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1) ISAAC ALDERSON NICKELS -
son of Walter H. and Jane (Kilgore) Nickels was born about 1836 in Nickelsville, Scott Co., VA. He died in 1893 in Bristol,
Sullivan Co., TN. He served with the 37th VA Infantry during the Civil War. Isaac purchased the Exchange Hotel in Bristol,
TN on February 12, 1864 for $20,000 in Confederate notes. He later renamed it the Nickels House. Isaac married Elizabeth E.
Wood on February 21, 1865. Isaac and Elizabeth had two children: Blanche Nickels Fauqua and Myrtle Nickels Gordon.
2) WILLIAM A. USHER
- who died Oct 31st, 1906, was about 40 years old at that time. He was born in Owensboro, KY. , later moving with
his parents to Evansville, Indiana. When he had attained his majority, he went to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he became involved
in the whiskey business. In 1892, he came to Bristol, Tenn-Va. and opened The Phoenix Saloon on Front St. About 1900, his
business failed due to his declining health, and after that time he worked as a Bartender at various saloons around the City.
When he died he was staying at the Arlington Hotel, Henry Burke being the Proprietor and a good friend of Usher's. Usher is
survived by a sister, Mrs. A.H. Alexander of Owensboro, KY.
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3) BEN C. COCHRAN
- In 1890, B.C. Cochran and a man named Stark purchased from Cam Anderson his entire stock of drugs, medicines, etc. and established
The City Drug Store. By 1898, Cochran is operating the business as sole proprietor at 537 Main (State) Street. In 1907, Cochran
is listed as the proprietor of Ridley's Paharmacy at the corner of State & 5th Sts. However, by 1909, Cochran's Drug Store
is located at 424 State St. A February 1910 advertsiement appears to have been his last ad.
** In 1904, W.H. Kemble was associated with Cochran in this firm.
Kemball went on to establish the Kemble-Cochran Company which remains in business yet today.
*** I once spoke with Mr. Kemble about Cochran. He informed
me that he and Cochran were close Friends and when Cochran died unexpectedly, and at an early age, he added Cochran's
name to his business, even though Cochran was never formally associated with Kemble's business - a memoriam that established
these two men's friendship for decades afterwards
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4) RIVES WALKER
- Established his drug store in 1888,at 507 Main St (future site of Heller Bros. Liquors),dispensing drugs and soda
water. This also may have been the site of the Palace Drug Store, that in 1885 claimed to have the finest soda-dispensing
fountain in Bristol. Walker served as a Bristol-Goodson town councilman in the 1890's and was a member of the first
Board of Trustees of Sullivan (?) College.
{? = Sullins?}
5) WILLIAM WALLACE
- Wallace's first advertisement appeared in November 1880 as Druggist & Apothecary. In 1885, Wallace and J. Bunting are
listed as partners. By 1889, Wallace is sole proprietor of his drug store now located in the Harmeling Opera House building.
A building newly built by Charlie C. Harmeling that also contained a saloon.
6) CHARLIE C. HARMELING
- As early as 1871, Harmeling was a lumber and shingle dealer.In 1879 he operated a saloon on Front & Cumberland
Streets, where he also bottled beer.In 1880, he had a Billiard Saloon outfitted up over this saloon. In 1889 he constructed
the Harmeling Opera House at 517 Main (State) Street and moved his saloon inside. In the
early 1890's Harmeling served as a Bristol-Goodson town councilman.
7) DR. R.M. COLEMAN
- in 1855 was Bristol's first druggist. By 1857, he formed a partnership with a Wm. Hutchinson. In
1859, he sold the business to D.J. Ensor.
8) D.J. ENSOR -
Bristol's 2nd druggist, originally from Blountville, TN. purchased the drug store business from R.M. Coleman in 1859, and
in 1862, bought the building it was situated in from Jos.R. Anderson. Have noted his ads as a druggist in 1866 and in 1868.
Ensor was a town Alderman in the 1860's. A Jan 1878 ad proclaims "New
Drug Store", and this ad runs through March 1880. Ensor reportedly moved to Meigs County, TN, in the 1880's.
