National Pharmacy Celebrates 25 Years – 1950

Here’s another May “leftover” that didn’t get posted. It’s a full spread, two-page ad for National Pharmacy celebrating its 25th Birthday that ran in the Lorain Journal on May 19, 1950.

The ad is interesting in that it never really comes out and says when it opened; it just says it was “nine thousand, one hundred and twenty-six days ago.” (That was enough to stop me from going back and trying to find a Grand Opening ad.)

National Pharmacy must have liked that particular graphic border design because it was still using something similar in its 1986 telephone directory ad (below), 36 years later.

National Pharmacy managed to hang on at 300 E. 28th Street until it disappeared from the Pharmacy listings beginning with the 1994 phone book.

Here's the former National Pharmacy store today.

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Of interest in that 1950 Journal ad is the mention of Buddy and Betty Bowman making an appearance at National Pharmacy.

As you might remember, Bud Bowman is the cartoon archer (sometimes referred to as an elf) that appeared in Bowman Ice Cream ads. Here he is in a 1962 ad (below).

As the 1950 ad noted, “These nationally known trade marks for the Bowman Ice Cream Company will be on hand to entertain you Saturday, May 20th. Here is your chance to see this tiny couple (scarcely 36” tall).

Here’s a promotional postcard showing the diminutive couple in their Bowman costumes.

And here’s a closeup.

I’ll bet they had a lot of fun at their jobs. Plus it’s hard not to make friends when you’re handing out free ice cream in dixie cups!

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I received at least one email reminding me that I neglected to mention Joseph Ivey, also known as DJ Joey. He has performed on the corner right in front of the former National Pharmacy for many years (although I recently saw him dancing in front of Czech Grill). You can see him in this Google Street View (below).

National Pharmacy Ad – November 15, 1954

Here's probably the most un-Christmas-like ad I've ever seen for a Lorain store's Christmas promotion.

The ad is for National Pharmacy, and ran in the Lorain Journal on November 15, 1954. It announces the start of the drug store's Christmas contest, in which people were invited to stop in and register to win a variety of prizes.

Courtesy Ebay

Prizes included a Mix Master, a Black Angus Giant Rotisserie, a Handy Hannah hair dryer (at left), a Brownie camera, 5 cartons of cigarettes, a cigarette lighter, an electric waffle iron, an electric toaster, gift certificates and many more.

What's amusing (to me at least) is the lack of any Christmas icons – no Santa Claus, holly, snow men, etc. Just... an organ grinder's monkey, tipping his hat.

The Building at 1368 E. Erie Avenue

1368 E. Erie Avenue

I saw in the Morning Journal a few weeks ago (here) that this building was slated for demolition by the city. The paper only identified it as being the former home of a florist shop in recent years.

What was in there before that?

It turns out the building started out originally as a branch of Fisher Brothers Grocery, with a listing in the 1926 edition.

The Fisher Brothers Grocery remained at that location until around 1940, when Clyde Fischer Drugs took over the address. By the time of the 1942 city directory, the listing had changed to Whalen & Shoemaker Drugs.

But by 1943, the address belonged to Shoemaker Drugs – and would for decades.

October 1943 Phone Book Listing

August 30, 1947 Lorain Journal ad

Shoemaker Drugs continued to be listed until the 1974 directory, when it was replaced by National Pharmacy.

National Pharmacy would disappear beginning with the 1982 directory, when the address was listed as 'vacant.' By 1987, W. River Florist had taken over the address.

The building at 1368 E. Erie also had several spaces on the Kansas Avenue side with various tenants through the years. From the very beginning in the mid-1920s until the early 1940s, there was a meat shop as well as various barbers and beauty shops located there, in addition to a few residences.

Interestingly, the Lorain Public Library had a branch outlet there from the late 1950s until the mid to late 1960s.