ChapStick was invented in Lynchburg, Virginia

ChapStickPhoto byPrune Page/Wikipedia Screenshot

Some people all over the country use ChapStick. Although it was invented in Virginia, few Virginians know It was invented in their state.

ChapStick history

ChapStick is one of the most impressive and ubiquitous Virginia inventions. If you use it, you should thank Dr. Charles Browne Fleet, a physician from Lynchburg, Virginia who invented ChapStick as a lip balm product in the late 1890s.

The handmade product, which resembled a wickless candle wrapped in tin foil, was sold locally but unsuccessful.

ChapStick today

In 1912, Dr. Fleet sold his ingredients to John Morton, a colleague, for only $5. Morton and his wife experimented with the ingredients in their kitchen. Mrs. Morton suggested using brass tubes to mold the ChapStick into the form we recognize today.

The new packaging led to success, and sales of the product soared. The business was relocated from the Mortons' home to a new Morton's Manufacturing factory off Hudson Street.

In 1936, Mr. Morton asked the commercial artist and Lynchburg native Frank B. Wright, Jr. to design the ChapStick logo. He did it for a one-time for of $15.

Today, ChapStick remains one of the most recognizable products from the United States. In 1996, it made nearly $63 million in revenues. Many believe that Mr. Morton made one of the most successful investments ever.