Historians are tracing the financial connections of E. Virgil Neal's early 20th-century business empire, focusing on how he used the Neal Biscuit Company to sell digestion aids while keeping it insulated from his other fraudulent schemes.
On Stuff You Missed in History Class, host Holly Frey detailed the operations of the company, explaining that "E. Virgil Neal was also running a food manufacturing business at the same time that Force of Life was operating. This one was called Neal Biscuit Company, and it manufactured foods that were marketed as digestion aids."
While many of his ventures collapsed under legal pressure, this particular biscuit company managed to steer clear of the courtroom. However, Holly Frey pointed out that it wasn't entirely isolated, noting that "it did have ties to the New York Food and Chemical Company"—the very same entity that prominent New Yorkers invested in to manufacture medications for the other venture. As she put it, "these things were kind of connected."
With early 20th-century patent medicines and bizarre food startups finding a second life as favorite topics for history podcasters, the legacy of the Neal Biscuit Company serves as a textbook example of how historical grifters structured their empires. Expect more deep dives into how these early wellness brands laid the groundwork for modern regulatory battles.