Houston’s oldest business, the Grand Avenue drug store, acquired by Walgreens in 2012, is set to close its doors on Feb. 29, ending a legacy that began in 1866.
Walgreens media relations personnel confirmed the closing. There is potential for local ownership to fill the vacancy.
Walgreens bought the store from USA Drug, which had acquired the business in 2008 from the Forbes family.
It has been a community institution since John Blankenship started the pharmaceutical business shortly after the conclusion of the Civil War, the Forbes family owned the enterprise since 1933. The original brick and sandstone blocks used for the foundation still stand. In the late 1950s an addition more than doubled the amount of available floor space. The property is owned by the late Clay and Leta Forbes’ niece, Ann Long, who helped them operate the store in later years.
After the death of Blankenship, Fred Forbes managed the drug store for several years and later acquired it. Sons Clay and Marvin, who died in 1970, later joined the business, as did Mark Forbes, Clay’s son, who died in 2013. They were the fourth and fifth generations of the family in the pharmacy business.
A drug store has operated from the current location since 1866.
For Houston residents, the “drug store,” as it is known by locals, served as a community hub for generations. Its soda fountain — which was later closed by Walgreens — was a popular spot for those attending the downtown movie theater, the Melba. Kids gathered after school and at lunch time when the district allowed students to leave campus. Many businessmen in downtown Houston started the day with coffee at the drugstore.
Generations of Houston residents had their first employment opportunity as one of several “soda jerks” hired by the Forbes family.
Such a sad ending to a beloved institution. I sure hope someone buys & reopens the drug store!
I’m so sad about this. I remember the Forbes. We attended church with them. They were so nice. The drug store staff treated everyone like family. It was a big part of my childhood. My grandmother Birdie would take me for a treat at the soda fountain. Dad and I went almost every day in the summers when I was growing up, getting me a soda or an ice cream while he had coffee with his friends. Mom and I would go there to get birthday cards, visit with friends and neighbors, or to share a snack. And in high school, I would hurry up the hill to grab something for lunch there, along with a small herd of classmates. I have a lot of good memories of this place.
The closing of the Walgreen Pharmacy is another reality of the current economic condition of the country and especially small communities.