The decision to close the Morristown factory was finally forced upon the family, on May 15, 1959, by the death of William Henry Comstock II—­“Young Bill”—­who had been president of the company since 1921.  Like his father, “Young Bill” Comstock had been a prominent citizen of Brockville for many years, served a term as mayor—­although he was defeated in a contest for a parliamentary seat—­was also active in civic and social organizations, and achieved recognition as a sportsman and speedboat operator.

[Illustration:  FIGURE 28.—­The packaging and office building at left, depot in center, and Comstock Hotel at right.  Canadian shore and city of Brockville (location of another Comstock factory) in background.]

The actual end of the business came in the spring of 1960.  The frequency and size of orders had dropped sharply, although the names of many of the old customers still appeared, as well as individuals who would send one dollar for three boxes of the pills.  These small shipments were usually mailed, rather than going by express or freight, as formerly.  The very last two shipments, appropriately, were to old customers:  One package of one-dozen boxes of pills on March 31, 1960, to Gilman Brothers of Boston, and two-dozen boxes to McKesson & Robbins at Mobile, Alabama, on April 11.  And with this final consignment the factory closed its doors, concluding ninety-three years of continuous operation in the riverside village of Morristown.

Very little of this story remains to be told.  Mrs. Comstock became president of the company during its liquidation—­and thus was a successor to her father-in-law, who had first entered the business as a clerk, 119 years earlier, in 1841.  The good will of the company and a few assets were sold to the Milburn Company of Scarborough, Ontario, but the Comstock business was terminated, and the long career of Dr. Morse’s Indian Root Pills brought to a close.  The few superannuated employees were assured of protection against all medical expenses, by the company or by the Comstock family, for the rest of their lives.  A few years later the associated Canadian factory standing in the heart of Brockville was torn down; during its lifetime that community had grown up around it, from a village to a flourishing small city.  The buildings in Morristown were sold to other parties and left to stand untenanted and forlorn for years.  The upper (packaging) building, from which the records were recovered, remains in fair condition and may yet be renovated for some further use.  The lower (pill-mixing) building, after standing derelict and at the point of collapse for many years, was finally torn down in 1971.  The hotel, a large water tank behind the factory, and the combination depot and customs house have all vanished from the scene.  The shed where the Comstocks kept their yacht has been maintained and still shelters several boats, but the ferry slip just below the factory