Historians and scientists say town founder George Crawford used opium at one time.

Colorado Museum of the West investigators found a medicine bottle when they were on an archaeological dig two weeks ago and today Mesa State scientists tested the contents and found trace amounts of opiates.

They re-hydrated the contents of the bottle with distilled water and used a drug test similar to a urine analysis. Historians say opium was used in almost every over-the-counter medicine in the 1800’s.

“It's a pretty common medicine but it's neat that after all this time we could still find something like that,” says David Bailey of the Colorado Museum of the West.

The museum says its George Crawford exhibit will be finished next week.