Whatever Happened To The Door-To-Door Watkins Salesman

Door-to-door salespeople were a normal sight during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, especially in rural areas. Back when you could still get your milk delivered fresh via the milkman, one such salesperson from the Watkins company, colloquially known as the Watkins Man, would stop by regularly, bringing along a large leather sales case with a slew of product samples ranging from vanilla extract to cough syrup. In the 1940s, the company had more than 10,000 salespeople selling 200 products, making it the biggest door-to-door sales company in the world at the time, with branches everywhere from Australia to England. And it all started with one man, a Midwesterner named Joseph Ray Watkins.

Back in 1868, Watkins began mixing up his natural pain reliever, a red liniment, in a barrel in his kitchen. At first, he delivered it to neighbors by wheelbarrow before eventually making enough money to buy a horse and wagon. By the 1890s, he established his growing company in Winona, Minnesota, and began expanding his product line and team of salespeople. Watkins died a wealthy man in 1911. But problems with the company later arose, including a spendthrift successor, shifting consumer preferences, and a stubborn unwillingness to accept women salespeople, which all negatively impacted the business. By the mid-20th century, the age of the Watkins Man was nearly over. 

J.R. Watkins' family continued to run his sprawling door-to-door business until 1964, and by 1978, the company had declared bankruptcy. Yet, the Watkins' brand is still very much alive. Many companies that have managed to survive for more than a century have had to be nimble. Like the Wrigley Company, which started out selling baking powder before becoming a candy giant, Watkins had to transform itself. The company changed hands, altered its sales tactics, and split into two separate entities. J.R. Watkins is focused on personal and home care products, and the Watkins Company is dedicated to cooking seasonings like spices and extracts, making them a competitor of another giant American company that owns your favorite condiment brands, McCormick.

Today, you'll find Watkins' spices and extracts at local brick-and-mortar stores and online. Interestingly, Watkins still has a vestigial link to its roots via a home-based business program that allows people to become independent consultants. Still, it's doubtful you're going to open your front door to someone with a firm handshake and leather satchel full of Watkins' products these days.