Happenings
By Carolyn Adriaansen (926-4436)

Alchemy, apothecary, chemist, druggist, pharmacist, drug store, all of these were licensed to dispense chemicals, hopefully, to aid in medically aiding ailing folk

In medieval times, which would date back to the dark ages, even before my time, the alchemist was a pharmacist of that period.

One might visualize a gnome-like character huddled over a kettle, adding a substance to a steaming, bubbling mixture, perhaps an eye of a newt or a sprig of anise, a dollop of peppermint.

Today, highly trained technicians in sterile surroundings of factories are engaged in producing pharmaceutical products valued in a multimillion dollar range worldwide.

The Clark's Block, recently destroyed by fire, was host to a pharmacy in 1800 operated by Byrum Luce. This same Byrum Luce was hired by Leslie Shoales to serve Shoales Drug Store in Leslie's absence, during hunting season.

The Winslow Family owned and maintained the Drug Store at 3803 Main St. for 50 years, selling groceries, as well as items related to physical health.

In the village of Plymouth near Hamilton, N. Y., on a hardscrabble farm, there was born a child named Leslie A. Shoales, a whole bunch of years ago. This child was destined to be a pharmacist in Marion.

Les’ path to that end led him first to E. C. Root, a pharmacy in Hamilton, where he ran errands for the pharmacist.

Les was not a stranger to hard work, having lived on a bare bones farm in Lincoln, way back in the hills near Hamilton. His father, Frank and his mother, eventually moved to Rochester, where his father was employed by the Van Vetchen Flour Milling Company on the bank of the Genesee River.

From this beginning, Les attended New York College of Pharmacy, where he dined on a bowl of rice with plenty of bread, since his finances were quite limited.

After graduating from pharmacy school, Les returned to his first place of employment, E. C. Root, for a short time, then moved to Rochester's Paine's Pharmacy.

Leslie was on the alert for a drug store, which he could purchase.

Mr. Winslow of Marion owned and operated just such a store. It was perfect for Les, just what he was looking for. They soon struck a deal and Leslie was situated exactly where he wished.

Shoales Drug Store began in 1906 and continued until the death of John Shoales, who had purchased the store from his father, Leslie A. Shoales.

L. A. Shoales stocked school books as ordered by the Marion school district. He also stocked wall paper in a series of racks along the store wall. The Democrat & Chronical used the store as a distribution center for locals who picked up their daily paper there.

Pharmaceutical items were shipped to him by the Newark-Marion Railroad and were transported via wheelbarrow from the station on Buffalo Street to the store.

I will attest to that, since I was the family slave who provided the wheel barrow power.

In the early 1800s, the drug store sold groceries along with other sundries.

Those were the Good Ole Days. I’ll take all the days I can get good or not, by George.

The drug store survived several more owners until the present. It is now being operated by Paul Johnson.

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