9) THOMAS & CAMPBELL
- Drug store was located on Main St. By 1865, this firm manufactured and sold their "own brand" of Stoughton Bitters.
They were also dealers for Stonebreaker's Dyspepsia Bitters, manufactured by Stonebreaker-Hoffman Company of Baltimore,MD.
Thomas was ( I believe), J.Wheeler Thomas
who became owner and proprietor of Thomas House. Campbell was probably A.J. Campbell, who
was Mayor of Bristol in 1866. J.W. Thomas served as an Alderman during that period and it is known that town meetings
were often held in Thomas & Campbell's Drug Store. They sold the drug store business to C.T. and J.G. Pepper in the Fall
of 1866.
10) PEPPER BROTHERS
- About 1858 a large family of Peppers re-located to Bristol from Mt. Airy ( Rural Retreat), VA. James
R., William H., Charles T., Jessee H., and John Givens Pepper.
C.T. & J.G. purchase the business of Thomas & Campbell
and operate as the Pepper Bros. Drug Store, located "at the sign of the Red Mortar". Pepper Bros. first ad appears in
October of 1866 and continue well into 1872.
In 1873, J.G. Pepper
is located on Main St. and advertising as a "sole proprietor." In 1873 C.T. and W.H Pepper enter into a partnership with Dr.
Jere Bunting. In 1875, J.G. was having a new home constructed and while inspecting the second floor, he fell and became fatally
injured. In 1879, the Pepper & Bunting partnership was dissolved.
C.T. Pepper
was born in 1830, and he graduated from the University of Va. in 1855. In Nov. 1865, he is a member of the Bristol Masonic
Fraternity. From 1870 to 1876, he is a Bristol-Goodson City Councilman. In 1875, he is on the Board of the Bristol Academy
of Medicine and is the Deacon of Central Presbyterian Church. In 1879, he is Treasurer of the Bristol Academy of Medicine.
A May 1879 advertisement notes that Dr. C.T. and Mrs. Pepper
will erect another brick store. However, something occurred to change this plan, for in Aug. of 1879, C.T. and his family
move back to Rural Retreat. There he opens a Pharmacy/Soda Fountain business. (It is from here that the "legend" about the
Dr. Pepper soft drink begins).
An 1892 ad notes Drs. Rhea & Pepper, Dentists.
In 1870, Pepper Bros. prepared and sold "Pepper's Celebrated
& Aperient Tonic Bitters." They also sold McClung & Betterton's Eureka Bitters, manufactured in Knoxville,TN.,
Rosenheim's Bitters , Plantation Bitters, and Stoughton's Bitters. An April 1871 ad for Pepper's Aperient & Tonic Bitters
claimed it was for dyspepsia, diseases of the liver, stomach, headache, constipational, and all diseases arising from a torpid
condition of the digestive organs.
#11) NEWTON COLBERT
- Established a drug store about 1893 with W.C. Reser as a partner..ie...Colbert
& Reser Drug Store. By 1905, Reser has left, and the store is known as Colbert's Drug
Store, cor Moore & State Sts. By 1907, it's listed as the Colbert-Stover Drug Store.
In 1909, it has become Colbert's ReXall Drug Store at 6th St. cor State St. I.Baker Cowan
is noted as president of the firm. Colbert died in December 1910 after a lengthy illness. | |
#12) W.C. RESER - after
dissolving his partnership with Newton Colbert in 1905, Reser entered into another partnership with I.
Baker Cowan at State St. cor 6th. By 1906, Reser & Co. have contracted for a franchise with The
Owl Drug Company, a national chain. By September of the
same year, Reser has relocated to 533 State St. An ad that month reads: Owl Drug Co. sucessors to Colbert-Stover
Drug Co. Not exactly certain what occurred here, but it would appear that Reser and Colbert merely switched sides of
the street. It's also at this time that Cowan becomes Reser's ex-partner and President of Colbert's Drug Co. By 1909, Reser
is manufacturing and advertising his own brand of Red Cherry Expectorant. In 1923 The Owl Drug Store has moved to 409
State St. and T.O. Cowan Drug Store is in Reser's former location.
