Early Site of Dr. Logue's Drugstore
Columbus, Colorado County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Known as first drugstore in Republic of Texas. Founded 1844 by Dr. John G. Logue (1815-1861), who came here after graduation (1842) from Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia. A partner of his for a time was Dr. John H. Bowers, physician (1836) to captive dictator Santa Anna. Store has had a succession of owners. One, Dr. R.H. Harrison, founded city's railway hospital. Later owners Weller & Burford served trade area extending to Gonzales and Bastrop. O.A. Zumwalt (1870-1951) was proprietor for 48 years. The store, operated on various sites, is now on Bowie Street. (1973)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In the young Republic of Texas, a frontier town's first drugstore was a lifeline — the closest thing to a hospital many settlers would ever see. Founded in 1844 by Philadelphia-trained Dr. John G. Logue, this Columbus store dispensed medicine through the Republic, statehood, the Civil War, and the railroad age, passing through a long line of owners including one who founded the town's railway hospital. Its trade reached as far as Gonzales and Bastrop, and one proprietor stood behind the counter for nearly half a century.
Why it matters
Early drugstores were the backbone of frontier medicine, and this one — claimed as the first in the Republic of Texas — traces how professional healthcare took root on the American frontier.
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Related people
- · Dr. John G. Logue
- · Dr. John H. Bowers
- · O.A. Zumwalt
Themes & tags
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