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Parker & Co. |
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The Parker & Co. drugstore was a long-lasting Owen Sound business, that began in 1856 as "Parker & Cattle". A Yorkshire-born man, Joseph W. Parker, founded the business. He had emigrated from England in 1855, and met George Cattle in Toronto. The following year (1856), they were in Owen Sound, Canada West, as business partners and had established the "Parker & Cattle" drugstore business. This eventually developed into a chain of drugstores. They soon were joined by Stephen Johnson Parker and Henry Parker. Stephen Johnson Parker was formerly a druggist in Bentham, Yorkshire, England. He became a partner in the firm Parker & Cattle. The Parker in the firm's name was shared by his brothers, Joseph at Owen Sound, and Henry at Durham. In 1857, Parker & Cattle, "Chemists" advertised that they made ambrotype photographs for a half a dollar. They were located on Union St. (now 8th St. E.), opposite the British Hotel (Coulson's). The first gas in Owen Sound was brought in containers and sold over the counter at Parker & Cattle's drugstore in 1859. It was known as "Fairy Gas". An 1862 ad has been seen for Parker & Cattle of Owen Sound and Durham. In 1862, Parker & Cattle sold "Farley's Worm Lozenges (which were made in Guelph, see OWEN SOUND TIMES, Aug. 29, 1862). In 1862, the Parker & Cattle business of Owen Sound bought out their competitor, Barnhart & Wagstaffe (Dr. Charles E. Barnhart & James C. Wagstaffe). In an 1862 advertisement for Parker & Cattle, both Owen Sound and Durham are mentioned as locales. "Parker & Cattle, Chemists & Druggists" were advertised in the POETICAL DIRECTORY OF OWEN SOUND in 1863. In 1865, they advertised themselves as druggists, seedsmen and wine merchants on Poulett St. (Main St.), and in Durham and Goderich, Canada West. In an 1866 advertisement, Parker & Cattle advertised dye stuffs and weaving material, including reeds, shuttles, bobbins, heddles, etc., as well as "Bate's Fly Paper". The Parker & Cattle name ceased in 1869, and then it became known as Parker & Co. The store had different locations over the years. Henry Parker operated the branch drugstore at Durham. George Cattle operated the Goderich store. S. J. Parker operated the Paris branch for a while but returned to Owen Sound to run Joseph's store after he died in 1869. A former employee, William Brown, eventually became S. J. Parker's partner c. 1875, until 1882, when S. J. Parker's nephew, John Parker, bought out Brown's interest and operated the store. Parker & Cattle (Parker & Co.) is considered the first chain drugstore in Canada, as it had branches at Durham, Paris [C.W.], Chatsworth, and Goderich. In the 1880s, when the store was located along Poulett St. in Owen Sound, Parker & Co. sold drugs, chemicals, patent medicines, agricultural seeds, wines and liquors. There also was another one of their stores at Chatsworth (in Grey County). It was managed by ___________. A Sept. 26, 1872 advertisement in THE OWEN SOUND ADVERTISER, listed "Parker & Co." as Druggists and Wine Merchants, also selling paints, dyestuffs, coal oil, cigars and teas. Joseph's son, John Parker, followed in his father's trade by attending the Ontario College of Pharmacy and returned to Owen Sound to work in the family business in 1882. The OWEN SOUND ADVERTISER of October 12, 1882, mentioned that the ship NORTHERN BELLE had brought in a supply of 120 barrels of petroleum for Parker & Co., from Sarnia. This suggests that they supplied fuel for kerosene lamps? In 1907, John Parker assumed the control of the business, until 1916. Robert J. Francis was the owner of the store from 1954 to 2004. In 2004, the business was known as "Parker Pharmacy" and was situated in a plaza at 1050 2nd Ave. East. The business closed in 2008, when it was bought out by the Rexall chain. Some archival items at the Grey County Archives: 1974.049.003 Scrapbook has illustration of Parker & Co. building storefront (by Grant Barfoot Co. of Toronto) 1993.024.029 Souvenir booklet, 1904, p. 16, has advertisement for Parker & Co. 1992.056.004 THE OWEN SOUND TIMES, Oct. 23, 1857, p. 4 (advertises the ambrotype gallery) 1999.025.026 Newspaper edition of DURHAM REVIEW, June 4, 1903 had ad for H. Parker, Druggist & Seedsman at Durham (lists seed types he offered) |
