Blast from the past

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csantee@journalnet.com

CHESTERFIELD -- Judy and Larren Nelson proudly sell Dr. Kwackly's Snake Oil in the historic Nathan Barlow Log Store.

The red concoction cures any ailment -- or so they say at least. It's good for vapors and worms, and it grows hair overnight.

"It makes cats bark and dogs purr," Judy said. "It makes old men young and women frisky."

Near the bottom of the label is the disclaimer "not responsible for results."

The store is one of several buildings that have been restored in the Mormon Pioneer Village, located on the Oregon Trail. Founded in 1881, the original Chesterfield town site was abandoned by the mid-1950. It remained a ghost town until 1990, when it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Nelsons got involved in 2003, after Larren retired from teaching woodworking classes in Riverside, Calif. and the couple relocated to Idaho Falls. Judy's great-grandfather, Denmark Jensen, had built a log home in Chesterfield, and they decided to restore it.

After spending a couple of summers doing that, they began fixing up the old Barlow store and have operated it for the past two years, from May through early September. The store sells items only available before 1916, including Coca-Cola in 1897 style bottles, sarsaparilla, penny candy, quilts, jams and jellies made by local women, a cookbook filled with recipes of Chesterfield residents and wooden toys built by Larren, among many other things. And of course, don't forget snake oil -- apple cider with a "secret" ingredient in reality. They claim the formula has been closely guarded for 300 years.

"We can have plain Hershey bars because they came out in 1905, but we can't have them with almonds because they came out in 1922," Judy said, adding that the top selling product is huckleberry soda.

She said a young boy recently came into the store with a penny wondering what he could buy. At least when it comes to penny candy, the store's prices are also in line with the times. The boy was amazed when Judy told him it would get him three pieces.

He chose two of one kind and one of another.

"I'd never seen anyone split a penny before," Judy said.

All of the store's proceeds go toward restoring historic Chesterfield.

By Casey Santee

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