THE WAUPACA COUNTY POST

November 29, 1990

 

WHEN THEN WAS NOW

By Wayne A. Guyant

 

George H. Calkins was a great grandson of John Calkins, a yeoman of New York, a liberty-loving patriot who took up arms against he British to save the American cause.

John Calkins, the grandfather, married Jane Eyre and they had a family of eight children.  Varanes Calkins, who was one of these eight children, married Betsey Utter, and they had two children.  George H. Calkins, who was one of the two children, is the subject of this article. He was born April 21, 1830, at Castle (Wyoming County), N.Y.

Varanes Calkins, the father, was a farmer.  He left New York and moved to Maryland in 1852, and settled on a farm just outside Washington.  Two years later he moved to Delavan, Wis., and then on to Waupaca.  He died here December 18, 1867, and is buried in the Waupaca Lakeside Memorial Park in the family plot.  Betsey, his wife, died July 10, 1880.  There is no marker, but I would presume that she would be buried beside her husband.

Young George remained on the farm until he was 18 years of age, attending school at every opportunity.  He was undecided for a time as to which profession he would pursue, law or medicine.

In 1849, George Calkins went to work in the office of Dr. J. B. Stanton at Ellicottsville, Cattaraugus County, N.Y.  He remained there for the next five years in the drug store.  G. H. Calkins was married March 18, 1852, to Miss Caroline L. Jenkins.  She was born February 5, 1834, a daughter of John and Rachel (Greene) Jenkins.  Rachel’s mother was a close relative of the brilliant Gen. Nathaniel Green of Revolutionary War fame.

He received his diploma at Buffalo, N.Y., in 1856, and stayed there for some time in the college and hospital, becoming Dr. George H. Calkins.

Dr. Calkins came to Waupaca and opened his office in 1857, and built up a very successful practice, making many friends throughout his years of practice.

            In 1863, during the Civil War, Dr. G. H. Calkins enlisted in the Army as a contract surgeon, doing hospital duty.  He was commissioned assistant surgeon of the 37^th Wisconsin Infantry.  On May 12, 1864, he took charge of the Harvey Branch Hospital at Camp Randall in Madison and served until the end of the Civil War.

            In 1874 Dr. Calkins became a candidate for State Assembly and was elected by a large majority, serving for two years.  Besides his lovely home in Waupaca, he owned property at the Chain o’ Lakes.  On his property on Sunset Lake he built a building for a bottling house.  Early history called this Hick’s Lake after the early landholder.

            Dr. Calkins was the owner of the celebrated “Shealtiel Mineral Springs,” whose sparkling waters were free from organic matter and sulphate of lime, had won a wide reputation and was shipped to all parts of the county.  It being remarkably free from solid matter, it acted as a tonic solvent when taken as a beverage, and for many of the ailments of mankind.

            Shealtiel was a Biblical name for a pure water spring meaning, “Asked of God.”  Dr. Calkins had the water chemically analyzed and he realized the potential of this pure water.  It became the only water served at the Grand View Hotel on Rainbow Lake.  It also became the base of many soft drinks manufactured by Dr. G. H. Calkins at his factory near the springs.

            His products were bottled in glass bottles with the words “Shealtiel Mineral Springs, Waupaca, Wis.,” that was molded in raised letters on the bottles.  He allowed the townspeople the benefit of the Shealtiel water.  They could come with their containers and fill them up, free of charge.  The spring still exists in 1990, but it has been capped over for many years.  If you were to take a ride on a boat cruise on the northeast corner of Sunset Lake you could see the gazebo which shelters these springs

            Dr. Calkin’s advertisement read, “Shealtiel Mineral Springs at the Chain O’ Lakes, three miles west of Waupaca, the purest water in the world, palatable, acts agreeable on the system and cures where medicine fails.”

            A home testimony dated May 6, 1884:  “Having ourselves used and received benefit from Dr. G. H. Calkins Shealtiel Mineral Springs water, and believe that it possesses rare medical qualities, we gladly subscribe our names as recommending the same.  M. L. Skinner, J. W. McCormick, J. O. Scott, A. J. Poll, Mrs. G. L. Lord, Mrs. P. Gurley, Mrs. M. J. Nordvi, J. J. Demarest, W. H. Noys, F. L. King, F. D. Randall, Merrick T. Allen, H. C. Beadleson and J. W. Bemis.”

            Dr. G. H. Calkins passed away June 24, 1896 and is buried in the Waupaca Lakeside Memorial Park in the family lot.

            His famous seltzer, ginger ale and birch beer, among other kinds of drinks, were all made from pure Shealtiel water.