These nuggets of Upjohn history were distributed via Larry Reeves to everyone on the Pfizer Kalamazoo manufacturing site QTS broadcast emails as "Jeremy's Corner" starting in 2019. Thank you, Larry!

Corner #10 - For many years, what we now call API was known as "Tin City". The reason for that name is most off the buildings south and east of the power house were pole barn structures that had tin walls and rooves. Throughout its corporate existence, Upjohn sponsored many teams that played different sports against other in-house teams and teams from other local companies. City leagues were a huge deal. The Tin City softball team jersey below was used by Darrell Plough. His Upjohn team was a powerhouse in the summer softball leagues during the 70’s and 80’s.They won 71 consecutive league games and the season ending tournaments 9 straight seasons, all undefeated. They also won the State Industrial League Championship in 1979. The Upjohn Company chartered the team an Indian Trails bus to Virginia Beach, Virginia to compete in the national industrial tournament.

Corner #9 - The Upjohn Portage site was fully opened in 1951 after 5 years of construction on a 1500 acre site. The total project cost was $31,626,00. The company was tremendously proud of the new manufacturing plant and produced a number of publicity materials, including this spiral-bound handout. It summarized Upjohn Company operations including research programs. One of the photos in it, showing the north-west corner of Building 41, is shown below.

Corner #8 - Here's the latest addition to my bottle collection. Upjohn manufactured this Sore Throat tablet product from 1907 to 1948. I can't see a batch number on the label so this particular bottle was likely made before 1910, making it over 110 years old. You can see on the label it's a crazy mixture of ingredients, including Belladonna and Mercury. Patients had to be really tough back then. Seriously. The main ingredient is 1 grain of acetanilid (1 grain is 65mg). In the body, acetanilide is mostly converted to acetaminophen but excessive or prolonged of acetinalid is toxic because it interferes with the function of hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying component in your blood. Thankfully when we have a sore throat today we can take medication that doesn't hurt us more than it helps!

Corner #7 - The Upjohn Company was founded by W.E.Upjohn and two of his brothers in 1886. W.E. bought some property north of Augusta for a summer home and named it Brook Lodge. In the 1950s the property was given to the company and turned into a conference center. I've got a lot of information about it on the Upjohn website at this link. I remember attending many scientific seminars and forums there during the 1980s and 90s. Brook Lodge was noted for its immaculate landscaping, excellent food and an open bar. Pharmacia & Upjohn donated the site to MSU in 2000 for use as an event center. Alas, MSU couldn't make a go of it and eventually closed it. Brook Lodge has sat empty ever since. It almost became a marijuana-growing operation in 2019 but that fell through. A couple of months ago I was driving by and stopped to take some photos over the fence. The caretaker noticed me and I persuaded him to let me roam the grounds. Here is Brook Lodge in 2020.

Corner #6 - A program for service anniversary awards began at Upjohn in January 1947. These first awards were pins as shown below. The buildings cast into the pins are the Downtown Kalamazoo manufacturing tower and the company headquarters building. These pins are solid gold but are smaller than a penny. At todays prices each pin has about twenty dollars worth of gold.  The number of stars and the small jewel mean a certain number of years of service, as shown below. Fifteen years later in 1962 the pins were phased out and replaced by larger rectangular gold pins. Not many of these old pins have survived into 2019 but there are half a dozen in the hands of local Upjohn collectors. There's more information on service awards at this link.

Corner #5 - Here's a postcard from 109 years ago showing an Upjohn baseball team in 1910. Every company in town back in that era fielded numerous sports teams for both men and women. City leagues ensured real competition and winning a trophy was serious bragging rights in the community. Upjohn-sponsored sports teams continued right up into the 1990s. Written on the back of the postcard is that this photo was taken on college grounds, which could be either K College or WMU.