By Christine Lorraine Morgan, April 15, 2026

One of Erie’s first really famous individuals was Dr. Samuel J. Carter. He was a pioneer as one of Erie’s early residents, and he was also a pioneer in his profession as a doctor.

Not only was he one of Erie’s first pharmacy owners, he created the “little liver pill” that brought him national renown. And he was one of the first doctors in the country to hold a pharmacological patent.

As of 1820, Dr. Carter’s store was located at 21 North Park Row, and the first pills he sold to his patients were hand rolled and counted. As his medicatons’ success grew from both word-of-mouth and popular results, Carter’s pill operation was expanded into a manufacturing process that allowed him a wide distribution.

The “Carters” sign can be seen atop this building in downtown Erie, PA at 21 North Park Row.

Dr. Carter’s pill production was so successful that it became a household concept. 

For example, if Johnny collected baseballs and owned a lot of them, one might have said that Johnny had more baseballs “than Carter has pills.” This phrase was still said into the mid-20th century as Carter’s.

In 1959 the U.S. government ordered Dr. Carter’s company owners to stop referring to the pills as “liver” medicine, and they were rebranded as “Carter’s Little Pills.” As of 2001 “Carter’s Laxative” was still on the market.

The famous ad for Carter’s Little Liver Pills.