Miles Labs

NARRATOR: This Indiana Bicentennial minute is made possible by the Indiana Historical Society and the law firm of Krieg DeVault.

PAULEY: In 1884, if you needed to cure a headache, calm your nerves or get some sleep, Nervine from Dr. Miles was the medicine you wanted and that’s how Dr. Franklin Miles of Elkhart started Miles Labs.

Advertisements are shown of various medicines like Nervine were shown. A picture of Dr. Franklin Miles is then shown.

PAULEY: The company would introduce products like One-a-day vitamins, Bactine, and in 1931, Alka-Seltzer which still is one of the world’s top selling products. Aided by clever marketing featuring an animated speedy Alka-Seltzer and jingles like, “Plop, Plop, Fizz, Fizz.” Miles Lab would employ over 2,000 people in Elkhart.

Videos of the Alka-Seltzer advertisement and then images of the factory workers in the Miles lab are shown.

PAULEY: The company was sold to Germany’s Bayer in 1978 and eventually moved out of Indiana causing not only headaches but heartaches for Elkhart, Indiana’s 15th largest city.

NARRATOR: This Indiana Bicentennial minute is made possible by the Indiana Historical Society and the law firm of Krieg DeVault.