Rural Retreat Drug Co /
Dr. Pepper


Company Names, addresses, dates:
  Rural Retreat Drug Co, Rural Retreat VA (ca.1875-1994) 1

Notes:
Dr. Charles Taylor Pepper (1830-1903)2 graduated from the UVA medical school in 1855. He became a surgeon, and patched up Confederate soldiers during the Civil War. He later gave up the surgical profession, bought a drug store in Rural Retreat, and became a pharmacist.3

I've seen newspaper articles that claim he started his drug store in Rural Retreat on or before 1875, but a newspaper article from November of 1875 said his residence was in Bristol VA, which is about 60 miles away from Rural Retreat.4
The 1880 US Census listed Dr Pepper living in Black Lick VA, which was only 2 miles from Rural Retreat, so he may have started his drug store there by that time.
Dr Pepper passed away in 19031, but the Rural Retreat drug store continued until 1994.1

Dr. Pepper Soda connection?
There are stories that Dr Pepper soda may have been named after Dr. Charles T. Pepper in Rural Retreat. This is based on: 1
    (1) An old ledger in the pharmacy had references to "swamp root, quinine, spices, raisins and soda", which sounds like ingredients that would make a soda tasting somewhat like Dr Pepper.
    (2) Dr Pepper soda was invented at Wade Morrison's drug store in Waco Texas in the year 1885. Before that, Morrison had been an assistant in Pepper's Rural Retreat drug store.
    (3) Some claim Morrison was romantically involved with Pepper's daughter, however research shows she would have been in elementary school at the time Morrison worked in Rural Retreat.


Bottles:
rural_retreat_01 This is a clear 4.25" screw-top bottle with a label that says:
label: ... Bay Rum ... / RURAL RETREAT DRUG CO. / RURAL RETREAT, VA.


1 Southwest Times, 7-Apr-1994, p.1, "Dr. Pepper's drug stgore to close April 15"
2 Find-a-grave entry for Charles Tayhlor Pepper
3 Suffolk News-Herald, 11-Mar-1992, p.3, "Rural Retreat claims soda's pop"
4 Bristol News, 23-Nov-1875, p.4


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This page last updated on October 16, 2024.