YEAR 1850
Sheffield Laboratories was started in 1850 by Dr. Washington Wentworth Sheffield, a prominent dental surgeon and chemist in New London, Connecticut. He was a direct descendant of Amos Sheffield, who came to North Stonington, Connecticut from Sheffield, England in 1630.

INVENTOR OF TOOTHPASTE
In 1850, at the age of 23, Dr. Sheffield invented the world's first toothpaste, a formula that was manufactured in a small laboratory at 170 Broad Street, the actual site of the Sheffield factory today. It is given to but few to attain the eminence in their vocations that Dr. Sheffield has in his profession, and his practice has been one of the largest and most successful ever received by a New England dentist. For some time, in his private practice, he had been using the preparation now known to the world as Creme Dentifrice, and with such single and pleasing results that the demand prompted its making on a larger scale. This led to the erection of the laboratory on Waller Street, and, quickly following the preparation being placed on the market and its qualities becoming known, a marked increase in the demand was felt. Creme Dentifrice is unlike any other dental preparation in the market; it has been used in caring for the teeth by most critical people for years, and always with the best results. It is absolutely harmless and while not intended as a "cure-all", it has many valuable properties other than the one mentioned. This, however, is only one of the laboratory's preparations, and as an adjunct to it, the Elixir Balm is most valuable for healing, hardening and strengthening the gums as well as giving sweetness and purity to the breath. When it is used in conjunction with Creme, tartar and other affections are quickly removed or wholly prevented.

---

FIRST TO PACKAGE TOOTHPASTE IN TUBES
Dr. W. W. Sheffield's son, Dr. Lucius Tracy Sheffield, was a graduate of Norwich Academy of Norwich, Connecticut, and of Harvard University. And following two years of study in Paris, France, where he observed the use of collapsible metal tubes for paints and inks, he originated the idea of putting his father's jar-packaged dentrifice in collapsible metal tubes.