Williams Drugs

Do you remember Williams Drugs?

Lots of people called it "The Courthouse Drug Store" and for good reason.  Murry F. Williams bought the store which stood at 203 N. Holden, in March 1947 from Roy Courtney (Courtney - Courthouse.  Get it?). Rather than remove the old Courthouse Drug Store signs, Williams just put his sign up with the others.  

It wasn't until December 2, 1960 that he remodeled the building and formally opened the store as Williams Drug Co.  

Maybe that's when he removed the Court House Drug Store lettering done in concrete below each window. In 1962, the business phone number changed from 101 to 747-3551 so the sign in the upper left hand corner had to be changed, too.

Here's an excerpt from The Daily Star Journal written on Dec. 1, 1960:

"Mr. Williams...purchased the store in March 1947... Later that year, Mr. Williams' father, the late Murray Q. Williams, sold his interest in the Vernaz drug store to his partner, Reynolds Archauer, and assisted his son in what is now known as the Williams Drug Company.  Mr. Willaims died in June 1954.
"Mrs. Williams, the former Jacqueline Hogan of West Plain and their son, Jack, now are in the store and another salesman is C.A Kanoy.
"Clarence Harvey, Negro, has served as porter in the store for many years."

Here's what that building looks like today.

I wonder where those concrete Courthouse Drug signs are.