Question: The photo shown here was run as a History Mystery in 2013. As noted before it shows an aerial view of a couple of Baldwinsville’s landmarks. It’s worth running again since in the last four years many new families have become a part of this community. Both landmarks were around for over 100 years. The bulk of the photo running diagonally across the picture is an industry that really put us on the map. Diagonally along the bottom is a landmark that helped us produce water power to run our many businesses. The street pictured here has had two names: the current one and an earlier one. What do you know about this picture from the past? If this picture were to be taken today, what would be there now?
Last week’s answer: Many “old time” residents fondly remember this landmark, which stood at 42 Oswego St. (the northeast corner of the Four Corners). Before the modern-day shopping centers, it and other Four Corners establishments were the places to go for our needs.
Besides the pharmacy, it sold a myriad of other items. Its inventory included big name chocolates such as Fanny Farmer’s, cosmetics like Yardley, Cody and Old Spice, Hallmark cards, popularly priced jewelry, figurines and other knick-knacks and even some items of clothing. The magazine section was immense, including the very popular comic book section. There also was a soda fountain. It was the go-to place for many years.
The owner, Earl T. Wood, purchased the business in 1930 from another big name pharmacy from Baldwinsville’s past: Gardner and Davis. At the time of the photo taken in the 1950s, his pharmacy staff included, besides himself, Leo Mazoway, Tom Hennessey and James Wood. At that time the many doctors in town while making housecalls could call from the patient’s home to the pharmacy and the prescribed medicine would be delivered in a short time.
As seen in the upper window in the photo, Farrell, Martin and Barnell had their offices upstairs. A very popular barbershop run by Gerald “Butch” Hardy was located in the cellar — note the staircase and barber poll on the right side of the picture (the barber poll can be seen just above the mailbox and next to the public telephone booth).
The community was devastated when this landmark burned down of the night of May 18, 1977. Many will never forget that night. Our firemen and other neighboring companies did a tremendous job that night. Several were injured.
Just a reminder to change the batteries in your smoke detectors as we “fall back” with the end of daylight saving time.
The pharmacy was never rebuilt, but the law firm purchased the site and located their present office there in 1979.
Many of our readers recognized this photo, responding with calls, emails and Facebook messages to share their memories. Here’s a sampling of what they had to say:
Ted Reich:
“It was the last of the old locally-owned drug stores on the area. It burned to the ground several years ago. I lived on Sixty Road from 1959 to 1962 and was a regular customer.”
Connie Naragon:
“They had a counter inside that sold sodas and ice cream. The soda jerk would make vanilla phosphates. My sisters and I would spend our dimes that were supposed to go into the collection plate on Sunday to buy phosphates.”
Jo-Anne Herman Baxter:
“I had the early Saturday morning flight for the trip to DC that year. We could see the flames on our way to the school. It was a horrific fire. It was such a grand old building such a shame to lose it.”
David Pawlowski:
“Shame the Fanny Farmer chocolates are gone.”
To share your memories of the old Corner Pharmacy, visit facebook.com/baldwinsvillemessenger.
Contact Editor Sarah Hall at [email protected] or leave a message at 434-8889 ext. 310 with your guess by 5 p.m. Friday (please leave the information in the message; we are not generally able to return calls regarding History Mystery responses). If you are the first person to correctly identify an element in the photo, your name and guess will appear in next week’s Messenger, along with another History Mystery feature. History Mystery is a joint project of the Museum at the Shacksboro Schoolhouse and the Baldwinsville Public Library.
