The medicinal jar was excavated by Kansas Historical Society archeologists in 1966 during work at historic Fort Hays in Ellis County. The jar has the wording "U.S.A. Hosp Dept" embossed in an oval on one side. Use of these bottles began during the Civil War and continued into the 1870s. Fort Hays was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and is a State Historic Site.
Kansas Memory
Kansas Historical Society
U. S. A. Hospital Department Jar from Fort Hays, 14EL301 - 2