Frederick M. Wills


Company Names, addresses, dates: 1,2,3
  Wills & Geiger, Charlottesville VA (-1882)
  Geiger, S.E., Main nr. Union, Charlottesville VA (1888)
  Wills Drug Co, Union and Main, Charlottesville VA (1888)
  Wills Drug Co, 333 E Main, Charlottesville VA (1902-1906)
  Wills Drug Co, 510 E Main, Charlottesville VA (1910)
  Wills Drug Co, 5th cor Jefferson N E, Charlottesville VA (1912)

Notes:
Frederick Miles Wills (1833-1912)4 came to Charlottesville in 1849 and entered the drug business, in which he continued until his death in 1912. 5

Wills was partnered with Sylvester E. Geiger (1847-1906)6 as early as 18755.

They disolved the partnership in 1882, with Wills taking sole possession of the store3.
An 1888 directory showed that Geiger was running his own drugstore located near Will's store at that time.2

Frederick Wills had a brother named William Sclater Wills who ran a drugstore in Covington VA.


Fredirick M Wills Bottles:

wills_01 Aqua 2.7" un-embossed bottle with a label:
label: FREDERICK M. WILLS / DRUGGIST AND STATIONER / (something hand written) / MAIN STREET / Charlottesville, Va.
wills_04 Clear 3.5" bottle embossed:
vertical: FRED M. WILLS / CHARLOTTSVILLE, VA.



Wills & Geiger Bottles:
wills_05 Clear 4.2" bottle embossed:
vertical: WILLS & GEIGER / DRUGGISTS / CHARLOTTSVILLE VA



Other items:
wills_02a (front) wills_02b (rear) This is a 4"x2" card from the Wills Drug Co that says:

front: HENRY TETLOW'S SUPERB GOSSAMER FOR THE COMPLEXION / HENRY TETLOW'S GOSSAMER AND SWAN DOWN ARE THE ONLY Powders exported to Europe. Their extensive use in England and the Continent testifies to their unrivaled merit.

rear: FOR SALE BY THE WILLS DRUG CO., PHARMACISTS & STATIONERS, TRY WILLS' CARBOLIZED PETROGELO (PURIFIED PETROLEUM JELLY) WITH CAMPHOR & GLYCERINE, FOR CHAPPED HANDS, LIPS, ETC. CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA.


1 Charlottesville city directories, 1902,04,06,10,12,14,16,19
2 Chantaignes Virginia Gazetteer & Classified Business Directory, 1888-89
3 Jeffersonian Republic (Charlottesville newspaper) 3-May-1882, page 3
4 Find-a-grave entry for Frederick Miles Wills
5 The Virginia University Magazine, Vol XIV No.1 October 1875, page 444
6 Find-a-grave entry for Sylvester E. Geiger




Back to my drugtstore bottle home page.


This page last updated on July 31, 2022.