page_title: The Centaur Company
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: The Centaur Company / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Two Fletcher's Castoria Bottles, plus rubbings of the signature and product name in png format.
context_page_description: The Centaur Company, founded in 1871, owned and marketed proprietary medicines, notably, the stimulant laxative Fletcher's Castoria and the ointment Centaur Liniment. The company is historically significant in that it was a driving force during the early development of mass marketing and advertising.
context_section_description: In 1871, The Centaur Company was formed by Charles Henry Fletcher at 80 Varick Street, New York City to purchase the rights to and manufacture the laxative Pitcher's Castoria, renamed Fletcher's Castoria after the founder.  Together with Demas Barnes and Joseph B. Rose who had purchased the formula for Centaur Liniment that same year, manufacturing began.
  In 1923 Sterling Drug purchased a 1/4 interest in The Centaur Company and eventually purchased the entire company. 
  In 1934, the Centaur Company Division of Sterling Products (later called Sterling Drug) purchased Z.B.T. products from the Crystal Corporation. 
  In 1984, Sterling Drug sold Centaur's raison d'être product, Fletcher's Castoria, to Mentholatum Co Inc.
  The Centaur-Caldwell division of Sterling Drug also owned the marketing rights to Dr. William B. Caldwell's "Syrup Pepsin", manufactured in Monticello, Illinois, until the factory closed in 1985.
caption: Two Fletcher's Castoria Bottles, plus rubbings of the signature and product name.
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