Adirondack Daily Enterprise, June 16, 1996
Dear Editor:
How many of you who may read this article are old enough...to remember the 1930s?
I could mention so many of the, physicians who were practicing here then. Suffice it to say, there was dire need for them — the reason, at least the primary reason, was tuberculosis. So many nursing homes and so many sick people but I shall not dwell on that but because of this epidemic, every pharmacy was kept busy with prescription filling.
My very first position as a registered pharmacist here in town was at the Hotel Saranac Pharmacy, — yes, there was a pharmacy at the corner of the hotel, bearing on Academy Street. Homer Baker, who was a pharmacist, had died and Elizabeth, his widow, then ran it. This was in 1936 and 1937.
Down the west side of Main Street was Buck & Lins Pharmacy — about where Charlie Green had his meat market. This later became Post Office Pharmacy, run by Art Buck and now owned and operated by Jim Bevilacqua and his dad, Carl.
On the east side of Main Street near where the Blue Line Sport Shop is today was Kendall Pharmacy, owned by Ed Booth. On that same side, going down Broadway, perhaps in the vicinity of Altman's, was Dwyer's Pharmacy with Dan Dwyer owner and pharmacist.
Now, back up and go across from Altman's and you would have seen Pontiac Pharmacy, Hymie Wiener, pharmacist. Stay on that side of Broadway, and near where J.C. Penney Co. is today (or close to it) was Nelson's Cut Rate Pharmacy.
Now, go around the bend to Bloomingdale Avenue, across from where the bowling alley is today, was Reiss Pharmacy, later purchased by Howard Hoffman.
Directly across Bloomingdale Avenue and again where the bowling alley is today, was Vincent's Pharmacy. Don't go away, there was one more on Upper Broadway, where Foote Rest is today, was Fueher Pharmacy.
I believe that adds up to 10. All seemed to get by monetarily, the customers had no Medicaid. They paid all the bills themselves. I wonder if we, all of us, could take a lesson from that.
Morgan Callahan Saranac Lake
