Chehalis Fire Department investigator Derrick Paul said one of the substances found and tested in the home was Watkins Liniment lotion, a pain-relief ointment. Paul said there was a large amount ...

J.R. (Joseph Ray) Watkins, the itinerant Watkins liniment salesman, got his start in Stearns County. It is believed that he began manufacturing his product in the basement of his home in Maine ...

In 1868, 28-year-old Joseph Ray Watkins concocted a mixture of camphor, spruce oil, extract of capsicum and other ingredients, bottled it, and set off looking for customers. Watkins had unusual ...