*** The Owl Drug Company had franchises allover the U.S. It originated
in San Francisco in 1892 and was bought out by ReXall Drug Co. in the 1930s.
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#13 MINOR'S DRUG STORE
- established about 1889 by C.C. Minor on the SE corner of Main & 5th Sts.
**There is a W.S.Minor, listed in 1865, located on the Nickel's
House Corner. An ad from W.D. Minor placed in 1868 notes: candy, cigars,soap,kerosene,oil lamps,combs, toilet
powders, extracts,spices, hair oils, colognes, etc. Products typically found in a drug store or small general store.
In 1896, C.C. Minor became partners
with J.L. Williamson,in the druggist business - Minor
& Williamson Drug Store. This only lasted until about 1902, as Minor's ads of that time note he is the
"Sole Proprietor." By 1914 Minor has moved to 600 State St., and remained there as late as 1923. Minor's Drug Store
went out of business in 1991 at #8 6th St.
#14)
MARTIN LYNCH......born in Sunbright, Tenn., May 18, 1877 and lived in Bristol until
his death in an automobile accident Aug.22, 1953. It is ironic and sad, but Martin Lynch was killed when turning onto
the highway near his home.....by a drunk driver. He was in the whiskey business from about 1905 to 1916 , operating
and/or owning several saloons during the period. One was located on Front St. and another was on State St.
In 1909 C .J. Dinan is noted as
the Manager of one Lynch Saloon on a whiskey License application submitted to the Corporation Court of Bristol, Va.. In May
1911, Lynch is reported to have closed his saloon on Front St. and was consolidating it with another saloon he owned
on State St. Oddly enough, Lynch's saloons were robbed four times in the same month - Feb. 1913, each time
only of bottled whiskey. ( Unlike Bryan Brothers' Saloon robbery the same night as one of Lynch's robberies - in which
the iron safe was cracked and robbed of about $300.00.)
In 1914, as newspaper articles have
reported, he re-opens the Front St. business with both he and his brother, Eugene, listed as Managers on the License application.
Also in 1914, Lynch, makes application for a Malt Liquor License which is approved. Cost of this single license was $1000.00.
After Prohibition became Law in November
1916, Martin Lynch attempted to make a go of it in the Temperance drink business. Temperance drinks at this time consisted
of "near-beer" drinks and "non-alcoholic" sodas. One such product was manufactured in Chattanooga and distributed by
Lynch in 1917...Reif's Special - "A Pure Liquid Food" - which boasted it had the snappy flavor and foaming goodness of
the hops with the alcohol left out.
At some point, Eugene Lynch opened the
Bristol Recreation Parlor. Whether Martin was affiliated with this business is not known.
Martin Lynch is listed in City
Directories in 1927, under the heading: Butter, Eggs, & Cheese at No.27 City Market House. In 1929, a listing notes: Lynch
Dairy, No.44 Moore St. In 1930, Lynch Dairy at No.26 City Market House. In 1932, back to No.44 Moore St. And lastly, from
1936-42 he is located at 610 Cumberland St., ( no subsequent entries after these dates).
Martin Lynch owned a large farm
on the old Bluff City highway, where he raised cattle and did some farming. A huge portion of his farm is now named Marlyn
Hills, and his house ,( though still standing), is barely recognisable today , having been build around & onto by the
Frizzell Construction Company.
He was survived by
his widow, Rosemary Lynch; two sons, Martin Lynch, Jr. & Joe Lynch; one daughter Mrs. J.R.Robinette & five
grandchildren, all of Bristol; two brothers, Philip Lynch of St.Louis,Mo. & Maurice Lynch of Bristol; two sisters,
Mrs. George York of Sunbright,Tenn. & Mrs. Morris McCart of Amarillo, Tx., and several nieces & nephews.
(Thanks to: Nolan Robinette - Grandson of Martin Lynch
and to, Martin Robinette - GreatGrandson of Martin Lynch for information & pictures).
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