Chief Two Moon
Herb Company
My research on Meridas began in
late 1992, I was both curious and fascinated as I looked
over the material that was in our
possession. Meridas born Chico Colon
Meridan on August 29,1888 of Mexican
parentage, the location is not known.
Where his knowledge of roots and herbs
was derived is also a mystery
My
guess is his herbal knowledge started when he was in
a traveling carnival troupe when he was
just twelve years of age. Chief Two Moon is a name to be remembered in the history of patent medicine in America. In 1914 he was
selling bagsof roots and herbs on street
corners in Philadelphia and later in New
York where he met and married Helen
Gertrude Nugent. They later moved on to
Waterbury, Connecticut where his healing treatments on some patients proved very successful, the word spread and he was soon besieged by many new patients. During the flu epidemic of 1918 none of his patients died, by the age of thirty, various publications declared him "The World's Greatest Herbalist" and "The Miracle Man". He rose from poverty to riches, from obscurity to fame, much of the chief's wealth was devoted to local philanthropies.

Meridas first visited Atlantic City in 1926 and later opened an establishment on the boardwalk in
1928 it was located at 1623 Boardwalk. It was an Indian Temple and Exhibition Hall
where his herbal potions and various Indian wares could be purchased. William
Spotted Crow, his wife Ella,and daughter Lucy were all employed at the boardwalk site.
He was given the keys to the city by the " City Fathers" circa 1928-29.

Meridas made many trips to the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota (1928-29-30) and he was
made an "honorary" chief by the Oglala Lakota tribe on August 6,1930 before some
eight thousand Indians during an annual rodeo celebration.

The Chief Two Moon Herb Company was flourishing during this time of great
depression in our country and they shipped many cases of Meridas' potions back to
the reservation to help care for the sick and impoverished Indians that Meridas
perceived on his previous visits.

In 1932 he brought thirty Indians from the Pine Ridge reservation to spend a month or
so at his three-hundred acre estate in Beacon Valley, Connecticut. Notable Indians
such as Charles Turning Hawk, Stephen Standing Bear, Noah Bad Wound, Daniel Black
Horn, Joseph High Eagle, Thomas American Horse just to name a few. While his guests the
Indians dined at fine banquets and barbecues, where they enjoyed the taste of beef
once again instead of their steady diet of horse meat at the reservation.

Meridas traveled to Europe in October of 1930 as an international representative of
the Lakota Nation. He received a private audience with Pope Pius 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 Novemberof 1933. He is buried at
Hillside Cemetery in Rosyln,Pennsylvania. Meridas was one of the first inductees honored
by the Waterbury, Connecticut "Hall of Fame" on September 16, 1997. Whether he was an American Indian, African American, or Mexican American he will be always be known as a compassionate individual, who suffered much prejudice during his lifetime.

Contact Info:Tom Fillius [email protected] Click Each Image for a Larger View. Use Back Button on Browser to Return Here.

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Newspaper Articles

"Testimonial Given Chief Two Moon" April 3, 1929
"Harrisburg Telegraph, October 20, 1932"
"Chief Two Moon Leader of Sioux" October 20, 1932
"Over 450 Attend Indian Barbeque and Dance Here" November 12, 1932
"Waterbury mall to house Brass City history" September 2, 1997
"Library to Feature Faces of the Past" September 14, 1997
"Naugatuck Daily News" October 29, 1932
"Denison Review " October 20, 1932
"Richmond Times Dispatch" Saturday, December 5, 1925

Contact Info:Tom Fillius [email protected] You Are Visitor#