A construction crew in West Nyack recently uncovered a century-old pharmacy bottle, still filled with its original contents, while working nine feet beneath a busy road. According to CBS News New York, Clarkstown Supervisor George Hoehmann confirmed that the glass relic bore the name C.R. Christy, a pharmacist whose establishment graced Broadway Street in the early 1900s.
The surprise find led to speculation about the contents, which remain a mystery. Despite the vehicle's countless which might have passes over its burial site, the bottle’s cork, cotton wick, and chemicals were still intact, according to the same source. Joe Barbieri, a history expert from the New City Library, suggested in an interview with CBS News New York that this bottle is a tangible link to history, saying, "It's just an amazing find, I mean this is something that we can talk about history, and we can back it up with the newspaper articles, but it's so cool to have an artifact that you can see and even touch."
The bottle's discovery coincided with a revitalization project, as stated by News 12 Westchester. Hoehmann shared with them the importance of the hamlet's history, deeming the artifact, likely over a century old, a remarkable preservation. The New City Library contributed by providing advertisements from the pharmacy, including one for a product labeled a 'Miracle Elixir'—believed to assist in tobacco cessation and cough relief.
Also unearthed during the revamp was horse manure and vestiges of the historic Nyack Turnpike, which once was used as travel roads, indicating the area's layered past. Hoehmann mused on the bottle's fabled contents based on advertisements, "there's some advertisements about a 'Miracle Elixir' that will help you stop chewing tobacco and will help you get over coughing" as told to News 12 Westchester. The town is contemplating testing the contents, and the bottle is slated for display at the Town Hall.
