Drug stores of old Phoenix

Growing up in the neighborhood north of downtown Phoenix in the 1960s, later to become Willo, I was bracketed by drug stores. Ryan-Evans was on the southeast corner of Seventh Avenue and McDowell Road in a shopping strip including the Sprouse-Reitz five-and-dime store. My Florist was across the street with its dazzling neon sign.

At Central and McDowell was McCreary's Drugs. Farther south at Third Avenue and Roosevelt was a Rexall. And another drug store was located at Fifth Avenue and Thomas. Most had soda fountains. Alas, I lack photos of these boyhood haunts. But let's take a tour of Phoenix’s ubiquitous small drug stores before they were supplanted by a handful of giant chains. Above is Sun Drug at First Avenue and Monroe in 1947. At right is First Methodist Church.

Birch's Drugs at Third Street and Roosevelt, part of a thriving block of shops and long before urban pioneers reclaimed the area as Roosevelt Row (McCulloch Bros. Collection/ASU Archives).

Walgreen's, before it became one of the giant chains of today, on the northwest corner of Central and Washington in the 1940s (McCulloch Bros. Collection/ASU Archives).

 

The Monihon Building in the 1930s, with A.L. Boehmer Drugs on the bottom floor. My fictional detective Gene Hammons has his office above (McCulloch Bros. Collection/ASU Archives).

The Phoenix Title and Trust building, opened in 1931, offered a location of Owl Drug Co., one of several Owl locations downtown (McCulloch Bros. Collection/ASU Archives).

The drug store inside the Hotel Westward Ho in the 1940s (McCulloch Bros. Collection/ASU Archives).

The Beverly-Burke Prescriptions at 4th and Van Buren streets, 1944 (McCulloch Bros. Collection/ASU Archives).

Thrifty Cut-Rate Drugs on Washington Street in 1945 (McCulloch Bros. Collection/ASU Archives).

Jones Drugs anchored a corner of the Fox Theater in the 1950s (Brad Hall collection).

Stults' Drugs in the Greyhound depot at First Street and Van Buren, circa 1955 (Brad Hall collection).

Another Walgreen's was located at Park Central beside the Sun Worshipper statue and Smuggler's Inn (Brad Hall collection).

The Encanto Pharmacy at 15th Avenue and Thomas Road (Photographer unknown. Brad Hall collection).

The Ryan-Evans Drug Store at 10th Street and McDowell in the 1960s. Ryan-Evans promoted itself as "Pioneer Arizona Druggists" (Photographer unknown. Brad Hall collection).

Upton's Drugs at Fifth Avenue and Thomas Road, circa 1955 (Photographer unknown).

The Parada del Sol passes Scottsdale's beloved Lute's Drugs in the 1950s (Photographer unknown. Brad Hall collection).

Everybody’s Drugs at Main Street and MacDonald in Mesa, sometime in the 1940s (Photographer unknown. Brad Hall collection).

Chandler's Arrow Pharmacy in the 1950s, when the town's population was around 4,000 (Photographer unknown. Brad Hall collection).

Schneider Drugs in Avondale, 1945 (McCulloch Bros. Collection/ASU Archives).

Another Schneider's, with a soda fountain and liquors (McCulloch Bros. Collection/ASU Archives).

MacAlpine Drugs beside the Pay 'n' Takit grocery on Seventh Street in the 1930s (McCulloch Bros. Collection/ASU Archives).

Retro MacAlpine's Coffee Shoppe and Soda Fountain on Seventh Street. Founded as Birch's Pharmacy, it was bought by Fred MacAlpine in 1938 (Christopher Anrich photo).

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My book, A Brief History of Phoenix, is available to buy or order at your local independent bookstore, or from Amazon.

Read more Phoenix and Arizona history in Rogue's Phoenix 101 archive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Remembering Herb Drinkwater]

Root beer float at Lutes.
Ice cream counter at Walgreens. Thirty one flavors? Nope, three plus two sherbet flavors.
Yumm.

[Cal Lash]

High School Pharmacy 1920?

[Bobson Dugnutt]

Was the Phoenix Thrifty drugstore the same as the California Thrifty drugstore chain? (About 25 years ago, it became Rite Aid. The Thrifty name lives on as Rite Aid's high-quality house ice cream brand.)

[Allan Starr]

Thanks, Jon!
I remember several of those places; many when I was a very young boy.

[Carol]

Great article and photos. Thank you so much for writing this.
One that I believe wasn't listed was Markgraf Pharmacy, at Uptown Plaza on Central Avenue, that we used to go to when I was in high school.

[Glenna Teel]

There was also Stults drugs 1925. Also known as Stults Eagle drugs. Mr EC Stults was the owner.

[mattmaison]

Shouldn't this be 'statue'?

"Another Walgreen's was located at Park Central beside the Sun Worshipper status and Smuggler's Inn..."

[Cal Lash]

I recall that my favorite drug store was a horse drawn covered wagon selling Laudanum.

[Helen Highwater]

cal, I knew you were older than you've been letting on.

So, I'm guessing the rumors going around Tombstone about you and Big Nose Kate are true. You've been leaving women standing at the altar for a very long time, my two-timing friend.

[Cal Lash]

Never cared for Tombstone and its Europeans. Better happenings at Maria's Cantina in Naco.
In case you didnt know the Mexican joke about the Horse honoring Pancho Villa Mexico gave the Gringos in Tucson for a park, it is a Gelding.
Pancho only rode Stallions.
Last week i had breakfast at Siete in Tucson with a 102 year old Dama.
She confirmed what my 109 year old lady friend, Carmen told me about Pancho.
Always good to hear from You, HELEN.

YOUR PAL EL ROJO

[Cal Lash]

Note: Danny Seiden. CEO of Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry stated Arizona has plenty of water and workers. Dont know when Danny got to town but seems to be from off planet.
You can tell he is out of touch as he is wearing a tie.
Tough to ride a sandworm in a east coast suit. Gotta get the dude a "Still Suit."

[Tari Loomis]

Who owned MacAlpine Drug store in Phoenix in the 1970s? I worked there and I was trying to remember their names. Don and Virginia?