Portland Sun
PORTLAND WEATHER

Young Drug Company 1947-1971




The Young Drug Company was located on the north side of Main Street, between J. E. Kerley and Sons and the Western Auto Store. SUBMITTED

The Young Drug Company was located on the north side of Main Street, between J. E. Kerley and Sons and the Western Auto Store. SUBMITTED

Editor’s note: The author of this article is unknown, but the personal insight and knowledge revealed lead us to believe it was a member of the family or very close associate.  The hand-written story, which has been edited, was found by Allen Haynes in a collection of papers.

 

In May 1947, a new drug store opened in Portland. Gilbert Young, a recent graduate of Louisville College of Pharmacy, and Odell Young, who had been employed at Bradshaw Drug Store in Lebanon, opened Young Drug Company on Main Street.

 

As young businessmen and each having served in the army during World War II, the two decided to go into the drug business together. They had “grown-up” in their father’s drug store in Smith County and had worked there.   

 

They decided that Portland would be a good place to open their drug store. They bought a drug business that was owned by Fred Brizendine on Main Street.

 

Main Street was the center of business in those days. On each side of the street were businesses of various kinds – grocery stores, hardware and dry goods stores, restaurants, a bank, another drug store and other businesses.

 

Portland was a thriving little town whose businesses centered around its chief agricultural crop – strawberries. There was a crate factory, several strawberry processing plants and other business involving the shipping of fresh and frozen strawberries.

 

The Young Drug Company was located on the north side of Main Street, between J. E. Kerley and Sons and the Western Auto Store.

 

Although the chief interest of the Youngs was the dispensing of prescription drugs, they sold other products. They continued to operate the old-fashioned soda fountain that was in the store. Ice cream, milkshakes, sodas, sandwiches, and such were sold at the fountain. 

 

At one time, 600 gallons of ice cream was bought in one month to be used at the fountain. This was an unusually large amount to be used in a month’s time for a small drug store. Although the fountain business remained good, it also required a lot of attention, so after a few years it was taken out.

 

Odell and Gilbert ran the store by themselves with the help of James Webb, their first employee, who managed the fountain, and the other young men and women. 

 

In December 1953, Clem McDearman was employed as an additional pharmacist.

In November 1956, Young Drug Company had a Grand Opening for their store which they had newly remodeled.

 

A great disaster occurred in Portland on Oct. 16, 1959 which affected not only Young Drug Company, but especially the adjoining store of J. E. Kerley & Sons.  The three-story Kerley building and stock of goods was completely destroyed by fire. The wall of the Kerley building next door to the drug store fell onto the roof of the building that housed Young Drug store. 

 

The building was wrecked, and great damage was done to the stock of goods. However, they were able to save the records of the prescriptions which was an immense help in starting over at a new location.

 

The drug store was temporarily moved across the railroad to a building owned by H.B. Lane, Jr., which had previously been used as a theater. (Today’s Temple Theater) The building was located between Lane’s Economy Furniture Store and Moore Motor Company. 

 

Here the Youngs did business until the spring of 1960 when they moved into a new building they had built on North Broadway (109N) (Today’s Occasions, Too) next to the Appliance and Electric Company, owned and operated by Paul Allen West and Charlie Green.  

 

In 1964 Odell Young sold his interest to his brother, Gilbert. Jack Bunch was employed as another pharmacist to work along with Gilbert Young and Clem McDearman.

 

Young Drug Company was sold in March 1971 to Glen Witham and for a few years continued under the same name. Today (at the time of this writing) the drug store at the same location is known as Family Pharmacy and is operated by Jack Bunch.

 

Odell moved to Mt. Juliet.  Gilbert moved to Nashville in 1979 where he lived until his death in 1982.

 

Mrs. Gilbert Young, 98 years young, passed away Feb. 4, 2020, in Nashville. She was a beautiful lady with a heart to match.  In her years in Portland she was very active in the affairs of her church, the community and the schools.

 

Submitted by Johnnie Freedle, Highland Rim Historical Society.

James Webb and Sue Vanetta in front of Youngs Drug Company. SUBMITTED

James Webb and Sue Vanetta in front of Youngs Drug Company. SUBMITTED

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