New Store for Muir's Cut Rate Drugs – April 1955

Logo circa Dec. 1954

Muir's Cut Rate Drug Store has been a regular topic on this blog. Why? Because its history in Lorain spanned the era from the 1920s all the way to the 1960s – making it a spectator to the city's growth and evolution. 

Here's an early Journal ad from the first year Muir's opened in Lorain. Saving money has always been a priority for shoppers and Muir's was a pioneer in that area.

Oct. 20, 1922

The longtime Lorain business enjoyed so much success in the city at its original location at Fourth and Broadway that it opened a brand new store at 758 Broadway in April 1955. The article below from the Lorain Journal on April 27, 1955 tells the story. 

The timing of the grand opening of the new store demonstrated the company's loyalty to Lorain. As the article noted, "The opening coincides with the 33rd anniversary of the founding of Muir Drug in April, 1922, and the opening of the first cut rate store in the Middle West at 521 Broadway in Lorain.

"The new Lorain store is the first completely self-serve store in the Muir chain and is the first in a big $100,000 expansion program undertaken by Muir's for 1955.

""Lorain has always been first in our hearts," said Boyce K. Muir, president and founder of the Muir Co.

""We opened our first store in Lorain with only $1,000; our Lorain store at Broadway and Fourth was the first store in our chain to install a soda fountain; and now our new store in Lorain is the first completely self-serve unit in our company."

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Unfortunately (as I wrote about it back here), while the Lorain store was a sentimental favorite of the company's management, it was also the one that was the farthest away from the corporate headquarters in Michigan – and eventually had to go.

Jan. 8, 1964 ad from the Journal