Was the Long-Running Western ‘Death Valley Days’ Really Created to Promote Borax?

For 18 seasons, Death Valley Days brought stories of miners, pioneers, and other figures from the Old West to television. Unlike many Westerns of its time, the anthology series featured a new group of characters and a different story in each episode. However, longtime viewers may also remember the frequent mentions of 20 Mule Team Borax and Boraxo.

That connection was no coincidence. Death Valley Days was originally created as a way to advertise borax, a naturally occurring mineral compound that has long been used as a household cleaner and laundry booster. However, the show’s carefully researched stories helped it become much more than a long commercial.