Chapstick Was Invented In The Charming Town Of Lynchburg, Virginia In The 1800s
Chapstick is perhaps one of the most widely recognized household names in the U.S. In fact, it’s one of those brand names whose name is synonymous with the actual product. “Do you carry Chapstick?” is essentially the same question as “Do you carry any lip balm?” Few people realize that Chapstick was actually invented right here in Virginia. Despite the product’s unconventional beginning, we owe a lot to Dr. Charles Browne Fleet and the town of Lynchburg for pioneering this product.
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Lynchburg, Virginia is filled with history and surrounded by natural beauty. Yet few people realize this mountain town is the birthplace of Chapstick.
Sometime during the late 1890s, a man by the name of Dr. Charles Browne Fleet, notoriously known as a “pharmacological tinker," created the original Chapstick formula.
A trained pharmacist, Dr. Browne could often be found working away at his office on Main Street. He was dedicated to finding products that would improve the lives of his patients.
Ironically, Dr. Fleet was never able to make his Chapstick profitable. The amount of effort that it took to create the product himself simply wasn't lucrative.
Photographed above is a group of workers at Morton Manufacturing assembling Chapstick tubes in 1961.
Needless to say, Mr. Morton jumped at the opportunity. He and his wife experimented with the ingredients they had been given. It was Mrs. Morton who had the idea to use brass tubes to mold the Chapstick into the form we recognize today.
The new packaging led to success, and sales of the product soared. The business was relocated from the Mortons' home to a new factory: Morton's Manufacturing off of Hudson Street.
The familiar Chapstick logo is also rooted in local history. In 1936, Mr. Morton asked the commercial artist and Lynchburg native Frank B. Wright, Jr. to design the product logo.
Today, Chapstick remains one of the most recognizable products to come from the U.S. In 1996, Chapstick made nearly $63 million in revenues. Many believe that Mr. Morton made one of the most successful investments of all time.
For more information on the history, you can click here. Did you realize that Chapstick was invented in Lynchburg, Virginia? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below! For related content, be sure to check out this list of famous inventions from Virginia.
A lifelong Virginia resident, Beth loves exploring different parts of the world and currently resides in Alexandria. She holds a degree in English Literature and one of her short stories has been featured in the Shenandoah Review. Other interests include hiking, songwriting, and spending time in the mountains.
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