Gem Pharmacy


Company Names, addresses, dates:
   The Gem Pharmacy, Henry S. Eley Proprietor, Suffolk VA (1901-c.1914) 1,2

Notes:
Henry Seth Eley (1871-1952)3 was the proprietor of the Gem Pharmacy.
The 1900 US Census lists Eley as a drug clerk, although it doesn't say what drug store he was at.
He started his own drugstore in 19011. Many newspaper advertisements for the Gem Pharmacy exist in the years from 1902-1912. In December 1911, the building that housed the Gem Pharmacy at 528 Main Street was sold4. I couldn't find any newspaper advertisements for the Gem Pharmacy after 1912, but in October 1914 Eley had a want ad for a drug clerk2, so it seems he was still in the drug store business at that time.
The 1920 US Census lists Eley's occupation as the Suffolk City Treasurer, so it seems he had given up the drugstore business by that time.

Bottles:

gem_01 This is a clear 5" (3 oz) bottle embossed:
horizontal: 3iii
vertical slugplate: THE GEM PHARMACY / HENRY S. ELEY, PROP. / SUFFOLK, VA.
base: W. T. & CO. / G / U. S. A.
gem_02 This is a clear 5.8" (4 oz) machine-made bottle with a label:
label: THE GEM PHARMACY / HENRY S. ELEY, PROP. / MAIN STREET, SUFFOLK, VA.


1 Norfolk Virginian-Pilot newspaper, 16-Oct-1901, p.6
2 Richmond Daily Dispatch newspaper, 19-Oct-1914, p.10 (last mention I found of Henry L. Eley's drugstore)
3 Death Certificate 6190, Suffolk VA, Henry Seth Eley, b:29-Oct-1871, d:9-Mar-1952, occup: retired druggist
4 Norfolk Virginian-Pilot newspaper, 20-Dec-1911, p.12


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This page last updated on July 1, 2020.