This has another Battle Creek connection. Frank J. Kellogg was not related to either W.K. Kellogg (whose cereal used to be made in Battle Creek) or Dr. John Harvey Kellogg (whose 'biologic living' was ridiculed in the 2% accurate "Road to Wellville"). He sold a combination of laxatives and thyroid extracts by mail as a "obesity cure" and became one of Battle Creek's first millionaires - and was noteworthy for tying up the divorce courts so much that the Michigan Supreme Court annulled one of them, citing that the couple "deserved each other."
It took forever (it seemed) to track down a photograph of this Civil War supply sergeant-turned medical entrepreneur. One emerged when this letter fell from the insides of a wall being torn out during a home remodel in Battle Creek. It also gives an idea of how he did business AND how he was very, very proud of his signature.
The "Professor" is a title he bestowed upon himself.
There's an article about his life and times, and multiple marriages, at this site: The Kellogg Who Would Be King (shameless self-promotion alert - I wrote it!)
It took forever (it seemed) to track down a photograph of this Civil War supply sergeant-turned medical entrepreneur. One emerged when this letter fell from the insides of a wall being torn out during a home remodel in Battle Creek. It also gives an idea of how he did business AND how he was very, very proud of his signature.
The "Professor" is a title he bestowed upon himself.
There's an article about his life and times, and multiple marriages, at this site: The Kellogg Who Would Be King (shameless self-promotion alert - I wrote it!)
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