Miscellaneous - Truman's Drug Store Dates Back to 1870s

Truman's Drug Store Dates Back to 1870s

Has Always Played a Prominent Part in Community Life

Bainbridge Press, April 20, 1939

 

In the late seventies Mr. A.F Moses was conducting a drugstore at the place now occupied by the Grand Union [Bainbridge, Chenango Co., NY].  there is some doubt concerning who were the earlier owners of the store.  The first legible prescription on the old file is dated May 9, 1874.  It is written on the stationary of "Charle W. Bixby, dealer in pure drugs, medicines, chemicals, fine soaps, perfumery, fancy & toilet articles, etc., Bainbridge, NY."  It is signed by J. Yale, M.D.  This prescription calls for potassium bromide, a substance that could have been found on the store shelves at any time during the sixty odd years since the above date.  There are many prescriptions written on the blanks of "J.W. Wright, druggist and apothecary, West Main street."  An old friend remembers that for a short time there were two drug store, Moses' and Wright's on West Main street.  It is possible that Wright was not a predecessor of Moses.

 

About January of 1883, Francis West bought the store of Mr. Moses and continued the business at the same place until August 14, 1897.  He then sold to E.D. Truman, who was a graduate of Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, class of 1893. Mr. Truman in turn carried on the store during the remainder of his life, or until 1929.  In 1901 he moved the pharmacy to 19 North Main street where it is now located.

 

N.E. Truman, the present owner, graduated from the New York College of Pharmacy in 1908.  He immediately became associated with his brother and has been sole proprietor for the last ten years.  The store still supplies the kinds of merchandise listed on Mr. Bixby's stationery.  But time affects pharmacies as well as other institutions.  Could Mr. Wright and Mr. Moses view the present displays of Eastman Kodaks, Parker fountain pens, Hall-Mark greeting cards, Lovelly & Covel chocolates, and the popular new books of 1939, doubtless they would think that pharmacy is not as of old--"But doth suffer a sea-change, into something rich and strange."