The Ogallala Rum Runner
Ogallala used to be a spot on the map, about as far west as one can go in Nebraska and not be in Colorado. In the late 19th century it was the destination of cowboys driving cattle north from Texas to the railhead. Those days are long gone, but a new movement is shaping up in this town of 5,000 hardy souls..rum running. Specifically, Bay Rum.
John Marquis lives in Ogallala. Since he was a child he’d loved the scent of Bay Rum. He remembers first getting a whiff of the stuff as he sat on the board across the barber chair because he was too small to sit in the seat. Growing up he tried them all, Brut, Hai Karate, even a brand made by Franklin Toiletry company and distributed by Pennys, called ‘Barbershop Bay Rum’.
In 2005 John had time on his hands. His sister gave him a bottle of Bay Rum for Christmas, advertised as ‘the best on the market’. John was not impressed. In his basement lab he tinkered with over 130 versions of Bay Rum, finally coming up with what turned out to be his future‘flagship’ product, Genuine Ogallala Bay Rum Cologne.
What next? Up the flagpole on Ebay of course! People ordered..and then reordered. One thing led to another and now the Ogallala brand has over 35 products, all with the wonderful scent of John Marquis’ Bay Rum mixtures, or in combination with Bay Rum and other complimentary essences.
Ogallala used to be a spot on the map, about as far west as one can go in Nebraska and not be in Colorado. In the late 19th century it was the destination of cowboys driving cattle north from Texas to the railhead. Those days are long gone, but a new movement is shaping up in this town of 5,000 hardy souls..rum running. Specifically, Bay Rum.
John Marquis lives in Ogallala. Since he was a child he’d loved the scent of Bay Rum. He remembers first getting a whiff of the stuff as he sat on the board across the barber chair because he was too small to sit in the seat. Growing up he tried them all, Brut, Hai Karate, even a brand made by Franklin Toiletry company and distributed by Pennys, called ‘Barbershop Bay Rum’.
In 2005 John had time on his hands. His sister gave him a bottle of Bay Rum for Christmas, advertised as ‘the best on the market’. John was not impressed. In his basement lab he tinkered with over 130 versions of Bay Rum, finally coming up with what turned out to be his future‘flagship’ product, Genuine Ogallala Bay Rum Cologne.
What next? Up the flagpole on Ebay of course! People ordered..and then reordered. One thing led to another and now the Ogallala brand has over 35 products, all with the wonderful scent of John Marquis’ Bay Rum mixtures, or in combination with Bay Rum and other complimentary essences
Ogallala SHAVE SOAPS have 5 scent options: Bay Rum- Bay rum. Bay Rum- Sage and Cedar, Bay Rum- Lemon Grass, Bay Rum- Sandalwood and Limes & Peppercorn. Ogallala SOAP BARS come in three scents: Bay Rum, Bay Rum Sandalwood and Bay Rum Lemongrass. Ogallala COLOGNES AND AFTERSHAVES also come in these three scent options, and are available in either 17 oz. cobalt blue apothecary bottles or the smaller 8 oz. sizes.
Other Ogallala products are in the mix. Perhaps the most unusual
Is their ‘Genuine Ogallala Bay Rum Wiener Wash’. You read it right..John was at a craft fair and the lady in the next booth was selling dog biscuits..alot of dog biscuits. John has a Wiener dog and he thought, ‘I’m doing Bay Rum..why not a Bay Rum wash for dogs?!’ The wash is now one of their biggest sellers around the holidays and many customers swear by it as making their pooch smell great..
From here it looks as if Ogallala will soon become a map destination for Bay Rum aficionados. And probably most people in town these days are smelling a lot better than those cowboys did on their cattle drives.
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