Hancock, Delaware County

The fading ghost sign for Fletcher’s Castoria, a well known stomach remedy, can be found in Hancock, New York. The full sign reads “Children Cry for Cha. H. Fletcher’s Castoria.”

Fletcher’s Castoria, was originally created in 1868 by Dr. Samuel Pitcher (1824-1907), patented that same year and was then sold under the name Pitcher’s Castoria. Pitcher was a Massachusetts resident, doctor and graduate of both the Philadelphia College of Medicine and Harvard Medical School. The rights to the product were sold several years later in 1871 to Charles Henry Fletcher and the product was renamed to Fletcher’s Castoria. The product was then mass-marketed and turned out to be hugely popular. Today, nearly 1 ½ centuries later, the product continues to be sold, now under the name Fletcher’s Laxative for Kids.