News: Spencer History – Drug Stores

Transcriber: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Budd, Westfall, Cook, Whipple, Hat, Schultz, Picus, Kuethe, Ayres, Luepke

Source: Spencer Centennial Book (1874 – 1974)

As far as can be ascertained, Spencer's first druggist was a Mr. Cook, the brother of S. A. and A. A. Cook, of Unity. Later there was a Budd's Drug Store which stood just west of the Spencer Hotel which is now the site of the Erwin Westfall residence, in those days children would go to the marsh, dig gold-thread and wintergreen and sell it to Mr. Cook for a few pennies.

According to a newspaper advertisement of April 1883, Frank Whipple had a drug store on Main Street, east of the tracks, where he filled prescriptions and sold patent medicines and other articles generally found in a drug store of that day.

Edwin Heath built a drug store, with office space for a doctor, on Main Street. Both he and his wife filled prescriptions as both had passed the required state examinations. After his store burned in 1886, Mr. Heath erected a new store on Clark Street which later became the Schultz Meat Market and is now a part of the Picus IGA Store.

Heath's son, Grant, who later took over the business, was postmaster for a number of years and during that interim the Post Office was in the store. His brother, Frank, was the assistant Postmaster. Since Grant was not qualified to fill prescriptions, the doctors provided their own drugs and filled their own prescriptions.
In 1927 Harold Kuethe, a young pharmacist from Marshfield, set up a business in the Jonas Ayres building, now a part of the Picus IGA Store. In 1933 he moved into the Mary Hanson building, the present site of the Breeze Inn. Then in 1940 he erected a building across the street for his store, with living quarters for his family. It was a modern, up-to-date drug store with the ever popular soda fountain, and it became a rendezvous for youth. Here high school students came trooping in to have a coke or a sundae, rejoice over their victories or commiserate over their losses with one another and their friend Harold. Here, too, older men lingered to discuss the state of the Union, the coming election, Democrats vs. Republicans, and local affairs. Ours was a typical small town drug store. On October 1, 1973, after having served his community faithfully and well for 46 years, Harold Kuethe retired. He had sold his building and stock, excluding the prescription drugs and service, to Elroy and Eunice Luepke, who now operate the store.
The pendulum swings back and we again find ourselves without a pharmacy.