By John Tompkins Rector
January 14, 1962 - October 30, 2001

Editor's note: After working on his family's genealogy, John Rector's interest turned to the history of drug stores and the practice of medicine in the Fredericksburg area. John's grandfather, Charles Parsons Rector and his father, Charles Tompkins Rector, were both pharmacists and worked at Goolrick's Modern Pharmacy. The Rector family owned this business from 1933 to 1990. Both sides of Mr. Rector's family worked with the healing arts, for his maternal grandfather was a physician in Ashland, Virginia, and his great-grandfather, Dr. James Edward Tompkins, practiced medicine in Fredericksburg.

John Rector spent many hours working behind the back counter of Goolrick's when he was a teenager. Goolrick's remains a beloved institution where the ice cream sodas are a delicious tradition, and medicines are still delivered to customers' doorsteps. Over the years, people would often ask John Rector about the history of THE drug store, not realizing there have been dozens of pharmacies in Fredericksburg over its centuries of history. Mr. Rector took it as his task to explore those other pharmacies whose remedies helped so many local citizens throughout the city's history.

John Rector's untimely death from a heart attack was a tragedy for area historians who much admired his dedication to research and expected that his great curiosity would have led to more fascinating discoveries of Fredericksburg's past.

This list is a preliminary identification of Drugstores, Pharmacies, Medicinal Stores located in Fredericksburg and Falmouth, Virginia from 1728-1990. The name of the original proprietor or partnership is listed to the left. In bold typeface are the names of the operation, though there may be slight variations in the name; ie WL Bond's was also called Bond's Drugstore and Bond's Rexall. The indentation of a name indicates a change in ownership, but a continuation of the store's operation. The approximate dates of each business arrangement are given in parentheses.

NOTES:
*indicates a store sold patent medicines or later non-prescription medicines only; they did not compound physician's prescriptions.
** had his own patent medicine line; ie: Snake-oil Salesman traveling from town to town. Dr Merwin stayed in Fredericksburg a short time and probably sold only his own line of medicines.

Henry Potter (c.1739-1746)

William Lynn (1746-1751)

John Sutherland (1752-1765)

Henry Heath (1765-December 1770)

Mercer & Clements(May 1771-July 1772) Hugh Mercer and Ewen Clements

Ewen Clements (continued this store until Oct. 1772)

Mercer & Julian (July 1772-Jan 1776) Hugh Mercer and John Julian

Charles Mortimer, Jr.(April 1773-c.1780) in association with Charles Mortimer, Sr.

Thomas Powell (May 1776-unknown)

French & Grilles (1782-1785) George French and James Gillies

George French (1785-1801)

French & Scott (1801-1803) in partnership with James Scott

George French (c.1803-1813)

James Carmichael (1794-c.1804)

Carmichael & Carter (Before 1804-April 1805) Carmichael in partnership with Charles L. Carter

James Carmichael (1805-Before 1816)

Carmichael, Browne & Co (Before 1816-1819 partnership dissolved) William Browne

James Carmichael & Son (1819-1822 ) James Carmichael and sons Edward and George F. Carmichael (unclear if the partnership was selling drugs at this time)

* David Henderson (1789-1804)

David Henderson & Son (August 1804-1829)

Elisha Hall (1791-1804)

Hall & Son (Before 1804-February 1804) Elisha Hall and Benjamin H. Hall
Elisha Hall (1804-1814)
John B. & Charles R. Hall (1814-1817)
JB Hall (1817-1862)
JB Hall's Sons (1862-1906) Horace B. Hall and Marshall C. Hall
HH Forline (June 1906-1907)
WL Bond's (1907-1946)
    Ralph Musselman and John D. Lloyd (1947-Feb 1952)
    Ralph Musselman ( Feb.1952-March 1964) Store also called "Bond's Rexall"

Dr.J.Kinlaid (c.1795)

John Taliaferro (before 1799-July 1810)

Charles L. Carter (1805-July 31, 1815)

Carter & Russell (July 01, 1815-July 20, 1816) with Benjamin D. Russell

Philip Lauck (Before July 1806-after Sept 01, 1810)

Daniel & Garnett (before 1807-July 1809) Located in Falmouth

William F.Thornton & Co.(May 1815-Jan 1816) W.F.Thornton and Anthony R.Thornton

Charles T.Thornton & Co.(Jan 1816-Nov 05, 1818) W.F.Thornton and Charles T.Thornton

Lewis M.Bailey (Jan 1817-Oct 1817)

Henry O. Middleton (June 07, 1820-before Nov. 1830)

In partnership with Walter Middleton (August 1822-August 1823)

**Dr.Merwin (1822-1823)

James Cooke (March 1823-1826)

Cooke & Lemoine (June 1826-March 18,1828/ partnership dissolved) with Fereol Lemoine, Jr.
James Cooke (1828 until the store was auctioned Feb 16,1831)
James Cooke agent for F.Johnston (1831-After 1840) Store owned Fayette Johnston
Cooke & Co (aft 1843-60) in partnership with Beverley Wellford
Cooke, Roy & Co. (July 01, 1860-into civil war) with James H. Roy and Aug. Mason
    Roy & Wellford (1865-1866) James Roy and Francis P.Wellford
    Cooke, Roy & Wellford (1866-April 1873) with Francis P.Wellford
    Cooke, Roy & Jones (Oct 1870-April 1873) J Cooke, J Roy, and Charles A. Jones (had 2 Stores)
James Cooke (1873-1874)
James H.Roy (1874-1883) Probably one of three drugstores operated by Roy
H.Hoomes Johnston (1883-1886) when merged with George Pearson's Drugstore
(Following Cooke's death is operated by James H.Roy; Roy sells store to HH Johnston in 1883; the store is merged to form Johnston & Pearson Drugstore )

