Early Madison County Pharmacists

Early Madison County Pharmacists

Mrs. Mary Lilyan Hinkle was the first woman to become a registered pharmacist in Madison County. She and her husband, Woodrow Hinkle, were registered in 1942. J. T. Hinkle, Woodrow's brother, began in 1944. Iris Stratton Willis was licensed in 1949. Mrs. Hinkle put in 50 years, before retiring earlier this year. The first registered pharmacist in Madison County was B. L. Middleton (June 13, 1888). Others from that year were Henry L. Perry, H. R. Riffe, and Robert C. Stockton. Others before 1900 were William G. White (1890), Joseph Schafhausen (1894), John P. Simer (1898), Dennis Z. Taylor (1898) and William Jenkins (1899). Before World War I came James H. Jeffries (1902), Leslie A. Rice (1903), Owen T. Golden (1904), George E. Porter of Berea (1905), Ed. C. Stockton (1907), Scott T. McGuire of Berea (1907), James L. Hathaway, the first black registered pharmacist (1910), Charles D. Anderson (1911), Julius C. Steele (1912), Edwin C. Wines, Jr. Million (1915), and Robert D. Leeds (1916). Later came B. Frank Witt (1921), Jason L. Blevins (1923), Neville G. Todd (1923), and Jesse C. Davis (1933). Many of these names are familiar to us because their drugstores or pharmacies went by their name: Perry Drug, Stockton Pharmacy, White Drug, Porter Drug, Wines Drug, Griggs Drug, and Hinkle Drug. In my day Todd and Davis operated Stockton's. Note in particular the firsts: Mary Lilyan Hinkle was the first female (1942), B. L. Middleton the first registered pharmacist (1888) and James L. Hathaway the first black (1910). All of which brings to mind the days when the doctor would come to your house when you were ill, would call your favorite pharmacist, and a boy would deliver the medicine to your house a bit later. Also there was a time when all stores on Main Street closed at 5 p.m. (8 p.m. on Saturdays, never open on Sunday), except the drug stores which were open until 10 or 11 p.m. Most of the drug stores had a counter and/or tables/booths so that was where you went for a hamburger and milkshake with your favorite girl after the ball game. The drug stores also were closed on Sundays, but the pharmacists would usually go down and prepare your prescription if the need were vital. Those really were the good old days.

Dr. Fred Engle

4/4/1992

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