The Smith Brothers, Dr George Smith and T. J. Smith, opened a branch drug store in the spring of 1887 in Oak City which was then a flourishing little town about seven miles southwest of Liberal. The main purpose of the branch store was to furnish paint for the new buildings going up, about a dozen at a time. The town, however, was short lived.
Smith Bros Drug Store, 1922. Tom Smith, center, George Smith, right
When the future of Fargo Springs and Springfield was threatened by routing the extension of the Rock Island Railroad further south, the Smith brothers decided to move their business to Liberal, a new town site which was being developed by the Kansas Town and Land Co. On April 20, 1888, they moved their frame building and stock of merchandise to 214 North Kansas Avenue, Liberal. The lot was bought by Thomas J. Smith from the Kansas Town and Land Co. soon after the lots when on sale.
Some of the citizens of Fargo cast their lot in Arkalon awhile before they conceded Liberal would become the county seat. Thus, George S Smith and Brother, as the firm was known, became one of the first and remained the oldest continuing business in the county for many years.
Smith's Drug Store 1913. Left to Right: Tom Smith, Belle Smith, Dr George Smith, customer, Mr Moser (clerk), customer
George and Tom established the Liberal telephone system. The first “central” office was in the back of the drug store’s first Kansas Avenue location and its telephone number was #1. T. J. McDermott and Cort Brown were also members of the company.
The Smith brothers purchased a small ranch before the turn of the century about 18 miles southeast of Liberal on Sharps Creek in Beaver County, Oklahoma, adjoining some of the claims proved up by some other members of the family. One of the first phones was installed there and later extended to serve some of the other ranches. Most of the line was run on fence posts where they were available. The original cattle band, X-diamond-X connected-XX, issued to Geo. S. Smith & Bro., July, 1898, was retained by Roy Smith.
The drug store remained between Second and Third Streets on Kansas Avenue until 1906 when it was moved into Smith Brothers new brick building on the corner of Kansas Avenue and Second Street. As the town grew and the telephone system expanded, a two-story building was built in 1907 in back of the drug store to house the exchange on the second floor. The telephone business was sold to L.W. Stevesson in 1909 and in 1912 was moved to a new location just one block north.
The Smith brothers continued to operate the drug store until Roy Smith, Tom’s youngest son, a pharmacist, took over the management in 1934 and purchased the business in October 1937. The name of the store was changed to Smith’s Drug Store, Inc. The name was retained until the business was sold. In 1966, the name was changed to H & R Pharmacy.
Today the building is owned by Seward county historian Lidia Hook-Gray and is home to Heritage Real Estate.
Sources
*The Liberal News, May 2, 1935, pp 1-2
*Kansas State History, Vol III:180, 1912
*Lidia Hook-Gray