Edmund Berkeley (April 1828-before November 1829)

John M. O'Bannon (c.1830-unknown) located in Falmouth

JP Cantwell (November 14, 1832-1835)

JP Cantwell & Co (March 1834-August 1835)

*Robert Gray (1847-55) bookstore sold patient medicines and Leeches

Thom & Browne (Oct.1847-Oct.1858)

Thom & Wellford (unknown-1853) partnership with FP Wellford;.
AC Thom (1853-1858)
Johnston & Co. (Oct.1858-1861; 1865-unknown) FW Johnston and Robert S.Chew
    FW Johnston (Unknownx-1883) FW Johnston
    George Pearson & Co. (1883-1885) George Pearson
H.Hoomes Johnston (1883-1885) Purchased store of James Cooke from James Roy. Merged with George Pearson
    Johnston & Pearson (July 1886-1911) H.Hoomes Johnston & Geo Pearson
        H.Hoomes Johnston buys out Pearson's interest in 1903
        Elliott Garner (1907-1911; Store closed)

Dr.Wolfe, Wiseman & Co. (1865-Before 1869)

FJ Hoomes (After 1865-1869)

Jones & Goolrick (Feb 1869-Apr 1869)

CA Jones Drugstore (April 1869-1871)

Cooke, Roy & Jones (Oct.1870-April 1873)

CA Jones Drugstore (1873-1878)

Goolrick's Pharmacy (December 1878-present)

WB Goolrick (1878-1909)
KN Goolrick (1909-1921)
Goolrick's Family; store managed by William J.Lacy (1921-1933)
Frances Tompkins Rector, Charles P.Rector and Robert H.Tompkins Family (June 1933-Aug.1990)
Charles T.Rector (1973-1990)
Steven May (Aug.1990-present)

James H.Roy (1873-1881) Split from James Cooke and CA Jones

Peden & (PS) Roy (Sept 10, 1881-July 1885) David Peden and Phillip Roy
(PS) Roy's Drugstore (July 1885-Nov 1886)
    MM Lewis (November 19,1886-1959)
         Charles Lewis (1936-1959)

*The Fountain Service (Jan 1933-1957 or 58) operated by MM Lewis, Jr.

Operated The Soda Fountain at 1315 Pr Anne then, 415 William St.and sold non-prescription medications.
Store purchased by Thurston Willis and operated as Willis Drug Store No.2 (c.1957 to c.1960)

TC Montague (March 16, 1892-May 1906 )

FT Cassiday's (c.1906-Abt. 1933 )

Cloe & Company (1895-June1900) Walter H.Cloe and SE Eastburn

Bowman & King (Jan 24, 1901-Jan 1902) Dewitt Clinton Bowman and J.Garnett King

DC Bowman (Jan 1902-October 1934)

Commerce Street Drugstore (April 11, 1911 - about 1933) Colored Drugstore owned by Urbane Bass and Warren Lee

Warren W. Lee became the sole proprietor in Sept 1922

Cole's Pharmacy (Jan 15, 1915-June 1916) E.D. Cole, Jr.

Cole's Pharmacy, Inc. (June 1916 - Feb. 1917; declared bankruptcy) owned by a number of Stockholders

Harry L. White (May 05, 1920-May 06, 1926)

Stock and files purchased by W.L. Bond who operated a second location for several years

Tate's Drugstore (c. 1928-1955) Colored Drugstore, Stuart Tate; following his death store owned by his widow Stella.

*Morton's Drugstore (December 16 1939-Dec 1954) Morton Blum and Abbey J. Mintz

Bernard Gorfine (1942-Dec.1954) added prescription department

Willis Drug Store (Dec. 1954-1988)

Willis Drug Store, Inc. (March 16, 1956-Nov. 21,1967)
Thurston Willis (1967-1969)
Claude Lupton (1969-1988)

Other Independent Drugstores:

Bowen Drugs (Incorporated, March 08, 1968; operated 1969-1973-purchased by Rite-Aid) Jim Bowen and David Roulley

Medical Arts Pharmacy (Nov 1971-1973, purchased by Rite-Aid) Bowen and Roulley in association with Pat Palumbo

Metro Drugstore (1973-Present) opened in 1957 as chain drugstore; owned by Russ Yinger
Palumbo's Pharmacy (1974-1986) owned by Pat Palumbo

Morelock's (1979-1985) owned by Gene Morelock

Chain Drugstores:

Peoples Service Drugstore (The chain opened first store on Caroline St. in 1929 and has operated numerous locations in Fredericksburg. Peoples merged with CVS Corporation in 1990 which continues operations in the area);

Metro Drugstore (1957-73)

Drug Fair opened Fred'bg SC in c.1962; at Greenbrier SC in 1973;

Nichol's Department Store (1970-?) Located at 4-mile Fork SC;

*Thrif-D Discount Center (1966-1970) * Rite-Aid Discount Center (1970-1973) both of which were owned by Rite-Aid Drugstores and sold non-prescription medications and cosmetics located at 826 Caroline St.

Standard Drug in Village SC (across Bragg Rd from Mall) and Breezewood SC in 1988.


Copyright © 2001 JT Rector
All rights Reserved