn you've done your best,

You kindly loved me to the last.

This funeral card was originally owned by my mother's uncle, Elton Hartley. Elton was the family genealogist for the George and Rebecca Hartley Family Organization until his death. Elton lived in Utah and throughout his years of research, he corresponded with family members in England about the genealogy. Many family members sent him photos, funeral cards, newspaper clippings, and details of vital records in their correspondence. This funeral card is just one of many in Elton's collection which was handed down to his daughter after his passing. I have had the privilege of making digital copies of all the records for preservation purposes, thanks to his daughter Lola.

I scanned an entire notebook of old letters and research notes that were collected by my great-grandfather Andrew Hartley and his son Elton Hartley (my grandmother's brother). Total pages scanned was about 200 sheets of paper.

My favorite letters were the ones written in response to an ad in the local newspaper for Bradford, Yorkshire, England. The ads were placed by Elton Hartley, looking for cousins who descended from the same ancestral families, the Hartley, Richards, or Wadsworth families. I think it's amazing how quickly people responded to queries in the newspaper about the search for his ancestors.

Written 14 Aug 1951