Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1949-05-26
An Old Landmark
By Elsie White Haines
Pictures by o. B. Troup

Running a drugstore in 1949 is
much easier work than it was in
the Gay Nineties," both DR.. R. w.
Vinson, who owns a pharmacy in
Rockville, and John Brewer who
once worked there, agree. There
is little use for mortar and pestle
now-eXtract of herbs and drugs
come in bottles and are easily
mixed" Dr.. willie" explained.
"And druggist or mis- assistant
is not expected to be on call "a
hours a day." chimed in Mr.. Brew
er. ,"Why, when l worked here for
DR.. Owen in 1895 l had sleeping
quarters upstairs. There was
night bell for emergency use after
II o'clock" He recalled that prank
sters - including Roger Shaw,
Brooke Edmonston and Carey
Kingdom would ring the bell, rouse
employees and then run.
The old brick building, just off
Courthouse Square, on Perry
Street, which forms the base of
the triangle made by the intersec-
ton of Montgomery Avenue with
Commerce Lane, causes much COM
ment. from newcomers to the town
and tourists coming through from
the west. Route 240 would run
right into it did it not swerve to
the right around the Confederate
soldier - the towns only monu-
ment-which commentaries a lost
cause.
Mellowed and softened by age,
The building, really two - stands
unchanged, just as when that part
occupied now by the Sentinel was
built in 1884 to house the Mont
gomery County National Bank and
/ year later-1885-th drugstore
part was built by DR.. Francis
Owen.
The Sentinel building, now
owned by Mrs. Carey Kingdom, has
been modernized inside as its neat
Venetian blinds attest = but the
drugstore remains much the same
as it was in 1885. The showcases
and all equipment have been there
since the store was built. Large
dust-covered bottles high up on the
.op shelves of the intricatcly
,arved walnut cabinets contain
drugs almost forgotten. Behind
he screen one may see prescrip-
ions dating back fifty years or
more. A soda fountain near the big
front window has been unused
since 1918.
"Mr. Willie" as he is called by
many, bought the store in 1900.
Born in Rockville in 1872, the son
IF John T. and Frances Prout Vim
son, he had three sisters, Mrs. Ed
ward c. Peter, now deceased; Mrs.
Minor Anderson, and Miss Mamie
Vinson. There was also a brother,
Thomas. who died in 1924. Tom
was a great sport and lent a racy
air to the establishment.
DR.. Vinson and Miss Mamie live
on Jefferson Street, just back Of
the Courthouse. When their ances-
tors first cane to Rockville, Jeffer-
son was its main street--there was
no Montgomery Avenue. Dr. Vim
son never married-"Just too slow
| guess" he chuckled. His early
education was received at the
Rockville Academy where some Of
his schoolmates were Abby Hender-
son, George Henderson, Arthur Pc
ter, Maurice Foote, and Tom Nc
Donald.
Russell Bogley has been right
hand man at WILSON'S for % years.
Son Of the late Walter Bogley, he
was born on farm near Norbeck.
his wife, Lindell Baker Bogley, is
employed at Farmers Bank. Rus
sell is born "Mr. Fixit-he can
FIX up a typewriter a. handily as
ne can hand out dose for a cold
OF headache. Before his time Ar
iington Bennett and Edgar Reed
HNm A