From the materials I have been given to read in regards to Chief Two Moon, I was very impressed with his ability to be a mover and shaker in his time. It was very interesting to read that an Indian from South Dakata of the Oglala Lakota tribe came to Atlantic City, opened an establishment on the boardwalk and became famous.
Chief Two Moon Meridas founded an herb business, which made
him a very rich man. It made me smile when I read that he became wealthy
and had many successful businesses and a three hundred acre estate in Connecticut.
( I have always had an interest in the American Indians, due to
the fact that my own father's family were from the Cherokee Nation and
were mixed with the Chickasaw and Chippewa Nations. This was because they
were forced to live on the same reservations and they inter-married.) So
to read that a true American Indian made such a splash in business and
with the leaders of the world was very impressive indeed!
The information supplied to me by Tom Fillius, proved to be very interesting reading. This Chief was made the Supreme Chief of the tribe at the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota on August 6, 1930 before eight thousand Indians. Can you imagine that back in 1930? What a sight that must of been. What a beautiful documentary that could have been made. Chief Two Moon had his own airplane that dropped sales leaflets in various parts of the country alerting his customers of his pending arrival. His sales staff was made up of other Indians who would travel the country on sales promotions for him.
As stated by Tom Fillius, " During that time period, many drug store windows were lavishly decorated with his herbal advertising materials. He also had a mail order business and shipped his potions all over the world. He was also known for his many philanthropic endeavors."
At a time when our country was in a depression, an American Indian was making his business a profitable enterprise. Chief Two Moon had a large laboratory manned by technicians in Waterbury, Connecticut, a rather large bottling plant. This famous man traveled to Europe in the later part of 1930 as an international representative of the Lakota Nation. He received a private audience with Pope Piux XI, and was hailed by the foreign medical community for his great medical vision and healing powers.
Chief Two Moon had planned on moving his entire operation to Atlantic City, but this never materialized. He died at the age of forty-five in November of 1933. He is buried at Hillside Cemetery in Rosyln, Pennsylvania.
I want to thank Tom Fillius for his insight and information on Chief Two Moon. What his own personal interest is, I am not sure. He has certainly investigated this marvelous man to an intensive degree and has supplied photos to document his work. I will be trying to put his photos on this page for your enjoyment. They are old and will need a little care in doing so. Please be patient and they will follow.
Without people like Tom Fillius, much of our community information and history might be lost forever. Thank you for caring about the past.
