“Perhaps Rock Hill’s earliest drugstore.”
City Directories and History: Dr. John William Fewell, a medical doctor, was the partner of pharmacist, W. M. McCully. This may have been Rock Hill’s first drugstore. From 1851 to 1892, Rock Hill had intendents, as they were called, to head the city government. When Rock Hill was incorporated in 1892 Dr. Fewell became the town’s first mayor.
Mr. McCully was the nephew of prominent farmer Jacob F. Strait and was one of the first of the medical profession in the Gaston – Strait – Wylie – Lyle cousins to make Rock Hill their home and begin their medical practices here.
A part of McCully’s family had moved to Arkansas just after the Civil War and they carried on correspondence. One of the letters he wrote stated, “Our garden was not injured or much affected by the cold and rain. We have had Potatoes for nearly three weeks, and today a mess of Beans. Had Strawberries in abundance. Have a good cow which makes us milk and butter plenty. Antonia has been talking to me all the time I have been writing and I came very near omitting “cow”. She is very busy tonight making Syrups for our Soda Fountain. – and eating Ice. Call at the Drug Store tomorrow (joking), and we’ll give you a drink of Ice Cold Soda Water. I wish you could see Antonia eating ice. It is funny, her hands are in the Syrup and she can’t take hold of anything, has it in a Saucer on the table and sits down and eats it out of the Saucer. She got such a nice present this evening, a nice Squirrel already dressed – is going to have such a nice breakfast tomorrow morning.” Information from the YCGHS Magazine – March 1993
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