In Egyptian, “pharmacy” denotes “defender” or “healer, giving healing and security.” For many millennia, those known for their extensive knowledge of drugs have been referred to as pharmacists. They work in pharmacies as specialists in the production, study and distribution of medicines. However, not always have the pharmaceutical industry and pharmacies operate at the level to which modern consumers are accustomed. Find out more at i-dallas.
What was the pharmacy like in old-time Texas?
As in all parts of the world, the history of pharmacy in Texas is inextricably linked to the history of medicine. The latter, in turn, arose solely as a result of the work of healers, who were at the time engaged in the treatment of people.
In 1528, European Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca arrived along the east coast of Texas. The Indians who met his group there enslaved him. To save his life and remain valuable to the Native Americans, the Spanish conquistador began treating the Indians who were suffering from the epidemic. He employed a combination of Indian herbs and magic to treat his patients.
Years passed, yet the level of pharmacy in Texas remained incredibly low. In 1682, Spanish missionaries in El Paso treated patients using dubious medical practices and medications. They assisted people in need amid terrible sanitary conditions and did not ignore the unjustified use of drugs. When the expected outcomes of their efforts weren’t achieved, they sought assistance from local healers. After obtaining the right prescriptions, they returned home and made a huge amount of herbal medications. Usually, missionaries kept them in their reception area or at home. These were the actual examples of the first state pharmacies.
Frank Sayre, the founder of the first pharmacy in Dallas
Frank Sayre was born on March 3, 1828, in Utica. When he was 14 years old, he moved to New York to study pharmacy. After gaining the necessary theoretical knowledge, Frank Sayre began working as a medical assistant in 1849. Before he was ready to start his own business, he worked at several institutions as a doctor.
In 1854, Frank Sayre married Sarah Ann Thomas. After the wedding, the couple moved to Dallas. In less than a year, the man already opened his first pharmacy. Thus, the first pharmacy in Dallas opened its doors in 1855. The man’s fortunes steadily improved, so once the Civil War ended in 1865, he opened several other pharmacies in the city, including on Main Street and Houston Street.
For many years, Frank Sayre, an entrepreneur and pharmacist, was engaged in pharmacies in Dallas until he had to relocate with his wife to Bowie County in 1890.
It is not particularly known what was on the shelves of Dallas’ first pharmacy. However, there are records from the advertisements of the Texas media of those years. According to the San Antonio Daily Ledger and the Texan, in 1860, Texas pharmacies sold drugs, perfumes, toilet soap and mineral waters in addition to writing prescriptions. Newspapers frequently mentioned information about the availability of the following items: French quinine, opium, morphine, calomel, raw ginger, maranta, Jamaican ginger, Jayne’s expectorant, mustang liniment, sarsaparilla, lobelia seeds, alcohol-based saltpeter syrups and other. Some pharmacies also sold English fish oil, Browne’s mixture, Adcock’s patch, Brandreth’s pills, Wright’s Indian vegetable pills, colocynth extract, etc.
Foundation of the Texas Pharmaceutical Association
In May 1879, 18 pharmacists met in the back room of one of Dallas’ pharmacies to form the Texas Pharmaceutical Association. For decades, this state-wide professional group has served and represented the interests of pharmacists in all Texas cities. Furthermore, the association’s operations aim to improve the quality of medications and pharmaceutical services in the state.
In the early 1990s, the company’s headquarters were located in Austin. At that time, the Texas Pharmaceutical Association team consisted of about 20 workers who were in charge of the supervision of more than 5,000 professionals who worked as pharmacists in different institutions. Employees of Dallas public pharmacies, hospitals, nursing homes, scientific communities, government organizations and enterprises all started to rely on their services.
It is worth emphasizing that the Pharmaceutical Association, founded in Dallas, is a non-profit organization funded entirely by membership fees, other taxes, contributions and sales of pharmaceutical products. Regardless of its financial background, the Texas Pharmaceutical Association publishes monthly publications such as a newsletter, magazine, periodic reports and special news.
Since its inception, the Texas Pharmaceutical Association has played an important role in the development of Dallas pharmacy by serving and representing its interests. Without such strong support, experts are certain that Dallas pharmacies would never have been able to grow and would, therefore, be less successful among the locals and beneficial to their interests.
Successful pharmacy chain in Dallas, Oak Cliff Pharmacy
Oak Cliff Pharmacy became the first pharmacy established in the early 19th century. Its owner was Lee Otis Donald. He was born in 1878 on a farm near Lewisville. He attended public schools there before graduating from Texas State Teachers College in Denton in 1900. Donald did not devote his career to teaching, instead, he continued his studies. Two years later, he graduated from the University of Texas School of Pharmacy in Galveston.
Soon after, Lee relocated to Dallas and, with a group of companions, established the Oak Cliff Pharmacy Company, which operated four pharmacies in Oak Cliff. One of his colleagues was pharmacist Ben Ledbetter. Under their joint leadership, Oak Cliff Pharmacy expanded into a chain of four pharmacies: Lancaster at Tenth, Beckley at Jefferson, Seventh at Bishop and Jefferson at Tyler.
Oak Cliff Pharmacy’s success can be attributed to the exclusive services it provided to its customers. For Dallas, Oak Cliff Pharmacy stores were much more than just drugstores. According to their brochures, they had telephones and couriers who rode bicycles and motorcycles. In 1917, the network registered a car.
Later, Oak Cliff Pharmacy opened stores that functioned as community centers for Dallas citizens. In 1903, the store on Lancaster Avenue started operating as a branch library. Citizens could order books any day of the week, and they were guaranteed to be delivered on Tuesdays and Fridays. Until 1911, residents could purchase newspaper advertisements there. In 1917, the company and its 12 employees were already registered as an official Red Cross unit.
In 1939, Lee Otis Donald sold his share in the company and temporarily resigned. However, he quickly returned to the business and established several more pharmacies, which were known after his name, L. O. Donald. They worked on Tyler and Jefferson Streets.