| Originally Franklinville
had two drug stores. The first one was
opened on Elm Street in 1863 by Dr. H. D. Walker.
Then, in 1865, Joseph Simnacher came to
Franklinville and,
in partnership with W. B. Taggart, opened a second drug store
on west Park Square. Eventually the two would
become what is today known as Bartholomew's Pharmacy.
By the age of twenty five years Dr. H. D. Walker had
acquired his
medical education, married Maria Gordon (the daughter of Alicia Gordon,
by the way), moved to Franklinville to begin the practice of medicine
and opened a drug store.
In 1865 William Ely joined Dr. Walker in the pharmacy.
At the
tender age of twenty four this young man also had considerable history
behind him. He had enlisted in Company D., 64th N. Y. Volunteers in
August of 1862, and had served nearly three years in the 1st Div 2nd
Army Corps.
He had been in every battle and skirmish that the Army
of
the Potomac had engaged in, from Fredericksburg to Cole Harbor
inclusive. In the latter battle he was wounded June 3rd, 1864 and,
owing to that gunshot wound, was discharged in May, 1865.
The firm name then became Walker & Ely. Three years
later Dr.
Walker bowed out of the firm and was succeeded by William A. Day. The
firm name became Ely & Day; H. Delancy Smith later succeeded Mr. Day.
Each new partnership brought with it a change in the
business.
After Smith replaced Day, the newly created firm of Ely & Smith built a
fine new two story brick building on the southwest corner of the
intersection of South Main and Elm Streets, where once had stood Joseph
McCluer's barn.
William H. Ferris bought out Mr. Smith's interest, and
for years
the firm was Ely & Ferris. Their contribution to the improvement of the
business was the installation of a marble soda fountain with ebony and
silver trimmings.
In 1896 Mr. Ely sold his interest to George W. G.
Ferris and
retired from the firm, which was then named Ferris & Ferris.
By 1910 the business had become Ferris & Reimann, with Edward
Reimann owning a one third interest. This ownership continued until 1913
when Reimann sold his interest to G. W. G. Ferris.
In 1944, William E. Howard bought out Paul Reynolds;
two years after that, in 1946, Wilson T. Parker, brother in
law of William Howard, bought out C. J. Parker.
Having thus established the firm of Parker & Howard, the two men
bought both the building and the business of the aging and ailing Earl
McClouth on west Park Square. They continued to operate both pharmacies
for a year and then consolidated McLouth's into the Parker & Howard
business, the corner drugstore. Wilson Parker died in 1950.
In 1953 Glenn L. Maw bought out Parker's interest in the business,
selling out again in 1958 to Gordon L. Bartholomew.
At some point in here William Howard retired from the business,
although he and his sister Cecil Howard Parker still owned the building.
By 1960 Gordon L. Bartholomew had incorporated the business under
the name and style of Bartholomew's Pharmacy, Inc., and hired a young
pharmacist by the name of Philip Gunn.
Philip Gunn purchased the business, Bartholomew's Pharmacy, Inc. in
1964. Two years later Robert Buchanan entered the business ... and two
years after that, in 1968, by which time both Gunn and Buchanan were
officers in the corporation, Bartholomew's, Inc. bought the building
from brother and sister Bill Howard and Cecil Howard Parker.
At the same time the adjoining building to the west was purchased.
Remodeling to include the new property was accomplished,
including a new storefront.
Phil Gunn later sold his interest to Buchanan and moved west.
One important thing should be mentioned here, however. As far as I
am able to determine Maryanna Buchanan (Mrs. Robert Buchanan) is the
first female Pharmacist to work in this village.
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